Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock firmly believes that her German team will win Euro 2024 on home ground, and hopes to watch many games of the tournament despite a busy schedule.
Asked by dpa on Friday shortly before the tournament opener between Germany and Scotland, Baerbock said: "In sweepstakes I always follow my heart" as she predicted a July 14 final between Germany and Portugal.
"And my winner of the heart: Germany wins," she added.
Baerbock said she would not manage to attend Friday's tournament opener in Munich and will instead follow it on TV with her family and neighbours in the garden - "with a barbeque," weather permitting.
Baerbock said that watching Euro matches on TV or in the stadium will largely depend on her work schedule. She said that several of her colleagues had announced plans to attend Euro matches of their respective teams and that she would accompany some of them.
She added: "The big drama is that both semi-finals coincide with the NATO summit and we will all be in Washington. So I may have to find a peaceful corner with the chancellor [Olaf Scholz] and the defence minister [Boris Pistorius] to watch at least a little football."
The semi-finals are July 9 and 10 and the NATO meetings July 9-11.