Euro 2020: Germany in the mountains with lofty ambitions

Preparations for a major tournament can only mean one thing for Germany: a return to the mountains. As Der Spiegel's Peter Ahrens wrote this week, "whenever a tournament is scheduled, Germany head coach Joachim Löw looks to be close to the mountains."

More often than not, that tends to be in Tyrol, and it is in Seefeld, near Innsbruck, more famous for hosting Winter Olympic events than summer football, that Germany prepares for Euro 2020.

Löw's last tournament, the return of old faces and an association still battling off-field issues has made for bumpy, if not familiar, circumstances for Germany ahead of a major tournament.

But, beyond the beautiful backdrops, press conference platitudes and injury scares that feel like tournament prerequisites, lies a belief that maybe Germany can be a contender after all.

Old faces return

A large part of that belief is down to the returns of Mats Hummels and Thomas Müller. The Bayern man didn't miss the chance to live up to his jovial reputation, quipping that his Germany quarantine had been "a bit longer than 14 days, namely two and a half years." On the field though, his nickname of "Radio Müller" is an accurate representation of how much he talks on the field.

Hummels laughed off questions about his pace, saying he had been asking himself since he was 17 whether he was too slow. With Antonio Rüdiger coming off a career-best spell that ended in Champions League glory, Löw's defense is already starting to take form.

So is the squad. With the 26 already announced, the training camp is less about playing to stay but rather playing to start. Jamal Musiala's inclusion is exciting, captain Manuel Neuer is closing in on 100 caps and the midfield options remain among the best and deepest across the continent.

The key ingredient for Löw might well be his trio of 28-year-olds. Jonas Hofmann, Kevin Volland and Christian Günter are the new old faces in the squad — but they may be the perfect additions to balance the group.

Quiet contenders?

Those watching on in Seefeld believe this team is really raring to go. During a training exercise, Löw's assistant coach Marcus Sorg was overheard telling Robin Gosens and Florian Neuhaus that their crosses were "Sunday league standard."

Every team goes into a tournament with renewed hype and sense of belief, especially when the sun is shining and the surroundings are idyllic. After all, it wasn't long ago that this Germany's side was embarrassed by North Macedonia and looked out of sorts.

But, knowing that this is Löw's last tournament, and with two old faces returning to help two positions of need in a squad otherwise full of quality, perhaps Germany really is going to do better than the past few months suggest.