Even more German than the Germans
In Germany of all places, England could become European champions for the first time - partly because they have copied their rival's characteristics. The title would cure the nation of a trauma.
After England had reached their first European Championship final outside their own country, a perplexed Chinese reporter wanted to know from national team coach Gareth Southgate why miracles were actually happening to his team on a regular basis. England substitute Ollie Watkins had just scored the winning goal against the Netherlands in the last minute. In the round of 16 against Slovakia and the quarter-final against Switzerland, players from the motherland of football had already scored decisive goals in the closing stages. The question was probably the greatest compliment Southgate could have received for his work at that moment. After all, it suggested that he had managed to pull his country out of its spiral of bankruptcy since being appointed national team coach in the fall of 2016. Before that, Time magazine had dubbed England's national team "the most disappointing team in the world".
Until now, the Germans have generally been perceived as the team that wins as a matter of course - manifested by the saying once uttered out of disappointment by England striker Gary Lineker that football is an easy game because 22 men chase the ball and the Germans always win in the end. But now it looks as if the English, at the European Championship in Germany of all places, are sometimes playing and acting more German than the Germans. The reason for this lies in the relationship between the two countries, perhaps the most one-sided rivalry in world football. Although the English are fuming with resentment at the Germans for their many defeats, they admire them in awe.
The rivalry between England and Germany is the most one-sided in world football
Since England's home triumph over Germany at the 1966 World Cup, which seems almost cursed from today's perspective, virtually every major English footballer has suffered a tournament exit against the Germans at some point - in Southgate's case it was the lost penalty shoot-out in the semi-final of the 1996 European Championship at home, when he missed the decisive penalty.
To counteract the malice of the British press, some of whom were scathing in their judgment, he took the mickey out of himself in a promotional film for a pizza chain after the tournament - which only made the mishap even more timeless. Unsurprisingly, Southgate found it difficult to come to terms with the situation for a long time. He had learned a million things from that day, he once said, most notably that when things go wrong in life, it's not the end. He even thought it somehow set you free.
Losing the semi-final of the 1996 European Championship was a major blow for the English - but also a turning point
He himself took the liberty of Germanizing the English national team. England's own 2024 European Championship campaign corresponds to the classic cliché of a German tournament team. From the arduous group matches to the remarkable semi-final, the English have improved and grown into the tournament, so to speak. Their style of play is no longer based on an open exchange of blows, as was often the case in the past, but instead contains the attributes that were once associated with DFB teams: team unity, stable defending, economical results football, individual class, good substitutions, high efficiency - and late goals.
The reason why the English are suddenly able to play badly and still win, according to the wisdom of former tournament winners, is their team spirit, resilience and nerves of steel. Southgate has copied these things from the Germans, among others - and he exemplifies them to his team by sticking with the leaders, emphasizing the value of the substitutes, always putting himself before the team when criticized and not allowing the mood swings at home to influence his decisions. "It's all very un-English, isn't it?" noted the New York Times in its analysis.
England's tournament performance matches the cliché of the tournament team
The English public initially had to get used to the change in strategy. They are only now recognizing the benefits of the new approach, after the coach was initially harshly attacked. A Times reporter described the mood of the nation, which believes it is on a clear path to football heaven. He commented that he had enjoyed watching England get there again after losing the 2021 European Championship final more than he could ever express in words. "Everyone wants to be loved, don't they?" the coach commented benevolently on the new affection from home.
By reaching the final, Gareth Southgate has, in a way, treated his own trauma and that of his country. He gave the Chinese questioner a brief answer to the main reason for this: "Character." His team showed it in several games when they were behind and the 53-year-old proved it in the most difficult situation of the tournament for him, when some of his compatriots threw beer cups at him in the preliminary round: He faced them anyway. Should Southgate now really lead England to the title in Germany in German style - it would indeed be tantamount to a miracle.