Euro 2024 tournament director Philipp Lahm stressed that a win for Germany in the opening game against Scotland later on Friday is "very important" for the euphoria in the country.
"When you look at it: In the last three tournaments, the national team always lost the opening match and was eliminated in the group stage twice and reached the last 16 once," the 2014 World Cup champion told radio station Deutschlandfunk.
Lahm was referring to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and the Euro 2020 respectively.
In 2018, Germany lost their opener to Japan, while in 2022 they were defeated by Mexico. At the Euro 2020, which took place a year later due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they lost to France.
"At a home tournament, the opening match is of course even much more important because it can spark such enthusiasm and euphoria if the national team performs well," he said.
"That's what I hope for when the ball is rolling, that there will be this enthusiasm in our country and that we will once again feel a sense of cohesion in our society."
Germany Football League (DFL) managing director Marc Lenz, meanwhile, told dpa that "the Euros is a wonderful opportunity for football and the whole country. As the DFL, we are united behind our national team."
Lenz added: "With the tailwind of a thrilling season in our Bundesliga, we hope for a top start to the Euros, happy weeks and euphoria in German football - our team will contribute to this. As fans and as DFL management, we are keeping our fingers crossed for a successful and fantastic tournament!"
