Euro 2024 LIVE: Munich’s tartan takeover! Bavaria awash with bagpipes, kilts and plenty of beer as party-loving Scots kick off celebrations early ahead of crunch opener with Germany
Who has the best kit at the Euros?
So, in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, the big news is that the Euros are kicking off tonight.
And while that usually means a festival of football for the next month, including all the turmoil, jeopardy and drama that you might expect, it also means a look at the latest batch of international kits.
Germany’s shirt, for example, is a retor-inspired stunner, while Slovenia have cropped up with an unsuspected entry for best at the tournament.
But who takes top spot? Check out the link to find out.
Which team has the best and worst shirts at Euro 2024 this summer?
Why is there a lack of German flags in windows?
We’ve had plenty of talk about Scotland this morning, which is hardly a surprise given the gusto with which they’ve embraced matchday, or matchweek perhaps more accurately.
With the world’s eyes turning to Germany this month for what is probably the biggest continental competition in international football, there is an unmistakable lack of German flags in windows, as Mail Sport’s IAN HERBERT writes.
Here, he discusses in fascinating detail why Germany is currently tearing itself apart – check out the link to find out why.
Germany is tearing itself apart with fans scared to fly their flag
Scotland could have called on Gallagher!
To think he could have had Conor Gallagher partnering him in midfield tonight too!
That’s right – the Chelsea star was also eligible to play for Steve Clarke’s side, only to be turned down for not being good enough!
Mind you, England also rejected him so I don’t think we can make too much of the snub, but you’d think Clarke would be happy to have someone of his calibre to call upon this summer!
For more on that one, check out the link below!
Conor Gallagher reveals he could have played for Scotland
‘Super John McGinn!’
Ready for another song?
John McGinn is a brilliant player – he’s just qualified for the Champions League with Aston Villa, after all – but better than Zinedine Zidane?
I’ll let you be the judge of that…
Some stunning headwear on show
Time for a new segment, I think.
In all the excitement and optimism in Munich, it’s easy to miss just what a staggering array of headwear is on show over there – I mean just look at some of those!
From the patriotic to the downright puzzling, Scotland have certainly brought the heat with their hat game this morning…
Not all been plain sailing for Scotland fans…
We saw a clip earlier on of one passenger who found themselves alone amid a sea of Scottish supporters on a plane.
The fans have been descending on Munich in their droves full of good vibes and positivity ahead of the game, but for some it’s been something of an odyssey getting to Bavaria in the first place.
Take a look at this group, who braved two days and 1,500 miles in campervan just to get there in time!
Scotland fans journey 1,500 miles in campervan quest to watch Euros
Some more BTS footage from CRAIG HOPE
Time for another tour from our man on the ground, CRAIG HOPE!
This time, it’s a look around Blankenhain castle, the scenic media base for England during the tournament.
Take a look at the clip below for some great behind the scenes footage – including an indoor golf putter, pool table and of course the obligaatory Xbox set-ups.
How do Scotland stop Musiala and Wirtz?
We’ve mentioned a few times that the odds are slightly against Scotland tonight against what is a very young, new-look German team.
But just who should Andy Robertson and Co be most wary of?
One of these two has already won the Champions League, while the other just went an entire domestic season unbeaten. Not a bad CV for two 21-year-olds now is it?
Check out the link below for more on Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, the youngsters looking to fire Germany to glory this summer.
WUNDERKINDS! Musiala and Wirtz can make Euros the Jamal and Flo show
Eze vs Gallagher – but who comes out on top?
Back to Blankenhain, where last night the real competition took place.
That’s right, the head to head battle on the baize, a one-on-one pool match between Conor Gallagher and Eberechi Eze.
We won’t spoil who wins, you’ll have to watch to find out, but one of those two might have a future in the Crucible ahead of them judging by their potting – some cracking shots in there.
The Tartan Army ‘in full effect’
And how about this for a shot of the action?
Round two has begun
I think it’s fair to say that the festivities have started up again for the day…
T-Minus seven-and-a-bit hours until kick-off – plenty of time to get ready and soak up some of the local delicacies.
The perils of wearing a kilt
Well, we’ve seen it all now. Literally.
Spare a thought for this German presenter trying to report from the scene in Munich ahead of the big one tonight.
It’s your classic case of tv reporter meets merry fans gone wrong.
I’ll not spoil it, but fair to say we’ve learned a few things about the perils of wearing a kilt…
One fan’s had an absolute shocker
Back to Munich now, and the funny if tragic story of a Scottish fan who maybe had a little bit too much fun last night.
In all the chaos – which was all very light-hearted – they managed to break their phone!
Worse still, it had the tickets for the match tonight on it…
Link below for more on that one!
Scotland fan breaks his phone ahead of Euro 2024 kick off
A little more on Blankenhain…
Time for German georgaphy lesson No 2!
Blankenhain is near enough slap bang in the centre of Germany, some 400km north of all the Munich mayhem, and home to a little under 7,000 people.
You’d think that that would make it pretty accessible, right? Well sort of.
England still face an eight-hour round trip for their first game against Serbia, before another six hours to Frankfurt and back to face Denmark, and 800km round trip to face Slovenia.
Fair to say they’ll be clocking up the miles then.
It’s not all bagpipes marching through the streets, mind you
The scenes filtering in from Munich over the last 24 hours have been a healthy mix of chaos and positive energy, with Scotland mastering the knack of making plenty of noise without crossing the line.
But it’s not all bagpipes marching through the streets and singing the hokey cokey.
Take a look at Blankenhain – near England’s base for the competition, as Mail Sport’s CRAIG HOPE takes us on a tour of the sleepy little countryside town on the hunt for a coffee!
‘Quiet’ night in Munich last night…
Ok I take back what I just said – if it’s anything like the noise from yesterday’s march through the streets of Munich, then I’m 100 per cent down.
The bagpipes are out!
Some great shots coming in already from Munich of the fans getting back out and on their feet ahead of the big fixture.
I don’t know about you, but if I had a few too many drinks the night before, the last thing I’d want to hear the next morning is bagpipes, but there you go!
Nice to see the locals getting involved as well.
Scotland are feeling the love
Not that you would miss hundreds of thousands of singing Scottish fans if you’re within a 100-mile radius of Munich, but they’ll be heartened to know that captain Andy Robertson has been watching the festivities!
From the hilarious to the skin-crawlingly awkward…
Well from one extreme to the other, how about this hilariously awkward clip from the Italian dressing-room?
You’ve got to feel for the singer, because they’re not getting an awful lot back from the players who honestly look like they’d rather be anywhere else in the world.
The Azzurri – who are of course the reigning champions – are not in action until tomorrow night when they take on Albania.
Conway’s already a fan favourite
He may only have one cap to his name – but Bristol City’s Tommy Conway is already a firm favourite among the Tartan Army judging by this video…
What was it we were saying about the creativity of tipsy football fans?
You’ve got to feel for this passenger…
You can almost see the moment this passenger realises they’re not going to be finishing their book on that plane…
We mentioned that an expected 200,000 or so fans are reportedly set to make their way to germany for the Euros this summer – and there were a fair few of them on this flight!
For more on that one – and the hilarious clip – you can check out the story linked below!
Hilarious video shows female passenger sat alone among Scotland fans
Take a bow, IRN-BRU
Is this the best advert of the year already? It might just be…
Show no fear!
So how then do you take on Germany, in Germany?
Show no fear, but treat the game with respect, says manager Steve Clarke.
Makes sense really doesn’t it? Why go into a game scared and do half the job for your opponents before a ball is even kicked? Let’s not forget, this is a Scotland side that is ranked 39th in the world, only 23 shy of Germany.
That might sound like a fair margin, but then when was the last time the gap was that short? Scotland have more than a right to be thinking ‘Well hang on, they should be scared of us too!’
As Scotland boss Steve Clarke puts it: ‘We feel as though we can get a good result every time we step onto the pitch. Otherwise, what’s the point in going on there?’
For more from Clarke’s press conference ahead of the game, check out the link below.
Clarke insists Scots will show no fear in Euros curtain-raiser
Viel Gluck, Schottland
Just how big a test are Scotland facing tonight?
Well, as we’ve already mentioned they’ve only actually beaten Germany once in 65 years, and lost eight of their 17 meetings, which isn’t exactly a glowing record.
However this Germany side isn’t exactly the behemoth it used to be 15 years ago.
Die Mannschaft have not actually won a knockout game since Euro 2016 – which is crazy to think about given they are almost synonymous with success in international tournaments.
That being said, driven by a number of truly talented youngsters, this side does have a slightly new feel to it that has been missing for the last few tournaments, and at 9/2 they are being backed as the third most likely to go all the way.
What are Scotland’s odds of success, I hear you ask? Depends who you talk to. Some bookies have them as long as 150/1. It sounds like they will need all the ‘Gluck’ (luck) they can get out there.
But ask any one of those fans last night out in Munich dancing the hokey cokey, and they’ll probably give them a much, much better chance of making history.
How’s that for a song?
This is absolutely class.
Nothing like revelling in your rivals’ demise to put you in the mood for one of the biggest games in your recent history.
Football in general gets quite a bad rep, but there’s not much that beats the song-writing creativity of a slightly inebriated football fan is there?
Reports of 200,000 travelling fans!
Reports of around 200,000 Scottish fans making the trip to Germany for the Euros!
Granted, you’d think the vast majority of those might still be in bed judging by the pictures we’ve seen already from yesterday, but that is quite the gathering.
For context, that’s more than the entire population of Aberdeen, the third largest city in the country!
Scotland are ready to ‘rise’
I know it’s not exactly the point of the video, but just look at the background for that training pitch that Scotland have got.
Scotland will know they come into this one as underdogs – they’ve only beaten Germany once since 1959 – but one thing they won’t be lacking in is belief and courage.
The Scots bring colour, life and presence, writes IAN LADYMAN
For more on the fan atmosphere in Munich – and indeed the rest of the country – check out this one from IAN LADYMAN, who was on hand to watch as the German city slowly turned blue.
At last a proper tournament as hosts prepare to get Euro 2024 underway
What a noise!
May be a few sore heads for the big game tonight, but they certainly enjoyed a bit of a sing-song on Munich’s pretty Marienplatz yesterday…
You’d be forgiven for thinking we were in Edinburgh not Munich yesterday – listen to that noise!
Party time in Munich
In stark contrast to the fears surrounding violence at England vs Serbia on Sunday, just take a look at the smiles from those Scottish fans!
Looks to have been a real party atmosphere yesterday on the streets of Munich…
How are the Tartan Army getting in the mood?
We’ve already dipped into the Deutsch dictionary this morning once, but now it’s time for some German geography.
From Gelsenkirchen in the west to Munich in the south east – a short 650km or so – let’s take a look at how the Scottish supporters have been getting in the mood for their big game tonight…
Low-alcohol beer ONLY for England vs Serbia
That particular story comes after it emerged that England’s clash with Serbia is set to be the only game in the tournament to see low-alcohol beer served exclusively at the VELTINS Arena in Gelsenkirchen, amid fears of fan violence.
The German police have already clashed with Serbian fans before a ball has been kicked, while the game ahs already been declared ‘high risk’.
While English fans of course have a historic reputation for hooliganism, their behaviour at recent tournaments has seen a sharp improvement.
Aside from the 599 arrests at Euro 2020, on home soil, at the last World Cup in Qatar there were zero arrests, three in Russia in 2018 and 46 at the Euros in France in 2016.
For more on that one, check out the story below from Mail Sport’s MIKE KEEGAN!
England’s clash with Serbia to be ONLY Euros tie with low-alcohol beer
German police ‘encourage English fans to SMOKE CANNABIS’ instead of drinking
Maybe not the story you thought you’d be reading at 9am on a Friday morning, but reports have emerged that German police are encouraging England fans to smoke cannabis rather than drink alcohol at Sunday’s game against Serbia.
‘It’s no problem for fans to smoke cannabis on the street,’ a Gelsenkirchen Police spokesman is reported to have told The Sun.
Germany joined the list of countries who have legalised cannabis for personal use earlier this year, and cultiating up to three plants for private consumption and owning up to 25 grams (0.88 oz) of cannabis has been legalised.
It is worth noting, however that smoking inside the 62,000 seater in Gelsenkirchen is prohibited.
For more on that one, check out the link below!
German police encourage England fans to SMOKE CANNABIS
Guten Morgen allerseits!
Good morning – or should we say Guten Morgen?!
That’s right, it’s the day we’ve all spent what feels like years counting down to, it’s the start of the Euros!
As we’re all no doubt already aware, we’ve got the curtain-raiser tonight with three-time winners and hosts Germany taking on Steve Clarke’s Scotland in Munich, kickstarting a month of footballing festivities.
So stick around as we bring you all the latest from around the tournament as we build up to the start of the highly-anticipated tournament.
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