EURO 2024 hosts, Germany, longing for glory days before Europe’s biggest international football tournament

By Yunus Kaymaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - The German national team experienced one of the biggest declines in their history after winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup but will look to recapture glory in the next football tournament with a star-studded squad.

Germany secured an unforgettable victory in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil that earned them a fourth star on their jerseys. But the team experienced a significant decline in subsequent years.

In the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the Germans had a premature exit, managing just one win in three group stage matches, resulting in a sudden return home.

After Joachim Low's lengthy spell in charge came to an end, the football federation hired Bayern Munich's Treble-winning Hansi Flick. But the team did not avoid experiencing similar disappointments.

The four-time champions have crashed out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the group stage. The team secured a semifinal berth in EURO 2016 and was eliminated by England in EURO 2020.

- Hansi Flick fired as head coach

Flick was sacked Monday in the wake of a home defeat against Japan.

Flick, 58, became the first manager to be sacked in the history of the German men's national team.

The loss meant the Germans had lost three games in a row for the first time in 38 years.

Under Flick’s helm, Germany only won five times in 23 matches.

Germany has no shortage of talent in the midfield with famous footballers such as Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala and Ilkay Gundogan but used Marius Wolf, Robin Gosens, David Raum, Jonas Hofmann and Benjamin Henrichs as wing-backs in three exhibition clashes in June.

After Flick’s departure, Germany faced France and the match ended 2-1 in favor of the Germans.

A new manager of the national team has not yet been named.

* Writing by Emre Asikci in Istanbul