Explainers

ENGLAND and Scotland are edging closer to their Euro 2024 date with destiny.The tournament begins on June 14 with the final taking place on July 14.England will stay in a luxury golf resortCredit: GettyMeanwhile, Scotland will be located at a crudely-named ski resortGermany are the hosts of the tournament, with matches being played across ten cities and ten venues.But where will England and Scotland have their respective basecamps during their stay?Where are England and Scotland based?England’s basecamp is located close to the centre of Germany in BlankenhainIt is located in the German state of Thuringia and is roughly an hour and a half’s driver from Leipzig.READ MORE IN EURO 2024England’s three games are over in the mid-west of the country, in Gelsenkirchen (v Serbia June 16), Frankfurt (v Denmark June 20) and Cologne (v Slovenia June 25).Meanwhile, Scotland will set up camp at a ski resort in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, located in the far south of Germany.Like England, Scotland have picked a host roughly 90 minutes drive to the nearest big city, Munich.With Steve Clarke’s team facing Germany in Munich for the Euro 2024 curtain raiser on June 14 this makes sense. Most read in Euro 2024However, a game in Cologne against Switzerland on June 19 will carry a long journey time with it.Meanwhile, they will have a shorter trip for their final group stage game against Hungary on June 23 in Stuttgart.Inside England’s campEngland are based on a luxury golf resortCredit: golfweimarerlandLeisure features include a swimming poolCredit: https://twitter.com/golfweimar/mediaThe resort was built in 2021 with the idea of attracting top international teamsCredit: golfweimarerlandSunSport have taken a look inside the Three Lions luxury accommodation for the tournament. The Golfresort Weimarer Land is one of the most spectacular golf resorts in Germany, with 45-holes to play.There are two 18-hole courses, as well as a nine-hole course.While that will give the players something to enjoy during their downtime, the most important aspect is the one and a half football pitches available to train on – making it ideal for training camps.Golfresort Weimarer Land was built in 2021, with the idea of attracting top international teams.The resort also features a state-of-the-art gym, as well as a wellness centre and spa – with seven different treatment rooms.Leisure facilities include snooker, table football and table tennis, with running and e-bike routes.There are several conference rooms Southgate can use for video analysis and to give his side a teamtalk.Seven restaurants on site also give the players plenty of catering options.Golfresort Weimarer Land has 94 rooms, suites and family suites.To book a room it costs around £300-per-night.Inside Scotland’s campThe stunning Mount Wank overlooks the townSign on the side of the Wank-Haus at the top of the wank mountainIt’s a picturesque settingThe Scottish Football Association has picked the 250 Euros-a-night Obermuhle Hotel in the pretty Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, so close to the south German border it’s practically in Austria.But it is the name of the dominant Alpine scenery which will amuse the likes of Andy Robertson and joker John McGinn – it’s called Mount Wank.The 1780 metre summit can be reached by the Wankbahn cable car, for which passengers are required to buy a 29 Euros Wank Ticket.While up there, you can pop in to one of the finest restaurants, the Wankstüberl, for some warming Bavarian cuisine.Until now, the greatest footballer’s fear was being picked to play at the Wankdorf Stadium but that is in Bern, Switzerland, so it’s a fate that does not befall our German-bound heroes.Eyebrows will also be raised at the remote location within the host nation. READ MORE SUN STORIESThe SFA Euros base is seven hours away by road from Cologne, where Scotland play Switzerland on June 19.At a distance of 418 miles, you are much closer to the northern Italian city of Milan (167 miles) or the aforementioned Bern (175 miles) in Switzerland.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament. More

FOOTBALL enthusiasts rightly have their attention on this summer’s European Championships.After there were multiple host nations to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Euros for the 2020 tournament, Germany is the sole host for this year’s event.The host nations for Euro 2028 have been revealedCredit: GettyThe tournament will run between June 14 and July 14.But what about the next tournament?Who is hosting Euro 2028?Fans in the home nations and Ireland can rejoice for Euro 2028 as they will not need to travel to mainland Europe for the tournament.That is because England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will all be joint hosts of the tournament.READ MORE IN EURO 2024Turkey were the main rival for the hosting rights in four years time, but withdrew from the race, leaving the British Isles as the only option to host.Ten host venues have already been selected across the five nations.England have a selection of six stadiums, with two in London, one in Birmingham, one in Manchester, one in Liverpool and one in Newcastle.Meanwhile, Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast and Dublin will also host games to ensure all five nations have games. Most read in FootballThe host cities and their stadiums can be seen below:
England, London – Wembley Stadium
England, London – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
England, Birmingham – Villa Park
England, Manchester – Etihad Stadium
England, Liverpool – Everton Stadium (under construction)
England, Newcastle – St James’ Park
Scotland, Glasgow – Hampden Park
Wales, Cardiff – Principality Stadium
Ireland, Dublin – Aviva Stadium
Northern Ireland, Belfast – Casement Park (under construction)
It is understood that Cardiff will host the opening match, while the final will be held at Wembley.Will all host nations gain automatic qualification to Euro 2028?Uefa rules state that no more than two host nations can be granted an automatic qualification for tournament finals.This means it will be impossible for all five host nations to agree on which of them should take the guaranteed spots, meaning that all five nations will enter the competition in the qualifying rounds.So with that being said, it means that it’s a possibility that any of the five countries could fail to qualify for Euro 2028.However, it’s still possible that the two automatic qualification places are held in reserve and could be used by any of the five nations that fail to secure a place through qualification.But it has been reported that many within Uefa are “uncomfortable” with the idea of countries who have failed in qualifying to be handed a spot in the finals regardless.Should more than two teams fail to secure spots at Euro 2028 through qualifying, that would present a messy process to determine which teams are left out. More