Euro 2024 updates: Players unwind before stress of knockouts - ESPN

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Check in with ESPN throughout the tournament as we bring you the latest from Germany all the way up to the final July 14.

The first rest days of Euro 2024, a two-day period in between the final group games on Wednesday night and start of the knockout phase on Saturday, have given the teams still in Germany a chance to enjoy some much-needed down time before they resume their bids to win the final on July 14.

There are usually two schools of thought on the best way to handle this stage of a tournament: operate a relaxed approach with players, or to keep the squad focused at all times in their training camp.

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France coach Didier Deschamps, who has won the World Cup and reached two more major tournament finals during his decade in charge of Les Bleus, has gone for the former approach. He allowed his squad to spend Tuesday night, all day Wednesday and Thursday morning with their families at the team's Paderborn base before they begin preparations for Monday's round-of-16 clash with Belgium.

The England and Germany squads, however, had to make do with a brief window of time with their loved ones as coaches Gareth Southgate and Julian Nagelsmann allowed just one free day with them inside the camp. England face Slovakia on Sunday afternoon, with host nation Germany taking on Denmark the night before.

Belgium's squad, meanwhile, had some brief family time after their 0-0 draw against Ukraine before playing golf at their Ludwigsburg base.

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