German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has wished the national team well for the upcoming Euro 2024 home tournament and hopes that Julian Nagelsmann's men can go all the way and lift the trophy on July 14 in Berlin.
Scholz told the Spielmacher (Playmaker) podcast he hopes for wide ranging enthusiasm in Germany and abroad for the month-long tournament in 10 German cities that kicks off on June 14.
‘I hope that there is great enthusiasm in Germany, but also in the world, for this European Championship," he said.
"And of course I hope that our team is carried by this enthusiasm and has a lot of success so that it goes all the way to the end."
Scholz said he planned to watch "many games" - including with bratwurst and beer in the garden - because "I am full of admiration for what the lads are capable of.
"It would be completely absurd to feel like a chancellor all the time. Life has many beautiful aspects, and they are not connected to the office at all. You need these moments and this time, and I definitely need them too," Scholz added.
Scholz named himself a fan rather than a major expert, as he said it is "best to go in there as a team and concentrate on the game - and not think at all about what everyone else is thinking.
"That's probably the most important piece of advice: ’It's up to you now. You are the team, don't look at others, don't think about what others think,'" the chancellor said.
