Vincenzo Montella

Advancing to the last 16 following an eventful climax to its group-stage campaign, Türkiye takes on Euro 2024 dark horse Austria in Leipzig on July 2 evening.

The nations' first major tournament meeting features a substantial prize: The winner will qualify for a quarterfinal against either Netherlands or Romania.

Türkiye reached the knockout phase at a major tournament for the first time in 16 years with a 2-1 win over 10-man Czech Republic on June 26 night.

Vincenzo Montella's Türkiye finished second in Group F behind Portugal to progress, as the Czechs were eliminated.

Türkiye takes on the Czech Republic in a Euro 2024 Group F match on June 26, hoping to make it to the last-16 stage of the tournament in Germany.

A draw will be enough for the Turkish side to claim the second spot in the group, after missing out on the chance of topping it with June 22's 3-0 loss against Portugal.

Türkiye can expect a wave of support from the Turkish-German community at Euro 2024, reflecting the deep-rooted connections between the two nations.

This comes as many Turkish-origin residents in Germany are descendants of "guest workers" who arrived during the Cold War to alleviate West Germany's labor shortage amid a post-World War II economic boom.

Romanian forward Adrian Mutu has announced his retirement from activity on Thursday, on his 36th birthday, according to private broadcaster Digi Sport. "I don't want to talk about football anymore, I'm retired from activity", Mutu said, upon refusing to join the live broadcast of a TV show.

Photo credit (c) AKEX MICSIK / AGERPRES ARCHIVE