Fifty-five years later, the rivalry has not lost an ember of interest.
Germany and England face each other this Tuesday at Wembley (London), not for a world title as in 1966, but for a place in the quarter-finals of the Euro.
On paper, the difference in stake can seem abysmal.
In truth, not that much.
The winner of this “brilliant” duel, according to Joshua Kimmich, could open wide the doors of the final thanks to a theoretically more comfortable game, far from the cluster of top names.
"We, the players, we don't really think much about history, what matters to us is now and here", tried to sweep the English midfielder, Jordan Henderson.
However, a shock against the Mannschaft in their den at Wembley remains a game apart.
Since their victory in the final in the old London enclosure in 1966, the “Three Lions” have struggled against their German neighbor.
The GDR took them out of the World Cup three times (in quarter in 1972, in half in 1990, in eighth in 2010) and, of course, in 1996 at the Euro.
This last defeat, particularly traumatic, bears the face of coach Gareth Southgate, author of the sixth missed shot on goal.
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So much for the big story around this match. For the (smaller) one, we also think of the fates of the two technicians. Joachim Low, in office since 2006, dreams of a farewell more majestic than a potential elimination in the eighth, three years after the failure in the first round of the 2018 World Cup. On the bench opposite, if the federation has said it wants maintain Southgate in his post whatever the outcome of the match, an early exit, while the semi-finals and the final will sit at Wembley, would erase all the credit born of the semi-final of the last World Cup.
Gareth Southgate has been the English coach since 2016. European football inevitably keeps a memory of its last confrontation with Germany.
Then player, Southgate missed his penalty and sent Germany to the final of Euro 1996 then organized in England.
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- Unser Fußball (@unserfussball) June 28, 2021
"We are focused on the challenge that presents itself, on what Germany is doing well, on the sectors that we can exploit and on what we can do to hurt him," said the former player. from Aston Villa.
No doubt he will try in any case to exploit the flaws seen in the opposing defense in pools (five goals conceded in three games, at least one each time).
A victory before a royal road to the final?
Speaking of loopholes, it is a huge breach that the winner of this match will dig in his part of the table.
The great footballing nations are all on the other side, from Spain to Belgium to Italy.
This observation is worth what it is worth, and be careful not to dwell on it too much, like the Netherlands, surprised this Sunday by the Czechs of Patrik Shick, or of France by Switzerland, but impossible to do not think of this royal road.
Germany or England will travel to Rome on Saturday July 3, to face Sweden or Ukraine, before possibly returning home to challenge Denmark or the Czech Republic.
