England’s Euro 2024 stars have been left a cheeky message by a German tourism company outside their media centre in Thuringia, Germany. Gareth Southgate’s side have now been at their base for several days as they prepare for what they hope will be a lengthy tournament campaign.
The Three Lions are based at the luxury Weimarer Land Golf Hotel and Spa resort in Blankenhain, a town in the German state of Thuringia. A short walk from their team base is an oval-shaped castle where Harry Kane and co. will undertake media duties throughout the tournament.
When they visit the castle, England’s players will be greeted by a brutal message displayed on an electronic screen. The words reference the German ancestry of King Charles III.
It reads: “Dear Three Lions, football is coming home – to the ancestors of your king. Have a good time in Thuringia.”
The URL displayed on the screen links to Das Ist Thuringia, which appears to be a tourism company for the state of Thuringia. The website references the fact that the Germany national team spent time at Weimarer Land Golf Hotel and Spa during their pre-tournament preparations.
The Germans have now moved to Adidas HQ in Herzogenaurach, near Nuremberg. England’s camp is believed to be one of the most popular destinations for teams staying in Germany.
It was claimed by the Mirror that former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick wanted to secure the resort for his Austria team, and was unhappy at losing out to the English Football Association.
England’s players are said to have been hugely impressed with their base camp, which is extremely remote and away from the rough and tumble of Germany’s cities. The golf and spa resort has two 18-hole golf courses plus a nine-hole course, perfect for Kane and the squad’s other golf lovers.
There are pools, a sauna and some splendid views for the players and staff to enjoy. The location was the FA’s number one choice as it is very central in Germany and will make travelling to matches less gruelling.
On Tuesday, England trained at the 12,500-capacity stadium of regional German side Carl Zeiss Jena. That was a one-off, though, deemed to be an exercise in giving a few hundred locals a glimpse of Southgate and his players.
England will train predominantly at their resort, another positive of the location given the absence of travel time to and from a training ground. John Stones did not take part in Wednesday’s session due to illness.
