Euro 2024 is all the way down to the ultimate eight groups, however what do you’ll want to know concerning the males who’ve led their groups to the quarterfinals?
We requested ESPN FC’s writers on the event for his or her ideas on the remaining managers’ type of play, who their influences are, in addition to their strengths and weaknesses.
JULIAN NAGELSMANN – GERMANY
Nagelsmann has loved a exceptional rise to develop into one of many recreation’s most high-profile coaches at such a younger age. By the age of 35, he had already coached Bayern Munich and brought cost of the Germany nationwide workforce, and finished so with out having made a single aggressive look as a participant.
A promising centre-back, Nagelsmann retired at simply 20 years outdated as a consequence of a critical knee harm sustained whereas a teenager underneath the steering of Thomas Tuchel at FC Augsburg. Tuchel, the previous Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach, mentored Nagelsmann on the time, handing him scouting duties and setting him on the trail towards gaining his teaching {qualifications} on the similar age as learning sports activities science and enterprise administration at college.
After rising by means of the teaching ranks at TSG Hoffenheim, the place he began out as youth academy coach in 2010 on the age of 23, Nagelsmann grew to become head coach in 2015 having been nicknamed “Mini Mourinho” by goalkeeping coach Tim Wiese.
Nagelsmann loved unbelievable success at Hoffenheim, guiding the workforce into the UEFA Champions League earlier than leaving for RB Leipzig, the place his trajectory continued to maneuver upwards with additional Champions League qualification. Having asserted himself as essentially the most sought-after younger coach in Germany, Nagelsmann then moved to Bayern in 2021, however lasted lower than two seasons on the Allianz Enviornment earlier than leaving amid claims of senior gamers shedding religion in his strategies.
Nagelsmann has cited Jürgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Ralf Rangnick as tactical influences for his high-pressing type, however he’s additionally a perfectionist and has used huge screens at coaching grounds to appropriate participant positioning.
He’s additionally ready to make huge calls, drop huge names — Mats Hummel was omitted from Germany’s Euro 2024 squad whereas Florian Wirtz was dropped for the round-of-16 tie towards Denmark.
Nagelsmann is daring, audacious, at instances over-confident, however his observe file is among the greatest round. — Mark Ogden
LUIS DE LA FUENTE – SPAIN
There was an absence of pleasure when De la Fuente changed Luis Enrique after the 2022 World Cup, however he’s rapidly successful folks round. A tricky-tackling full-back as a participant, he labored his means by means of the ranks inside Spain’s nationwide workforce, beginning with the under-19s in 2013, then transferring on to the U21s and U23s earlier than touchdown the highest job.
He led Spain to the UEFA Nations League title final summer season and received the European Championship with the U19s (2015) and U21s (2019), in addition to a silver medal with the U23s on the Olympic Video games (2020). All through that point, the 63-year-old has embraced the attacking and passing methodology which has introduced La Roja a lot success at numerous ranges of the sport, all arrange in a 4-3-3 formation.
Nevertheless, at Euro 2024 he has additionally proven that he’s in a position to incorporate different traits to a mode many beforehand thought of too possession heavy. With the addition of wingers Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, De la Fuente has made Spain extra unpredictable. His in-tournament expertise and long-standing relationships with a few of the gamers are additionally coming to the fore in Germany, as Unai Simón, Rodri, Pedri, Marc Cucurella and Dani Olmo are amongst a handful concerned within the senior squad who labored with him at youth degree.
“There isn’t any workforce higher than us on the event,” De la Fuente says of his workforce, who’ve received all 4 of their video games at Euro 2024. And he could also be proper — Sam Marsden.
DIDIER DESCHAMPS – FRANCE
Deschamps stated it himself after France’s 1-0 win towards Austria of their opening recreation of the event: “Our DNA is our collective power and our solidity.” He’s a grasp at constructing resilient, defensively robust and well-structured groups, which is how he received the 2018 World Cup as a supervisor and the way he obtained to a few of the previous 4 finals of main tournaments (2016, 2018, 2022.)
Deschamps’ soccer training got here from his time in Italy at Juventus as a participant and supervisor, whereas he was additionally impressed by Aimé Jacquet, his head coach for France’s 1998 World Cup success, who based mostly every little thing on a powerful defence. The defensive midfielder represents the “let’s be stable first after which let our particular gamers make the distinction with the ball later” faculty of thought.
“You win trophies as a result of you will have the most effective defence,” he informed the media earlier than flying to Euro 2024. France won’t ever play horny attacking soccer underneath him, regardless of the expertise he has at his disposal, however the workforce will all the time be extraordinarily arduous to play towards and can all the time discover a strategy to win.
He is a superb man-manager who values chemistry and workforce spirit amongst his gamers. The one weak point in his philosophy is {that a} pragmatic method won’t be sufficient in sure video games. However as Deschamps says: “My type wins. The day I’ll cease successful then we’ll speak.” — Julien Laurens.
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Ogden: France’s stars will not be having fun with type of play at Euro 2024
Mark Ogden reacts to France’s 1-0 win over Belgium within the spherical of 16 at Euro 2024.
ROBERTO MARTINEZ – PORTUGAL
After a modest taking part in profession as a midfielder that began at Zaragoza and included stops in England’s decrease divisions with Wigan Athletic and Swansea, Martinez has made his title as a front-foot, tactically versatile coach.
Essentially the most spectacular achievement on his CV as a membership supervisor is his masterminding of Wigan’s victory over Manchester Metropolis within the 2013 FA Cup closing. After getting into worldwide administration with Belgium in 2016, he led their “golden era” to the semifinals of the World Cup in 2018.
He was a shock alternative as Portugal boss in January 2023, however any doubts have been calmed throughout an nearly flawless Euro 2024 qualifying marketing campaign. He is received plaudits, particularly, for getting the most effective out of Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva in a means predecessor, Fernando Santos, usually struggled to do.
Martinez experimented with a again 5 throughout qualifying, however settled on variations of 4-3-3 forward of the event in Germany. Full-backs João Cancelo and Nuno Mendes are inspired to get ahead with one of many themes of how Portugal have performed on the Euros being the variety of crosses aimed toward centre-forward Cristiano Ronaldo. The 39-year-old’s worldwide profession regarded all however over after the Qatar World Cup, however he has reestablished himself as the primary man underneath Martinez and far of the best way Portugal play is designed to go well with his talents as a penalty field predator. — Rob Dawson
GARETH SOUTHGATE – ENGLAND
Southgate will take cost of his a centesimal match as England boss in Saturday’s quarterfinal towards Switzerland. In reaching that landmark milestone, the 53-year-old oversaw victory towards Slovakia to win his seventh event knockout recreation — a better quantity than each different England supervisor since 1966 mixed.
Southgate has all the time had an acute understanding of the gulf between what England assume they need to be able to on the worldwide stage and what they’ve traditionally produced, knowledgeable by 57 caps as a participant and the private nadir of lacking a penalty of their Euro ’96 semifinal shootout defeat to Germany at Wembley.
The previous central defender redefined the nation’s relationship with the nationwide workforce for a era, making it a chance to grab fairly than a burden to hold. Gamers wished to play once more; the followers reconnected with the workforce. Southgate drew on the administration type of Terry Venables, England’s supervisor at Euro ’96, to vary the tradition profoundly.
A cautious, nurtured pragmatism permeated Southgate’s taking part in type and it was acceptable for a younger group with restricted expertise. However at Euro 2024, there’s a rising argument that this group of gamers want one thing extra.
England boast a shocking array of attacking choices however their soccer in reaching this level has been desperately disjointed, a lot lower than the sum of their elements. Followers have booed Southgate for failing to facilitate this cohesion. They’re nonetheless alive, nonetheless preventing and it might all abruptly click on. But when it does not, Southgate might be seen as the issue fairly than the answer regardless of his longevity. — James Olley
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‘We are able to beat England!’ – Switzerland supervisor assured forward of quarterfinal
Murat Yakin speaks forward of Switzerland’s Euro 2024 quarterfinal towards England.
Yakin was a powerful, athletic centre-back with an eye fixed for purpose who starred for each Basel and Roy Hodgson’s Switzerland workforce. That mixture of athleticism and defensive high quality has been an indicator of his teaching type, though it hasn’t all the time labored in the best way he would have appreciated.
Switzerland received simply one among their closing seven qualifying video games for Euro 2024 (and that was towards Andorra) and at one level, following a 3-3 house draw with Belarus, it regarded as if he could be sacked.
Yakin’s base setup at Euro 2024 is a 3-4-2-1 which appears designed to minimise particular person flaws. His left-sided central defender, Ricardo Rodríguez, can be a full-back who has to play inside as a consequence of lack of tempo (and age), so he yo-yos between the center and the left flank out and in of possession. His proper wing-back is Silvan Widmer, besides when he was suspended — towards Italy — he wasn’t changed by one other defender, however fairly by Dan Ndoye, who’s a ahead by commerce, largely due to his velocity and work price.
Yakin can depend on an amazing goalkeeper (Yann Sommer), stable centre-backs (Manuel Akanji and Fabian Schär) and a midfield duo (Remo Freuler and Granit Xhaka) who seemingly cowl each blade of grass. That is his tactical base. The remainder is generally velocity and athleticism, with a ton of self-discipline. And it has labored a deal with up to now. — Gab Marcotti
Koeman returned for a second spell as Netherlands coach in 2023, however that is the primary time he has led his nation at a serious event. His first stint in cost was lower brief when the chance to handle his former membership, Barcelona, arose in 2020, however he returned as Louis van Gaal’s substitute after the 2022 World Cup.
Koeman, 61, loved a adorned taking part in profession with Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona, taking part in underneath Johan Cruyff and Guus Hiddink. The ball-playing defender — who scored greater than 250 targets whereas taking part in in defence — cites Cruyff as his largest tactical affect, usually saying his taking part in type is marked by Dutch and Barça DNA, however says he takes his man-management from Hiddink.
After various levels of success as a supervisor in his homeland, Portugal, Spain and England, successful the Euros with Netherlands would prime something he has achieved beforehand as a coach. It’s one thing he has already finished as a participant, too. He was a part of the Dutch aspect which received Euro ’88 in Germany, when he was named within the Group of the Event.
There’s a feeling his Netherlands aspect are rising into the event after a difficult group part. Sticking to a 4-3-3 formation — though Koeman has by no means been devoted to at least one system — they eased previous Romania within the spherical of 16 and might be favourites towards Turkey. — Marsden
VINCENZO MONTELLA – TURKEY
Montella’s teaching profession is about beginning sizzling, falling and climbing again up. A prolific striker as a participant — he completed with 141 top-flight targets taking part in for the likes of Roma, Sampdoria and Genoa — he made his title as a coach at Fiorentina, taking them to a few straight top-four finishes and incomes plaudits for his possession-oriented recreation. After that, nonetheless, issues went on the slide and he had tough experiences at Sampdoria, AC Milan, Sevilla, and in a second stint at Fiorentina.
He reacted by taking 18 months off and reemerging in an unlikely place: Adana Demirspor, who have been almost promoted to the Turkish prime flight. Two years later, he was supplied the Turkey job, guiding them by means of qualifying with ease. He dedicated to selling kids — with a view towards Euro 2028, with Turkey as co-hosts — and was true to his phrase, deploying youngsters like Arda Güler and Kenan Yildiz towards Austria.
The Euro 2024 model of Turkey is pragmatic, all the time eager to use the qualities of the aforementioned Güler and Yildiz, but in addition guys like Baris Yilmaz. Montella provides them licence to create and assault on the ball, asking for self-discipline when out of possession.
Above all, he has managed to instill depth and self-belief in a gifted however often-inconsistent group. These qualities helped them previous Austria, regardless of Turkey having to play with out their defensive chief Samet Akaydin and captain Hakan Çalhanoglu, each of whom have been suspended. — Marcotti
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