England manager Gareth Southgate has emphasized that the team must be “exceptional” to end their 58-year major tournament title drought as they begin their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on Sunday. Southgate, facing the pressure of leading a squad often touted as favorites, aims to steer this talented generation to glory.
The Three Lions are motivated to redeem themselves after losing the Euro 2020 final to Italy at Wembley. Southgate, who has led England to near successes in two World Cups, acknowledges that this tournament could be his last opportunity for major tournament success.
“There are a lot of good teams in this tournament. We have to be exceptional to progress through the group and have the opportunity to go further,” said Southgate at his pre-match press conference.
“Our focus is to qualify from the group. When you’re trying to achieve exceptional things you have to break it down into chunks.
“Our first priority is to get through the group and work from there.”
Despite a remarkable goalscoring record at club and international level, England captain Harry Kane is yet to win a major trophy in his career.
“Winning a trophy for your country would be the pinnacle of every career,” said Kane, who scored 44 times in his debut season at Bayern Munich.
“It hasn’t quite happened yet but it makes me more determined and hungry to go out and do that, starting with this summer.
“We have the opportunity to go out and do that and I’m looking forward to trying to make that happen.”
England is expected to dominate Group C, which includes Denmark and Slovenia. However, Serbia poses a potential threat, particularly with their striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has been in impressive form. Despite Serbia’s underwhelming performance in qualifying—winning just four of their eight qualifiers and losing twice to Hungary—Mitrovic stands out.
Known well to Premier League fans from his stints with Newcastle and Fulham, Mitrovic has scored 40 goals in 43 games since joining Saudi side Al Hilal, contributing to their unbeaten domestic treble.
England manager Gareth Southgate will be mindful of Mitrovic’s capabilities as the Three Lions aim to kick off their Euro 2024 campaign on a strong note against Serbia.
“He’s an outstanding goalscorer,” remarked Southgate, emphasizing the need for England to be prepared to handle exceptional players like Mitrovic across the pitch. Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic acknowledged the challenge his team faces but noted that England must validate their pre-tournament favorite status on the field.
“The team that tries to be the champion of Europe has to do it on the pitch,” Stojkovic said. “You can make all kinds of forecasts, but all that has to be shown on the field to prove yourselves.”
The match has been declared a “high risk” fixture by German police, marking the first significant test of the tournament for security forces. Fans will only be able to access reduced-strength beer at the AufSchalke Arena. Historical concerns underscore this caution:
England’s opening game at Euro 2016 against Russia witnessed violent clashes between hooligans, and the Euro 2020 final was marred by ticketless fans storming Wembley. Serbian international matches have also faced issues with hooliganism.
Both managers urged fans to enjoy the game peacefully, with Southgate describing the event as a “carnival of football.”
