At the turn of the year, Bernd Neuendorf takes a look back on 2023 and discusses the new year that has just begun, with EURO 2024 promising to be the highlight in Germany.
Dear football fans,
It is with great excitement and anticipation that we welcome the start of the new year. After 36 years, Germany will once again host the European championships — this time, in a country-wide tournament. Our country was still divided back in 1988, the first and only time the EUROs were awarded to Germany. This coming year will see host cities Leipzig and Berlin in the east, as well as Dortmund in the west, hold matches during the EUROs for the first time.
As was the case during the 2006 World Cup, we once again want to be the perfect hosts and put on an unrivalled festival of football. Our goal is that this tournament also helps to benefit and support grassroots football, especially the more than 24,000 clubs across our country that are doing so much excellent work, both on and off the pitch.
With the help of the DFB’s ‘Punktespiel’ campaign, we are ensuring that grassroots level clubs can also participate in the European championships. We want EURO 2024 to be of real benefit to them and have a long-lasting impact. This campaign is a building block to help set up our many grassroots clubs for the future. Not only does it provide an important impetus for coaches, referees and for attracting new members, it also helps to support clubs in the areas of environmental and climate protection. We want the impacts of this tournament to be felt long after it comes to an end, and for it to extend beyond the ten host cities. Our ‘Football is the best time’ campaign will also seek to highlight what football means to each and every one of us.
I am very much looking forward to this tournament. We will be treated to exciting matches and incredible atmospheres in the stadiums. It will be a real festival of football in Europe! People from all areas of our continent will travel here in order to support their teams. We will showcase ourselves as a friendly, warm and welcoming country. The appeal and unifying power of football will be visible and clearly felt in all of Germany. The opening game between Germany and Scotland in Munich promises to get the tournament off to an exciting start.
We are all convinced that our national team will be able to excite the fans once again at this year’s EUROs. 2023 saw us reach a historic milestone with our 1,000th international game, despite our overall record not being what we’d hoped. But, head coach Julian Nagelsmann and his team will use the months leading up to the opening game on 14th June to ensure the team are fully prepared for the tournament.
Just like our U17s, under head coach Christian Wück, were fully prepared for their World Cup campaign and made history by winning the tournament for the first time. This historic moment was the perfect way to bring the year to an end, and adds momentum to the DFB heading into the year of EURO 2024. It was the cherry on top for an exceptional team in a fairytale finish in December.
Another important moment for football in Germany this year will be the awarding of the hosting rights for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Together with our friends from the Netherlands and Belgium, we have submitted an excellent bid and I’m hopeful that FIFA will make the right decision when voting on the decision during their congress in Bangkok in May.
After a disappointing finish at the Women’s World Cup last year, our women’s national team have been able to get back on track under head coach Horst Hrubesch. The team finished top of their UEFA Nations League group and have qualified for the finals of the competition in February, meaning our dream of qualifying for the Olympics lives on. The Olympic Games, which will begin less than two weeks after the final of EURO 2024, represent another big sporting event that we can look forward to in 2024. Germany will also open the year by hosting the handball European championships in January. We are all looking forward to a special year with plenty of sporting highlights.
I wish all of you all the best for the new (sporting) year.
Yours,
Bernd Neuendorf
DFB President
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At the turn of the year, Bernd Neuendorf takes a look back on 2023 and discusses the new year that has just begun, with EURO 2024 promising to be the highlight in Germany.
Dear football fans,
It is with great excitement and anticipation that we welcome the start of the new year. After 36 years, Germany will once again host the European championships — this time, in a country-wide tournament. Our country was still divided back in 1988, the first and only time the EUROs were awarded to Germany. This coming year will see host cities Leipzig and Berlin in the east, as well as Dortmund in the west, hold matches during the EUROs for the first time.
As was the case during the 2006 World Cup, we once again want to be the perfect hosts and put on an unrivalled festival of football. Our goal is that this tournament also helps to benefit and support grassroots football, especially the more than 24,000 clubs across our country that are doing so much excellent work, both on and off the pitch.
With the help of the DFB’s ‘Punktespiel’ campaign, we are ensuring that grassroots level clubs can also participate in the European championships. We want EURO 2024 to be of real benefit to them and have a long-lasting impact. This campaign is a building block to help set up our many grassroots clubs for the future. Not only does it provide an important impetus for coaches, referees and for attracting new members, it also helps to support clubs in the areas of environmental and climate protection. We want the impacts of this tournament to be felt long after it comes to an end, and for it to extend beyond the ten host cities. Our ‘Football is the best time’ campaign will also seek to highlight what football means to each and every one of us.
I am very much looking forward to this tournament. We will be treated to exciting matches and incredible atmospheres in the stadiums. It will be a real festival of football in Europe! People from all areas of our continent will travel here in order to support their teams. We will showcase ourselves as a friendly, warm and welcoming country. The appeal and unifying power of football will be visible and clearly felt in all of Germany. The opening game between Germany and Scotland in Munich promises to get the tournament off to an exciting start.
We are all convinced that our national team will be able to excite the fans once again at this year’s EUROs. 2023 saw us reach a historic milestone with our 1,000th international game, despite our overall record not being what we’d hoped. But, head coach Julian Nagelsmann and his team will use the months leading up to the opening game on 14th June to ensure the team are fully prepared for the tournament.
Just like our U17s, under head coach Christian Wück, were fully prepared for their World Cup campaign and made history by winning the tournament for the first time. This historic moment was the perfect way to bring the year to an end, and adds momentum to the DFB heading into the year of EURO 2024. It was the cherry on top for an exceptional team in a fairytale finish in December.
Another important moment for football in Germany this year will be the awarding of the hosting rights for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Together with our friends from the Netherlands and Belgium, we have submitted an excellent bid and I’m hopeful that FIFA will make the right decision when voting on the decision during their congress in Bangkok in May.
After a disappointing finish at the Women’s World Cup last year, our women’s national team have been able to get back on track under head coach Horst Hrubesch. The team finished top of their UEFA Nations League group and have qualified for the finals of the competition in February, meaning our dream of qualifying for the Olympics lives on. The Olympic Games, which will begin less than two weeks after the final of EURO 2024, represent another big sporting event that we can look forward to in 2024. Germany will also open the year by hosting the handball European championships in January. We are all looking forward to a special year with plenty of sporting highlights.
I wish all of you all the best for the new (sporting) year.
Yours,
Bernd Neuendorf
DFB President
