Euro 24 Build Up

Many of the Premier League’s top players will have half an eye on this summer’s European Championships, especially now the domestic season is reaching its climax. It’s that classic pre-tournament situation where players are desperately hoping to avoid any injuries that will prevent them from competing for their countries, balanced with the chase for club silverware.

Whichever of the top European teams reach the finals of the three competitions – Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League, they will be playing competitive matches very close to the start of the Euros in Germany. In fact there are only 13 days between the Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium and the opening match of Euro 2024, when hosts Germany will take on Scotland in Munich.

Where to see pre-tournament England Friendlies

If this wasn’t enough, there are two international friendlies in the schedule for the first week of June, which you would assume will feature players on the fringes of the England starting XI rather than those expected to feature prominently during the competition. First up, Gareth Southgate’s men take on Bosnia-Herzegovina at St James’s Park in Newcastle on June 3rd, before heading down to London for a pre-Euros farewell against Iceland – the team who famously broke English hearts in France back in 2016.

We’ve got a couple of fantastic Wembley hospitality packages for this game, giving you the chance to send the squad off to Germany in style. First up, we can provide the basic seat-only package in the Executive level of the National Stadium, which comes with access to the Taphouse Bar and Diner, where you can buy food and drinks; or if you want a bit more luxury you could try the Number Nine Restaurant, in which you can enjoy a superb culinary experience before the match, with full complimentary bar for the whole evening, plus executive seating in the stadium. Give us a call on 01454 201210 and we’ll be happy to talk you through the best options for your group.

Is this the year for England Glory?

It’s not the first time it’s been said before a major international competition, but surely this year England have got a fantastic chance of bringing home the trophy. We’ve got arguably the best centre-froward in Europe in Harry Kane, one of the best attacking midfielders in world football in Jude Bellingham, plus an array of players such as Phil Foden, John Stones, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice who would walk into pretty much any club team in the game. All that said, there are obvious question marks over the defensive mettle of the team. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has picked the ball out of Everton’s net this year more often than he would have liked, and his back up goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has been reduced to a bit part role for Arsenal, which is far from ideal should he be called upon this summer. Manchester United duo Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire have had stop-start seasons due to injury, and lack of support from the Old Trafford management, and Kyle Walker picked up a knock during the March international break. In a nutshell, going forward England are great… defensively, it’s a different story.

So who could challenge England for the European crown? The most obvious team, in spite of their disastrous showing in the last World Cup, would be the host nation Germany. With the weight of local support behind them, and a pretty straightforward Group A to qualify from (sorry Scotland), they’re sure to bounce back with a genuine challenge. Group B is more intriguing, as Spain, holders Italy and Croatia will battle it out for places in the second phase. Group D features France, ranked second in the world, with the Netherlands probably pushing them for top spot. In Group E Belgium should ease their way through, while Portugal are favourites to qualify from Group F. There are superstars in all of these sides, but it’s difficult to look at any team and think they have the depth of talent that Gareth Southgate has at his disposal – IF he uses the squad wisely…

And if it all goes horribly wrong, we’ll only have to wait a few weeks before the start of the Olympic Games, so all is not lost!

CONTACT THE TEAM

Give Us a call on 01454 201210 or email enquiries@circuithospitality.com to see how we can help you.