Lahm to be figurehead if Germany hosts Euro 2024

BERLIN: Former World Cup winner Philipp Lahm will be the head of the organising committee if Germany win the bid to host Euro 2024, it was confirmed on Thursday.

Germany and Turkey are the only two candidates bidding to host the European championships in six years time with a decision by European football’s governing body UEFA set to be made on September 27. Lahm, 34, stepped down from international duty after leading Germany to the 2014 World Cup title and retired from all football in May 2017 after winning a joint record eighth Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich.

“From the beginning of my work as an ambassador for the European Championship 2024, it was my desire to take responsibility in the long term,” said Lahm in a statement. “The new role as head of the tournament offers me a very interesting opportunity to do just that. “Together with the bidding team, I will do everything in the coming weeks to bring Euro 2024 to Germany.” Tensions are already high between the German Football Association (DFB) and their Turkish counterparts in the countdown to the decision. The DFB and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) got into a war of words after Mesut Ozil, who has Turkish roots, resigned from Germany duty last month and accused DFB president Reinhard Grindel of racism.