A European soccer championship without Germany just wouldn't feel like a European championship. Prior to this summer's showpiece, Germany qualified for 10 of the 13 European tournaments since its inception in 1960.
Manager Joachim Low will hope to make amends for his side's 1-0 Euro 2008 final defeat to reigning European and world champion Spain. Since that night in Vienna, Die Mannschaft has seen much of its old guard replaced by an influx of young players who have made a name for themselves.
"You can see that this new generation of the last one or two years is extremely young, but very vital, ambitious and target-oriented,” Low told UEFA.com. "And of course [they are] also hungry for success.”
Like Germany, the last major final the Netherlands reached ended in a 1-0 loss to Spain. Manager Bert van Marwijk's squad responded well to defeat by winning nine of its 10 Euro 2012 qualifiers. These results have brought a renewed hope to Oranje supporters, whose hearts were crushed after the 2010 World Cup final.
The team managed to score 37 goals in the process, giving their fans something more to cheer about. Schalke forward Klaas Jan Huntelaar finished as top scorer in the Bundesliga, while Arsenal striker Robin van Persie is on course to achieve the same feat in England, unless Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has his way.
For more: Germany, Netherlands on fire ahead of Euros
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