Soccer 360 Magazine May/June Euro 2020 Copa America 2021 Special Edition.

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E AND T I R U O THE FEAV ERDOG D N U TH

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MAY / JUNE 2021 | ISSUE 92

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EDITOR Steven Davies

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Rob Paton ASSISTANT EDITOR Nick Calabretta ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bill Asaro GRAPHIC DESIGN Gary Robinson Nick Libertucci SUBSCRIPTION COORDINATOR Tamara Hausner

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WHAT'S INSIDE...

COPA AMERICA 2021 36 GROUP A

ARGENTINA BOLIVIA CHILE PARAGUAY URUGUAY 38 GROUP B

BRAZIL COLOMBIA ECUADOR PERU VENEZUELA

10 MOURINHO 12 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY 14 FLYING FOXES

serie a

16 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY 18 THE MILAN CLUBS

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22 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY 24 BAYERN DYNASTY

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28 ASK THE ANT: GIOVINCO INTERVIEW 30 THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY 32 MLS AT THE EUROS

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EXTRAS

04 FIRST WORD 06 THE RONALDO SHOW 70 90TH MINUTE 84 LAST WORD

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40 EURO 2020 SCHEDULE 42 THE CONTENDERS 46 GROUP A ITALY SWITZERLAND WALES TURKEY 50 GROUP B BELGIUM DENMARK FINLAND RUSSIA 54 GROUP C AUSTRIA NETHERLANDS

NORTH MACEDONIA UKRAINE 58 GROUP D CROATIA

CZECH REPUBLIC ENGLAND SCOTLAND 62 GROUP E POLAND SLOVAKIA SPAIN SWEDEN 66 GROUP F FRANCE GERMANY HUNGARY PORTUGAL

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THE GOOD THE BAD & THE UGLY

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QUANTITY OVER QUALITY RADICAL CHANGES TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ARE COMING, AND GABY MCKAY FEARS THEY ARE NOT FOR THE BEST AND WARNS OF A BLOATED TOURNAMENT ON THE HORIZON…

W

hen you think of a thrilling and passionate spectator sport, chess isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. No disrespect to Garry Kasparov and co but it’s in a whole other world to Borussia Dortmund’s Yellow Wall or a soldout San Siro.

If you’re a football fan though you better get used to thinking like a chess player as UEFA gets set to launch the new and not necessarily improved Champions League. From 2024 onward we’ll see the tournament expanded to 36 teams with a fairly mind-boggling new format.

The traditional group stage will be thrown out and replaced with a league format based on a so-called ‘Swiss system’ used in chess.

The model is used for tournaments in which there are too many entrants to realistically all play each other, but no desire to shrink the tournament.

In the Champions League it will work something like this: 36 teams qualify for the group stage of the competition, with two ‘wildcard’ places reserved for the non-qualified teams with the best coefficient record over the previous five seasons. For example, if a Champions League regular missed out this season they’d likely be granted a reprieve as

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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

‘THE TRADITIONAL GROUP FORMAT WILL BE REPLACED

BY A LEAGUE SYSTEM’ one of the wildcard entrants.

After that, the coefficient is used to rank all the clubs from one to 36. Based on that, the teams are given five home games and five away games against 10 different opponents. After 10 games the top eight teams in the league go through to the last 16, while the next 16 teams go into a play-off round to determine who makes up the rest of the first knockout round.

If it all sounds tedious that’s because it almost certainly will be.

It’s not just that this is complicated – the Nations League has been a success despite initially appearing to be overly complex – it’s fundamentally wrong-headed.

We know in the current format that the group stage games have become largely meaningless. The financial dominance of the big leagues means there’s very little chance of any of the elite clubs being knocked out unless they happen to be managed by Antonio Conte. This season’s last 16 was made up of four Spanish clubs, four German, three Italian, three English plus one each from France and Portugal. That’s 14 of 16 coming from Europe’s top four leagues, plus Qatari-backed Paris Saint-Germain, and Porto whose league is ranked seventh by coefficient.

In other words it’s exactly what you’d expect.

Ferencvaros, Zenit St Petersburg and Rennes managed a point each in this season’s group stage, while Midtjylland and Basaksehir got three. There’s no drama because even if two big sides play each other, both will almost certainly go through. The knockout stages in recent years have been thrilling and unpredictable, but you could basically do the draw in August.

The changes from 2024 onward increase the number of group stage matches from 96 to 180, which is good news if you’re trying to sell television rights. It’s not such good news if

TOP: Teams like Liverpool could be granted a reprieve if they don’t qualify for the Champions League LEFT: It’s hoped more games will bring bigger contracts BOTTOM: UEFA has agreed a new format from 2024 onward

you want to watch competitive football. The chances of one of Europe’s giants finishing outside the top 24 are slim to nil. Even if Inter and Manchester United had a similar campaigns to the ones they endured this time around they’d be ranked somewhere around 17th or 18th and face a play-off against a team from somewhere like Scotland or Austria.

In making the move UEFA and the European Club Association hope quantity will prevail over quality when it comes to those lucrative TV contracts. The governing body, in an attempt to stave off a Super League has signed up to the worst of both worlds. A breakaway is a terrible idea and an affront to the principle of sporting merit, but it would at least have the best teams in the world duking it out in games that mean something.

Instead we’ve got a system that will see the same teams qualify for the knockout rounds as always qualify for the knockout rounds. Plus two who will get in if they don’t qualify. And more money for the wealthiest clubs in the world. Checkmate.

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‘THE CRISTIANO RONALDO SHOW TOOK MORE TIME THAN EXPECTED TO GET GOING IN TURIN’ ABOVE: The Ronaldo Show started at a pretty young age BELOW: Ronaldo looks for another European Cup this summer

THE T

LDO’S JUVENTUS THREE SEASONS INTO CRISTIANO RONA ST SHAPE IN OVER A CAREER, THE OLD LADY ARE IN THEIR WOR T WRONG WITH THE DECADE. GREG MURRAY ASSESS WHAT WEN ECT. PROJ RONALDO

he summer of 2018 was an exciting time for Juventus. An ambitious rebranding project, a six-part documentary on Netflix and an unprecedented fourth consecutive domestic double ensured the season was an unqualified success. However, one dark cloud remained for the Bianconeri: their failure to win the Champions League.

The previous season, the Old Lady had looked sharp in Europe’s premier club competition, losing just once in the group stage before overcoming an impressive Tottenham side in the round of 16. Unfortunately for the Juventus, the quarter-final draw saw them face a Real Madrid team that had won the previous two Champions Leagues. Massimiliano Allegri lost 4-3 on aggregate with a certain Cristiano Ronaldo putting on a masterclass at the Allianz Stadium, scoring a brace that included a flawless bicycle kick.

Looking to change their fortunes and secure their first European cup since the 1995-96 season, Andrea Agnelli made an ambitious bid

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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

to sign their vanquisher. Over the past three seasons Ronaldo had become known as Mr. Champions League. With their No 7 leading the charge, Real Madrid had done something never-before seen and won the competition three times in a row. Winning for the fifth time overall in 2018 made Ronaldo the most decorated player in history, and in doing so he finished as top scorer for the sixth consecutive season. If there was any such thing as a Champions League guarantee, the Portuguese forward seemed to be it.

The CR7 show took more time than expected to get going in Turin, but, after netting a brace in his fourth game Ronaldo looked back at his best. Juventus added yet another Scudetto to their collection and their star man won the inaugural Serie A Most Valuable Player award.

However, things were not all positive. In December Juventus had lost the service of Beppe Marotta, as their famed transfer guru moved to rivals Inter after a rumoured bust up with Agnelli. Once again, the Bianconeri failed to progress past the quarter-finals of the

SHOW

TRANSFER WIZARDS

‘JUVENTUS APPOINTED FORMER PLAYER ANDREA PIRLO AS MANAGER – LOOKING TO EMULATE REAL MADRID’S SUCCESS.’ Champions League, losing to surprise package Ajax, and after a subsequent failure to lift the Coppa Italia for the first time in five years, coach Massimiliano Allegri moved on.

Agnelli was undeterred and looked to further re-enforce his Champions League project. Maurizio Sarri, who had won the Europa League with Chelsea, was brought in as manager and Matthijs de Ligt, who so impressed for Ajax in the Champions League, was subject of a £75m transfer swoop. Yet again Juventus won the Scudetto with Ronaldo finishing second-top scorer. However, the murmurs of discontent were growing.

Under Sarri Juventus won the fewest points of their nine consecutive league wins, with fans particularly concerned about a perceived lack of attacking ambition. Yet again the Old Lady failed to win the Coppa Italia but perhaps most damagingly, their progress in the Champions League regressed.

After finishing top of a tough group Bianconeri fans were pleased with a draw against Lyon in the Round of 16. Juventus’ short trip across the Alps ended in a surprise defeat, with the French side notching the only goal of the

ABOVE: Cristiano Ronaldo put Juventus to the sword in the 2016-17 Champions League Final…

BOTTOM: …prompting Juventus to break the bank to bring the Portuguese to Turin a year later TOP RIGHT: Pirlo was snapped up

by Juventus on a free transfer BOTTOM RIGHT: Arturo Vidal came to Juventus on just £11m

game. The reverse fixture was delayed by five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and, with no fans to encourage them Maurizio Sarri’s side failed to overturn the result, winning 2-1 but losing on away goals.

Once again, this failure cost the manager his job and Andrea Agnelli returned to the transfer market looking for solutions. Federico Chiesa was the big-name signing of the summer whilst Weston McKennie, Alvaro Morata, Dejan Kulusevski and Arthur were all brought in to replace outgoings. Following the Zinedine Zidane model seen at Real Madrid, Juventus appointed former player Andrea Pirlo as manager – looking to emulate Madrid’s success.

If the previous two seasons were disappointing for Juventus, this campaign could be considered a complete disaster. Since kicking off in September Pirlo’s side rarely looked capable of lifting their 10th consecutive Scudetto. To make matters worse Juventus yet again failed to progress past the Champions League Round of 16. In previous seasons excuses could be made: the Ajax they lost to also beat Real Madrid and defeat to Lyon came

JUVENTUS HAD MADE A HABIT OF SMART SIGNINGS – AN INSPIRED FREE TRANSFER HERE, A NOVEL LOAN SIGNING THERE. GREG MURRAY LOOKS AT THEIR HITS IN THE MARKET

After taking over as club president in 2010 it took Andrea Agnelli’s Juventus just two seasons to win the Scudetto.

However, the club was not the financial powerhouse that it is now, and instead relied on the shrewd market dealings of their new director of sport Giuseppe Marotta.

Under his guidance the Old Lady became known for bringing in world class players for remarkable value, allowing them to build a Serie A dominating team whilst balancing the books.

The most famous of these is arguably Juventus’ current coach, Andrea Pirlo, who was snapped up on a free transfer when Milan decided against renewing the 31-year-old midfielder’s contract.

With a point to prove the World Cup winner had arguably the best spell of his career during four years in a Juventus shirt, making the role of the regista famous worldwide.

Clearly Marotta had an eye for a midfielder, bringing Arturo Vidal in for just £11m, but it is the Paul Pogba saga that saw the Juventus transfer guru really make his name. The French midfielder left Manchester United for Turin on another free transfer and turned Serie A into his personal showcase. The Bianconeri only kept hold of him for four years, but in selling him back to United made a profit of over £90m.

Finally, an honourable mention should be given to the Scudetto-winning strike partnership of Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez, signed for a total of £9m.

The classic target-man/second-striker combination was ruthlessly effective for Antonio Conte’s side, with the Argentine scoring a goal every other game.

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

9

JUVENTUS’ CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HISTORY

either side of a severely disrupted campaign.

However, this season’s failure to beat Porto over two matches has been considered near inexcusable for many.

Failure in both Serie A and the Champions League has seen questions raised on Pirlo’s appointment, with Juventus likely to change manager for the third consecutive summer.

However, unlike in previous seasons, attention has turned to the squad itself, and more specifically to their record signing as fans and management alike seek explanations.

On the surface there appears to be a direct link between Ronaldo’s arrival and Juventus’ steep decline. Particularly underwhelming performances in both legs against Porto further increased the argument that the man that Agnelli brought in to win the Champions League has had the complete opposite effect; having reached the finals twice in three years without Ronaldo, they have won just one knock-out match with him.

However, as the phrase goes, correlation does not imply causation, and placing Juventus’ European failures entirely at the feet of Ronaldo would not only be unfair but inaccurate. The forward has been arguably the club’s best player week in, week out over the past three years although has come up against limited opposition.

Whereas the No 7 has scored more than any other player in Serie A since making his debut with 76 goals, no other Juventus player has notched more than 18 in the same period.

Indeed, unlike at Real Madrid where Ronaldo benefitted from the likes of Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale to ease the goalscoring burden, neither Federico Chiesa nor Alvaro Morata are likely to hit double digits this season. Likewise, Gonzalo Higuain and Paolo Dybala, who notched 38 goals between them before Ronaldo’s arrival, managed precisely half that last season.

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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

ABOVE: The goals have flowed for Ronaldo since making the move…

BOTTOM: …and – until 2021 at least – domestic trophies were plentiful TOP RIGHT: But European success is as far away for Juve as it was before spending big on CR7 BOTTOM RIGHT: Juventus celebrating winning the Champions League in 1996

This appears to be the root of the problem at Juventus. There is no doubt that at 36, Ronaldo is not the player he was at his peak, however, where Real Madrid had the quality to manage his decline, Juventus simply do not.

The team Zidane built around the Portugual captain had not only the ability to shine elsewhere, but also the defensive structure and resilience to grind out wins if necessary.

It is not only up front that the Bianconeri are lacking. The defence that won Juventus their titles under Conte is a thing of the past with Andrea Barzagli retiring, Giorgio Chiellini nearing the end of his career and Leonardo Bonucci not looking the same since his single season with Milan. Whilst young guns Matthijs de Ligt and Merih Demiral are set for the future, they still look shaky, and the Juan Cuadrado/Alex Sandro full-back pairing is nowhere near the level of Europe’s best.

Clearly Juventus’ issues are at a systemic level, with poor squad building in recent years reflected by inconsistent managerial recruitment. The majority of Juventus fans now acknowledge that allowing Allegri to leave was a mistake but replacing him with a man famous for a possession-centric tactic in a team starring Cristiano Ronaldo appeared a strange decision even at the time.

Giving up on the Sarri-ball experiment after just one year would have made sense had another plan been in the works, with the team undergoing a transitional period. Instead, the club hired a man with no senior managerial experience who had only that summer completed his coaching qualifications.

Over the period of three years Juventus have gone from being the best-run club in Italy, if not Europe, to fighting for Champions League qualification. Rather than the Cristiano Ronaldo project failing, it appears that the Juventus project has failed Ronaldo.

YEAR RESULT 1992-93 Did not qualify 1993-94 Did not qualify 1994-95 Did not qualify 1995-96 WINNER 1996-97 Runner-up 1997-98 Runner-up 1998-99 Semi-final 1999-00 Did not qualify 2000-01 Group stage 2001-02 Group stage 2002-03 Runner-up 2003-04 Round of 16 2004-05 Quarter-final 2005-06 Quarter-final 2006-07 Did not qualify 2007-08 Did not qualify 2008-09 Round of 16 2009-10 Group stage 2010-11 Did not qualify 2011-12 Did not qualify 2012-13 Quarter-final 2013-14 Group stage 2014-15 Runner-up 2015-16 Round of 16 2016-17 Runner-up 2017-18 Quarter-final 2018-19 Quarter-final 2019-20 Round of 16 2020-21 Round of 16

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MOURINHO'S HONOUR ROLL

PREMIER LEAGUE

It looks as though the magic might be running out for Jose Mourinho but there is no doubt that he has been one of the most successful head coaches in European club history. That level of success might be out of reach at Tottenham, but it’s worth looking back at just how successful Mourinho has been in the past.

PORTO After winning the domestic cup and the league title on two occasions, Mourinho also put together one of the best Porto teams in the club’s history and won not only the UEFA Cup in 2003 but also the Champions League a year later.

CHELSEA His success in Portugal earned him a big move to England, where he took over at Chelsea. With back-to-back Premier League titles and a personality that enamoured the British media, Mourinho became one of the biggest names in the sport. He also added a few domestic cup titles to his resume. But failure on the European stage and a falling out with owner Roman Abramovich saw him sacked in 2007.

REVERSAL OF FORTUNES FIRST HE WAS THE SPECIAL ONE, THEN HE WAS THE HAPPY ONE. NOW? JOSE MOURINHO MIGHT BE THE STALE ONE. DAN ROBERTS LOOKS AT TOTTENHAM’S EUROPA LEAGUE FAILURE AND HOW IT CONTRIBUTED TO MOURINHO’S SPURS SACKING…

W

ith just a few weeks to go before Christmas last year, Tottenham Hotspur sat at the top of the Premier League. The upcoming game against Liverpool was billed as a possible title decider or, at the very least, a test of whether Spurs could go all the way this season. A few months later the north London club’s season had effectively fallen apart, and manager Jose Mourinho was out of a job.

That the axe fell the day after the announcement of the Super League and Spurs’ involvement in it may have been fortuitous – or not. Would chairman Daniel Levy have timed Mourinho’s departure to deflect attention from the most divisive venture in European football? It came in the week of Tottenham’s EFL Cup Final fixture against Manchester City, and victory there might have strengthened Mourinho’s position.

As it was, some disastrous Premier League results – and performances – between Christmas and Easter saw the club fall down

12

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

the table. But crashing out of the Europa League to Dinamo Zagreb was arguably even worse. Evidently, progression in the EFL Cup wasn’t enough to save Mourinho and being knocked out of Europe in the manner they were led to real questions over the team, the future of its star players and whether Mourinho was the man to lead Spurs back into contention. Levy answered that point emphatically.

The ‘Special One’ has won more than most at the very top of the game, at some of the biggest clubs in Europe. But there has always been criticism of his methods and his tactics.

Has his style of coaching and management become a relic of the past? And what’s next for him?

Spurs were never really fancied to win the Premier League this season, but an excellent start to the campaign saw just one defeat in the first 12 games. Even though they then lost to Liverpool, there was still a belief that Tottenham might be able to qualify for the

ABOVE (MAIN): A few weeks before Christmas, Tottenham were top of the league…a few months later, Jose Mourinho was out of a job ABOVE (SMALL): Jose Mourinho has been criticised for overly defensive tactics and a toxic relationship with the players

INTER By the time the 2008-09 season came around Jose was in Serie A with Inter.

He immediately won the Scudetto but failed again in the Champions League.

That was remedied a year later when he followed another Serie A triumph by lifting the biggest cup of them all, beating Bayern Munich in the final.

Add in a Coppa Italia and it was an historic treble-winning season for the Nerazzurri.

REAL MADRID The ‘Special One’ could seemingly do no wrong and left Italy to take over at Santiago Bernabeu. But the expensively assembled Real Madrid squad he inherited had been underperforming in recent years. Mourinho was unable to turn the tide around completely, winning just one league title and a couple of domestic cups in four years. European glory evaded him and he was allowed to leave in 2013 after a trophy-less season.

Champions League again, at the very least.

But performances slipped and results followed, especially as 2020 rolled into 2021, and it became a struggle to qualify for Europe at all.

That would be bad enough but in the context of the Europa League debacle in Zagreb back in March, Spurs’ fall from the summit has led to genuine questions about Mourinho’s management and his future. To recap: Spurs breezed into a two-goal first leg lead in a comfortable home win with two goals from captain Harry Kane.

The second leg in Croatia was never going to be straightforward, but the gap in quality between the squads and the lack of home fans should have helped Spurs into the last eight. Mourinho, to his credit, did warn his players that the tie was not over, but an insipid display followed and a hat-trick for Mislav Orsic – including a third goal where he waltzed through the Spurs defence – saw Tottenham crash out of a tournament they should have been thinking about winning. And then the floodgates opened, as whispers of criticism about Mourinho’s Spurs tenure gave way to a torrent of disapproval.

It had been widely reported that Mourinho’s contract did not include a break clause, which reportedly made sacking the Portuguese – and his backroom team – a very expensive

MOURINHO THE TRAILBLAZER

decision for Levy to make, put in some reports at £20m. Perhaps the prospect of €3.5bn from the proposed Super League helped soften the blow. But how did it come to this for Levy, Spurs and Mourinho – from being top of the league shortly before Christmas?

Mourinho joined Spurs when he was named to succeed Mauricio Pochettino, who some argued was sacked too early when his team’s form dipped. Levy had been a long-time admirer of Mourinho and after dispensing with Pochettino – who has since taken over at Paris Saint-Germain – saw his chance to bring him to north London.

Mourinho’s style of management, preferred tactics and recent relative lack of success at Manchester United did not make him an attractive choice for large sections of the Spurs fans. His list of achievements and medals won might have papered over those misgivings, but most of those were from many years ago, and his star seemed to have lost its shine even before he was sacked in April.

The 58-year-old has always thrived on having an antagonistic relationship with opposing fans, clubs and parts of the media, and been criticised for it. His backers have pointed to bulging trophy cabinets as an instant riposte.

Mourinho won the Champions League with Porto and Inter, as well as league titles in Portugal, England, Italy and Spain. Even his time at Old Trafford – perceived to be unsuccessful by some – saw a Europa League success. But that was the last major trophy he won in Manchester, and he was sacked less than two years later.

Mourinho’s win percentage at Tottenham largely stayed over 50% – it was 51.2% at the time of his dismissal, but that is his worst figure outside of a brief spell in charge of Portuguese club Uniao de Leira, before he moved to Porto in 2002 and his career took off. If that figure continues to drop, there will be little for his supporters to point to. In Mourinho’s favour is that his Spurs side won more Premier League points than Chelsea, Leicester City and Arsenal during his tenure, but they were below two of those three when he was dismissed.

Creating a siege mentality has been a regular Mourinho tactic, but scapegoating one of his own players has been a more common tool in recent years. At Manchester United, fans could not understand why Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw were frozen out of the side and publically humiliated by Mourinho. This season, Pogba has been highly influential, when fit, and Shaw has been in the form of his career and recalled to the England set-up.

At Spurs, Mourinho more than once blamed the team as a whole for poor results, seemingly abdicating himself of responsibility. “Same manager, different players,” was his response when asked why Spurs struggle to hold on to

ABOVE LEFT It’s a far cry from Mourinho’s biggest success, winning the Champions League at Inter – more than a decade ago ABOVE RIGHT: Will Harry Kane stay at Spurs with the prospect of major trophies further away than ever?

TOP RIGHT: Nuno Espirito Santo BELOW: Players of Zagreb celebrate winning the UEFA Europa League Round of 16, second leg match between Dinamo Zagreb and Tottenham Hotspur

a lead when his previous teams were so good at it. It has been suggested that the game has simply left Mourinho behind. Personal differences with top players don’t seem to be as accepted as readily as they were in the past.

Tactics, too, have changed. Mourinho was once praised for his ability to change formations and plans quickly. Now, his constant reliance on a defensive approach exacerbated Spurs’ 2021 struggles. He warned his players that Dinamo weren’t out of their Europa League tie, yes, but he sent them out with a plan to soak up pressure. They couldn’t, and by the time he changed the system, the tie was as good as lost. The players can be faulted, but Mourinho has to take his share of the blame.

There were precious few signs of positive steps for Spurs under Mourinho this season. And now his unhappy reign has been brought to an end, what does that mean for him? Mourinho has already triumphed at most of the big clubs and big leagues in Europe, and he learned from his time at Chelsea to never go back. He has previously spoken about wanting to manage the Portugal national team, and that could be the direction his career takes. Fernando Santos is the current Portugal coach but with Euro 2020 this summer, a good – or bad – tournament could see Santos move on.

Mourinho’s managerial style might these days be best suited to international football, where he won’t interact with players on a daily basis, and a rigid, no-frills set-up could account for the lack of familiarity between the players. He though may feel like he has more to offer at the top of the European club game, but it does look like his time is running out.

JOSE MOURINHO LED THE WAY IN CREATING A DEMAND FOR PORTUGUESE COACHES OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOMELAND. DAN ROBERTS LOOKS AT A FEW WHO HAVE FOLLOWED IN HIS FOOTSTEPS.

Back in the 1980s, Portugal were one of the also-rans when it came to international competition. But now their players perform in nearly every top team in Europe – and they can boast one of the very best ever to play the game. But Portugal’s head coaches are now beginning to show that there is a lot of talent on the training ground too.

Jose Mourinho is probably the most well-known manager from his country – and he is definitely the most successful.

But there are others showing off their skills.

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS After proving himself at Porto, Andre Villas-Boas came to the attention of the football world outside Portugal when he took up the reins at Chelsea and then Tottenham Hotspur, having been a Mourinho protégé. But it was in Russia where he enjoyed success with Zenit St Petersburg. He has coached in China and most recently at Marseille; still only in his early 40s, AVB will be around for a while yet.

PAULO FONSECA Another Portuguese coach with an undistinguished playing career, Fonseca made his name in the lower reaches of his country’s league set up before impressing enough at Pacos de Ferreira to earn himself a job at Porto. Things didn’t go quite as planned and he then coached at a number of other top flight clubs before a hugely successful spell in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk. A series of titles attracted Serie A giant Roma, where he has battled for a Champions League place.

NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO A former goalkeeper who played in Spain and Russia as well as Portugal, Nuno Espirito Santo started off his coaching career at Rio Ave before moving on to Valencia. An unsuccessful season at Porto followed before he started the journey to bring Wolves back to the Premier League. A close friendship with agent Jorge Mendes has seen many of Portugal’s young talents coming through the club as they consolidate their position in the English top flight.

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PREMIER LEAGUE

"IF HE MAINTAINS THIS FORM, BAMFORD MAY GO ON TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF AS ONE OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE’S MOST PROLIFIC STRIKERS" BY: STEPHEN DONOVAN

BIG TIME BAMFORD THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

THE GOOD When Leeds United secured their long-awaited return to the Premier League last summer, much of the footballing public was quick to write off striker Patrick Bamford as someone who was unable to cut it at the highest level and score the goals required to guide his team to safety. But fast forward to the final weeks of the season and the Chelsea academy product has thrived, proving all the doubters wrong by ranking among the division’s leading marksmen.

Despite having a strong record in the Championship and finishing as top scorer with 16 in their 2019-20 promotion success, the assumptions around Bamford were based on his previous record in the top-flight. He’d failed to make a senior appearance for Chelsea, while spells in the Premier League with four other clubs – Crystal Palace, Norwich City, Burnley, and Middlesbrough – produced a solitary goal.

A closer look at the statistics suggests the consensus on Bamford coming into the season was harsh, as he’d barely started a Premier League with any of those sides and so hadn’t been given enough of a chance to show that

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GOING UP Luke Shaw and John Stones were once heralded as two of England’s brightest rising stars, but it seemed for various reasons as though they were losing their way. However, both have managed to turn around their fortunes this season, delivering outstanding performances to move back into contention for the European Championships.

he could make the step up. All the same, it’s been a surprise to see the extent to which he has flourished, often providing the clinical touch to a team that creates no shortage of opportunities courtesy of coach Marcelo Bielsa’s expansive, high-energy philosophy.

It’s led to moments such as his stylish finish in Leeds’ brilliant victory at Leicester City and a late winner against rivals Sheffield United, but undoubtedly the highlight of his season was scoring a memorable hat-trick at Aston Villa.

If he maintains this form, Bamford may go on to establish himself as one of the Premier League’s most prolific strikers, and even sneak into England’s squad for the European Championships.

THE BAD Until January, there was arguably no stadium in world football that was more difficult to visit than Anfield, where Liverpool had embarked on an incredible 68-match unbeaten run in the Premier League stretching all the way back to April 2017. The atmosphere generated by the supporters and to a larger extent the truly relentless football presided over by Jurgen Klopp had made it a place that held a genuine fear factor, but all of that has evaporated in double quick time along with their hopes of retaining the title.

The Reds were leading the way heading into 2021, but all of a sudden a run of catastrophic results left them in a serious battle to even make it into the top four. After Burnley became the side to finally end their Anfield invincibility, nobody could possibly have imagined that one club record would immediately be followed by another – six successive home defeats; the longest such sequence in Liverpool’s history.

These included conceding four at the hands of champions-elect Manchester City, a first home loss to Merseyside rivals Everton since 1999 and failures against struggling duo Brighton and Fulham. But most astonishing of all was the manner of their performances: limp, toothless and totally devoid of inspiration.

This is a Liverpool side we became used to seeing attack opponents from all angles, playing with an extraordinarily high intensity from the first minute to the last. After the turn of the year they were the polar opposite, looking collectively short of confidence and with no spark whatsoever, scoring only once in that six-game period.

Injuries in defense have hindered Klopp’s men this term, but the problems were at the other end of the pitch. The ship steadied somewhat as winter turned to spring, but it’s a concern for Liverpool ahead of next season. Klopp burned out at Borussia Dortmund. Is the same going to happen here?

THE UGLY TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Leeds’ Patrick Bamford (L) celebrates after scoring the 0-1 lead during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham FC and Leeds United BOTTOM LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Leeds celebrating a goal BOTTOM RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Liverpool FC and RB Leipzig.

ABOVE RIGHT: Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta ABOVE LEFT: Aubameyang for Arsenal BELOW: A scene from the Tottenham vs Arsenal Premier League game.

TOP RIGHT: John Stones of England react BOTTOM RIGHT: Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl during the English Premier League match between Burnley and Southampton

Ever since being given his first chance as a manager by Arsenal in December 2019, Mikel Arteta has shown he sets very high standards and that any player who falls below them will face the consequences. This was underlined by the removal of captain and main man PierreEmerick Aubameyang from the team for the North London derby with Tottenham on March 14 for arriving late ahead of the match.

The Gabon striker watched on and wasn’t used from the bench as Arsenal impressively overcame a one-goal deficit to deservedly win. It’d appeared as though they would miss his quality and ruthless finishing as several chances came and went, but his teammates ultimately came out on top despite his absence.

All the same, his omission did slightly overshadow the result. Speaking after the game, Arteta explained that Aubameyang had been left out in order to ‘sustain the club’s long-term foundation’ – in other words to ensure that standards are maintained.

It was a brave decision to make especially for a game of that magnitude, but in doing so Arteta has made it clear that he’s prepared to put the club’s values ahead of any individual player, regardless of their reputation and importance to the side. The matter was quickly closed, with Aubameyang back in action for the next Premier League fixture, at West Ham. While this may have been just a one-off incident as far as Aubameyang is concerned, it’s a reminder that Arteta very much runs the rule over his squad. Other players have already been cast aside, with Mateo Guendouzi jettisoned after his attitude was called into question, and Mesut Ozil leaving for Fenerbahce in January having been left out due to ongoing issues behind the scenes.

These tough decisions may prove necessary in restoring Arsenal to their former glory.

GOING DOWN Southampton looked set to challenge for a European place in the first half of the season and even topped the table at one stage. But that now seems like a distant memory as 2021 brought about an almighty slump in form which made simply staying in the Premier League the main priority.

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PREMIER LEAGUE

LEICESTER CITY DEFIED THE ODDS TO WIN THE PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE IN 2016 BUT HAVE HAD TO REBUILD IN THE YEARS SINCE. OLI COATES TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TEAM’S FALL AND RISE FOLLOWING THEIR ASTONISHING SUCCESS.

FLYING FOXES “LEICESTER ARE BECOMING LESS LIKE UNDERDOGS”

W

hat do you do after pulling off one of the most remarkable feats in English football history? Sack the manager, of course. Claudio Ranieri lasted barely nine months at Leicester City after delivering the most impossible of Premier League titles in 2015-16, catapulting the club into a period of rebuilding despite the eyes of the world being thrust upon them.

In the time it takes for a human baby to fully develop, Ranieri was out of a job, despite bestowing memories that will last a lifetime for any supporter of Leicester City. And indeed for millions of other football fans across the globe, and not just of clubs considered underdogs like the tenacious Foxes of that campaign.

Craig Shakespeare took up the reigns and eventually ensured the champions finished 12th in 2017, but only lasted a couple of months in his first full season in charge. He was replaced

by Claude Puel, who guided the Foxes to ninth place, before almost a year to the day after taking over, unimaginable tragedy struck.

Leicester’s much-loved owner and chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, died alongside four others in a devastating helicopter crash on October 27, 2018. Shaking the footballing world to its core, the future of the Srivaddhanaprabha family’s involvement in Leicester City inevitably came into question.

With Vichai’s son, Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha succeeding his father as chairman, Leicester’s fate would go one of two ways. Top appeared in little doubt his

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father would want the family’s commitment to continue, and the new Leicester began to rise from the ashes of the tragic crash.

Indeed, the man currently taking his place in the dugout at the King Power Stadium, Brendan Rodgers, was appointed just four months after Vichai’s passing. Like his new club, the Northern Irishman was also in a period of rebuilding, following a spell in Scotland with Celtic.

Rodgers needed to regroup and restore his reputation after falling agonisingly short of landing a first ever Premier League title for Liverpool in 2014. An excellent coach who built up a strong reputation for his attractive style of play at Swansea City, Rodgers gave up the chance to lead Celtic to a historic treble treble in order to make his Premier League return.

So far, you’d have to say he’s been vindicated in that decision. Handed the keys to the castle in many ways, Rodgers oversaw the move to Leicester’s new state-of-the-art training ground, which opened in December. Symbolic of the legacy Vichai left behind, the worldclass facilities provide the Foxes squad with a thoroughly modern base befitting their current status and future aspirations.

Rodgers has returned Leicester to the upper echelons of the Premier League, although the Foxes faded during the final weeks of last season to narrowly miss out on a place in this term’s Champions League. Things are looking promising this time round, and if lessons are learned from last season, Leicester should be

ABOVE (MAIN): Leicester's Daniel Amartey (L) celebrates with teammates after scoring the 2-1 lead during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton Hove Albion and Leicester City ABOVE (SMALL): Brendan Rodgers is looking to take Leicester City back into the Champions League BOTTOM RIGHT: Jarrod Bowen (2-R) of West Ham United celebrates with teammates after scoring the 3-0 goal during the English Premier League match between West Ham United and Leicester City

HAPPY HAMMERS Winning the Premier League title is certainly not on the cards for West Ham. But finishing in the top four and qualifying for next season’s Champions League – likely at the expense of big clubs like Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal – would rank almost as highly as Leicester City’s stunning title triumph of 2016.

Fourth after 30 games and daring to dream, David Moyes has deftly navigated this strangest of seasons in his second stint at West Ham. His first full campaign of this second spell will surely earn the Scot a renewal on his initial 18-month contract, with the Hammers surprising everyone through their continued charge for European football.

Even qualifying for the Europa League would represent a major accomplishment for West Ham, who’ve probably benefited more than most from the lack of fans at their London Stadium home. While undoubtedly passionate, Irons supporters can turn their own ground into a cauldron of negativity when their teams isn’t playing how they want them to.

With that pressure and often toxic atmosphere removed, not to mention the issues raised by the London Stadium’s suitability as a football venue in terms of acoustics and sight lines, West Ham have banded together in hugely impressive fashion. Only eight defeats in their opening 30 league games is a marked improvement on last season, when the Hammers had lost 17 matches at the same stage.

The positivity is clear to see and has been personified by the form of Jesse Lingard. On loan from Manchester United, the England international has been playing with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. He’s scored a hatful of goals since joining West Ham at the end of January, including a brilliant solo effort against Wolves in early April.

Lingard has almost appeared to be the final piece in the puzzle, linking West Ham’s attacking play to brilliant effect and contributing the goals and assists which have made up for the shortfall elsewhere. The Hammers don’t have the toughest of run-ins ahead of them, giving them a wonderful chance to secure European football.

Leicester’s title success meant so many things to so many people, but one of the biggest things it did was open up the very real, tangible possibility that anything can happen in football.

Even over the course of a 38-game season, pitted against the longest odds and biggest opponents. The greatest underdog story, arguably in sporting history, may well serve as a prelude to more teams finding a way to overcome the odds and deliver moments that last a lifetime.

LEICESTER'S MIRACLE

THE WORLD WAS A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE IN 2016 AND IT IS EASY TO FORGET THE SCALE OF LEICESTER’S ACHIEVEMENT THAT YEAR. OLI COATES RECALLS HOW THE PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE WAS WON…

able to close out the campaign and secure a place in the top four.

Given the status of the clubs who would miss out, that would be some achievement.

Interestingly, it may even take a points tally approaching their haul of 81 which secured them the title in 2016. That was a full 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal, with the two Manchester powerhouses both 15 points in Leicester’s wake.

It’s been said that the title-winning Leicester City side represented something of an embodiment of their supporters. With body-on-the-line men like Robert Huth and underdog stories all over the pitch – not least

ABOVE LEFT James Maddisonc celebrating a goal ABOVE RIGHT: Veteran striker Jamie Vardy has been ably assisted by younger talents James Maddison and Harvey Barnes LEFT: Claudio Ranieri led Leicester City to the most improbable of Premier League title wins BELOW: Leicester City’s new state-of-theart training ground makes the club an even more attractive proposition

in the form of Jamie Vardy – Ranieri’s team was packed with modern day cult heroes.

Identifying with the underdog is easy for most people. However, becoming an elite footballer is not about being the underdog. It’s about beating the odds, being better than all the other kids in the academy, outperforming your team mates to get a place in the starting line-up. It’s about taking cut-throat decisions on contracts and transfers, bettering your career and maximising your potential. Being successful.

Under Rodgers, it appears that Leicester are becoming less like underdogs. This is shown not only by the top-class facilities, but also in the changes we can see in the style of play.

Although breaking at pace remains a key weapon, especially against the bigger teams in the league, Rodgers’ trademark passing game has been implemented at the King Power.

It didn’t take long for the rest of the division to work out how to play against Leicester’s title winners. Ranieri failed to transition his team to becoming a more dominant, passing side, and we can see that in their results as champions.

In 25 Premier League games under the Italian in 2016-17, the Foxes only managed five wins, losing 14 times. Ranieri’s reign ended in five straight defeats, with Leicester failing to score a single goal.

In Rodgers’ first full season in charge, Leicester only lost six of their opening 25 league matches, winning 15. This term, their record was identical after their first 25 games. Even so, there has been clear and obvious progression. The challenge is to keep improving and to sustain it over the course of the whole season, a la 2015-16.

A big part of Rodgers’ success has been to make Leicester less reliant on Vardy. James Maddison and Harvey Barnes have both had superb seasons, while Kelechi Iheanacho has rediscovered his scoring touch of late.

Replacing N’Golo Kante has been nigh-on impossible, but Wilfred Ndidi has made a great fist of it, excelling alongside Youri Tielemans in central midfield.

Greater solidity has helped the Foxes improve their results against the big teams, while Rodgers has shown himself capable of making subtle tactical switches within games to outfox Leicester’s opponents. Confidence has soared, and you get the feeling the Foxes feel like they’re capable of beating anyone on their day.

Together with exemplary recruitment, noticeable player development and those wonderful training facilities, Leicester have the foundations in place for long-term success.

Perhaps that will come under Rodgers, but even if it doesn’t, Leicester City are an attractive proposition for managers and players alike, and they look set to remain a fixture in the Premier League elite.

Will there ever be a more incredible title triumph than Leicester City’s 2015-16 Premier League crown? An afterthought to win the league with odds of 5,000/1 across a host of major British bookmakers, Leicester became only the sixth different club to become champions in the Premier League era, after Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Given their status and budget compared to a host of other clubs in the English top flight, there never seemed to be any chance that Claudio Ranieri could pull off the impossible. Especially when you consider the fact that Leicester had only been back in the Premier League for one season, and finished 14th in 2014-15.

The Foxes ended that campaign 46 points behind champions Chelsea.

The following year, Leicester gathered 31 more points than the Blues, an astonishing swing of 77 points inconceivable in August 2015. So, just how did Ranieri do it?

Firstly, the Italian manager had to win over his squad. Nigel Pearson was a big character to follow, and Ranieri arrived at a club in turmoil. He watched four days of pre-season training in Austria, and with new signings such as Christian Fuchs, Shinji Okazaki and N’Golo Kante to call on, Leicester started the season by going six games unbeaten.

When Arsenal thumped them 5-2 at the King Power towards the end of September, you would’ve been laughed out of town if you’d predicted Leicester would be lifting the title in less than eight months. However, the Foxes only lost twice more all season, away to Liverpool and Arsenal, winning 23 of their 38 games to secure the league by a commanding 10 points.

Ranieri refused to acknowledge his team as title contenders for the majority of the season, sticking to a philosophy of taking one game at a time. That’s easier said than done, but somehow Leicester’s players refused to buckle even as the pressure grew to unimaginable levels in the final weeks and months of the season.

There’s no doubt the Foxes profited from a number of big clubs enduring below-par campaigns. Indeed, Leicester’s tally of 81 points remains the lowest since Manchester United amassed 80 in both 2000-01 and 201011. However, there was nothing fortunate or lucky about Leicester’s triumph.

It was fully deserved, and featured standout victories over the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool, as well as a commanding 3-1 win away to Manchester City.

Ranieri allowed his players to believe without allowing their dream to stifle performances, and the fast, fluid, counter-attacking football was so often a joy to behold. Impossible is nothing, after all.

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SERIE A

"ONLY CRISTIANO RONALDO, ROMELU LUKAKU AND LUIS MURIEL HAD BAGGED MORE IN ITALY’S TOPFLIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL THAN THE 28-YEAROLD SIMY FROM CROTONE."

BY: NICK VALERIO

RISING SIMY THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

THE GOOD Giant forward Simy has plied his trade with Crotone since 2016 and is adored by the Calabrian natives. The Nigerian has felt the highs of promotion and the lows of relegation and is deservedly set for a big money transfer in the summer.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Luis Muriel had bagged more in Italy’s topflight at the beginning of April than the 28-year-old and the Onitsha native has troubled the very best in the division. Simy notched against Juventus, Sassuolo, Atalanta, Lazio and Napoli and has outshone compatriot Victor Osimhen, who cost the Azzurri in excess of €70m. Genoa and Udinese have expressed their interest in snapping up the hitman but Simy is likely to seek a switch to a team battling for a European berth, not survival.

The Pitagorici idol will leave a lasting legacy

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GOING UP

as the club’s all-time top scorer. Simy overtook Andrea Deflorio in March and also earned a place in the Serie A history books for his exploits. The recruit from Gil Vicente was only the third African, after George Weah and Keite Balde, to register in five consecutive matches and his achievement is perhaps more impressive given the resources and standing of his current employers.

Weah featured alongside Dejan Savićević, Roberto Baggio, Zvonimir Boban and Demetrio Albertini, while Keita was supplied by assist machine Luis Alberto, Felipe Anderson and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

To date, the striker has enjoyed a modest international career and was a surprise omission for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in the spring. But Simy is part of a talented generation including Osimhen, Leicester City attacker Kelechi Iheanacho and Paul Onuachu and is likely to claim skipper Ahmed Musa’s spot as the Super Eagles bid for AFCON glory and World Cup participation in 2022.

Antonio Conte’s hunt for a new striker has led him to Luis Muriel. The Colombian hotshot has broken the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career and Atalanta are bracing for an offer from Inter. The 30-year-old has previously featured for Sampdoria, Udinese and Fiorentina, and looks ready to step up again.

THE BAD Manuel Locatelli and Paul Pogba are reportedly at the top of Juventus director Pavel Nedved’s shopping list this summer and it is telling the midfield area has been highlighted. Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey, Rodrigo Bentancur, Weston McKennie and Arthur Melo have their merits but there is a very good chance at least two of the five internationals will be moved on before the start of the 2021-22 campaign.

Pogba, of course, had great success in Turin and was part of a squad that reached two Champions League finals in three years. The Frenchman starred alongside Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo and the quartet were widely regarded as the best unit in Europe.

McKennie only saw his loan switch made permanent in March and can be content with his maiden term with the Italian giants. The Texan is industrious, can turn out in multiple positions and has popped up with some big goals. Arthur will be given another opportunity to impress, but the Bianconeri are keen to cash in on Ramsey and Rabiot.

The Welshman has been linked to Liverpool and West Ham and a fee in the region of €10m should be enough to seal a Premier League return for the ex-Arsenal man. Teammate Rabiot has failed to justify his mammoth salary, while Bentancur has endured his worst term with the champions and there are big decisions to be made in May. Locatelli has flourished at Sassuolo and is now a regular under Roberto Mancini. The Milan youth graduate would bring a touch of class to the middle of the park and there needs to be more emphasis on quality and not quantity in the Bianconeri ranks after a series of highprofile free signings, extending beyond Rabiot and Ramsey, who have underwhelmed.

ABOVE (OPPOSITE PAGE): Crotone's forward Simy (2L) jubilates after scoring the 1-0 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between FC Crotone and Torino FC BOTTOM LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Aaron Ramsey of Juventus in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and Juventus FC at Olimpico Stadium BOTTOM RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Adrian Rabiot for Juventus ABOVE: Napoli's head coach Gennaro Gattuso reacts during a Italian Serie A soccer match

Tiémoué Bakayoko turned down a host of offers to link up with his old Rossoneri coach in Naples and Hirving Lozano has been full of praise for his development under Gattuso.

The 43-year-old is admired by Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers who are considering replacing Nuno Espirito Santo, while Fiorentina are looking for a successor to Cesare Prandelli. Beppe Iachini is only a short-term fix and the Tuscan outfit have an ambitious project which is sure to appeal to the unhappy Rino.

The former midfielder would be given a sizable kitty by billionaire president Rocco Commisso and the supporters, who desperately crave a cup run and return to Europe, would take to Gattuso much in the same manner as the Neapolitan faithful.

GOING DOWN Weston McKennie, Arthur Melo and Paulo Dybala were dropped by Juventus for the historic Derby della Mole at the beginning of April after breaking lockdown rules. The Argentine playmaker’s relationship with the club was already tense after failing to agree terms on a new contract and his time in Turin appears to be coming to an end.

RIGHT: Napoli players celebrating BELOW: Rafa Benitez may be taking over the manager position for Napoli TOP RIGHT: Atalanta's Luis Muriel BOTTOM RIGHT: Paolo Dybala

THE UGLY Gennaro Gattuso has spent almost the entirety of his tenure at Napoli under scrutiny, despite leading the club to silverware last June. The fiery coach does not get the credit he deserves as a tactician and will have no shortage of suitors at the end of the campaign if he follows through on his promise to leave San Paolo.

The World Cup winner made up his mind after Aurelio De Laurentiis lined up former boss Rafa Benitez for a sensational return to the dugout following the 3-1 defeat away at Verona in the winter. Gattuso subsequently turned things around, winning seven of Napoli’s next 10 games, including victories over champions Juventus, as well as Roma and Milan, and the owner is now desperate to convince the Calabrian to remain at the helm.

Gattuso is a popular figure in the dressing room and the wild celebrations with his players after the triumph over Juventus in February spoke volumes. Captain and local lad Lorenzo Insigne has a special relationship with his boss and could be one of a number of top performers to follow him out the exit door.

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SERIE A

JUVENTUS HAVE DOMINATED THE LAST DECADE IN SERIE A BUT 2020-21 SAW THE MILAN CLUBS RISE AGAIN. CIRO DI BRITA CHARTS THEIR COMEBACKS…

THE MILAN CLUBS THEY CAME TO BLOWS ON THE PITCH BUT ROMELU LUKAKU AND ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC HAVE LED THEIR TEAMS FROM THE FRONT THE RESURRECTION – MILAN It has been 10 long years since the once starstudded Milan side ended a season at the top of the Serie A rankings. The Rossoneri, like everyone else on the peninsula, have been playing second fiddle to Juventus and their nine-year dominance of Italian football.

But during the 2010-2011 season, Max Allegri led the club, then under the ownership of Silvio Berlusconi, to their 18th title, relying heavily on experience with 15 members of his squad in their 30s. That title-winning season would prove to be a final swansong for club legends and World Cup winners including Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Gianluca Zambrotta, and Filippo Inzaghi. Clarence Seedorf and Ronaldinho would go on to ply their trade in Brazil the following season, while Massimo Oddo and Marek Jankulovski were also coming to the end of their careers.

In the years that followed Berlusconi would attempt to reduce the wage bill at the club.

Gone were the days of splashing out on world class stars. Instead, they foolishly followed an unwritten policy of signing players whose best days were behind them on free transfers, and gambling on unknown youngsters.

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The sale of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to the nouveau riche Paris Saint-Germain saw a changing of the guard in 2012. The French side replaced Milan as the club that attracted the brightest talent from around the globe and signalled an end to the free-spending Berlusconi era. It’s only now that the Rossoneri are finally recovering.

The club itself was soon sold but the change in ownership did not bring success or stability.

Instead, it led to one crisis after another. Il Diavolo have added just one paltry Supercoppa Italiana to their trophy cabinet since their last Scudetto win, coming in a penalty shootout victory over Juventus in Doha in 2016. Milan only qualified for that game as runners-up in the Coppa Italia as Juventus lifted a domestic double in 2015-16.

This season, under the guidance of Stefano Pioli, Milan came flying out of the blocks, going unbeaten in their opening 15 league games, winning 11 and drawing four. It took until January 6 for Pioli’s charges to taste defeat, in a 3-1 home reverse against Juventus. By that point, the defending champions were left in Milan’s red-and-black dust.

Arguably the biggest catalyst for this change in fortunes has been the impact of Ibrahimovic.

LEFT: A cyclist looks at a mural near the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, depicting Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku (L) and AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic head to head arguing during an Italian Cup match, in Milan, Italy, 15 February 2021.

BOTTOM: Silvio Berlusconi attempted to reduce the wage bill at Milan

MILAN’S LAST SCUDETTO-WINNING SQUAD (2010-2011)

‘MILAN HAVE ADDED JUST ONE SUPERCOPPA ITALIANA TO THEIR TROPHY CABINET SINCE THEIR LAST SCUDETTO WIN’ TOP: Milan celebrating their last Scudetto.

ABOVE: Stefano Pioli proved an inspired appointment by Milan RIGHT (R-L): Pirlo, Ronaldinho.

Both for AC Milan BOTTOM RIGHT: Antonio Conte has taken advantage of Juventus’ uncertainty

The 39-year-old returned to Milan in December 2019 after two years with LA Galaxy and quickly confounded doubts about his signing.

If anything, he’s gotten better as he has gotten used to the pace of the Serie A game, scoring 15 times in 16 games in 2020-21. Two of those goals came in the Derby della Madonnina win over Inter in October, and his form was impressive enough that Sweden coach Jan Olof Andersson recalled Ibra to the national team after a five-year retirement.

Ibrahimovic’s influence has been felt off the field too, when assessing the growth of younger players such as Davide Calabria, Franck Kessie and Rafael Leao. In recent years, those younger players looked rudderless, with no leader to guide them. Ibra’s huge presence now reverberates around the training ground and the pitch, and he leads by example.

Milan may ultimately look back on 2020-21 with disappointment after their brilliant start gave way to an Inter insurgence, but they shouldn’t. Absent from the Champions League since 2014, qualification for that competition in itself is significant progress and a sure sign the Rossoneri are back where they belong. The

Name Marco Amelia Flavio Roma Christian Abbiati Alessandro Nesta Sokratis Papastathopoulos Massimo Oddo Marek Jankulovski Gianluca Zambrotta Daniele Bonera Thiago Silva Didac Villa Nicola Legrottaglie Mario Yepes Luca Antonini Mark van Bommel Gennaro Gattuso Clarence Seedorf Rodney Strasser Mathieu Flamini Ignazio Abate Andrea Pirlo Massimo Ambrosini Kevin-Prince Boateng Urby Emanuelson Alexander Merkel Alexandre Pato Filippo Inzaghi Zlatan Ibrahimović Marco Borriello Giacomo Beretta Robinho Ronaldinho Nnamdi Oduamadi Antonio Cassano

Position Age Goalkeeper 29 Goalkeeper 36 Goalkeeper 33 Defender 35 Defender 22 Defender 34 Defender 33 Defender 33 Defender 29 Defender 26 Defender 21 Defender 34 Defender 35 Defender 28 Midfielder 33 Midfielder 33 Midfielder 35 Midfielder 21 Midfielder 27 Midfielder 24 Midfielder 31 Midfielder 33 Midfielder 24 Midfielder 24 Midfielder 19 Attacker 21 Attacker 37 Attacker 29 Attacker 28 Attacker 19 Attacker 27 Attacker 31 Attacker 20 Attacker 28

RESURRECTION – INTER Inter are the last Italian side to win the Champions League. Led by Jose Mourinho, that success in the 2009-10 season formed part of the treble, but unfortunately for supporters who had grown accustomed to winning things after the Calcipoli scandal neutered Juventus, it would be the last trophy of note – barring a 3-1 Coppa Italia Final win over Palermo in 2011.

Mourinho departed and so too did the players that ran through brick walls for him – Lucio, Maicon, Walter Samuel, Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso, Wesley Sneijder, Dejan Stankovic, Diego Milito and Samuel Eto’o. It was impossible to replace so many high calibre players in a short space of time, especially when president Massimo Moratti decided that seeing Inter realise his dream of the Champions League was the time to step back and put the club up for sale.

From there it was one false dawn after another.

A host of coaches fell by the wayside – Rafael Benitez, Walter Mazzari, Gian Piero Gasperini, Frank De Boer, Luciano Spalletti and even the man currently rebuilding Milan, Pioli. Inter even

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INTER’S LAST SCUDETTO-WINNING SQUAD (2009-2010)

SERIE A

had former boss Roberto Mancini back for a couple of years, but he couldn’t replicate the success of his first spell and soon moved on.

It was not until the arrival of the men that oversaw the rise of Juventus a decade ago – Beppe Marotta and Antonio Conte – that things fell into place for the Nerazzurri. Under current owners Suning, who purchased a majority share from Erick Thohir in 2016, the Biscione has been effective in the transfer market – Marotta’s domain as CEO, in conjunction with Conte’s contacts and clear idea of how he wants Inter to play.

Conte has called on his time as Chelsea manager to return to the Premier League to sign the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Christian Eriksen, as well as ex-Manchester United trio Ashley Young, Matteo Darmian and Alexis Sanchez. Not all signings have been successful, but England has been a fruitful market for Inter.

Regardless of where the players are signed from, Conte has a squad that matches exactly his demands. That’s a change from 12 months ago, when he publically complained about not getting the players he wanted. The coach’s preference is three technical, physical centrebacks, dynamic wing-backs – and he has arguably the most dynamic right-wing-back in the world in Achraf Hakimi – and an energetic midfield, perhaps best exemplified by Nicolo Barella. Leading the line is an enviable partnership of Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez.

Conte’s men were beaten to the honour of Winter Champions by Milan but had surged away from their city rivals by the time the final weeks of the season came into view. If Juve have had a strangle hold on the Scudetto since 2012, then Inter have had one hand on it since the middle of March. Their 19th title has been a long time in coming, but will have been worth the wait.

‘IF JUVE HAVE HAD A STRANGLE HOLD ON THE SCUDETTO SINCE 2012, THEN INTER HAVE HAD ONE HAND ON IT SINCE THE MIDDLE OF MARCH’ 22

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Name Francesco Toldo Paolo Orlandoni Julio Cesar Ivan Cordoba Javier Zanetti Lucio Maicon Marco Materazzi Walter Samuel Cristian Chivu Davide Santon Dejan Stankovic Ricardo Quaresma Thiago Motta Wesley Sneijder Sully Muntari Patrick Vieira Rene Krhin McDonald Mariga Esteban Cambiasso Alen Stevanovic Amantino Mancini Samuel Eto’o David Suazo Diego Milito Goran Pandev Mario Balotelli Marko Arnautovic

TOP: Are Inter set to claim their 19th title – some 11 years after their last?

ABOVE: Another key part of Inter's team, Arturo Vidal BOTTOM LEFT: Achraf Hakimi is a solid defender who can score BOTTOM RIGHT: Leading the line is an enviable partnership of Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez RIGHT (R-L): Javier Zanetti lifting the Scudetto, Mario Balotelli

Position Age Goalkeeper 38 Goalkeeper 37 Goalkeeper 30 Defender 33 Defender 36 Defender 31 Defender 28 Defender 36 Defender 32 Defender 29 Defender 19 Midfielder 31 Midfielder 26 Midfielder 27 Midfielder 26 Midfielder 26 Midfielder 33 Midfielder 19 Midfielder 23 Midfielder 28 Midfielder 19 Midfielder 29 Attacker 29 Attacker 30 Attacker 30 Attacker 26 Attacker 19 Attacker 20

BUNDESLIGA

"THE FORM OF RB LEIPZIG WOLFSBURG HAS BEEN A WELCOME SURPRISE." BY: FEARGAL BRENNAN

UNUSUAL SUSPECTS THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

THE GOOD The 2020-21 Bundesliga season has had a more competitive race than usual at the top, even as Bayern Munich stepped up a gear in 2021 and powered through the rest of the pack. Behind the Bavarians though it has been a real slugfest for the Champions League, as Borussia Dortmund’s form failed. RB Leipzig, pretenders to Bayern’s crown, were always going to at least take a Champions League spot and the form of Wolfsburg has been a welcome surprise.

Oliver Glasner’s side got their act together in 2021, losing their first game of the year – against Dortmund, ironically – but then not losing again until the beginning of March. That defeat to Dortmund was the turning point, with the performance arguably worse than the outcome. Wolfsburg responded in the best possible way, picking up 27 points from a possible 33 in the 11 games that followed.

Netherlands international forward Wout Weghorst has been the standout name for Glasner this season, as his goals have propelled the team up the table. He in particular turned it on in 2021, with eight league goals in the first three months of the year A place in next season’s Champions League will be key for Glasner’s ability to retain the highly rated Weghorst this summer with Kevin Mbabu and Bote Baku also attracting growing attention from Europe’s biggest clubs. A first Champions League berth since 2015-16 – when they reached the quarter-finals and only lost

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GOING UP

to eventual winners Real Madrid on aggregate, winning 2-0 in the home first leg but losing 3-0 in Spain – would be reward for knuckling down in the second half of the season.

Neutral fans’ favourite Union Berlin have pulled off the most dramatic of turnarounds in 2021, Urs Fischer’s side have dragged themselves away from the brink of a relegation battle and on to the edge of the Europa League qualification spots in recent months.

THE BAD Borussia Dortmund’s mixed run of form in 2021 raised the prospect of a Bundesliga finish outside the top four for the first time since 2015. Edin Terzic’s interim stint as head coach failed to stabilise the club following Lucien Favre’s exit in December 2020, with Marco Rose now set to take over at Signal Iduna Park this summer.

Terzic’s inexperience was exposed in 2021 with just three league wins picked up in February and March as their rivals gained a key advantage ahead of the crucial final stage of the season. The major issue Terzic faced was translating BVB’s impressive European form on the domestic stage as their best chance of playing in next season’s Champions League appeared to be by winning the 2020 version.

A difficult draw with Manchester City put even that into doubt as Dortmund came up against one of Europe’s financial powerhouses.

But four wins and one draw in their group stage results under Favre saw Dortmund cruise into the knockout stages before his eventual sacking. Terzic then successfully steered them through a rollercoaster 5-4 aggregate win over Sevilla as the pressure of their indifferent league form appeared to lift away from his players shoulders.

It may however be a blessing in disguise.

The Champions League gave Erling Haaland another chance to shine as he broke double figures for the second successive season and became the youngest ever player to score 20+ goals in it.

Despite Haaland continuing his incredible goal scoring form in the Bundesliga, the rest of the squad did not match up and Terzic was unable to find a balance. Haaland’s form, meanwhile, saw the vultures circle even closer than before.

Missing out on the Champions League would hit Dortmund’s finances, and Haaland could be forgiven for wanting to join a club that is all-but guaranteed to play in the competition every year.

THE UGLY With Bayer Leverkusen’s form slowly edging them out to the periphery of the race for European qualification the club opted to take the bold step of sacking manager Peter Bosz.

Bosz was offered a second chance in the Bundesliga, after his disastrous stint in charge of Borussia Dortmund back in 2017, when he arrived refreshed at the BayArena midway through the 2018-19 domestic season.

But despite finishing in the Champions League qualification spots in 2019 Leverkusen slipped down into the Europa League this season and Bosz found himself under growing pressure ever since. Their Bundesliga form in 2021 sealed his eventual fate at the club with an average of just one win per month in the first three months of the calendar year.

That indifferent run of results went on to cost the Dutchman his job at the club and it may have come potentially too late to save Leverkusen’s season from ending in disappointment. The job of avoiding that went to rookie coach Hannes Wolf, who was given the job on an interim basis until the end of 2020-21. Former midfielder Peter Hermann was also named to the staff as Wolf’s assistant.

As for Bosz, this may have been his last chance in the big-time surroundings of Bundesliga, at least in the short term, with his reputation taking a real battering over the course of this season. His next move could be a return to his native Netherlands as he aims to rebuild his reputation and return to the European football scene in the coming years. Bosz has been a traveller in his early career, playing in Japan and coaching in Israel, and may need to take a job in another far flung corner before getting a chance again in one of Europe’s big leagues.

GOING DOWN ABOVE (OPPOSITE PAGE): Oliver Glasner, Wolfsburg Coach BOTTOM LEFT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Kevin Mbabu is attracting attention from big teams

Schake’s relegation fate was essentially sealed at the back end of 2020, but despite being handed a last gasp reprieve in 2021, they are now certain to go down.

Dimitrios Grammozis was named as the club’s fifth head coach this year and they should be relegated by May.

BOTTOM RIGHT (OPPOSITE PAGE): Wolfsburg players celebrate scoring ABOVE: Edin Terzic, coach of Borussia Dortmund RIGHT: Despite Haaland keepigng up is scoring output, Dortmund is falling behind BELOW: Peter Bosz TOP RIGHT: Union’s head coach Urs Fischer reacts during a German Bundesliga soccer match BOTTOM RIGHT: Schalke continues to slip down the table

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BUNDESLIGA

BUILDING A DYNASTY BAYERN MUNICH WON THE TREBLE IN 2013 BUT THEN FAILED TO RECRUIT PROPERLY AND IT ALMOST COST THEM. MICHELLE OSEI BONSU LOOKS AT HOW THE BAVARIANS HAVE BUILT A TROPHYWINNING MACHINE…

‘BAYERN ENSURED THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WIN OF 2020 WAS A SPRINGBOARD, NOT A PLATEAU’

T

he 2020-21 season across Europe’s big five leagues has been an interesting one, with more genuine title races than is usual on the continent. Many of the reigning champions – be they in the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1 or La Liga – have found that hanging on to the trophy has been a much harder task than they might have expected, and the same to a degree applies in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

But, after some wobbles, die Roten found their feet and pulled away, with an unprecedented ninth consecutive title – and 31st overall – becoming an increasingly likely prospect as the rounds passed.

From a neutral, or anti-Bayern, perspective, that was a disappointing development. The Bundesliga is blessed with interesting coaches and talented player, but none have been able to maintain a challenge to Bayern’s dominance.

For supporters of the Bavarian titans, business as usual is encouraging.

However, nothing lasts forever, and all good things must come to an end. Bayern fans could be forgiven for having a concern that key players such as Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Javi Martinez, Manuel Neuer and more

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TOP LEFT: Robert Lewandowski poses with the 2020 Champions League Trophy ABOVE: Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman holds the trophy after winning the 2020 UEFA Champions League final match between Paris SaintGermain and Bayern Munich

are approaching the tail-ends of their careers, whether those final seasons are spent at the Allianz Arena or elsewhere.

In 2013, Bayern made history as the first German side to win the coveted treble. But unlike the period that followed, during which they struggled to replicate the same form – mostly in Europe, due to a lack of strong recruitment and failure to make replacements in key areas. Bayern’s hierarchy learned from the aftermath of the Champions League win in 2013 and moved to ensure the Champions League win of 2020 was a springboard, not a plateau.

Already, Bayern’s management has guaranteed that, by and large, the squad has a deputy who is more than ready to step into the regular XI as players age out or move on. That is why the club was able to call David Alaba’s bluff when the Austria star demanded a hefty increase on his annual wage packet in order to commit his future to Bayern – and why, for the first time in over a decade, he’ll be playing his football elsewhere. And it’s why die Roten will be saying auf wiedersehen to veteran defender Jerome Boateng, as opposed to extending his contract. The 32-year-old may not be the only

old-timer on his way out either, as the summer transfer window opens shortly after the end of the season.

So, who are the players Bayern are entrusting to keep the trophy machine running smoothly, for next season and beyond? And it’s not just domestic success that’s on the agenda either.

After a seven-year wait between European trophies, Bayern want Champions League dominance too.

High on the list is the player whose goal won the Champions League in 2020, Kingsley Coman. It was the France international who found the net and scratched that seven-year itch, ironically against his former club, Paris Saint-Germain.

Coman also spent time at Juventus prior to moving to Germany but it is at Bayern that he has found his footing and made clear his ambitions to be part of the Bayern attack for years to come. He’s part of a young group of exciting attack-minded players that also includes Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and the youngest of all, 18-year-old Jamal Musiala.

Musiala was not a household name prior to the start of the season but after his exploits against Lazio – when he became the youngest

AROUND THE WORLD

ROSE AMONG THORNS

THE SUMMER OF 2021 WILL SEE PLAYERS FLUNG TO DIFFERENT POINTS OF THE GLOBE FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION. MICHELLE OSEI BONSU PICKS OUT THE BAYERN PLAYERS REPRESENTING THEIR COUNTRIES IN THE POST-SEASON…

The COVID-19 pandemic is still looming large but life is starting to get back to normal in many places, and that means international football tournaments – albeit mostly without full stadiums, or any fans at all, and all proper safeguards and precautions in place.

Bayern Munich’s stars will be kept busy, whether at Euro 2020 – which takes place across Europe – or the Gold Cup, where Alphonso Davies will fly his club’s colours while wearing the red of the Canada national team.

The Gold Cup hasn’t, though, been too kind to Canada, who have to face fellow North American powerhouse the United States Men’s National Team in the group stage. They should nevertheless qualify for the next round, as Group B is rounded out by Martinique and a preliminary match winner that won’t be determined until July.

There’s far more Bayern interest in Euro 2020, of course. Germany, France, Spain, Poland and Austria can all have Bayern representatives – just about in the case of David Alaba, who appears bound for the exit this summer.

Germany will almost certainly include Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane and Niklas Sule, among others, while it remains to be seen if Neuer’s fellow veterans Thomas Muller and Jerome Boateng are considered. Jamal Musiala is a wild card option.

Javi Martinez and Marc Roca might not make the Spain set-up, while Robert Lewandowski is the key man for Poland, but it’s France that will benefit most from Bayern’s squad. Benjamin Pavard and Theo Hernandez were part of the group that won the World Cup in 2018 and both they and Kingsley Coman – who didn’t go to Russia three years ago but was involved in Euro 2016, when France were runners-up – have been part of Didier Deschamps’ recent plans.

Few would be shocked if they returned to club training with another medal in their collection.

ABOVE: A Champions League win in 2013 was an impressive achievement for Bayern but it took seven years to be replicated TOP RIGHT: Moenchengladbach's head coach Marco Rose before the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt BOTTOM LEFT: Alphonso Davies will be featured with Canada in this year's Gold Cup BOTTOM RIGHT: Dominance of domestic football has been achieved through smart recruitment and financial power

German and, by virtue of his dual citizenship, the youngest Englishman to score in the Champions League – he certainly is now. The 2020-21 season also saw Musiala become Bayern’s youngest-ever Bundesliga scorer and the club tie him down to a long-term contract, running until 2026.

It was Muller that Musiala replaced against Lazio, and, long-term, it is Muller that Musiala is expected to succeed in the Bayern set-up.

Muller turns 32 in September, and provides the ideal role model for Stuttgart-born Musiala to follow.

Sane arrived at Bayern in 2020 after a productive spell at Manchester City, and reportedly cost €45m up front, potentially rising to €60m. He has had his ups and downs since returning to the Bundesliga four years after leaving Schalke for City, largely due to injury. And with the depth Bayern boast, that can make it exceedingly difficult for a player to nail down a consistent spot in the team.

The 25-year-old Sane has often been overshadowed by national team colleague and fellow former Premier League player Gnabry, but there is no denying his talent. He showed it in Manchester, winning back-to-back titles, and has been productive for Bayern in 2020-21.

Only Joshua Kimmich and Muller have been more reliable creators than the winger.

Gnabry, who wears the No 7 previously held for more than a decade by the brilliant Franck Ribery, has gone from strength to strength is his time at Bayern. He quit German football for Arsenal in 2011, aged 16, struggled to make an impact at the Gunners and bounced around on loan. A return to German football with Werder Bremen was the making of him and after a single season, Bayern swooped. Gnabry was loaned to Hoffenheim for the 2017-18 season and made his Bayern breakthrough the following year, but it was in the successful 2019-20 Champions League campaign that he really came to the fore.

Returning to London to play Tottenham in October 2019, Gnabry hit four of Bayern’s seven goals. He later claimed a brace at Chelsea, setting a record for away goals by a player in a single Champions League season.

This year, Gnabry’s goal tally has been bettered by only Muller and, of course, Lewandowski.

Speedster Alphonso Davies, who blew Barcelona way in Bayern’s 8-2 demolition of the Catalans in August 2020, is part of a Bayern defensive unit that will only get better. The versatile Kimmich, arguably more of a midfielder today but UEFA’s Champions League Defender of the Season in 201920, Tanguy Nianzou and Theo Hernandez are already formidable. The addition of RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano to replace Boateng, feels almost unfair on opposing attackers.

Bayern are forming a production line, reinforcement upon reinforcement, for the years ahead. In all areas of the pitch, the Bayern machine should keep rolling forward.

Can anyone slow it down?

BORUSSIA DORTMUND HAVE TURNED TO BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH’S MARCO ROSE TO IMPROVE THEIR FORTUNES NEXT SEASON. MICHELLE OSEI BONSU EXPLAINS WHY.

Borussia Dortmund and their supporters had high hopes at the start of the season. Yes, last season saw Bayern Munich win the title, again. And BVB weren’t even close, finishing second by a 13-point chasm. But it was a new season, their exciting crop of youngsters were a year older and more experienced and €25m had been spent of Birmingham City prodigy Jude Bellingham, joining Gio Reyna, Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland.

By December the wheels had well and truly fallen off and, following a humiliating 5-1 home defeat to newlypromoted Stuttgart, coach Lucien Favre was given his marching orders.

Edin Terzic was named interim boss as Dortmund’s management tried to arrest the team’s free-fall and salvage the season. At least, qualifying for the Champions League to make holding on to Sancho, Haaland and the like a possibility.

Terzic was only ever a stop-gap and Marco Rose will take over in the summer. Perhaps it was his Borussia Monchengladbach side’s 4-2 win over Dortmund in January that tipped the balance in his favour, or maybe it was his prior relationship with Haaland, from when they were both at Red Bull Salzburg. BVB evidently saw something in the 44-year-old – Champions League qualification with Gladbach and a run to the knockout stages was surely part of it.

The irony is that Gladbach endured a horrendous winless run after Rose was announced as BVB’s heir apparent, while Terzic orchestrated some strong Dortmund form. At least with Terzic staying on Rose’s staff, the new man will be able to consult with his predecessor.

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LA LIGA

BY: FEARGAL BRENNAN

FIGHTING SPIRIT THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

"WILL A POSSIBLE TITLE WIN BE ENOUGH TO CONVINCE LIONEL MESSI TO STAY? " THE GOOD What had looked like an Atletico Madrid procession to the title turned into a genuine race after Los Rojiblancos hit an untimely patch of bad form in the spring. To their credit too, Real Madrid and Barcelona found some excellent domestic consistency to be in a position to capitalize and close the gap.

Diego Simeone’s side led the way in the Primera Division for the majority of the season after rediscovering their old fighting spirit but the Clasico pair dug deep to test Atleti’s nerve in the final weeks of the campaign.

It’s Real Madrid’s experience that kept them in the running despite an underwhelming start to the 2020-21 season, with veteran stars Sergio Ramos, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema keeping Los Blancos in the hunt.

Zinedine Zidane also has some quality young players to provide fresher legs but this is a title challenge built on the old guard.

Barcelona’s 2021 turnaround was even more dramatic as Ronald Koeman went in search of silverware in his first season as coach of the club he served for six years as player. Part of the Johan Cruyff Dream Team, Koeman made more than 250 appearances for Barca in all competitions between 1989 and 1995 and won four league titles and the 1991-92 European Cup. Whether a possible title win – or even a genuine challenge – will be enough to convince Lionel Messi to stay at the club remains to be seen.

It may be that Messi sees his future away from Barca no matter what but at the very least, a strong end to the season should put Barca in a better position this summer when, finances pending, they’ll be able to rebuild properly after some muddling years on that front.

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THE BAD Valencia fans are well accustomed to their club descending into regular soap opera levels of drama but the ongoing civil war at the Estadio Mestalla leaked onto the pitch and the team suffered as a result.

Los Che supporters have maintained their long-standing and fervent opposition to Peter Lim and his involvement with the club, while the Singaporean businessman has reacted by sticking to his guns and refusing to countenance selling the club he bought back in 2014.

On the pitch Javi Gracia’s side dropped out of the race for a place in Europe next season and despite his openly indifferent attitude to the situation at the club, he looks certain to be sacked by Lim and replaced for the 2021-22 season.

Lim has been criticized for not removing the struggling former Watford boss earlier, in an attempt to salvage what was already shaping up to be a disappointing campaign, but chose not to, possibly in an effort to avoid a costly compensation pay-out.

It has been rumoured that Lim is confident of attracting a big-name replacement for Gracia this summer on the premise of re-establishing Valencia as a Champions League regular. They were only recently in the competition – in the 2019-20 season – but it’s some 14 years since Valencia went past the Round of 16.

However, despite links with Jose Bordalas and Diego Martinez, from Getafe and Granada respectively, the prospect of joining Valencia as the new man in charge is tempered by a notoriously difficult relationship between coach and manager in recent seasons.

Given the unrest at the club it is perhaps an achievement that Valencia avoided being sucked further down the table and closer to the relegation zone but a finish outside of the top half would be a first since the tenure of Marcelino back in 2017, suggesting that the club is only going one way while the current situation persists.

THE UGLY Karim Benzema’s status as an iconic player in the recent history of Real Madrid is unshakable, with the former Lyon star already having four Champions League and La Liga titles to his name in the Spanish capital. Despite turning 33 during the 2020-21 campaign, he has been a leading light in Zinedine Zidane’s squad, and he looks certain to finish the campaign as their top scorer once again in 2021.

However, despite continuing to show why he is one of the world’s best No 9s, he remains exiled from Didier Deschamps’ France squad.

Benzema has not represented his country since 2015 after finding himself at the centre of an alleged blackmailing controversy involving former France teammate Mathieu Valbuena.

That suspension has been upheld by Deschamps ever since, with French political figures also backing the former Juventus star and his omission of Benzema. Benzema has regularly voiced his frustration at the situation, and even launched a tongue-in-cheek campaign to change allegiance to Algeria in 2018, after a public spat with FFP president Noel Le Graet.

But with Euro 2020 on the horizon, and the likely last opportunity to play in a major tournament for Benzema, Deschamps has been encouraged to have a rethink. However, despite the pressure on the coach to reach out to Benzema before the summer, Deschamps has reiterated his stance that Benzema’s conduct has not been befitting that of a France international and ruled out a recall.

If there is no dramatic U-Turn on Deschamps’ position on the stand off before he announces his squad for this summer’s rearranged tournament, Benzema is likely to formally announce his retirement from international football before the start of the 2021-22 season.

Granada got themselves back on track in 2021 as Diego Martinez attempted to secure a second successive European qualification by the end of the campaign.

The Andalucians impressed in this season’s Europa League and they should be able to balance those demands against the La Liga run-in.

GOING DOWN ABOVE (OPPOSITE PAGE): Atletico Madrid players celebrating one of their many goals this season MIDDLE (OPPOSITE PAGE): Atletico Madrid's Marcos Llorente (C-R) in action against Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy (C-L)

Despite showing some signs of improvement at the start of 2021, Huesca soon looked certain to be on their way back to the Segunda this summer. A leaky defence and chronic lack of goals meant the Aragon club were always up against it.

BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Lionel Messi gets away from three Atletico players.

ABOVE: Valencia CF's owner Peter Lim RIGHT & BELOW: Real Madrid's striker Karim Benzema reacts during the UEFA Champions League quarter final first leg soccer match between Real Madrid and Liverpool FC TOP RIGHT: Granada players celebrating BOTTOM RIGHT: Huesca's Jaime Seoane

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

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RIGHT: Giovinco’s goals and assists soon led to silverware for Toronto BOTTOM RIGHT: A prolific No 10, Giovinco was soon in the goals

QUESTION: TORONTO WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR YOU. HOW WAS YOUR DAILY LIFE IN CANADA? Answer: The life was amazing. I enjoyed it there very much. I also enjoyed the football. There were a lot of good players during the period I was there. It was a good experience for me to play there and try also to win something. It was a great experience.

Q: WHAT ABOUT THE FOOTBALL IN TORONTO? YOU WERE USED TO ITALY, WHERE THE SPORT IS NO 1. HOW WAS IT BEING IN A CITY AND A COUNTRY WITH A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THE SPORT? A: Yes, it isn’t the first sport, in North America there are more famous sports, but it was nice because Toronto fans love the sport and there is a big Italian community in Toronto. So football was growing there, like all of North America. You can’t compare the two places but it is growing, of course.

Q: HOW WOULD YOU RATE AND COMPARE THE LEVEL OF MLS? A: You can’t compare it. The league is different, different between all the leagues everywhere and they’re not the same. It depends, MLS is different during the season between the playoff games and the regular season games. When you reach the playoff games the level is high, so there are different things about it.

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SEBASTIAN GIOVINCO LEFT A LEGACY AT TORONTO FC WHEN HE LEFT THE CLUB IN 2019. PART OF THE HISTORIC 2017 TREBLE-WINNING TEAM, THE AL HILAL FORWARD SHARED HIS THOUGHTS ON MLS AND TORONTO REGRETS IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SOCCER360’S EMANUELE GIANELLI.

You always learn something when you go to play in Italy, Canada or America, or here in Saudi Arabia. You always learn new things. MLS can still improve but it takes a lot of time. They have to start to teach children when they’re young, so it takes time.

Giovinco was part of the Al Hilal team that won the Asian Champions League in 2019 and while that success was celebrated to the full, it brought back a memory of his biggest disappointment during his Toronto career – the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League final defeat to Mexico’s Chivas Guadalajara after a 3-3 draw over two legs and a 4-2 penalty shootout defeat.

Giovinco scored in the second leg and netted his penalty in the shootout but, he says, that did not ease the pain.

Q: WHAT WERE YOUR BEST MOMENTS IN TORONTO? AND DO YOU FEEL MORE REGRET OR PRIDE ABOUT THE CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL? A: The best moment was winning the treble.

When you win, of course it is a good feeling. The Champions League final we lost on penalties.

When you lose on penalties you feel unlucky, but not many had reached that level in the United States and we were the first Canadian team to reach the final.

We could have won because we dominated the game and losing on penalties is not like losing

GIOVINCO IN TORONTO:

BY THE NUMBERS 27 – Sebastian Giovinco was 27 when he left Juventus for Toronto FC, having played 83 times for the Old Lady and represented Empoli and Parma as well.

7,000,000 – Giovinco was reportedly paid $7m a year under the terms of his first Toronto FC contract, making him MLS’ highest-paid player – ahead of Kaka – and the highest-paid Italian in any league.

9 – It took only nine minutes for

Giovinco to record his and Toronto FC’s first MLS hat-trick, the third-fastest hat-trick in MLS history. The goals came against New York City FC in a 4-4 draw.

during the 90 minutes. Penalties are always strange. You can win and you can lose, and it’s not good for the team.

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE NEW MLS SEASON AND TORONTO’S CHANGE OF COACH? A: I still follow the news from Toronto. They’ve changed a lot of things but I don’t know what happened. I can’t say anything because I don’t know what goes on inside the club. I know that they have made changes and changed a lot.

16 – Giovinco scored another hat-trick

in August 2015 and with it, his 16th goal of the season, setting a new season goals record for Toronto. Dwayne DeRosario’s tally of 15 had stood since 2010.

35 – 2015 was a record-setting year for

Q: WHAT ABOUT YOUR NEW ADVENTURE IN SAUDI ARABIA? IS THE ITALY NATIONAL TEAM STILL A TARGET FOR YOU? A: So far, it is great in Saudi Arabia. I have won three trophies, I’m very happy. I think it is almost impossible to come back for the national team, though. Roberto Mancini is doing a very good job and I think he can do something special with this work.

Giovinco as he set a new MLS record for combined goals and assists from a single player when he scored one and created one against Chicago Fire. He would go on to claim 38 goals and assists in his first year with Toronto.

57 – Giovinco’s goal after 57 seconds

Q: HOW DO YOU THINK ANDREA PIRLO IS DOING AT JUVENTUS? HE’S STRUGGLING? A: I think he is doing a great job, so far. It’s the first experience [of being a coach] for him. It’s not easy and so he is taking time to adapt in his new job, but I think he has the personality to be a very good coach.

against D.C. United in April 2016 was the fastest Toronto goal ever scored in MLS. It’s some way short of the MLS record, held by Mike Grella’s seventh second effort in 2015, for New York Red Bulls against Philadelphia Union.

10

Q: IS COACHING AN OPTION WHEN YOU RETIRE? WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO END YOUR CAREER? A: I have another season with Al Hilal. I think it would be difficult to go back to Italy. I don’t know, maybe I could go back to play in North America. I’ve never had any preparations prematch, it depends on what I feel and there is no schedule. So coaching, for now, no, it isn’t an option.

– A free-kick converted against New York City FC in July 2017 was Giovinco’s 10th set-piece goal, an MLS record. It was also his 50th goal in MLS.

32 – Giovinco made 32 appearances in Toronto’s treble-winning 2017 season, scoring 20 goals in all competitions.

TOP: The relationship between the Italian, Victor Vazquez, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley was especially fruitful ABOVE: Giovinco hit the ground running in MLS and quickly proved worth the hefty contract he was signed to LEFT: Al-Hilal's player Sebastian Giovinco celebrates after scoring a goal

4 – Giovinco was a four-time MLS All-

Star, and a three-time member of the MLS Best XI during his career in Toronto.

142 – His Toronto career ended in

2018 after 142 appearances, 83 goals and numerous trophies and awards in four highly productive seasons.

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MLS

"THEY ALSO REMAIN AS UNPREDICTABLE AS EVER, ENSURING INTEREST IN THE LEAGUE UNTIL THE VERY LAST GAME."

BY: MARCO D’ONOFRIO

START STOP THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

THE GOOD Despite all the challenges that COVID-19 continues to present, Major League Soccer is planning to operate a full season with teams playing a total of 34 regular season games – 17 at home and 17 on the road.

While it is still not ideal that the league's three Canadian teams will likely have to play all of their home games in the United States or that many stadiums across MLS will be far from full capacity, it is nice to see the league reverting back to a pre-pandemic schedule. Certainly, positive cases and outbreaks could occur and matches will likely be postponed throughout the season, like we've seen in other professional sports leagues, but there is much more hope for the current campaign than there was at this time in 2020.

Last year, the league wasn't even sure it would be able to operate and get its season off the ground at all. Some creative thinking led to the MLS is Back tournament that took place in Florida, which helped re-start the campaign.

Eventually, the league was able to finish out the season with teams back in their local markets playing games at their home stadiums. Like every other year, the Philip F Anschutz trophy was presented to the MLS Cup champions after a fantastic final. There was a point during the year though that few people were even sure we’d ever see a 2020 MLS Cup final.

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Heading into the 2021 campaign it is much more uplifting to know that players and coaches will not be forced inside a resort to play games on a training ground pitch like they were for the MLS is Back tournament. There is still plenty of more progress that needs to be made, but the league is heading in the right direction as it navigates past the pandemic.

ITALIAN TRADITION AND QUALITY 1969

THE BAD Major League Soccer has done well to grow its brand and expand exponentially since its inception in 1996, however the pandemic has greatly slowed plans down over the last year for many clubs.

While the league is planning a full season, there is still plenty of uncertainty and concern regarding COVID-19. It does seem promising that most teams will be able to host fans again, there will still be capacity limits with organizations earning a fraction of the match day revenue that they are typically used to.

As a result, teams have been much shyer about splashing the cash to make a big impact signing. In 2020, we saw a combined total of 31 Designated Players brought into the league.

So far in 2021, we have seen just four new Designated Players arrive prior to the season starting.

Toronto FC for example, has had all three Designated Player slots filled up since the 2014 campaign but have only two DPs on their roster currently. Even if TFC are willing and able to spend big money on a superstar calibre player, most are not eager to join a club that still cannot play home games in their own country or commit themselves or their family to a massive upheaval while so much uncertainty persists.

It was the biggest reason why Thierry Henry opted to resign from his position as head coach with Club de Foot Montreal. “The last year has been an extremely difficult one for me personally,” Henry said in a statement at the time of his resignation. “Due to the worldwide pandemic, I was unable to see my children.

“Unfortunately due to the ongoing restrictions and the fact that we will have to relocate to the United States again for several months, [this year] will be no different. The separation is too much of a strain for me and my kids. Therefore, it is with much sadness that I must take the decision to return to London and leave CF Montreal.”

THE UGLY The United States will miss out on the Olympics for the third straight tournament this summer, while Canada hasn't qualified for the U-23 showcase since 1984. The Americans were shockingly ousted by Honduras in the semi-finals of the Olympic qualifying tournament with the Canadians being beaten by hosts Mexico in the same round.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on the Olympics for the Canadians, they weren't really expected to qualify in the first place. That certainly wasn't the case for the Americans.

Following the loss to Honduras, the American media was up in arms demanding answers and calling for changes. The usual suspects of Taylor Twellman and Alexi Lalas were all over social media questioning the country's lack of ability to reach major tournaments. But in Canada, hardly a whimper.

Most people didn't even know Canada were playing Mexico for a shot at Olympic glory. It wasn't covered by any mainstream television or radio network and was only available to the hard core Canadian soccer fans who subscribe to Onesoccer – a streaming service that primarily covers the national team and Canadian Premier League.

Unlike the World Junior Hockey Championship, which has become a Canadian tradition around Christmas holidays and even has its pre-tournament exhibition games broadcast on national television, there is a real lack of exposure for Canada's young soccer talent. It's hard for the country to progress and improve

at the international level if nobody is even given the opportunity to care.

Canada has made significant strides on the pitch by developing some of the world's top young talent, but it has become abundantly clear that more needs to be done off the pitch if the country is ever going to reach the next level on the international stage.

ABOVE (OPPOSITE PAGE): The MLS is Back Tournament was a good way to deal with the Pandemic BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Thierry Henry, coach of Club de Foot Montréal ABOVE: Tajon Buchanan, on Canada's U-23 team, argues a call

TASTE THE TRADITION

BELOW: Canada's U-23 lines up before an international game

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MLS

MLS AT THE EUROS M

ajor League Soccer is going European. Much like in the 2016 EUROs, MLS will be represented across multiple sides during this year’s tournament with players not just receiving a token call-up but playing significant roles in their team’s ambitions.

Here is a look at some of the names to keep an eye on!

PREZMYSLAW FRANKOWSKI (POLAND/CHICAGO FIRE) Frankowski was one of the final cuts for Poland at the 2018 World Cup so he will be looking to make up for lost time at the EUROs. He had a strong 2019 for the Fire, earning 19 starts and 3 goals for the Chicago-based side. He has shown a flair for coming up with big moments in the second half of matches for the Fire, which will help as he is likely to be a substitute for The White and Reds.

JUKKA RAITALA (FINLAND/MINNESOTA UNITED FC) Raitala’s defensive work for Finland was one of the biggest reasons for the side making their first European Championship appearance. He was integral in their victories over Armenia and Greece, making several key stops late in both matches. It is going to be a tough road for Finland but having a 32 center-back with experience against multiple styles of play will help.

ROBIN LOD (FINLAND/MINNESOTA UNITED FC) Much like Raitala, Lod is a veteran of multiple leagues across Europe and the United States and should not be fazed by the bright lights of the EUROs. With Minnesota last year, he found great success on the counter-attack linking the Loons backline with their speedy wingers up top. He doesn’t score many goals, but if he can provide opportunities for Finland’s strikers he should have a strong tournament.

LASSI LAPPALAINEN (FINLAND/ CF MONTREAL) Lappalainen was a favorite of Thierry Henry’s during his time as manager of Montreal.

Although he has nine goals for Montreal across two seasons, he hasn’t quite lit things up for the national team (zero goals in seven matches).

The good news is that he is just 22 years old and this tournament may just be the perfect learning opportunity for him to make the next step in his career.

LEFT COLUMN, TOP TO BOTTOM: Prezmyslaw Frankowski, Jukka Raitala, and Robin Lod RIGHT COLUMN, TOP TO BOTTOM: Lassi Lappalainen, Jan Gregus, and Albert Rusnak

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JAN GREGUS (SLOVAKIA/MINNESOTA UNITED FC) Gregus hit perhaps one of the biggest goals in Slovakian soccer history when he nailed the decisive penalty kick strike in their EURO playoff match against the Republic of Ireland.

Although he isn’t known for his scoring prowess, he has proven himself to be excellent at creating scoring chances for his teammates. Those skills have led the 30 year old to an excellent season for Minnesota and found himself as a regular for The Falcons.

ALBERT RUSNAK (SLOVAKIA/REAL SALT LAKE) If Slovakia are to survive the likes of Spain, Sweden, and Poland they are going to need to score lots of goals. Rusnak can certainly do that. With Real Salt Lake he has become one of the most consistent scorers in MLS, bagging 30 goals in his last three seasons. He can also hit from distance, which may be necessary given the levels of defenders that his side will be facing.

CULTURES UNITED

THROUGH SPORT

JUL 23 TO AUG 8

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WOMEN'S SOCCER

RISING STARS TOP 10 - NWSL

I

f you ask any soccer supporter what words come to mind when they think of the start of soccer campaign one of the first words you will always here is new. New coach, new philosophy, new opportunities, new stadium, new kits, and of course stars. This year, the National Women’s Soccer League is teeming with young, exciting talent. Although many of these players may not make the final rosters for Canada and the United States the future is still very, very bright. So who are ten best to keep an eye on? Our Sean Maslin has the full breakdown.

10.) DEF BIANCA ST. GEORGES (23, CHICAGO RED STARS/CAN) St. Georges had a solid 2020 in the Challenge Cup and Fall Series with the Red Stars, earning a start spot along a very heavy veteran team.

That’s an incredible testament to her skills as a defender and her potential going forward. With many of the Red Stars veterans heading off to Tokyo this summer she should have plenty of opportunities to show what she can do for both club and country going forward.

9.) FWD IMANI DORSEY (25, NJ/NY GOTHAM FC/USWNT) The 2018 NWSL Rookie of the Year finally seems to be getting an opportunity with the USWNT, having earned call-ups in October and in December. The 2018 NWSL Rookie of the Year has been a key cog in Gotham FC (formerly Sky Blue FC)’s rise from the bottom of the league to potential playoff side. Her ability to play both sides of the pitch and her precision passing in traffic make her one of the most difficult players to defend in the league. If

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she can continue to work on her finishing then more call-ups may be coming.

8.) GK KAILEN SHERIDAN (25, NJ/NY GOTHAM FC/CANWNT) While Sheridan has been a part of the CANWNT goalkeeper fold for five years she only has five caps, stuck behind two legends in Stephanie Labbe and Erin McLeod. But with Labbe at 34 and McLeod at 38 a change will be happening sooner rather than later. Sheridan has made a name for herself for her highlight reel saves and for coming up in big matches for Gotham (including a penalty kick stop in their Challenge Cup Quarterfinal match against the Washington Spirit). Gotham seems primed for a playoff run this year and if they do make it will be because of Sheridan’s work between the posts.

7.) FWD ASHLEY SANCHEZ (22, WASHINGTON SPIRIT/USWNT) One of the areas that the USWNT will be looking to rebuild after the Tokyo Olympics is the forward position. Sanchez, the Spirit’s first round pick in 2020, is certainly in the mix and has had a strong start to her 2021 campaign.

What will be interesting to see is how playing on the wing for the Spirit will positively or negatively impact her performance. Judging by her game-winning goal in the Spirit’s home opener against Racing Louisville the answer at least for now seems to be quite well.

TIED - 6.) FWD SOPHIA SMITH (20, PORTLAND THORNS FC/USWNT) AND MORGAN WEAVER (23, PORTLAND THORNS FC/ USWNT) Smith and Weaver were both drafted in the same year and pretty close to one another in the standings so it seems to make sense that the two forwards would be paired together.

They do serve different functions within coach Mark Parsons system with Smith working as a traditional center forwards and Weaver typically playing wide. With Christine Sinclair out due to CANWNT duty that should give the duo a real chance to prove that they can be dependable scorers going forward.

4.) MID ANDI SULLIVAN (25, WASHINGTON SPIRIT/USWNT) Andi came very, very close to making the 2019 World Cup squad and the Olympic Qualifying squad, just missing the cut on both occasions.

Rather than letting it get to her, Sullivan has used the opportunity to become a leader on the field for the Spirit and become one of the top midfielders in the league. While there is still a logjam in the midfield for the US that should be opening up soon. If Sullivan can get the Spirit to the NWSL Championship then a starting spot in the USWNT XI may be hers for the taking.

3.) DEF EMILY FOX (22, RACING LOUISVILLE/ USWNT) The number one overall pick in January’s NWSL Draft, Fox has immediately made an impact in both the league and for the USWNT. Her expert tracking and decisive tackles has helped the expansion Racing side stay in games so early in their season. Furthermore, she seems willing to help run the counterattacking, something that the USWNT have lacked for years. Although she is still very young, it wouldn’t be surprising to see USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski include her in the 18 for Tokyo for experience purposes.

2.) MID VICTORIA PICKETT (24, FC KANSAS CITY/CANWNT) Pickett’s passing and ability to maintain possession under tight conditions have helped her rise through the ranks in the Canadian youth system. Despite a knee injury, she was one of the top midfielders in college soccer the last four years at the University of Wisconsin.

While FC KC is a rebuilding project, she will be getting plenty of minutes and have the chance to play alongside CANWNT veterans Desiree Scott and Diana Matheson. Those factors should lead to a great 2021 for the yonder midfielder.

1) FWD TRINITY RODMAN (18, WASHINGTON SPIRIT/USWNT) While she wasn’t the first overall pick in the NWSL Draft, she end up being the most important. At 18, she is the youngest player in the league but based off her tenacity on the attack and fearlessness at taking her shot that may not matter. She plays like someone who has no fear and can make decisions that only seasoned veterans would know how to handle.

With the Spirit she is going to get plenty of minutes, most certainly as a starter. If she continues to play well this spring and summer she may very well force her way onto the USWNT Olympic roster.

TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Trinity Rodman, forward for the USA Women's National Team TOP SMALL (OPPOSITE PAGE): Bianca St. Georges, a defender on the Canadian National Team BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Kailen Sheridan taking a goal kick for Canada TOP LEFT: Washington Spirit and International Forward, Ashley Sanchezy TOP RIGHT: Andi Sullivan MIDDLE LEFT: Portland Thorns Player, Morgan Weaver MIDDLE RIGHT: Emily Fox, posing with the USA flag BOTTOM RIGHT: Barrie, Ontario native Victoria Pickett BELOW: Imani Dorsey

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Matchday 1 Sunday, June 13: Argentina vs Chile - 5:00pm Sunday, June 13: Paraguay vs Bolivia - 8:00pm Monday, June 14: Brazil vs Venezuela - 7:00pm Monday, June 14: Colombia vs Ecuador - 10:00pm

COPA AMERICA BASICS

SIDEBAR (TOP): A scene from Buenos Aires, Argentina, honouring the late Diego Maradona

DATES: June 13-July 10

SIDEBAR (MIDDLE): Cali, the biggest producer of sugar in Columbia

HOST COUNTRIES: Argentina and Colombia

Sidebar (Bottom): Pibe, the mascot of this year's tournament

Matchday 2 Thursday, June 17: Chile vs. Bolivia - 5:00pm Thursday, June 17: Argentina vs. Uruguay - 8:00pm Friday, June 18: Colombia vs. Venezuela - 7:00pm Friday, June 18: Peru vs. Brazil - 10:00pm

A

fter a year of waiting, the Copa America is finally back. After having to wait a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the top international competition in South America will kick off play this June with sides from across the region competing for top honors.

This year’s tournament will look a little different than in year’s past. For the first time ever, the tournament will be held in two countries: Argentina and Colombia. While splitting a tournament during normal times is a headache, during the COVID where quarantine protocols will be tight. Two sides, Australia and Qatar, have already had to pull out of the tournament leaving it as an all-South American affair. Whether supporters will be allowed in to matches or whether organizers will only

GROUP A ARGENTINA HOST CITIES: Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Mendoza, and Santiago del Estero

RIGHT: Angel Di Maria reacting during Argentina training MIDDLE: Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates after scoring

COLOMBIA HOST CITIES: Barranquilla, Bogota, Cali, and Medellin

BELOW: Paolo Dybala in action against Germany

ARGENTINA

TOURNAMENT RULES: Ten participating teams have been split into two groups. Each team will play four matches (one game against every team in their group). The top four teams in each group advance to the Knockout Stage.

COPA AMERICA FINAL: July 10th at the Estadio Monumental in Barranquilla MASCOT: The mascot of this edition of the CONMEBOL Copa América is a conjunction of all the dogs that live in South America: a new South American breed. His name is Pibe, and he was chosen in a vote on social networks by Copa America fans.

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HISTORY AT THE COPA AMERICA: Two-time winner (1991 and 1993); Runners-up four times (2004, 2007, 2015, and 2016) COACH: Lionel Scaloni KEY PLAYERS: MID Angel Di Maria (Paris St. Germain), MID Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham Hotspur), FWD Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona), and FWD Paulo Dybala (Juventus) PLAYER POISED FOR A BREAKOUT: Lucas Alario (Bayer Leverkusen) BIGGEST STRENGTH: Attacking Options BIGGEST WEAKNESS: Goalkeeper OUTLOOK: While one should never count out Lionel Messi, this feels like the last, best opportunity for him to win a Copa America title. The talisman striker has fallen short in three Copa America finals, with the last two being decided in penalties. The good news is that Argentina finally seems to be giving him some help. On the attacking end, both Dybala and Alario are coming off strong club seasons and Sergio Aguero should be healthy. They also seem to have addressed their defensive concerns with a young crop of defenders (Nicolas Tagliafico of Ajax, Lucas Martinez Quatra of Fiorentina, and Gonzalo Montiel of River Plate) gelling well with veteran Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica). If their defensive form can hold and if Alario/Dybala can get hot, then that will take a lot of the pressure off of Messi and give La Albiceleste a chance at earning their third title.

PREDICTION: First Place In Group A, Champions

allow locals to attend (similar to the protocols in place at the Tokyo Olympics) remains to be seen.The Copa America may look a little different than in year’s past but the quality of the competition should still be fantastic.

Despite all of the obstacles off of the pitch facing it, on the pitch the storylines should make for some excellent matches. With World Cup qualification just starting and Qatar 2022 right around the corner, teams don’t have their usual long stretch to figure things out and a players opportunity to earn a spot on the roster are finite. This Copa America is really the first and only chance for players to make an impression. So who has the best chance to end up with top honors? Soccer 360’s Sean Maslin has a look at all of the contenders.

All times - Eastern Daylight Time

Matchday 3 Sunday, June 20: Uruguay vs. Chile - 4:00pm Sunday, June 20: Argentina vs. Paraguay - 7:00pm Monday, June 21: Venezuela vs. Ecuador - 6:00pm Monday, June 21: Colombia vs. Peru - 9:00pm

Matchday 4 Wednesday, June 23: Bolivia vs. Uruguay - 5:00pm Wednesday, June 23: Chile vs. Paraguay - 8:00pm Thursday, June 24: Ecuador vs. Peru - 6:00pm Thursday, June 24: Colombia vs. Brazil - 9:00pm

BOLIVIA

HISTORY AT THE COPA AMERICA: Runner-up in 1997 COACH: Cesar Farias KEY PLAYERS: GK Carlos Lampe (Always Ready), DEF Alejandro Chumacero (Union Espanola), FWD Marcelo Moreno (Cruzeiro) and FWD Juan Carlos Arce (Bolivar) PLAYER POISED FOR A BREAKOUT: Ramiro Vaca (Sevilla) BIGGEST STRENGTH: Attack BIGGEST WEAKNESS: Defensive Depth OUTLOOK: La Verde are the minnows of Group A, coming into the tournament having not won a match since the COVID-19 shutdown (0-5-1, 1 point). While there a few areas in which Bolivia have struggled, defense is perhaps their biggest issue heading into this year’s tournament. They have allowed a staggering 16 goals in five matches, dropping points in three.

Head Coach Cesar Faria has a dependable partnership up top in Arce and Moreno (who have a combined 34 goals for country) but if they cannot hold a lead, it will be a quick three and out.

PREDICTION: Fifth Place In Group A, Eliminated in Group Play

BELOW: Bolivia Goalkeeper Carlos Lampe RIGHT: Bolivia's forward, Marcelo Moreno

CHILE

HISTORY AT THE COPA AMERICA: Two-time winner (2015 and 2016) COACH: Martin Lasarte KEY PLAYERS: GK Claudio Bravo (Betis), DEF Guillermo Maripan (Monaco), MID Arturo Vidal (Inter Milan), and FWD Alexis Sanchez (Inter Milan) PLAYER POISED FOR A BREAKOUT: DEF Francisco Sierralta (Watford) BIGGEST STRENGTH: Experience BIGGEST WEAKNESS: Speed OUTLOOK: Normally when a favored national team fails to make a World Cup, the side typically clears out all of the old players and starts from scratch.

Chile went the opposite direction, doubling down on their Golden Generation that produced two Copa America titles. While Vidal, Sanchez, Bravo, and the rest of the vets have produced individually during World Cup Qualification for La Roja, the side as a whole have struggled. Chile have lost twice during qualification and dropped points against Colombia at home. Lasarte’s search for that youthful spark has led to scores of players being called in for national team duty over the last few months. But entering into Copa America, the next generation has yet to step up which should worry their supporters.

PREDICTION: Third Place In Group A, Quarterfinalist

BELOW: Chile Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo RIGHT: Chile Midfielder, Arturo Vidal

PARAGUAY

HISTORY AT THE COPA AMERICA: First Place (1979), Second Place (2011) COACH: Eduardo Berizzo KEY PLAYERS: DEF Gustavo Gomez (Palmeiras), DEF Fabian Balbuena (West Ham United), MID Oscar Romero (San Lorenzo), MID Miguel Almiron (Newcastle United), FWD Angel Romero (San Lorenzo) PLAYER POISED FOR A BREAKOUT: DEF Santiago Arzamendia (Cerro Porteno) BIGGEST STRENGTH: Midfield Possession BIGGEST WEAKNESS: Finishing OUTLOOK: Paraguay are a true dark horse in this year’s tournament in that while the results haven’t necessarily gone their way as of late (they have three draws in Qualifying and one win) they have shown plenty of promise. Over the last two years, Berizzo has built a strong spine with Almiron, Oscar Romero, and Balbuena linking up with Gomez to create a free-flowing, possession-based strategy.

The missing link is the final third. Angel Romero has stepped up during qualification, scoring four goals during Qualification for La Albirroja. If he can keep it up then Paraguay may turn heads.

PREDICTION: Fourth Place In Group A, Quarterfinalist

BELOW: Defender Gustavo Gomez RIGHT: Key forward, Angel Romero

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Matchday 5 Sunday, June 27: Argentina vs. Bolivia - 5:00pm Sunday, June 27: Uruguay vs. Paraguay - 5:00pm Monday, June 28: Ecuador vs. Brazil - 9:00pm Monday, June 28: Venezuela vs. Peru - 9:00pm

Quarter-finals Friday, July 2: No. 2 Group A vs. No. 3 Group B - 7:00pm Saturday, June 3: No. 1 Group A vs. No. 4 Group B - 7:00pm Sunday, July 4: No. 2 Group B vs. No. 3 Group A - 6:00pm Sunday, July 4: No. 1 Group B vs. No. 4 Group A - 9:00pm

URUGUAY

HISTORY AT THE COPA AMERICA: First Place (1983, 1987, 1995, and 2011); Second Place (1989 and 1999) COACH: Oscar Tabarez KEY PLAYERS: DEF Diego Godin (Cagliari), DEF Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), MID Rodrigo Betancur (Juventus), MID Matias Vecino (Inter Milan), and FWD Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid) PLAYER POISED FOR A BREAKOUT: DEF Ronald Araujo BIGGEST STRENGTH: Pace In The Midfield BIGGEST WEAKNESS: Defensive Depth Beyond Godin and Gimenez OUTLOOK: Uruguay seem to be in a transition period with the venerable veterans (Godin, Suarez, Martin Caceres, and Edinson Cavani) making way for the next group of promising players (Betancur, Vecino, Gimenez). So far the results have been mixed with the side decisively beating Colombia on the road while losing to Brazil 2-0 at home. Tabarez is now entering his 14th year as head coach of La Celeste so he is certainly used to organizing two different generations. If he can figure out how to get his players on the same page, the sky is the limit.

PREDICTION: Second Place In Group A, Third Place

BELOW: Captain, leader, and star defender of Uruguay, Diego Godin RIGHT: Luis Suarez training for Copa America

GROUP B BRAZIL

HISTORY AT THE COPA AMERICA: Six-time winner (1989, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, and 2019); Runners-up four times (1983, 1991, and 1995) COACH: Tite KEY PLAYERS: DEF Thiago Silva (Chelsea), MID Casemiro (Real Madrid), MID Philippe Countinho (FC Barcelona), FWD Neymar (Paris St. Germain), FWD Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City), FWD Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) PLAYER POISED FOR A BREAKOUT: Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa) and Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid) BIGGEST STRENGTH: Multiple Attacking Options BIGGEST WEAKNESS: Team Chemistry OUTLOOK: The defending champions are certainly on the shortlist to win it all again in 2021 with an array of promising young stars (Vinicius Jr., Luiz, Richarlison of Everton) and superstars just hitting their prime (Casemiro, Jesus, Firmino, Silva, and Neymar). They have certainly played that way, winning their first five qualifiers by a combined score of 12-2. Tite’s five year project of bringing structure and organization to Brazil seems to be paying off. Brazil has all of the tools to win this tournament but the big question is whether they have the composure to pull it off. This is a massive tournament for the side and for Neymar, who has struggled with fitness and form at PSG this season.

PREDICTION: First Place In Group B, Finalist

BELOW: Thiago Silva in action against Peru RIGHT: Neymar celebrating a hat-trick goal

COLOMBIA

HISTORY AT THE COPA AMERICA: Winner (2001), Second Place (1995) COACH: Reinaldo Rueda KEY PLAYERS: GK David Ospina (Napoli), DEF Davinson Sanchez Mina (Tottenham Hotspur), DEF Jeison Murillo (Celta Vigo), MID James Rodriguez (Everton), MID Juan Cuadrado (Juventus), and FWD Radmael Falcao (Galatasaray) PLAYER POISED FOR A BREAKOUT: Steven Alzate (Brighton and Hove Albion) BIGGEST STRENGTH: Midfield Experience BIGGEST WEAKNESS: Third Attacking Option OUTLOOK: Expectations are high for the tournament co-hosts, but is a second title realistic?

Both Rodriguez and Cuadrado are coming off exceptional seasons for their club sides and Murillo and Davinson Sanchez seem to finally have been given the keys to the Colombian defense. But their hopes seem to be tied to Falcao, who at 35 is still their best attacking option outside of Rodriguez.

He has been fairly productive for Galatasaray this season, scoring eight goals, but Rueda needs better production up top to contend with the likes of Argentina and Brazil.

PREDICTION: Second Place In Group B, Fourth Place

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BELOW: Napoli Goalie, David Ospina RIGHT: Radmael Falcao, and James Rodriguez

Semi-finals Tuesday, July 6, QF 1 Winner vs QF 2 winner - 7:00pm Wednesday, July 7, QF 3 Winner vs QF 4 winner - 9:00pm

Third-place match Saturday, July 10: Semi-final 1 loser vs Semi-final 2 loser - 6:00pm Final Saturday, July 10: SF 1 Winner vs SF 2 Winner - 8:00pm

ECUADOR

HISTORY AT THE COPA AMERICA: Fourth Place (1993) COACH: Gustavo Alfaro KEY PLAYERS: DEF Roberto Arboleda (Sao Paulo), MID Gonzalo Plata (Sporting Lisbon), MID Renato Ibarra (Atlas), MID Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg), and FWD Enner Valencia (Fenerbahce) PLAYER POISED FOR A BREAKOUT: MID Jhegson Mendez (Orlando City SC) BIGGEST STRENGTH: Back Four BIGGEST WEAKNESS: Maintaining Possession OUTLOOK: Ecuador have been the big surprise thus far during World Cup Qualification, winning four of five matches and falling just short 1-0 against Argentina. Valencia seems to have found his second wind as the leader of a young, scrappy side that will not give their opponents an inch of space to operate.

Forward Michael Estrada has been tearing it up for both club (11 goals for Toluca) and country (four goals in four matches) and at 25 is primed for a big tournament and hopefully a big transfer to Europe. If they can make it past Venezuela and Peru they could make a deep run.

PREDICTION: Fourth In Group B, Quarterfinalist

BELOW: Carlos Gruezo against Raheem Sterling RIGHT: Star forward Enner Valencia

PERU

HISTORY AT THE COPA AMERICA: First Place (1975), Second Place (2019) COACH: Ricardo Gareca KEY PLAYERS: GK Pedro Gallese (Orlando City SC), DEF Alexander Callens (New York City FC), MID Renato Tapia (Celta Vigo), FWD Edison Flores (D.C. United), and FWD Andre Carrillo (Al-Hilal) PLAYER POISED FOR A BREAKOUT: Flores BIGGEST STRENGTH: Midfield Possession BIGGEST WEAKNESS: Finishing OUTLOOK: In 2019, Peru shocked the footballing world by making a Cinderella run to the Copa America finals. Can they do it again? What made that side successful was a.) lockdown defending and b.) wings that can create chances off of the counter-attack.

While their backline has been fine during World Cup qualification, they have had little attacking punch (4 goals in 4 matches). The Major League Soccer contingent of Callens, Flores, Raul Ruidiaz, and Andy Polo have to step up if they have any shot of making the knockout stage.

PREDICTION: Fifth Place In Group B, Eliminated In Group Play

BELOW: MLS Defender Alexander Callens RIGHT: Edison Flores, forward for both Peru and D.C. United

VENEZUELA

HISTORY AT THE COPA AMERICA: Fourth Place (2011) COACH: Jose Peseiro KEY PLAYERS: DEF Alexander Gonzalez (Malaga), MID Tomas Rincon (Torino), MID Yangel Herrera (Granada), MID Junior Moreno (D.C. United), FWD Salomon Rondon (CSKA Moscow), and FWD Josef Martinez (Atlanta United FC) PLAYER POISED FOR A BREAKOUT: DEF Cristian Casseres (New York Red Bulls) Biggest Strength: Rondon-Martinez Partnership Biggest Weakness: Goalkeeper OUTLOOK: Venezuela’s hopes and dreams rest on the surgically repaired knee of Martinez, the 2018 Major League Soccer MVP. Without him, La Vintinto have struggled to hit the back of the net scoring just two goals in four matches. If he is healthy, it makes Venezuela a very difficult opponent to defend and makes them a very dangerous side. Also, keep an eye on Herrera who is coming off an excellent season at Malaga and is looking to make a move to a bigger European side.

PREDICTION: Third In Group B, Quarterfinalist

BELOW: Tomas Rincon, Midfielder RIGHT: Star striker Josef Martinez

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

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EURO HISTORY MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: GERMANY & SPAIN, TIED

EURO 2020 A L L AC R O SS E U R O P E DID YOU KNOW?

3

UEFA EURO 2020 is being held across the continent for the first time in the competition's 60-year history, with 12 host cities in all. Euro 2020's mascot is Skillzy, a larger-than-life character inspired by freestyling, street and panna culture.

3

MOST APPEARENCES: GERMANY AND THEN RUSSIA

13

12

MOST MEETINGS BETWEEN 2 TEAMS: ITALY VS SPAIN

6

GROUP B

GROUP C

ITALY

BELGIUM

AUSTRIA

SWITZERLAND

DENMARK

NETHERLANDS

WALES

FINLAND

NORTH MACEDONIA

TURKEY

RUSSIA

UKRAINE

GROUP D

MOST GOALS: MICHEL PLATINI & C. RONALDO

9

GROUP A

GROUP E

GROUP F

CROATIA

POLAND

FRANCE

CZECH REPUBLIC

SLOVAKIA

GERMANY

ENGLAND

SPAIN

HUNGARY

SCOTLAND

SWEDEN

PORTUGAL

9

EURO 2020 QUALIFYING GOAL LEADERS PLAYER TEAM GOALS Harry Kane England 12 Eran Zahavi Isreal 11 C. Ronaldo Portugal 11 Teemu Pukki Finland 10 A. Mitrović Serbia 10 Artem Dzyuba Russia 9 R. Sterling England 8 Serge Gnabry Germany 8

ABOUT EURO 2020 JUNE 11TH - JULY 11TH 2021

TEAMS 24 VENUES 12 MATCHES 51

AVERAGE CAPACITY 60,583 LARGEST VENUE LONDON SMALLEST VENUE COPENHAGEN

OPENING MATCH.................................................Stadio Olympico, Rome FINAL EURO 2020...............................................Wembley Stadium, London

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AMSTERDAM Johan Cruijff Arena 54,000 seats

BAKU Baku Olympic Stad.

69,000 seats

BILBAO San Mamés Stad.

53,000 seats

DUBLIN Dublin Arena 51,000 seats

GLASGOW Hampden Park 51,000 seats

LONDON Wembley Stadium 90,000 seats

All times - Eastern Daylight Time

FRIDAY JUNE 11 Italy vs

Turkey

3pm

SATURDAY JUNE 12 Wales vs Switzerland 9am Denmark vs Finland 12pm Belgium vs Russia 3pm SUNDAY JUNE England Austria Netherlands

13 vs Croatia 9am vs Macedonia 12pm vs Ukraine 3pm

MONDAY JUNE 14 Scotland vs Czech 9am Poland vs Slovakia 12pm Spain vs Sweden 3pm TUESDAY JUNE 15 Hungary vs Portugal 12pm France vs Germany 3pm WEDNESDAY JUNE 16 Finland vs Russia 9am Turkey vs Wales 12pm Italy vs Switzerland 3pm THURSDAY JUNE 17 Ukraine vs Macedonia 9am Denmark vs Belgium 12pm Netherlands vs Austria 3pm

rnd 16

qf

FRIDAY JUNE 18 Sweden vs Slovakia 9am Croatia vs Czech 12pm England vs Scotland 3pm SATURDAY JUNE 19 Hungary vs France 9am Portugal vs Germany 12pm Spain vs Poland 3pm SUNDAY JUNE 20 Italy vs Wales 12pm Switzerland vs Turkey 3pm MONDAY JUNE 21 Macedonia vs Netherlands 12pm Ukraine vs Austria 12pm Russia vs Denmark 3pm Finland vs Belgium 3pm TUESDAY JUNE 22 Czech vs England 3pm Croatia vs Scotland 3pm WEDNESDAY JUNE 23 Slovakia vs Spain Sweden vs Poland Germany vs Hungary Portugal vs France

sf

sf

Key: In the knockout stages, "W" denotes the group winner and "R", the runner-ups.

For example, WF vs RE is the winner of Group F vs the runner up of Group E. ROUND OF 16 SATURDAY JUNE 26 G1: RA vs RB G2: WA vs RC

12pm 3pm

SUNDAY JUNE 27 G3: WC vs 3D/E/F 12pm G4: WB vs 3A/D/E/F 3pm MONDAY JUNE 28 G5: RD vs RE 12pm G6: WF vs 3A/B/C 3pm TUESDAY JUNE 29 G7: WD vs RF 12pm G8: WE vs 3A/B/C/D 3pm

QUARTER FINALS FRIDAY JULY 2 QF1: WG6 vs WG5 QF2: WG4 vs WG2

12pm 3pm

SATURDAY JULY 3 QF3: WG3 vs WG1 QF4: WG8 vs WG7

12pm 3pm

SEMI FINALS TUESDAY JULY 6 SF1: WQF2 vs WQF1

3pm

12pm WEDNESDAY JULY 7 SF2: WQF4 vs WQF3 12pm THE FINALS 3pm SUNDAY JULY 6 3pm FINALS: WSF2 vs WSF1

qf

3pm

3pm

rnd 16

final

3rd place

BUCHAREST Arena Natională 54,000 seats

BUDAPEST Puskás Aréna 68,000 seats

COPENHAGEN Parken Stadium 38,000 seats

MUNICH Football Arena 70,000 seats

ROME Olimpico in Rome 68,000 seats

ST. PETERSBURG St. P. Stadium 61,000 seats

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

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EUROPE’S LEADING FOOTBALL NATIONS ARE PREPARING FOR THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, 12 MONTHS ON FROM WHEN THEY WERE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED. DAVID WHITWORTH ANALYSES THE TOP FIVE CONTENDERS TO LIFT THE PRESTIGIOUS TROPHY…

Worth wai EURO 2016 WINNERS PORTUGAL HAVE SOME QUALITY IN THEIR RANKS – AND TALISMAN CRISTIANO RONALDO

A

delayed Euro 2020 is on the horizon and expectation is growing.

After a wait of a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the showpiece international tournament is all set and ready to go. This is a special anniversary for UEFA, celebrating the 60th year of the European Championships, and a pan-Europe tournament was announced to commemorate the anniversary. The competition is due to go ahead with 12 countries and 12 stadiums hosting this unique event. But who is likely to lift the trophy when the final takes place at Wembley Stadium on July 11? Let’s take a look at the key candidates...

ENGLAND England are the favourites for the trophy through their strong recent form and the fact all of their group stage matches, the semifinals and final are to be played on home soil.

It’s potentially a huge advantage with Euro 96 a case in point – although England’s semi-final

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run then was helped by partisan crowds, which won’t be a factor this time.

But Gareth Southgate’s side are in good shape as the likes of Harry Kane, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling impress for their club sides.

The defence has been boosted too, with John Stones in the best form of his club career.

Southgate has options across the field, then, and the Three Lions arrive into the tournament with wins in their final competitive games before the summer, beating San Marino, Albania and Poland in qualification for World Cup 2022.

Three years ago England made the semi-finals of World Cup 2018 and induced a healthy spirit rarely seen at previous international tournaments, which were rife with off-field distractions and club rivalries spilling into the national team set-up. If England can address the defensive frailties that do still appear from time to time, find and settle on a formation that gets the best from the undoubtedly talented squad and deal with the pressure of

being favourites, then they have every chance of success.

FRANCE

ABOVE: Portugal lifting the 2016 European Championships ABOVE (SMALL): Portugal player Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with the trophy after winning the UEFA Nations League final

France are the World Cup holders after victory in Russia in 2018, and were runners-up at their home Euro 2016. If anything, they’re better now than they were then.

Les Bleus are primed for a strong showing and have strength in depth in all areas of the pitch.

Didier Deschamps has at his disposal Raphael Varane, Dayot Upamecano, Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann, and Kylian Mbappe, just a few of what will arguably be the most talented squad in the competition. The players Deschamps doesn’t call up would be first choice among some of their rivals.

With that depth France should go deep in the tournament, and having been there before will help. They have tournament know-how and a clear way of doing things – one that has proven successful already. That combination, applied to the talent in their ranks, should

iting for ‘FRANCE ARE THE WORLD CUP HOLDERS AFTER VICTORY IN RUSSIA IN 2018. IF ANYTHING, THEY’RE BETTER NOW THAN THEY WERE THEN’

THE DARK HORSES

THE FIVE LEADING CANDIDATES WILL GET THE MOST ATTENTION BUT THERE ARE NATIONS WITH A STRONG PEDIGREE AND DANGEROUS SQUAD LEADING THE CHASING PACK, DAVID WHITWORTH WRITES.

Italy

Roberto Mancini has fostered a winning mentality with his Italy side on a fantastic run of 26 games unbeaten and seven consecutive clean sheets in that time. Remarkably, they are unbeaten in over 18 months with September 10, 2018 the last time the Azzuri tasted defeated – a 1-0 reverse against Portugal. Their notorious back line remains strong with the Juventus stalwarts of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. In a tournament with a short format, solidity is key.

Portugal

The current holders of the trophy are going under the radar somewhat.

However, Portugal have a lot of talented players to choose from and more importantly, they’re in form. They can call upon Bruno Fernandes, João Félix, Diego Jota and Bernardo Silva, as well as the man for the big occasion: Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands have gone backwards since Ronald Koeman left for Barcelona.

Frank de Boer has not been able to find a successful formula with some very disappointing results. Nonetheless, they still possess a strong XI including Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay, Georginio Wijnaldum and Matthijs de Ligt. Yet the injury of Virgil van Dijk severely hampers their chances of going far on their return to international tournaments, seven years on from the 2014 World Cup. stand the World Cup holders in good stead, even if their 2021 form has been solid rather than spectacular.

Drawn in the tournament’s group of death with Portugal, Germany and Hungary – Portugal the holders, Germany the 2014 World Cup winners and Hungary no pushovers either – France need to hit the ground running. If they do, there might be no stopping them.

BELGIUM Is this the last chance for the Golden Generation to lift a trophy? Belgium took a semi-final place at the 2018 World Cup but going that little bit further is the aim for Roberto Martinez and his collection of brilliant players.

The Red Devils play a 3-4-3 formation which the team knows by heart and is designed to get the best from the players who can make the difference. Martinez has gradually moulded an identity and a winning mentality, and the main core of the players that have pushed

Ukraine

ABOVE: World champions France have arguably the most talent to hand at Euro 2020 RIGHT: Mbappe looks to add more hardware to his young career's collection TOP RIGHT: Italy's players, Leonardo Bonucci (R) and Jorginho, celebrate their win after the UEFA EURO 2020 group J qualifying soccer match between I​taly and Greece

Andriy Shevchenko is forging a creditable international managerial career. His notable achievements include his side deservingly beating Spain 1-0 last year in the Nations League and a recent draw in France against the world champions. West Ham midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko continues to be their main source of inspiration.

Turkey

Turkey are in good form with a famous win over the Netherlands and a convincing victory over Norway in the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. Senol Gunes has carved a tactically astute and well organised side with the backbone of striker Burak Yilmaz, the 35-year-old veteran who scored a hat-trick against the Dutch, Milan’s midfield maestro Hakan Calhanoglu and Leicester City defender Caglar Soyuncu.

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45

THE UNDERDOGS POLAND HAVE THEIR OWN HOTSHOT STRIKER IN ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI’

IT WOULDN’T BE THE FIRST TIME AN UNFANCIED NATION HAS SHOCKED THE CONTINENT TO WIN THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. DAVID WHITWORTH LOOKS AT SOME OF THE MORE INTERESTING OUTSIDERS…

croatia

Croatia are not at the level they were three years ago, when they went to the final at World Cup 2018. And yet, Croatia still have enough quality to cause a stir.

The elegant veteran midfielder Luka Modrić remains the standout, the go-to guy to raise his nation’s fortunes.

sweden

Belgium to No 1 in the FIFA World Rankings remains in place, perhaps for a victorious final push. Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard [fitness permitting] and Romelu Lukaku head up the all-star cast but there is plenty of support too, with Youri Tielemens coming to the fore in recent months. And under Martinez, Belgium will be well-drilled and flexible too.

Belgium do though have to be at their sharpest, which they weren’t in Euro 2016 when they were beaten by surprise package Wales at the quarter-final stage. That was their warning shot, to take nothing for granted. Have the lessons been heeded five years later?

SPAIN Although Spain hammered Germany 6-0 in the Nations League last autumn, Luis Enrique’s side have produced some distinctly disappointing performances since then. It’s hard to know which Spain will show up.

La Roja were held to a 1-1 draw by a stoic Greece side, and could only sneak a narrow 2-1 win in Georgia, the decisive goal not coming until injury time. It’s possible the weight of the previous generation is causing some talented players to shrink when wearing national team colours. It’s a heavy burden. Legendary figures such as Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Fernando Torres are naturally a hard act to follow but Spain are not convincing despite having a squad that still contains record appearance holder, World Cup winner and captain Sergio Ramos, veteran Sergio Busquets and the excellent Alvaro Morata.

Much rests on prodigies such as 18-year-old starlet Pedri, and Ansu Fati.

Pedri, the Barcelona midfielder, has been in great form all season and received his first call-up to the national team in March for the World Cup 2022 qualification fixtures. Fati, meanwhile, has struggled with injuries but is a livewire who should be included, if he can get back on the pitch in time.

For his part, Enrique has to stop chopping and changing the XI. A return to a clear philosophy is needed and without it, it’s hard to see Spain repeating past glories.

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GERMANY

ABOVE: Poland are outsiders but the goals of Robert Lewandowski mean they could spring a shock ABOVE (SMALL): England captain Harry Kane will be central to the Three Lions’ chances of a first trophy since 1966 BOTTOM: Gareth Bale and Wales were the surprise package of Euro 2016 – is a repeat beyond them?

TOP RIGHT: Luka Modric for Croatia BOTTOM RIGHT: Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates with his teammates on team Sweden

This will be Joachim Low’s final international tournament after 15 years in charge of the Germany national team, and it’s 25 years since Die Mannschaft’s last European Championship trophy. That final was also staged at Wembley, so it’d be fitting if that drought was ended by a coach who rejuvenated the squad he inherited a decade-and-a-half ago.

That fairy tale ending seems a long way away, however. Germany suffered a shock home defeat to North Macedonia in the spring internationals, their first home World Cup qualification defeat since losing to England in 2001, some 35 fixtures prior, and there were calls for Low to step down early. Some may argue the 2014 World Cup winner has earned the right to go on his own terms, but at what cost? The fact is, Germany don’t have the depth they used to. But there is nevertheless a strong starting XI, and this is Germany – it’s in their DNA to reach the latter stages of tournaments when the odds are against them; the side that almost won the 2002 World Cup was one of the weakest in decades.

This is a youthful squad, but with experience too. It’s a difficult blend that Low has gotten right before. Will he go out on a high?

Any team with Zlatan Ibrahimović is a dangerous one. The evergreen 39-yearold recently came out of international retirement after a five-year absence to represent his country. His strike partner is Alexander Isak who is performing well in La Liga with Real Sociedad. The Swedes have every chance to progress from a group including Spain, Poland and Slovakia.

denmark

In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Denmark have won impressively away in Austria, 4-0, 8-0 against Moldova and have taken victory in all three games in their group. They have the veterans of Kasper Schmeichel and Christian Eriksen as well as strikers Martin Braithwaite and Kasper Dolberg. Their group of Belgium, Russia and Finland gives them hope of progressing to the next round.

poland

Similar to the Swedes with Zlatan Ibrahimović, Poland have their own hot-shot striker in Robert Lewandowski.

Coach Paolo Sousa was only appointed in January and will be aiming to harness the talents of his main man and some good supporting players to safely progress through their Group E matches.

wales

Wales were the standout team at the last European Championships – impressively making the semi-finals stage, where they were beaten by Portugal. Although they have peaked since that golden summer, Wales can still rely on the quality of winger Gareth Bale and midfielder Aaron Ramsey to spring a surprise.

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GROUP A

FIFA RANKING: 7TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 10 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 1

FOUNDED: 1898 NICKNAME: AZZURRI (BLUES) BEST EURO RESULT: CHAMPIONS 1968 EURO RECORD: P38 W16 D16 L16

EURO HISTORY With four World Cup titles to their name—a record only bettered by Brazil and matched by Germany—one will expect Italy to be dominant at the continental level. However, despite having an intimidating football history, Italy have won just one Euro title despite reaching the finals on three occasions—most recently in 2012 when they lost 4-0 to Spain.

ITALY A

fter a few years in the footballing wilderness, Italy are gradually finding their way back to footballing royalty. The Azzurri who have been mediocre by their own standards in recent years have regrouped under Roberto Mancini and are now considered one of the dark horses for this summer’s rearranged Euros.

After breezing past teams in the qualifying round where they began with a two-nil win over Finland, followed by a six-nil drubbing of Liechtenstein and a three-nil win over Greece, Italy head into this tournament in impressive form and are expected to take some stopping.

Since losing to Portugal in the UEFA Nations League in 2018, they are unbeaten in 25 games they have played up to the March 2021 international break. In that period, the Azzurri scored 68 goals and kept a whopping 18 clean sheets. Meanwhile, twenty of those games ended in wins for Roberto Mancini’s side, making them one of the most in-form sides heading into this tournament.

PLAYER TO WATCH

LEADING SCORER Luigi Riva 35 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Gianluigi Buffon 176 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI

Donnarumma and Insigne are exciting players in their own right, but this current Italy squad has Federico Chiesa as the star man.

The 23-year-old Juventus forward is growing into a fine player and has become instrumental to the successes of both Juventus and Italy, despite the presence of more experienced layers in their ranks.

The former Fiorentina player had always possessed potential, but in recent months he has proven that he is ready to take centre stage. As long as he stays fit, Chiesa will be worth watching this summer.

COUNTRY FACTS

DONNARUMMA BONUCCI

COACHING

FLORENZI

Roberto Mancini was appointed Italy coach in 2018 following years of mediocrity for gil Azzurri that saw them drop to 21st in FIFA ranking—their worst in history.

The former Manchester City boss replaced Gian Piero Ventura in May 2018 and despite an early wobble has since restored Italy’s glory.

The 56-year-old is an established name in the game and has won League titles in Italy and England. He is known for his expressive, yet disciplined style of play, and is rated one of the top coaches in this summer’s Euros.

LOCATELLI EMERSON

ACERBI

BARELLA

PELLEGRINI

CHIESA

BELOTTI

Italy is drawn in Group A alongside Turkey, Wales and Switzerland.

June 11: Turkey vs Italy; Kick-off 3pm (Stadio Olimpico, Rome) June 16: Italy vs Switzerland: Kick-off 3pm (Stadio Olimpico, Rome) June 20: Italy vs Wales; Kick-off 12pm (Stadio Olimpico, Rome).

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CAPITAL: ROME CURRENCY: EURO LANGUAGE: ITALIAN

QUALIFYING RESULTS

INSIGNE

MATCHES

POPULATION: 60.8 MILLION

PREDICTION Their opening game against Turkey looks like the biggest game for Italy. The Turks are expected to qualify from this group ahead of Switzerland and Wales who are still embroiled in indiscipline issues within the squad and uncertainty surrounding their head coach, Ryan Giggs.

Overall, the Azzurri are expected to finish top the group and make it to as far as the semifinal, being that they are one of the most in-form teams in Europe at the moment.

Italy Italy Greece Italy Armenia Finland Italy Liechtenstein B-Herzegovina Italy POS TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6

2-0 Finland 6-0 Liechtenstein 0-3 Italy 2-1 B-Herzegovina 1-3 Italy 1-2 Italy 2-0 Greece 0-5 Italy 0-3 Italy 9-1 Armenia G W D L PTS

Italy 10 10 0 0 30 Finland 10 6 0 4 18 Greece 10 4 2 4 14 B-Herzegovina 10 4 1 5 13 Armenia 10 3 1 6 10 Leichtenstein 10 0 2 8 2

GROUP A FIFA RANKING: 13TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 5 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

FOUNDED: 1895

BEST EURO RESULT: GROUP STAGE 1996, 2004, 2008

NICKNAME: NATI SUISSE

EURO RECORD: P13 W2 D5 L6

EURO HISTORY For a country that is rated 13th in world FIFA rankings and 11th in UEFA nations, Switzerland have a very poor Euro record.

The Red Crosses have only made it to four UEFA European Championship tournaments in their history (1996, 2004 2008, 2016) and have won just two games in the ten games they have played at the Euros. Their most memorable Euro performance came in June 2008 when they won Portugal two-nil in Basel, thanks to a late double by Hakan Yakin. However, their run to the Round of 16 in the 2016 edition of the Euros the furthest that they have gone in the Euros.

LEADING SCORER Alexander Frei 42 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Heinz Hermann 118 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI

SWITZERLAND A

fter years of hurt and below-par performance in the European Championship, Switzerland made it back-to-back Euro appearance when they qualified for the 2020 European Championship.

The Red Crosses have never been known as a footballing giant. Their inability to command the same respect as countries like Croatia, Czech Republic and even Belgium, has been down to their inconsistencies in the past.

But having made it to their second Euro in eight years, Switzerland will be looking to build on their most recent European showing when they made it to the round of 16 in 2016.

They began their journey to the finals by picking up wins over Georgia and Gibraltar.

These wins were sandwiched between two draws with Northern Ireland and Denmark as they rode on those early results to finish with 17 points—one ahead of Denmark.

PLAYER TO WATCH Breel Embolo, Mario Gavranovic and Denis Zakaria are all players who are exciting to watch and who are drawing interest from Europe’s elite club side. Established names like Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka remain good players despite their recent troubles in their respective clubs. But when looking for the star player in this team, the honour has to go to the goalkeeper, Yann Sommer.

The Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper is a safe pair of hands and can be relied on to organise the Swiss defence. In the Bundesliga, he is behind just Neuer as the best goalkeeper in the division. If The Red Crosses will hope to get anything from this summer’s Euros, they will need Sommer to be in his best shape.

COUNTRY FACTS

SOMMER ELVEDI

COACHING

AKANJI

Vladimir Petkovic is the man in charge of Switzerland for this edition of the Euros.

The relatively unknown Croat was appointed in 2014 to restore Switzerland to its place in football middle class after a series of disappointing results that saw the Red Crosses fail to qualify for a major tournament in four years. Since his appointment, Switzerland have improved. They finished fourth in the UEFA Nations League and were able to qualify for the 2016 and 2020 edition of the UEFA Euros.

The Red Crosses finished top of a fairly easy group ahead of Denmark and Northern Ireland.

ZANEV FREULER

XHAKA

ZAKARIA

SHAQIRI

SOW

GAVRANOVIC EMBOLO

MATCHES Switzerland are in the same group as Turkey, Wales and Italy.

June 12: Switzerland vs Wales; Kick-off 9am (Baki Olimpia Stadion, Baku) June 16: Italy vs Switzerland: Kick-off 3pm (Stadio Olimpico, Rome) June 20: Switzerland vs Turkey; Kick-off 3pm (Baki Olimpia Stadion, Baku)

PREDICTION Switzerland’s game with Italy can be said to be the toughest draw in the group stages. The Italians are group favourites and are expected to win all their group matches.

But for Switzerland, the opening match against Wales will hold the greatest significance. If the Red Crosses can win that game, it will serve as a confidence booster for them and perhaps set them on the way to picking up more positive results from the group. Beyond the group stage, it is unclear how Switzerland will fare.

But on paper, an adventure beyond the Round of 16 looks unlikely.

POPULATION: 8 MILLION CAPITAL: BERN CURRENCY: SWISS FRANC LANGUAGE: GERMAN, FRENCH, ITALIAN, ROMANISH

QUALIFYING RESULTS Georgia Switzerland Ireland Switzerland Denmark Switzerland Switzerland Gibraltar

0-2 Switzerland 3-3 Denmark 1-1 Switzerland 4-0 Gibraltar 1-0 Switzerland 2-0 Ireland 1-0 Georgia 1-6 Switzerland

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5

8 5 2 1 17 8 4 4 0 16 8 3 4 1 13 8 2 2 4 8 8 0 0 8 0

Switzerland Denmark Ireland Georgia Gibraltar

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GROUP A

FIFA RANKING: 17TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 1 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

FOUNDED: 1876 NICKNAME: DREIGIAU (DRAGONS) BEST EURO RESULT: SEMI-FINALS 2016 EURO RECORD: P10 W6 D3 L1

EURO HISTORY Despite being one of the founding members of UEFA in the mid-1950s, Wales have qualified for the Euros on just two occasions—2016 and 2020.

The Dragons best performance came in their only previous appearance in the tournament which came in 2016. Led by the impressive Gareth Bale, Wales took the tournament by storm, finishing top of their group ahead of more established names like England and Russia.

The tournament saw players like Joe Allen and Hal Robson-Kanu write their names into Euro folklore after impressive performances against Slovakia, Russia and Belgium. The Dragons will crash out in the semi-final after losing to eventual winners, Portugal, but their performance in their maiden campaign endeared them to many neutrals who saw them as a team of likeable characters.

LEADING SCORER Gareth Bale 33 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Chris Gunter 100 Caps

wales W

ales arrive at their second ever European Championship as the 18th placed team in FIFA rankings—12th in UEFA rankings. Following their success in their debut appearance in 2016, The Dragons are looking to go one step further, and perhaps reach the final this year.

A trickery coaching situation means that they enter the competition without exact knowledge of who will be the head coach at the rescheduled Euros.

Wales qualified for this summer’s showpiece after finishing second in a group that had Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan. Their qualification was sealed with a two-nil win on the last round of group qualifier matches as they ended the group with 14 points—one point ahead of Slovakia, who finished third.

PLAYER TO WATCH Gareth Bale remains arguably the greatest player to have won the Wales kit.

The 33-year-old who admitted to transferring to Tottenham because he wanted to regain fitness in time for the Euros remains a very good player on his day.

He sees this as a last chance to put a marker down on the national team level and is heading into the group stages as Wales best player.

Despite poor form at the club level, Bale has often impressed when given the chance at the national team level. Despite his age and fading [ace, he remains Wales most valuable player.

PROBABLE STARTING XI

Wales’ coaching situation still remains unresolved as the head coach Ryan Giggs continues to be granted some time-off to answer the assault charges levelled against him. The former Manchester United winger remains the Wales coach on paper, but in his absence, his assistance Robert Page has continued to build on the good work he started. The stand-in coach has led The Dragons to a series of good results since taking over on an interim basis late last year.

If there arises any need for Giggs to stay back, Page has surely won the trust of his players and the Welsh FA to lead the team to the Euros as his attacking, yet disciplined approach has made the Dragons a hard nut to crack.

WARD MEPHAM

RODON

LAWRENCE WILLIAMS

AMPADU

ALLEN

ROBERTS

PREDICTION JAMES

MATONDO BALE

MATCHES June 12: Wales vs Switzerland; Kick-off 9am (Baki Olimpiya Stadion, Baku) June 16: Turkey vs Wales: Kick-off 12pm (Baki Olimpiya Stadion, Baku) June 20: Italy vs Wales; Kick-off 6pm (Stadio Olimpico, Rome).

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COUNTRY FACTS

COACHING

Gareth Bale and co. will certainly head into the tie as underdogs. But with the tie coming as the last of the group stages, there is a likelihood that it is going to be a tie that Wales will be required to win to progress to the next round. If that be the case, one will expect the Welsh team to give it their best.

Beyond the group stages, Wales could still pose a big threat for any side in this tournament as proven by their previous record in this competition. The Dragons have shown that on their day, they can take on any opposition. If they can navigate this trickery group, one cannot completely rule them out of making it as far as the semi-finals.

POPULATION: 3 MILLION CAPITAL: CARDIFF CURRENCY: POUND STERLING LANGUAGE: WELSH, ENGLISH

QUALIFYING RESULTS Wales Croatia Hungary Wales Slovakia Wales Azerbaijan Wales

1-0 Slovakia 2-1 Wales 1-0 Wales 2-1 Azerbaijan 1-1 Wales 1-1 Croatia 0-2 Wales 2-0 Hungary

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5

8 5 2 1 17 8 4 2 2 14 8 4 1 3 13 8 4 0 4 12 8 0 1 7 1

Croatia Wales Slovakia Hungary Azerbaijan

GROUP A

FOUNDED: 1923 NICKNAME: THE CRESCENTSTARS BEST EURO RESULT: SEMI-FINALS 2008 EURO RECORD: P15 W4 D2 L9

FIFA RANKING: 29TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 4 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

TURKEY

EURO HISTORY F

The Turks have participated in four UEFA European Championships since they joined UEFA in 1968.

With an average FIFA ranking of 30 The Crescent Stars have never been a nation known for their footballing prowess despite finishing in third place in the 2002 World Cup. Their performance at the Korea/Japan event saw them climb to 5th place in FIFA rankings—their highest position in history. But that performance remains to this day the best they have done in any competition and they enter this summer’s event with their best Euros performance being a semi-final place in the 2008 edition.

PLAYER TO WATCH

LEADING SCORER Hakan Şükür 51 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Rüştü Reçber 120 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI CAKIR CELIK

or a nation as historic as Turkey, football remains one area where they have not yet entirely conquered. Despite joining FIFA as far back as 1923 and UEFA in 1962, the country which is strategically positioned on the map of Europe has tasted little success in the continental showpiece.

But with a place in the summer Euros booked after a remarkable qualifying round that saw them lose just once in eight games while beating World Cup holders France, The Crescent Stars are ready to go the distance this time. They come into this competition with the backing of an entire nation for are looking to stamp their authority in the European Championship.

The Turks began their journey to this years’ Euros with a two-nil win over minnows Andorra followed up by notable results against France and Moldova. It took until the sixth round of qualifying matches before they lost to Iceland as they finished the group in second place behind France.

They have the privilege of raising the curtain in this year’s Euros— alongside Italy—and will be looking to begin on a high note and show the rest of Europe that they mean business.

A lot of exciting players are present in this Turkey team, but it is the paring of Caglar Soyuncu and Ozan Kabak that will certainly be the attraction in the Turkish team this summer.

Both players are young and are playing at the highest level in the Premier League at the moment. Ozan Kabak who joined Liverpool in the winter holds a lot of promise.

The 21-year-old has proven in their recent matches that he can make the position at the heart of the Turkey defence his own, alongside the equally impressive Soyuncu who has won the trust of Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers.

KABAK

YOKUSLU SOYUNCU

Şenol Güneş is the man tasked with leading Turkey to the Euros this year. The former Besiktas boss remains the country’s most successful coach after leading them to a thirdplace finish in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He also has experience at club football having won two Super Lig titles with Besiktas.

The former goalkeeper is known for his expansive and disciplined approach to football and is known to offer a cool head when things get tough. He is a UEFA coach of the year winner and will be looking to surprise many the same way he did when he led the Turkish National team to their best World Cup finish in history against all odds.

MERAS

TUFAN

YAZICI

CALHANOGLU

YILMAZ KARAMAN

MATCHES Turkey has been drawn in Group A alongside Italy, Wales and Switzerland.

They will kick-off the tournament when they play Italy on the 11th of June, followed up by matches against Wales and Switzerland.

June 11: Turkey vs Italy; Kick-off 3pm (Stadio Olympico, Rome) June 16: Turkey vs Wales: Kick-off 12pm (Olympic Stadium Baku) June 20: Switzerland vs Turkey; Kick-off 3pm (Baki Olimpia Stadion, Baku)

COUNTRY FACTS

COACHING

PREDICTION The opening match against Italy offers the biggest test for Turkey in this year’s Euros.

The Azzurri are expected to comfortably finish top of Group A and being that they play their opening match in Rome will be favourites against the Turks.

However, Şenol Güneş men have proven that they hold no fear when they play the big boys, as evidenced by their brave 4-2 win over the Netherlands in their recent World Cup Qualifiers match. If they can put in a positive result from their opening match against Italy and perhaps finish second in the group, they can be expected to at least put in a decent shift in the next round that might see them qualify for the quarter-finals.

POPULATION: 74.93 MILLION CAPITAL: ANKARA CURRENCY: TURKISH LIRA LANGUAGE: TURKISH

QUALIFYING RESULTS Andorra Turkey France Turkey Moldova Turkey Iceland Turkey Turkey Albania

0-2 Turkey 0-0 Iceland 1-1 Turkey 1-0 Albania 0-4 Turkey 1-0 Andorra 2-1 Turkey 2-1 France 4-0 Moldova 0-2 Turkey

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5 6

10 8 1 1 25 10 7 2 1 23 10 6 1 3 19 10 4 1 5 13 10 1 1 8 4 10 1 0 9 3

France Turkey Iceland Albania Andorra Moldova

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GROUP B

FIFA RANKING: 1ST | EURO APPEARANCES: 5 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

FOUNDED: 1895 NICKNAME: RED DEVILS BEST EURO RESULT: RUNNERS-UP 1980 EURO RECORD: P12 W4 D2 L6

EURO HISTORY Belgium has participated in five UEFA European Championships finals, those held in 1972, 1980, 1984, 2000 and 2016.

The Red Devils qualified after conquering Group I, winning all their matches and conquering everything that stood on their path. With 40 goals scored and only three conceded in the process, Belgium set the standard and made all know that they mean business in the Euros.

They are coming into this tournament full of confidence and have been presented with arguably a favourable Group B with their nearest rival on paper being Russia—a team they beat during their qualifying round.

LEADING SCORER Romelu Lukaku 31 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Jan Vertonghen 98 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI

belgium

T

he world number one ranked team, Belgium, have another opportunity to etch their names on the European Championship cup after missing out on previous opportunities.

The Red Devils have been placed as one of the favourites for this trophy and are coming into this tournament with an impressive win record since after their 2018 World Cup disappointment.

With a crop of attacking talent, this current Belgium set up is looking to do what the ‘Golden Generation’ led by legendary Belgium boss Guy Thys could not achieve.

This team though, unlike the one assembled

by Thys, looks likely to go the distance as they don’t just boast plenty stars, but they also seem to have the hunger to keep pushing themselves on even when they have reached a certain ceiling.

Led by players like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and perhaps Eden and Thorgan Hazard, this second golden generation is definitely the team to watch in this tournament.

PLAYER TO WATCH Kevin De Bruyne remains a phenomenal talent who can lead this team to European glory with his eye for a pass and vision when holding the ball.

However, when it comes to the star of the team on current form, Romelu Lukaku has to be the man. The big striker has been in sensational form for his club side Inter Milan this past year and is now considered as one of the most lethal strikers in Europe at the moment. His 29 goals and seven assists in all competition this season is almost single-handedly firing Inter Milan to their first league title in almost 11 years.

The 27-year-old is also Belgium’s leading all-time top scorer with 59 goals and can be expected to add more to an already impressive tally come June.

COACHING Roberto Martinez remains the coach of the Belgium national team. The former Everton manager was appointed in August 2016 after he was sacked by Everton.

His appointment was greeted with muted approval and clear doubts. But Martinez has proven doubters wrong.

Even if he has not won a title with this team, yet Martinez is steadily building and has guided his side to the top of FIFA rankings and a thirdplace finish in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, their best-ever position in the competition.

Belgium Normally lines up in a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1.

COURTOIS ALDERWEIRELD

DENAYER

VERTONGHEN CASTAGNE

DENDONCKER

DE BRUYNE

TIELEMANS

HAZARD

LUKAKU MERTENS

MATCHES June 12: Belgium vs Russia; Kick-off 3pm (St. Petersburg) June 17: Denmark vs Belgium: Kick-off 12pm (Copenhagen) June 21: Finland vs Belgium; Kick-off 3pm (St. Petersburg)

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PREDICTION Drawn alongside Russia, Finland and Denmark, the Red Devils are the group’s favourites.

Although Denmark will present a very difficult draw, Belgium can be sure of going to the next round, given their quality and result in the qualifying rounds.

Aside from the group stages, they remain one of the teams to beat and are expected to go as far as the semi-final.

COUNTRY FACTS POPULATION: 12 MILLION CAPITAL: BRUSSELS CURRENCY: EURO LANGUAGE: DUTCH, FRENCH, GERMAN

QUALIFYING RESULTS Belgium 3-1 Russia Cyprus 0-2 Belgium Belgium 3-0 Kazakhstan Belgium 3-0 Scotland San Marino 0-4 Belgium Scotland 0-4 Belgium Belgium 9-0 San Marino Kazakhstan 0-2 Belgium Russia 1-4 Belgium Belgium 6-1 Cyprus POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5 6

10 10 0 0 30 10 8 0 2 24 10 5 0 5 15 10 3 1 6 10 10 3 1 6 10 10 0 0 10 0

Belgium Russia Scotland Cyprus Kazakhstan San Marino

GROUP B

FOUNDED: 1889 NICKNAME: THE RED & WHITE BEST EURO RESULT: CHAMPIONS 1992 EURO RECORD: P27 W7 D6 L14

FIFA RANKING: 10TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 9 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 1

DENMARK

EURO HISTORY F

Despite a mediocre performance on the world stage, Denmark have taken part in eight UEFA European Football Championships, winning the tournament on one occasion.

Their only European Championship win came in UEFA Euro 1992 that was held in Sweden when they won 2–0 over Germany. The win was their first and only major tournament title.

Their journey to this years’ European Championship started with a 3-3 draw with eventual group winners Switzerland, who finished one point ahead of them.

Already winners in 1992 they come into this competition as one country to have ever won the European equivalent of the World Cup and therefore command enough respect from the International football community.

Denmark does come into this tournament in a good run of form, having made light work of opponents in their recent world cup qualifiers played during the international break in March with an 8-0 drubbing of Moldova and a 4-0 thrashing of Austria.

LEADING SCORER Jon Dahl Tomasson 52 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Peter Schmeichel 129 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI

or a country ranked 10th in world FIFA rankings, and 7th in UEFA FIFA rankings, Denmark is relatively silent on the footballing space.

Although they head into this year’s Euros with much higher ratings than more established names like Holland and Germany, many people do not rate them as a truly footballing nation.

One would be forgiven for thinking of them that way though as little is truly known about them unless one cares to do some digging.

Despite their little involvement on the world stage, Denmark is a footballing country. They have won three Olympic silver medals at the 1908, 1912 and 1960 Olympics.

Although their best record at the FIFA World Cup is a narrow quarter-final loss to Brazil in the 1998 World Cup.

PLAYER TO WATCH Inter Milan’s Eriksen remains the most important player for Denmark.

The Danish playmaker struggled for form in his early days at the San Siro, but has since rediscovered the form that made him one of the most sought-after players in Europe.

His eye for a good pass and his set-piece prowess will be key to Denmark’s performance this summer.

COUNTRY FACTS

COACHING Kasper Hjulmand is the man leading Denmark at the Euros this summer.

The former Denmark international player was appointed manager of the Danish national football team in June 2019, replacing Åge Hareide whose contract had expired in 2020 after the Euros had been postponed. Since taking over as head coach of the Danish national team he has presided over 11 matches winning eight, drawing one and losing two.

SCHMEICHEL CHRISTENSEN

MAEHLE

DELANEY KJAER

DALSSGARD

ERIKSEN

HOJBJERG

BRAITHWAITE

CORNELIUS POULSEN

MATCHES June 12: Denmark vs Finland; Kick-off 12pm (Copenhagen) June 17: Denmark vs Belgium: Kick-off 12pm (Copenhagen) June 21: Russia vs Denmark; Kick-off 3pm (Copenhagen)

PREDICTION Denmark have been put into a very tough group alongside Russia, Belgium and Finland.

They are only behind Belgium in this group however and will fancy their chances against the likes of Russia and Finland.

On paper, their toughest tie remains Belgium.

However, their final qualifying match against Russia could yet be the most important of the fixtures, especially if they need to win to progress to the next round.

Whether they’ll upset the odds and progress from this group behind Belgium remains to be seen.

POPULATION: 6 MILLION CAPITAL: COPENHAGEN CURRENCY: DANISH KRONE LANGUAGE: DANISH

QUALIFYING RESULTS Switzerland Denmark Denmark Gibraltar Georgia Denmark Denmark Irland

3-3 Denmark 1-1 Ireland 5-1 Georgia 0-6 Denmark 0-0 Denmark 1-0 Switzerland 6-0 Gibraltar 1-1 Denmark

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5

8 5 2 1 17 8 4 4 0 16 8 3 4 1 13 8 2 2 4 8 8 0 0 8 0

Switzerland Denmark Ireland Georgia Gibraltar

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GROUP B

FIFA RANKING: 54TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 0 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

FOUNDED: 1911 NICKNAME: The Eagle-Owls BEST EURO RESULT: HAVE NEVER QUALIFIED EURO RECORD: P0 W0 D0 L0

EURO HISTORY This is Finland’s first participation in the European Championship. Despite having a decent team in the late 20th century and early 21st century, The Eagle-owls have never made it to any UEFA European competition.

This year’s campaign began for them with a two-nil loss to Italy, but it was quickly followed by a run of four consecutive wins which set them on their way to a secondplace finish ahead of Greece, Bosnia, Armenia and Liechtenstein.

The successful qualifying campaign in Group J was aided by a distinctive performance from Teemu Pukki, who scored ten goals in the qualifications behind only Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Eran Zahavi in the scoring charts.

LEADING SCORER Jari Litmanen 32 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Jari Litmanen 137 Caps

FINLAND A

fter years of near-misses and outright mediocre performances, Finland finally qualified for a major tournament as they secured a spot at UEFA Euro 2020.

The event led to parties and celebration in the Nordic nation who alongside minnows Faroe Islands are the only from those parts to have never reached the FIFA World Cup finals. After many decades of relative obscurity, the progression made in the 2000s has yielded some result as a Finnish team will finally be seen playing at a big stage in Europe. Their journey to the European Championship has been truly remarkable. They enter this year’s competition as one of the lowest-rated participants of the 2020 UEFA Euros—ahead of only North Macedonia in FIFA rankings.

PLAYER TO WATCH Teemu Pukki has already cemented as a player to watch out for, not only in this Finnish team but in the Euro 2020 tournament.

The Norwich City striker holds the key to Finland’s chances at the summer tournament and will be looking to prove himself once again at the bigger stage after failing to really impress in his one season at the Premier League.

PROBABLE STARTING XI

Markku Kanerva is the man who was tasked with getting the Finns to the Euros, and boy did he deliver. After years of putting faith in big names, the Finish FA decided to finally appoint Kanerva in December 2016, giving him a three-year contract and the mandate of qualifying the team for the 2020 Euros.

The former schoolteacher who is relatively unknown achieved the goal of the Finnish FA, putting smiles on the face of the nearly six million Finns who have been waiting for the day their team would be at the Euros.

JORONEN O'SHAUGHNESSY

RAITALA

GRANLUND ARAJUURI

TOIVIO

KAMARA

SCHULLER

KAUKO

TUOMINEN PUKKI

MATCHES June 12: Denmark vs Finland; Kick-off 12pm (Copenhagen) June 16: Finland vs Russia: Kick-off 9am (St. Petersburg) June 21: Finland vs Belgium; Kick-off 3pm (St. Petersburg)

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COUNTRY FACTS

COACHING

PREDICTION Finland are arguably the weakest team in Group B with Belgium, Denmark and Russia being more seasoned competitors. Their goal remains to progress to the next round, but they face huge tests against their fellow Group B opponents who would already be seeing them as the group’s whipping boys.

However, one cannot completely write them off despite their relatively humble position.

POPULATION: 6 MILLION CAPITAL: HELSINKI CURRENCY: EURO LANGUAGE: FINNISH, SWEDISH

QUALIFYING RESULTS Italy 2-0 Finland Armenia 0-2 Finland Finland 2-0 B-Herzegovina Liechtenstein 0-2 Finland Finland 1-0 Greece Finland 1-2 Italy B-Herzegovina 4-1 Finland Finland 3-0 Armenia Finland 3-0 Liechtenstein Greece 2-1 Finland POS TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6

G W D L PTS

Italy 10 10 0 0 30 Finland 10 6 0 4 18 Greece 10 4 2 4 14 B-Herzegovina 10 4 1 5 13 Armenia 10 3 1 6 10 Leichtenstein 10 0 2 8 2

GROUP B

FOUNDED: 1912 NICKNAME: NONE BEST EURO RESULT: CHAMPIONS 1960 EURO RECORD: P33 W12 D7 L14

FIFA RANKING: 38TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 12 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 1

russia

EURO HISTORY R

Russia has participated in eleven UEFA European Championships, the secondmost among all participants of the Euro after Germany. Five of those appearances were as the Soviet Union, and one was as the CIS. For this summer’s tournament, Russia would be among the eleven selected host countries. This will be the first time they’re hosting a UEFA competition in their history.

As the Soviet Union, their best performance was a first-place finish in the first-ever European Championship which was held in France in 1960.

Meanwhile, their best performance as independent Russia came in the 2008 tournament hosted by Austria/ Switzerland. In that tournament, they reached the semi-finals and finished in third place.

LEADING SCORER A. Kerzhakov 30 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Sergei Ignashevich 127 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI

ussia was recently thrust into the scene as a footballing nation due to their memorable run to the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup which they hosted.

However, the Eastern European country doesn’t need any introduction to anyone who has followed football for long.

They may not be doing pretty well these days in International competitions, but Russia had always been a truly footballing nation. Their history is checkered with lots of great players and memorable tournaments. However, at the World Cup, they are best remembered for their fourth-place finish in the 1966 FIFA World Cup. They currently sit in 38th place in FIFA rankings—21st among UEFA nations—meaning that they are pretty outside of the favourites heading into this year’s Euros. Despite their low place, one still expects them to pull their weight and make a statement in this summer’s tournament.

PLAYER TO WATCH Zenith St Petersburg striker Artem Dzyuba will be the player to watch out for in this Russian team.

The 32-year-old striker has hit 15 goals and registered six assists in 29 appearances in all competition this season. He comes with bags of experience and will be instrumental in how far the Russians can go in this year’s European Championship.

COACHING Stanislav Cherchesov is the current coach of the Russian national team. The 57-year-old played for Russia at the 1994 World Cup and 1996 Euro. On 9 April 2014, Cherchesov was named as manager of FC Dynamo Moscow replacing Dan Petrescu. He left Dynamo by mutual consent on 13 July 2015.

On 6 October 2015, he became the manager of Polish side Legia Warsaw. That season he won the top Polish professional league championship and Cup double for Legia Warsaw. Cherchesov was appointed manager of the Russian national team in August 2016, signing a two-year contract that was to run through to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Under his management, Russia would beat Saudi Arabia 5–0, Egypt 3–1, and Spain 1-1 (pen.

4-3), reaching the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the first time since 1970.

SHUNIN SEMENOV

FERNANDES

KUZYAEV DZHIKIYA

KUDRYASHOV

OZODEV

GOLOVIN

ZHIRKOV

KOMLICHENKO DZYUBA

MATCHES June 12: Belgium vs Russia; Kick-off 3pm (St. Petersburg) June 16: Finland vs Russia: Kick-off 9am (St. Petersburg) June 21: Russia vs Denmark; Kick-off 3pm (Copenhagen)

PREDICTION Russia finds themselves in the same Group as Denmark, Finland, and Belgium—the only team that defeated them in the qualifying rounds, denying them the chance of emerging as group leaders. For this group, Belgium remains the toughest opponent any team could have wished for. The fight will be between Russia, Denmark and Finland to occupy the second position behind Belgium.

This will certainly make the group more entertaining and difficult. Russia plays Denmark in their last game of the group stage. And so, with the match potentially the tiebreaker, it is certainly going to be the most important match for Russia in the group stages.

COUNTRY FACTS POPULATION: 145 MILLION CAPITAL: MOSCOW CURRENCY: RUSSIAN RUBLE LANGUAGE: RUSSIAN

QUALIFYING RESULTS Belgium Kazakhstan Russia Russia Scotland Russia Russia Cyprus Russia San Marino

3-1 Russia 0-4 Russia 9-0 San Marino 1-0 Cyprus 1-2 Russia 1-0 Kazakhstan 4-0 Scotland 0-5 Russia 1-4 Belgium 0-5 Russia

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5 6

10 10 0 0 30 10 8 0 2 24 10 5 0 5 15 10 3 1 6 10 10 3 1 6 10 10 0 0 10 0

Belgium Russia Scotland Cyprus Kazakhstan San Marino

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GROUP C

FIFA RANKING: 23RD | EURO APPEARANCES: 3 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

FOUNDED: 1904 NICKNAME: DAS TEAM (THE TEAM) BEST EURO RESULT: GROUP STAGE 2008 EURO RECORD: P6 W0 D2 L4

EURO HISTORY Austria have appeared in two UEFA European Championships: Euro 2008 and Euro 2016, with an upcoming tournament in 2020.

As a host nation, they qualified automatically for UEFA Euro 2008, marking their début in the tournament.

After losing their opening game and drawing the second, the co-hosts still had a theoretical chance to advance to the second round but were eliminated after a 0–1 loss to Germany.

For Euro 2016, Austria qualified as winners of their qualifying group.

For this year, their path to qualification began with two losses against eventual group winners Poland and Israel. However, they regrouped after those opening losses to finish in second place, going seven games unbeaten in the period between June to November 2019.

LEADING SCORER Toni Polster 44 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Andi Herzog 103 Caps

AUSTRIA

2

3rd placed Austria are back in the European Championship for the second time in a row— perhaps it is time to start taking them seriously.

It is not every time that a country of that size and history pulls off such feats, but Austria have done cementing the fact that their improvement over the past two decades has paid off.

They head into this tournament as the 15th best team in Europe according to FIFA rankings and will be looking to establish that fact when the summer event comes around.

PLAYER TO WATCH David Alaba’s importance to the Austrian team cannot be over-emphasised. He remains the standout player of this team and will be instrumental to their performance at the Euros.

His ability to play almost anywhere across the pitch will be integral to Austria’s chances at the summer tournament.

Marcel Sabitzer is also another player that will provide some excitement too.

PROBABLE STARTING XI

COACHING Franco Foda is the man managing the Austrian National Football team at this year’s Euros.

The German was announced manager of the Austrian National team in October 2017 with his appointment taking effect from January 2018. Since his appointment he has won 20 of the 32 games he has managed, losing eight and drawing four keeping his win percentage just over 45%.

Austria have started with 3 different formations in their last three matches, alternating between 3-5-2,4-4-2 and 4-3-2-1 with a premium placed on possession-based football.

SCHLAGER LAINER

LIENHART

ULMER DRAGOVIC

ALABA

SCHLAGER

ILSANKER

SABITZER

JANKO BAUMGARTLINGER

MATCHES June 13: Austria vs North Macedonia; Kickoff 12pm (Bucharest) June 17: Netherlands vs Austria: Kick-off 3pm (Amsterdam) June 21: Ukraine vs Austria; Kick-off 12pm (Bucharest)

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COUNTRY FACTS

PREDICTION Austria are in group C with Netherland Ukraine and North Macedonia. The Dutch team are on paper the strongest of the bunch and Ukraine present a tricky opponent too.

Their most important fixture then will be their match against Ukraine which is likely to determine who finishes in second place behind Netherlands.

POPULATION: 9 MILLION CAPITAL: VIENNA CURRENCY: EURO LANGUAGE: GERMAN

QUALIFYING RESULTS Austria Israel Austria N. Macedonia Austria Poland Austria Slovenia Austria Latvia

0-1 Poland 4-2 Austria 1-0 Slovenia 1-4 Austria 6-0 Lativa 0-0 Austria 3-1 Israel 0-1 Austria 2-1 N. Macedonia 1-0 Austria

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5 6

10 8 1 1 25 10 6 1 3 19 10 4 2 4 14 10 4 2 4 14 10 3 2 5 11 10 1 0 9 3

Poland Austria N. Macedonia Slovenia Isreal Latvia

GROUP C

FOUNDED: 1905 NICKNAME: ORANJE BEST EURO RESULT: CHAMPIONS 1988 EURO RECORD: P35 W17 D8 L10

FIFA RANKING: 16TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 9 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 1

NETHERLANDS

EURO HISTORY A

The Netherlands have qualified for the European Championship on ten occasions in their history—inclusive of this year’s tournament. In those nine instances, they finished in third place on four occasions (1976, 1992, 2000, 2004), failing to make it past the group stage on just two occasions. However, their best finish so far was in the 1988 edition when they emerged as Champions after goals from Gullit and Van Basten gave them victory over the Soviet Union. The win remains their biggest performance in Europe since then, placing them among the football royalty of Europe.

fter missing out of a place in the 2016 edition of the UEFA European Championship, Holland are back in the big time for this summer’s edition of the European Championship.

The Netherlands have reorganized themselves since after they missed out on the showpiece in France and will be looking to reassert themselves as a major force in Europe this summer. Their footballing history is among the very best in Europe, and despite their recent form and off the field issues, they remain a force to be reckoned with. They may no longer boast the flair and solidity of the team that won the 1988 edition that had the likes of Ronald Koeman, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit, but they still have a lot of exciting layers in their ranks who are able to cause damage to any team.

Having dropped in FIFA rankings, the Netherlands will be heading into a major competition as outsiders for the first time in a long while.

LEADING SCORER Robin van Persie 50 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Wesley Sneijder 134 Caps

PLAYER TO WATCH

PROBABLE STARTING XI CILLESSEN BLIND

Memphis Depay is undoubtedly the star of this Dutch team. The 27-year-old is playing his best football yet and has so far hit 16 goals and registered 9 assists for Lyon in all competitions this season. Much of Holland’s creativity and goal might be coming from him, so he is certainly one to watch in this team.

DE LIGT

DE JONG TETE

COACHING

VAN DIJK

WIJNALDUM

Frank De Boer is the man in charge of the Netherlands at this time. The former Ajax coach replaced Ronald Koeman in the Holland dugout in September 2020, after the current Barca coach agreed to take over as Barca coach. De Boer is a proponent of Total football; a tactical system in association football in which any outfield player can take over the role of any other player in a team. In this system, the only player who must stay in a specified position is the goalkeeper. Holland can play different formations, alternating between 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 formations. This flexibility gives them the upper hand against the opposition, as they can switch to any formations that best exposes the opponent at any given time.

DE ROON

MALEN

DEPAY BERGHUIS

MATCHES June 13: Netherlands vs Ukraine; Kick-off 3pm (Amsterdam) June 17: Netherlands vs Austria: Kick-off 3pm (Amsterdam) June 21: North Macedonia vs Netherlands; Kick-off 12pm (Amsterdam)

PREDICTION Holland find themselves in the same group as Ukraine, Austria, and North Macedonia.

On paper, they are the favourites to conquer Group C but have to be best their best as Austria can cause them all sorts of problems.

Their goal is to qualify as leaders of the group, but in Austria, they have a worthy opponent that can push them all the way.

COUNTRY FACTS POPULATION: 17.28 MILLION CAPITAL: AMSTERDAM CURRENCY: EURO LANGUAGE: DUTCH

QUALIFYING RESULTS Netherlands 4-0 Belarus Netherlands 2-3 Germany Germany 2-4 Netherlands Estonia 0-4 Netherlands Netherlands 3-1 N.Ireland Belarus 1-2 Netherlands N. Ireland 0-0 Netherlands Netherlands 5-0 Estonia POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5

8 7 0 1 21 8 6 1 1 19 8 4 1 3 13 8 1 1 6 4 8 0 1 7 1

Germany Netherlands N. Ireland Belarus Estonia

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GROUP C

FIFA RANKING: 62ND | EURO APPEARANCES: 0 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

FOUNDED: 1993 NICKNAME: LIONS BEST EURO RESULT: NEVER QUALIFIED EURO RECORD: P0 W0 D0 L0

EURO HISTORY This will be North Macedonia’s first campaign at the UEFA European Championship.

Their first attempt at qualifying for the European Championship was in the 1996 edition that was hosted in England. The 1996 edition was also the first major event they were participating in after becoming independent of Yugoslavia in 1991.

For this 2020 edition, they qualified from the play-off path after finishing in third place in their group, behind Poland and Austria. They went on to play Kosovo and Georgia to book a place in the summer games.

LEADING SCORER Goran Pandev 37 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Goran Pandev 117 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI

NORTH MACEDONIA

W

hen North Macedonia beat Germany recently in the World Cup qualifiers, many stood up to notice that they meant business. Before that win, not everyone knew that they played football or even existed.

But beating Germany means that their stock rose and people started taking note.

Despite their sketchy history, North Macedonia deserve to be spoken of.

Their footballing story might not be as heavy as Germany or Spain, but they have made their contributions to the entire footballing picture.

Their qualification for the 2020 European Championship took them some extra effort, but in the end, they achieved it ahead of more established sides like Norway and Greece. They are heading into the Euros as the lowest-rated side in the tournament.

PLAYER TO WATCH Despite being in his late thirties, top-scorer Goran Pandev remains the country’s most important player, The experienced attacker who has played for Inter Milan, Napoli, Lazio, Galatasaray, and currently plays for Genoa will be leading the lines for his country. Any hopes of a shock result in the Euros will be dependent on how well he performs.

COACHING Little is known of Igor Angelovski; the man in charge of the North Macedonian national team for the 2020 European Championship.

He was appointed manager of the national team in October 2015, replacing Ljubinko Drulović who left for the Serbian Super Liga club, Partizan.

Since his appointment, Angelovski has managed North Macedonia in 48 games, winning 22 of those games, drawing ten and losing 16. This has kept his win percentage at a respectable 45.83%, a ratio that is better than any of the previous managers.

DIMITRIEVSKI ALIOSKI

MUSLIU

NIKOLOV VELKOSKI

RISTOVSKI

ADEMI

ELMAS

BARDI

PANDEV TRAJKOVSKI

MATCHES June 13: Austria vs North Macedonia; Kickoff 12pm (Bucharest) June 17: Ukraine vs North Macedonia: Kick-off 9am (Bucharest) June 21: North Macedonia vs Netherlands; Kick-off 12pm (Amsterdam)

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PREDICTION North Macedonia, Austria, Ukraine and Netherlands make up group C. North Macedonia are the obvious underdogs of the bunch, and all other teams will be looking to take maximum points from them. They will need the luck and a performance akin to the one they put up in their shock 2-1 win over Germany on March 31.

COUNTRY FACTS POPULATION: 2.07 MILLION CAPITAL: SKOPJE CURRENCY: MACEDONIAN DENAR LANGUAGE: MACEDONIAN, ALBANIAN

QUALIFYING RESULTS N. Macedonia Slovenia N. Macedonia N. Macedonia Israel Latvia N. Macedonia Poland Austria N. Macedonia N. Macedonia

3-1 1-1 0-1 1-4 1-1 0-2 2-1 2-0 2-1 1-0 2-1

Latvia N. Macedonia Poland Austria N. Macedonia N. Macedonia Slovenia N. Macedonia N. Macedonia Israel Kosovo

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5 6

10 8 1 1 25 10 6 1 3 19 10 4 2 4 14 10 4 2 4 14 10 3 2 5 11 10 1 0 9 3

Poland Austria N. Macedonia Slovenia Isreal Latvia

GROUP C

FOUNDED: 1992 NICKNAME: BLUE & YELLOWS BEST EURO RESULT: GROUP STAGE 2012 EURO RECORD: P6 W1 D0 L5

FIFA RANKING: 24TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 2 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 1

UKRAINE

EURO HISTORY A

Ukraine have appeared in only two UEFA European Championships — Euro 2012 and Euro 2016, making this the third time they will be participating in the tournament.

Before 1996, some of its players played for the Soviet Union national football team and CIS national football team—Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko, Hennadiy Lytovchenko, Oleh Luzhny, Ivan Hetsko and others.

Euro 2012 marked their debut at a major European football tournament. They qualified automatically as one of the host countries. For the Euro 2016, Ukraine qualified via the play-offs, defeating Slovenia. For the 2020 tournament, they qualified top of their group ahead of a more established name like Portugal. Their qualification drive began with a 0-0 draw against Portugal, which was followed by a six-game-winning run which culminated in them topping the group.

LEADING SCORER Andriy Shevchenko 48 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Anatoliy Tymoshchuk 144Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI

fter a disappointing Euro 2016 campaign where they lost all three matches without registering a single goal in the competition, Ukraine are back in the 2020 edition of the Euros hoping to set the records straight this time. They head into the tournament sitting in 24th place on World FIFA standings and with a better chance of making it past the group stages having been drawn with Austria, Netherlands and North Macedonia.

PLAYER TO WATCH Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko remains one of Ukraine’s most exciting players at the moment. The 24-yearold’s versatility makes him a special talent as he can play in the defence, as a midfielder or even further forward as a winger.

However, his form and involvement in Manchester City’s setup has reduced greatly this season, making it difficult for Shevchenko to rely heavily on him.

Aside from him, Viktor Tsygankov and Denys Favorov are two other players that will be exciting to watch in this Ukraine side, with the former being the reigning Ukraine Footballer of the Year.

COUNTRY FACTS

BOYKO KARAVAEV

COACHING

ZINCHENKO

Former Ukrainian international Andriy Shevchenko is the current manager of the Ukrainian national team. He served as the assistant manager of the Ukraine national team from 16th February 2016 to 15th July 2016. He was appointed as manager of the Ukraine national team on the 15th July 2016 replacing Mykhaylo Fomenko, whose fouryear spell ended with elimination at the group stage of Euro 2016.

As of March 31, 2021, Shevchenko has managed the Ukrainian team in 44 matches recording 21 wins, 12 draws and losing 11.

SYDORCHUK MATVIYENKO

MYKOLENKO

MAKARENKO

SHAPARENKO

KRAVETS

YAREMCHUK BESEDIN

MATCHES June 13: Netherlands vs Ukraine; Kick-off 3pm (Amsterdam) June 17: Ukraine vs North Macedonia: Kick-off 9am (Bucharest) June 21: Ukraine vs Austria; Kick-off 12pm (Bucharest)

PREDICTION Ukraine outperformed Portugal to emerge top of their group in the qualifying rounds for this summer’s Euros.

On the evidence on that, they are considered as the dark horse of group B together with Netherlands and Austria.

The Netherlands are on paper the strongest team in this group and could outperform Ukraine on their day. However, considering their recent wobble and coaching situation, Ukraine will give them a run for their money.

POPULATION: 45 MILLION CAPITAL: KIEV CURRENCY: UKRAINIAN HRYVNIA LANGUAGE: UKRAINIAN

QUALIFYING RESULTS Portugal 0-0 Ukraine Luxembourg 1-2 Ukraine Ukraine 5-0 Serbia Ukraine 1-0 Luxembourg Lithuania 0-3 Ukraine Ukraine 2-0 Lithuania Ukraine 2-1 Portugal Serbia 2-2 Ukraine POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5

10 8 2 0 26 10 6 3 1 21 10 4 5 1 17 10 4 2 4 14 10 1 0 9 3

Ukraine Portugal Serbia Luxembourg Lithuania

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GROUP D

FIFA RANKING: 14TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 6 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

FOUNDED: 1912 NICKNAME: THE CHECKS BEST EURO RESULT: QUARTER FINALS 1996, 2008 EURO RECORD: P18 W8 D5 L5

EURO HISTORY Croatia have so far participated in six European Championships and are heading to their seventh edition in history. They did not enter the competition until 1996, having been part of SFR Yugoslavia up until the qualifying stages for the 1992 edition. Croatia has competed in the qualifying competition every time since, for a total of seven tournaments, although they failed to qualify for the finals proper on one occasion—the 2000 edition.

The team’s best performances have been reaching the quarter-finals twice — in 1996 and 2008, losing to Germany and Turkey, respectively. They qualified for this year’s tournament, finishing in first place ahead of Wales, finishing with five wins, two draws and one loss from eight qualifying games.

LEADING SCORER Davor Šuker 45 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Luka Modrić 136 Caps

CROATIA A

fter an impressive World Cup campaign in 2018 that ended in a disappointing loss

to France at the finals, Croatia have been presented with an opportunity to show the world what they stand for as a footballing nation.

The Blazers come into this year’s showpiece looking to consolidate on their last performance at a major tournament—the tournament being the aforementioned World Cup in Russia just over two years back.

This time, they will be looking to make their mark in Europe by joining the other 23 teams to compete for the 2020 European Championship.

They sit in 14th place in FIFA standings but have dropped three places over the last 18 months or so to show that their form has dallied down since that run to the final in Russia. An ageing squad is a major reason this has happened.

However, the European Championship presents a different beast though, and they will be looking to attack it with a different energy.

PLAYER TO WATCH Luka Modric won the golden ball for his exploits in the 2018 World Cup held in Russia and followed it up with a Ballon d’Or and hasn’t looked back since then. At 35 years, the midfielder remains a key cog in Real Madrid’s midfield.

Despite his age, his star has not waned and his magic remains, meaning that he will be at the heart of Croatia’s charge and how far they will go in this tournament.

PROBABLE STARTING XI

COACHING Zlatko Dalić is the current manager of the Croatia national team. He was appointed manager of the team on October 7th 2017, following the sack of Ante Čačić due to a series of poor results. Upon arriving, Dalić announced that he would only remain as head coach if Croatia qualifies for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and that the HNS would decide his future if Croatia miss out on qualifying for the finals.

They did qualify for the World Cup and went all the way to the final before losing to France in the finals. Under his guidance, Croatia have improved considerably and can now be put in the same bracket as some of the bigger names.

LIVAKOVIC JURANOVIC

LOVREN

KOVACIC CALETA-CAR

BRADARIC

RAKITIC

MODRIC

VLASIC

PASALIC PERISIC

MATCHES June 13: England vs Croatia; Kick-off 9am (London) June 18: Croatia vs Czech Republic: Kickoff 12pm (Glasgow) June 22: Croatia vs Scotland; Kick-off 3pm (Glasgow)

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PREDICTION Croatia has been put in the same group as England, Scotland, and Czech Republic. On paper, they are England are the favourites to progress to the next round.

However, as nothing can be outrightly ruled out in football, The Blazers will be going into every tie with the knowledge that they could be on the end of a chastening defeat even against the smaller teams.

If they can progress from the group stages and get a favourable knock-out stage tie, one would not rule them out of going further to the semis o even the final.

COUNTRY FACTS POPULATION: 5 MILLION CAPITAL: ZAGREB CURRENCY: CROATIAN KUNA LANGUAGE: CROATIAN

QUALIFYING RESULTS Croatia 2-1 Azerbaijan Hungary 2-1 Croatia Croatia 2-1 Wales Slovakia 0-4 Croatia Azerbaijan 1-1 Croatia Croatia 3-0 Hungary Wales 1-1 Croatia Croatia 3-1 Slovakia POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5

8 5 2 1 17 8 4 2 2 14 8 4 1 3 13 8 4 0 4 12 8 0 1 7 1

Croatia Wales Slovakia Hungary Azerbaijan

GROUP D

FOUNDED: 1901 NICKNAME: NATIONAL SIDE BEST EURO RESULT: CHAMPIONS 1976 EURO RECORD: P32 W13 D6 L13

FIFA RANKING: 40TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 10 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 1

CZECH REPUBLIC

EURO HISTORY C

Since it became a single country, Czech Republic have qualified for all the UEFA European Championships that have been organized.

This year’s edition makes it the eighth time they will be playing in the European Championship finals as Czech Republic.

As Czechoslovakia union, this will be their 11th appearance, making them one of the most successful teams in Europe.

Overall, they have won the European Championship on one occasion—the 1976 edition when they were still in Czechoslovakia—and have finished as runners-up on one occasion.

Two third-place finishes and a plac in the semi-final in the 2004 edition colours their history further, making them one of the nations to be respected in the European Championship.

LEADING SCORER Jan Koller 55 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Petr Čech 124 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI

zech Republic are once again the Euros, this time qualifying without much drama ahead of Kosovo, Bulgaria and Montenegro.

In doing so, they have now qualified for all the European Championship tournaments played since they became an independent nation.

Their football history is intertwined with that of Slovakia as both countries were together and known as Czechoslovakia by FIFA until 1994. The country has enjoyed some good footballing moments and is entering this year’s tournament as one of the better performers in its history.

After finishing second in their qualifying group, Czech Republic were drawn with Croatia, England and Scotland in their group. Despite the threat of England and Croatia, a country with the footballing history of Czech Republic certainly has nothing to fear.

PLAYER TO WATCH West Ham United’s midfielder Tomas Soucek is Czech Republic’s most important player for this tournament.

The 26-year-old is having the season of his life at West Ham and is an integral part of what David Moyes is doing at West Ham. He brings energy and dynamism to the team and will be looking to bring his cub form to the country at this summer’s games.

With few players able to match his industry and commitment and an eye for goal, Jaroslav Šilhavý will be looking to build the surrounding team. In 30 appearances for West Ham this season, he has scored nine times, making him one of the most creative players in this team.

COUNTRY FACTS

VACLIK COUFAL

CELUSTKA

SOUCEK KUDELA

BORIL

PAVELKA

JANKTO

KRAL

KRMENCIK

COACHING Former Czechoslovakia international and Slavia Prague coach Jaroslav Šilhavý is the current manager of Czech Republic.

The 59-year-old was made Czech Republic’s manager after the country could not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He has since restored the shape of the team, leading them to a place in the 2020 European Championship and also improving their place in FIFA rankings after they had dropped to 42nd in previous years. They won two of their first two qualifier games against Bulgaria and Montenegro on their way to finish second in the group behind England.

SCHICK

MATCHES June 14: Scotland vs Czech Republic; Kickoff 9am (Glasgow) June 18: Croatia vs Czech Republic: Kickoff 12pm (Glasgow) June 22: Czech Republic va England; Kickoff 3pm (London)

PREDICTION England are the favourites for this group, meaning that the likes of Czech Republic, Scotland and Croatia will be battling it out for the remaining position in the table.

As such, Czech Republic’s game with Croatia as such looks like the toughest draw for Jaroslav Šilhavý’s side.

POPULATION: 11 MILLION CAPITAL: PRAGUE CURRENCY: CZECH KORUNA LANGUAGE: CZECH

QUALIFYING RESULTS England Czech Republic Czech Republic Kosovo Montenegro Czech Republic Czech Republic Bulgaria

5-0 2-1 3-0 2-1 0-3 2-1 2-1 1-0

Czech Republic Bulgaria Montenegro Czech Republic Czech Republic England Kosovo Czech Republic

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5

8 7 0 1 21 8 5 0 3 15 8 3 2 3 11 8 1 3 4 6 8 0 3 5 3

England Czech Republic Kosovo Bulgaria Montenegro

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GROUP D

FIFA RANKING: 4TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 9 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

FOUNDED: 1863 NICKNAME: THE THREE LIONS BEST EURO RESULT: SEMI-FINALS 1968, 1996 EURO RECORD: P31 W10 D11 L10

EURO HISTORY England by their standards have been poor in the Euros despite appearing on nine occasions. Among all the teams to have made nine or more appearances in the tournament, England are the only team that have not won the competition.

Despite boasting one of the very best teams in the world at every showpiece, the best the Three Lions have achieved in the Euros is a third-place finish in their 1968 appearance.

They also come within whiskers of going to the final at Wembley Stadium in 1996 but were stopped by eventual winners Germany.

LEADING SCORER Wayne Rooney 53 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Peter Shilton 125 Caps

ENGLAND A

fter a disappointing 2018 World Cup in Russia, England have the opportunity to bring football back to the UK; this time in the UEFA Euro 2020.

The Three Lions through history have had the very best of players in their ranks, but have experienced one disappointment on top of another. However, the feeling is different this time as the entire nation of England sees this team as a different breed from the ones that have disappointed in past years.

They have since regrouped after their 2018 World Cup and the recent UEFA Nations League failures and are looking like a team able to put their past woes behind them.

PLAYER TO WATCH A flurry of big-name players means it is difficult to pick one star player from this current Three Lions bunch. However, considering how important he is to the team, Harry Kane remains the one to watch for England. The Tottenham striker is heading into the Euros in a good run of form and is an early front-runner for the top-scorer boot at the summer Euros. The Three Lions captain was the top scorer in the qualifying rounds, scoring 12 goals—one more than Cristiano Ronaldo and Eran Zahavi—and cannot be stopped on his day. Apart from his goal-scoring threat, Kane also brings leadership to the team and is also one of the most creative players in a team full of many creative players. As long as he can stay fit, he certainly is one to watch out for in this current England team.

COACHING Gareth Southgate will lead England to the Euros this summer. The former England International was appointed manager of the Three Lions in 2016 and has led the nation to the World Cup and UEFA Nations League.

Despite not finding success in any one of these two tournaments, the 50-year-old retains the trust of the England FA and has been tipped by many to break England’s trophy duck in this years’ Euros. He was part of the England squad that came agonizingly close to reaching the final in 1996, and with his experience and leadership, England is expected to pose a more serious threat this time.

Gareth Southgate plays attacking football, with emphasis on ball retention and playing out from the back—a style akin to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. His formation has altered between 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 depending on the available personnel and the team involved.

PROBABLE STARTING XI POPE WALKER

STONES

RICE MAGUIRE

CHILWELL

ALLI

RASHFORD

STERLING

SANCHO KANE

MATCHES June 13: England vs Croatia; Kick-off 9am (London) June 18: England vs Scotland: Kick-off 3pm (London) June 22: Czech Republic vs England; Kickoff 3pm (London)

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PREDICTION Croatia poses the biggest test for England in this group. The 2018 World Cup finalist are ranked in 11th place and are alongside England the favourites to qualify from this group. They boast a group of talented and experienced players and will look to make a statement in their group opening match against England.

Meanwhile, England have been tipped to qualify top of Group D, but face trickery tests against the likes of Czech Republic and Scotland. On paper, they remain the strongest team in the group but will realize that they cannot be complacent in any match if they must make it to the next round. However, with the group matches set to be played in London, the Three Lions will be kept on their toes by the few thousand fans that are expected to be allowed into the stadium.

COUNTRY FACTS POPULATION: 54 MILLION CAPITAL: LONDON CURRENCY: POUND STERLING LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

QUALIFYING RESULTS England Montenegro England England Czech Republic Bulgaria England Kosovo

5-0 Czech Republic 1-5 England 4-0 Bulgaria 5-3 Kosovo 2-1 England 0-6 England 7-0 Montenegro 0-4 England

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5

8 7 0 1 21 8 5 0 3 15 8 3 2 3 11 8 1 3 4 6 8 0 3 5 3

England Czech Republic Kosovo Bulgaria Montenegro

GROUP D

FOUNDED: 1873 NICKNAME: N/A BEST EURO RESULT: GROUP STAGE 1996 EURO RECORD: P6 W2 D1 L3

FIFA RANKING: 44TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 2 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

scotland

EURO HISTORY A

Scotland have a very sketchy European history and they have only been to European Championship on two occasions despite battling for qualification from the inception of the UEFA Euros in 1960.

The two appearances were in the 1992 and 1996 edition of the tournament, and they failed to proceed from the group stage on both occasions.

Their qualification for this summer’s edition started poorly as they lost their first game against a lowly Kazakhstan.

They rallied and put in some decent performance that allowed them to finish in third place behind Belgium and Russia.

It took a one-nil win over Israel in the playoffs round to book a place in the European championship.

LEADING SCORER Kenny Dalglish 30 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Kenny Dalglish 102 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI MCLAUGHLIN O'DONNELL

SOUTTAR

TIERNY ROBERTSON

MCKENNA

MCGREGOR

MCTOMINAY

PATERSON

GRIFFITHS FRASER

MATCHES June 14: Scotland vs Czech Republic; Kickoff 9am (Glasgow) June 18: England vs Scotland: Kick-off 3pm (London) June 22: Croatia vs Scotland; Kick-off 3pm (Glasgow)

fter years of hurt, Scotland qualified for the 2020 Euros via playoffs, winning Israel in their playoff match.

‘The Tartan Army’ have been away from any form of International football since 1996 but now have the opportunity to right the wrongs this summer as the European championship travels through Europe, including to Glasgow.

They enter this year’s tournament in 46th place in FIFA world rankings.

Although their placement in FIFA suggests that they are very low in quality compared to their mates.

However, they do have a decent squad with a couple of exciting talent that can take on a big team on their day.

PLAYER TO WATCH Scotland have within their ranks arguably the best two left-backs in the British Isles in Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney. Both of them remain to a large extent the most important players for this Scotland side.

Although the likes of Scott McTominay and Ryan Fraser can make a good case to be mentioned within the bracket of most important playees6, it is either of Kieran Tierney and Andy Robertson that that honour will go to.

If Scotland will go far in this tournament, the Scotland captain and his fellow defender will certainly play a huge role.

COACHING Steve Clarke is the man raised with leading Scotland to their first European championship in over two decades. He was appointed manager of The Tartan Army in May 2019, replacing Alex McLeish, who was sacked in April 2019 following a shocking 3–0 defeat

by Kazakhstan. The former Chelsea player had a successful career as a footballer and is looking to do what their predecessors couldn’t do in qualifying for the Euros. He will hope that he can qualify to the next round for the first time in their history when they compete at the Euros. So far, his team has enjoyed some memorable results, but none of those can replace any result that can see them go beyond the group stage in the summer competition.

PREDICTION In a group containing both England and Croatia—two footballing heavyweights— Scotland stands as the odd team out.

The Chances of them progressing out of this group are very slim due to the quality of the other teams in the group. This Will mean that Steve Clarke’s men will go into every tie as underdogs and with their sleeves rolled up for a proper fight.

As with football, anything remains possible, and every team stands a chance. As such, Scotland will hope for some luck on their side as they seek to navigate a tough group.

COUNTRY FACTS POPULATION: 6 MILLION CAPITAL: EDINBURGH CURRENCY: POUND STERLING LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

QUALIFYING RESULTS Kazakhstan San Marino Scotland Belgium Scotland Scotland Russia Scotland Cyprus Scotland Scotland

3-0 Scotland 0-2 Scotland 2-1 Cyprus 3-0 Scotland 1-2 Russia 0-4 Belgium 4-0 Scotland 6-0 San Marino 1-2 Scotland 3-1 Kazakhstan 1-0 Israel

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5 6

10 10 0 0 30 10 8 0 2 24 10 5 0 5 15 10 3 1 6 10 10 3 1 6 10 10 0 0 10 0

Belgium Russia Scotland Cyprus Kazakhstan San Marino

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GROUP E

FIFA RANKING: 21ST | EURO APPEARANCES: 3 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

FOUNDED: 1919 NICKNAME: WHITE AND REDS BEST EURO RESULT: QUARTER FINALS 2016 EURO RECORD: P11 W2 D6 L3

EURO HISTORY At the UEFA European Championship, Poland’s best result was a quarter-finals appearance at the 2016 tournament where they lost to eventual champions Portugal.

Overall, they have competed in three European Championships, making their debut in 2008. They were co-hosts of the 2012 edition, along with Ukraine.

‘Biało-czerwoni’ have developed a reputation for being bullies and a team who takes pride in roundly dismantling weaker nations. However, they come into this tournament as arguably the secondbest team in Group E, behind Spain.

LEADING SCORER R. Lewandowski 66 Goals MOST APPEARENCES R. Lewandowski 118 Caps

POLAND

Lewandowski and co. are heading to the rescheduled 2020 Euros sitting as the 13th best team in Europe.

The Eagles began their journey to this year’s summer games by beating Austria 1-0 in their first qualifier match and picking up four wins from their first four qualifier rounds.

Their strong start and further four wins from the next six games led to their finishing top of their group’s table. Led by the in-form striker and team captain Robert Lewandowski, Poland come into this summer Euros as one of the dark horses.

Poland have competed at eight FIFA World Cups with their first appearance being in 1938, where they were eliminated by Brazil.

The country’s best result is a bronze medal which Poland won in 1974 and 1982.

Overall, Poland’s best result in international football tournaments was the gold medal won at the 1972 Munich Olympics, along with winning the silver medal on two occasions; at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

PLAYER TO WATCH Bayern Munich hot-shot and current World’s leading striker and FIFA Men’s player of the year, Lewandowski is Poland’s most important player.

The Pole has scored over 65 goals for Poland and is ranked as Europe’s seventh-highest international goalscorer.

The striker has been in fine form all season breaking and setting records in the Bundesliga and Champions League.

In this Polish team, he remains the man to watch out for in the tournament.

PROBABLE STARTING XI

COACHING In January 2021, Polish Football Association president Zbigniew Boniek announced Paulo Sousa as the head coach of the Poland national team. The Portuguese replaced Jerzy Brzęczek, who had been dismissed shortly after achieving qualification for Euro 2020.

In his first match in charge, Sousa led his side to a 3–3 against Hungary in the 2022 World Cup qualifier match. The former Juventus midfielder comes in with bags of experience and has travelled extensively, having had spells in England with Swansea, Leicester City, and Queens Park Rangers, and at other teams like Videoton, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Basel, Fiorentina, Tianjin Quanjin, Bordeaux. As coach of the Polish national team, Sousa comes with a lot of expectation and will be looking to build upon the successes of Jerzy Brzęczek.

SZCZENY GLIK

RECA

MODER BEDNAREK

RYBUS

KRYCHOWIAK

BERESZYNSKI

PIATEK

MILIK LEWANDOWSKI

MATCHES Poland’s Euro group comprises Spain, Slovakia and Sweden.

June 14: Poland vs Slovakia; Kick-off 12pm (Aviva Stadium, Dublin) June 19: Spain vs Poland: Kick-off 3pm (Puskas Arena, Budapest) June 23: Sweden vs Poland; Kick-off 12pm (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)

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PREDICTION Poland’s match with Spain remains on paper the toughest match they will face, as Spain has been tipped as group favourites. However, their first match with Slovenia cannot be tagged as a walk-over even though the Poles are favourite, while Sweden possess a genuine threat to their chances of getting to the round of 16. Football runs on goals, and lucky enough they have arguably the best player/ striker in the world within their ranks. With Lewandowski, Poland can go the distance. As long as they continue winning against weaker nations, they stand a chance of making it up to the round of 16.

COUNTRY FACTS POPULATION: 38.5 MILLION CAPITAL: WARSAW CURRENCY: ZLOTY LANGUAGE: POLISH

QUALIFYING RESULTS Austria Poland N. Macedonia Poland Slovenia Poland Lativa Poland Israel Poland

0-1 Poland 2-0 Lativa 0-1 Poland 4-0 Israel 2-0 Poland 0-0 Austria 0-3 Poland 2-0 N. Macedonia 1-2 Poland 3-2 Slovenia

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5 6

10 8 1 1 25 10 6 1 3 19 10 4 2 4 14 10 4 2 4 14 10 3 2 5 11 10 1 0 9 3

Poland Austria N. Macedonia Slovenia Isreal Latvia

GROUP E

FOUNDED: 1938 NICKNAME: THE FALCONS BEST EURO RESULT: ROUND OF 16, 2016 EURO RECORD: P4 W1 D1 L2

FIFA RANKING: 36TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 1 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

SLOVAKIA

EURO HISTORY W

Slovakia have so far played in one European Championship—the 2016 edition which was hosted in France. They narrowly missed out on a place in the Round of 16, finishing one point behind England who took second place.

Their most notable performance in the 2016 edition was a 2-1 win over Russia and a hard-fought nil-nil draw with England.

Slovakia qualified for the tournament through playoffs having finished in third place behind Wales and Croatia.

However, going into this year’s edition, they find themselves in a bit of a favourable group. Having been seeded alongside Spain, Sweden and Poland in Group E, ‘The Falcons’ will feel that they can hold their own against the likes of Poland and Sweden and fight for a second-place finish to qualify for the next round.

LEADING SCORER Marek Hamsik 26 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Marek Hamsik 126 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI

hen considering footballing powerhouses in Europe, Slovakia is one of the least on the list.

Currently ranked 34th place in World FIFA rankings—19th place for UEFA nations—they are heading into this tournament as the worstranked team in their group.

Despite their limited footballing powers, The Falcons made it to the Euros ahead of a higher-ranked team like Serbia. The most notable achievement to date in their football history was a 3-2 win over the then World Cup titleholders Italy at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. That appearance in South Africa remains their only World Cup appearance to date.

PLAYER TO WATCH Despite Marek Hamsik’s importance to the team, Milan Skrinair is the player to watch out for in this Slovakian setup. The defender has been pretty impressive at the back for Inter Milan this season, forming the second-best defence pairing in the Italian league alongside Stefan de Vrij.

SKRINIAR

Štefan Tarkovič is the man tasked with leading Slovakia in this years’ UEFA Euros. The Slovakian was appointed in October 2020, replacing Pavel Hapal who was fired following Slovakia's shock 2–3 defeat at home to Israel in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B. Little is known of him apart from the fact that he previously managed the teams Žilina, Tatran Prešov and Košice. He comes with little or no information on his CV. However, in the six games he has managed since he was appointed, he has overseen just one loss, two draws and three wins—including the 2-1 win over Northern Ireland that secured Slovakia’s place in the 2020 Euros.

KUCKA VALJENT

HUBOCAN

HAMSIK

LOBOTKA

SAFRANKO

Marek Hamsik

COUNTRY FACTS

COACHING

DUBRAVKA MAZAN

Milan Skriniar

DURIS MAK

MATCHES Switzerland are in the same group as Turkey, Wales and Italy.

June 14: Poland vs Slovakia; Kick-off 12pm (Dublin Arena, Dublin) June 18: Sweden vs Slovakia: Kick-off 9am (Dublin Arena, Dublin) June 23: Slovakia vs Spain; Kick-off 12pm (Estadio de San Mames, Bilbao)

PREDICTION Slovakia’s progress in this competition will be down to their discipline, organisation, preparation and some luck. They face opponents like Poland, Sweden and Spain— who are the group’s favourite.

POPULATION: 5.4 MILLION CAPITAL: BRATISLAVA CURRENCY: EURO LANGUAGE: SLOVAK

QUALIFYING RESULTS Slovakia Wales Azerbaijan Slovakia Hungary Slovakia Croatia Slovakia Slovakia Ireland

2-0 Hungary 1-0 Slovakia 1-5 Slovakia 0-4 Croatia 1-2 Slovakia 1-1 Wales 3-1 Slovakia 2-0 Azerbaijan 1-0 Ireland 2-1 Slovakia

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5

8 5 2 1 17 8 4 2 2 14 8 4 1 3 13 8 4 0 4 12 8 0 1 7 1

Croatia Wales Slovakia Hungary Azerbaijan

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GROUP E

FIFA RANKING: 6TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 10 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 3

FOUNDED: 1909 NICKNAME: LA ROJA (THE REDS) BEST EURO RESULT: WINNERS 1964, 2008, 2012 EURO RECORD: P40 W19 D11 L10

EURO HISTORY Spain’s last trophy was back in 2012 when they ruled Europe and indeed the world of football with their brand of exciting football, played by the best team the nation had ever. The golden generation comprising the likes of Xavi Hernandez, Iniesta, Carles Puyol and Fernando Torres won everything on sight and bowed out in style.

But After a failed 2018 World Cup campaign where they lost out to Russia in a Round of 16 penalty shoot-out, Spain are yet again presented with another chance for glory in last year’s postponed Euros.

LEADING SCORER David Villa 59 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Sergio Ramos 180 Caps

SPAIN

L

a Roja are in a good shape and form at the moment and are entering this competition with a solid team forged with a mix of youth and experience. Players like Sergio Busquets, Sergio Ramos and Jordan Alba bring in the winning mentality that characterized the Spanish team of the late 2000s and early 2010s.

This current team may not boast the elegance of the 2010 World Cup-winning team, but they have proven to a hard side to beat, having lost just once in the last eleven competitive matches; which included a 6-0 drubbing Germany.

PLAYER TO WATCH Despite a flurry of star names and exciting talent, Sergio Ramos remains Spain’s best and most valued player. The Spanish captain is the record appearance maker for La Roja and offers leadership, solidity and goals to his team.

At 35 years, this represents Ramos’ last shot at silverware on the international stage, and he is looking to make the most out of it.

As long as he can remain injuryfree, he is definitely the player to watch out for in this Spanish team.

PROBABLE STARTING XI COUNTRY FACTS

COACHING Luis Enrique is the man tasked with bringing back the European Championship to Spain after eight years of heartbreak for the national team.

The former Barcelona man took over as national team coach from Fernando Hierro after the disastrous 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign. La Roja needed stability after Hierro stepped down following a penalty shootout loss against Russia in the Round of 16, and Enrique proved just what the team needed.

The 49-year-old, alongside Italy’s Roberto Mancini, is arguably the most decorated manager in this competition after winning nine trophies in three seasons at Barcelona. His teams are known for playing a fast-paced brand of football with an emphasis on ball retention.

DE GEA TORRES

NAVAS

RAMOS BUSQUETS

ALBA

LLORENTE

CAZORLA

ALACER

ASENSIO MORATA

MATCHES June 14: Spain vs Sweden; Kick-off 3pm (Estadio de San Mames, Bilbao) June 19: Spain vs Poland: Kick-off 3pm (Puskas Arena, Budapest) June 23: Slovakia vs Spain; Kick-off 12pm (Estadio de San Mames, Bilbao)

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PREDICTION Taking a glance at group E, one will expect Spain to waltz through the group easily with Poland and Sweden battling it out for the second position. Despite being group favourites, the tie with Poland remains a trickery one for Spain who will have the power and dynamism of Robert Lewandowski to deal with. The Bayern Munich man famously bullied Real Madrid and Sergio Ramos in the Champions League in 2014, and his record against Spanish opposition remains formidable.

However, with the quality in their team, and as one of the host nations, coupled with Luis Enrique’s pedigree, La Roja can be backed to make it as far as the semifinals.

POPULATION: 47 MILLION CAPITAL: MADRID CURRENCY: EURO LANGUAGE: SPANISH

QUALIFYING RESULTS Spain Malta Faroe Islands Spain Romania Spain Norway Sweden Spain Spain

2-1 Norway 0-2 Spain 1-4 Spain 3-0 Sweden 1-2 Spain 4-0 Faroe Islands 1-1 Spain 1-1 Spain 7-0 Malta 5-0 Romania

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5 6

10 8 2 0 26 10 6 3 1 21 10 4 5 1 17 10 4 2 4 14 10 1 0 9 3 10 1 0 9 3

Spain Sweden Norway Romania Faroe Islands Malta

GROUP E

FOUNDED: 1904 NICKNAME: THE BLUE AND YELLOWS BEST EURO RESULT: SEMI-FINALS 1992 EURO RECORD: P20 W5 D6 L9

FIFA RANKING: 18TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 6 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

sweden

EURO HISTORY S

For a nation that has enjoyed some level of success in the World Cup, Sweden’s European history is surprisingly mediocre.

The Blue and Yellow have qualified for the Euros on six previous occasions but have only made it past the group stages on one occasion—in 1992 when they hosted the tournament.

That year’s edition saw them finish top of their group which contained the likes of England and France, on their way to a fourth-place finish after losing to 3-2 Germany in the semi-final.

The road to this year’s edition began in March 2019 with a 2-1 win over Romania, followed by a draw with Norway and a win over Malta.

By the end of the group stages, The Blue and Yellow were second in the group with 21 points, five points behind Spain in first place and four ahead of Norway who finished in third place.

LEADING SCORER Ibrahimovic 62 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Anders Svensson 148 Caps

weden has traditionally been a strong team in international football, with 12 World Cup appearances and three medals in the Olympics. Their strength as a team lies not in any individual brilliance, but it lies in heart and courage. At the moment, they do not boast any world-beater grade of players except the ageing yet evergreen Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Although they are these days considered as underdogs by so many, they boast an impressive number of international appearance albeit in yesteryears. Their best performance in any competition to date goes as far back as 1958 when they hosted the World Cup and went all the way to the final, which they lost to losing to Brazil.

From 1945 to the late 1950s, they were considered one of the greatest teams in Europe.

PLAYER TO WATCH Zlatan Ibrahimovic remains the talk of the Swedish national team. Having just come out from retirement after five years of international football hiatus.

He is expected to lead the line if he can shake off the niggling injury plaguing him all season. He remains the star of the show.

Meanwhile Real Sociedad hotshot and Ibrahimovic’s understudy Alexander Isak is another player to keep an eye on in this Swedish team.

PROBABLE STARTING XI COUNTRY FACTS

COACHING Janne Andersson is the man leading Sweden to this year’s Euros.

The 58-year-old was appointed coach in June 2016 after Erik Hamrén was dismissed following Sweden’s disappointing Euro 2016 display. He has since his appointment lead Sweden to her first FIFA World Cup in 12 years—the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He also led ‘The Yellow and Blues’ to a successful 2018–19 UEFA Nations League campaign where they finished first in their UEFA Nations League B group ahead of Russia and Turkey, and in the process won promotion to League A.

OLSEN LUSTIG

LINDELOF

LARSSON HELANDER

AUGUSTINSSON

SVANBERG

CAJUSTE

BERG

FORSBERG IBRAHIMOVIC

MATCHES June 14: Spain vs Sweden; Kick-off 3pm (Estadio de San Mames, Bilbao) June 18: Sweden vs Slovakia: Kick-off 9am (Dublin Arena, Dublin) June 23: Sweden vs Poland; Kick-off 12pm (Baki Olimpia Stadion, Baku)

PREDICTION Can Sweden upset the odds and finish ahead of Poland or even Spain will depend on if they can produce more of those hearty footballs we’ve seen them play with Ibrahimovic fit and at his best?

The underdog’s tag gives them added advantage as they are not under pressure as Spain or even Poland and can take time to prepare for matches.

If they can progress from the group stages, they can be tipped to pull off some shocks against the big names in the next rounds.

POPULATION: 9.8 MILLION CAPITAL: STOCKHOLM CURRENCY: KRONA LANGUAGE: SWEDISH

QUALIFYING RESULTS Sweden Norway Sweden Spain Faroe Islands Sweden Malta Sweden Romania Sweden

2-1 Romania 3-3 Sweden 3-0 Malta 3-0 Sweden 0-4 Sweden 1-1 Norway 0-4 Sweden 1-1 Spain 0-2 Sweden 3-0 Faroe Islands

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5 6

10 8 2 0 26 10 6 3 1 21 10 4 5 1 17 10 4 2 4 14 10 1 0 9 3 10 1 0 9 3

Spain Sweden Norway Romania Faroe Islands Malta

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GROUP F

FIFA RANKING: 2ND | EURO APPEARANCES: 9 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 2

FOUNDED: 1919 NICKNAME: LES BLEUS BEST EURO RESULT: CHAMPIONS 1984, 2000 EURO RECORD: P39 W20 D9 L10

EURO HISTORY France is one of the most successful countries in the European Championship and with two Euro titles are behind only Germany and Spain as the team with the most Euro titles. They have played in nine UEFA European Championship tournaments and were the hosts of the inaugural UEFA European Championship tournament. Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane have been their most impressive players at the Euros, as both led their respective teams to the title in 1984 and 2000. They qualified for the 2020 Euros easily, finishing with 25 points to top their group after winning eight games out of ten. Their qualification saw them being thrust into arguably the toughest group of this tournament consisting of Germany, Portugal and Hungary. .

LEADING SCORER Thierry Henry 51 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Lilian Thuram 142 Caps

FRANCE

C

urrent World Cup defending champions and footballing giant France are one of such countries that need little or no introduction to anyone who has been following football for a while now.

Les Bleus are currently only behind Belgium in the FIFA standings and are enjoying one of their best eras in football after the late 1990s. Since winning the European Championship in 2000, France came close to adding a third Euro title in 2016, but Portugal eventually pipped them. Now, with all the hard work of the last two decades or so paying off as France won the World Cup. They have also assembled a team that is full of star names and are entering the 2020 Euros as one team anyone would dead facing.

PLAYER TO WATCH With a host of talents, it uneasy to pinpoint one player from this French team as the one to watch. But given his record, Kylian Mbappe is expected to replicate the form that helped win them the world cup in Russia three years ago.

The French forward is bullying teams at club level and remains one of the most in-form players in Europe at the moment.

COACHING World Cup-winning player and coach Didier Deschamps remains in charge of Les Bleus.

The former French midfielder boasts an impressive CV both as a player and now as a coach, having been captain of the French team that won the world cup in 1998 and Euros 2000. As a manager, Deschamps began his career with Monaco, but also had successful spells at Juventus, Marseille, where he won the Ligue 1 title during the 2009–10 season, as well as three consecutive Coupe de la Ligue titles between 2010 and 2012, and consecutive Trophée des Champions titles in 2010 and 2011.

He was named France national team manager on 8 July 2012. Since his appointment, he has the team to the quarter-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the final of UEFA Euro 2016, and he won the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup beating Croatia 4–2.

PROBABLE STARTING XI LLORIS PAVARD

VARANE

KANTE KIMPEMBE

HERNANDEZ

POGBA

GIROUD

PREDICTION FEKIR

GRIEZMANN MBAPPE

MATCHES June 15: France vs Germany; Kick-off 3pm (Munich) June 19: Hungary vs France: Kick-off 9am (Puskas Arena, Budapest) June 23: Portugal vs France; Kick-off 3pm (Puskas Arena, Budapest)

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France couldn’t have possibly wished to have been drawn with heavyweights like Germany and Portugal. The two present the toughest opponent in a very tough group.

However, France are no strangers to playing against the topsides and are no strangers to facing off with Germany or Portugal with the latter having beaten them in the Euro 2016 final. However, France has the firepower to fire them to the top of their group and more than enough to fire them to glory in a competition.

They will be desperate to win and solidify their claim as the overall champions in international football.

COUNTRY FACTS POPULATION: 66 MILLION CAPITAL: PARIS CURRENCY: EURO LANGUAGE: FRENCH

QUALIFYING RESULTS Moldova France Turkey Andorra France France Iceland France France Albania

1-4 France 4-0 Iceland 2-0 France 0-4 France 4-1 Albania 3-0 Andorra 0-1 France 1-1 Turkey 2-1 Moldova 0-2 France

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5 6

10 8 1 1 25 10 7 2 1 23 10 6 1 3 19 10 4 1 5 13 10 1 1 8 4 10 1 0 9 3

France Turkey Iceland Albania Andorra Moldova

GROUP F

FOUNDED: 1900 NICKNAME: DFB ELEVEN BEST EURO RESULT: CHAMPIONS 1972, 1980, 1996 EURO RECORD: P49 W26 D12 L11

FIFA RANKING: 12TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 12 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 3

germany

EURO HISTORY D

Germany are the most successful team in the European Championship. They have won the most European titles— three titles alongside Spain. However, they are the team to have reached the most finals, having been to the final on six occasions—two more than Spain.

However, all of their Euro titles came in the previous century (1972, 1980, 1996) when the likes of Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and Jurgen Klinsmann were still turning out for Germany. Die Mannschaft have participated in a total of 12 UEFA European Championship tournament.

They have finished out of the top eight only on two occasions; which were in the tournaments of 2000 and 2004. They also have reached at least the semi-finals on nine occasions out of 12 appearances—an unparalleled record in Europe. This year presents them with an opportunity to add to their silverware haul and make a statement ahead of next year’s World Cup. LEADING SCORER Miroslav Klose 71 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Lothar Matthäus 150 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI

espite their recent struggles, Germany remains a footballing powerhouse and a team that no one will really want to face. Although they sit in 12th place in FIFA standings—their worst rating in six years—they are still within the top ten in countries of UEFA. However, as a nation with a rich footballing history, having won four World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) and a host of other international titles, they are in the 2020 Euros to win it. Although their form remains patchy, particularly due to the coaching situation they’re presently faced with, no one can rule them out of challenging this time around.

Die Mannschaft began their 2020 European Championship campaign with a 3-2 win over the Netherlands which was followed by two wins against Belarus and Estonia that sent them on their way to topping their group.

PLAYER TO WATCH With his rich vein of form for Manchester City, Gundogan will be competing for relevance with Team captain Manuel Neuer. If only he can replicate the same form for Germany, he’ll be the player to watch out for in this team come June.

KLOSTERMANN

This year’s Euros will be Joachim Löw’s last tournament as Germany’s boss.

Little can be said about the German tactician that hasn’t be known already. Joachim Löw has a glittering career both as a player and now as a coach. Löw was appointed Germany’s manager in 2006, replacing Jürgen Klinsmann who he was assisting at the time.

Under his watch, Germany reached the 2008 edition of the UEFA European Championship, losing to Spain in the final. They also reached the semi-final of the 2010 World Cup before winning the 2014 edition of the same.

His focus is on attacking football and an emphasis on moving the ball faster.

RUDIGER

GORETZKA CAN

GINTER

KIMMICH

GUNDOGAN

SANE

COUNTRY FACTS

COACHING

NEUR

WERNER GNARBY

MATCHES June 15: France vs Germany; Kick-off 3pm (Munich) June 19: Portugal vs Germany: Kick-off 12pm (Munich) June 23: Germany vs Hungary; Kick-off 3pm (Munich)

PREDICTION Germany have been drawn in a very tough group with Portugal and France particularly representing very tough opponents.

The fight to be top of the group is going to be very heated indeed. Some exciting football is surely going to be on show. One will expect them to win against Hungary, but the tie still poses a potential banana skin for Joachim Low’s men.

If they can navigate the group, they might as well make it as far as the final to give the coach the chance to win the one trophy that has eluded him sicne 2006.

POPULATION: 81 MILLION CAPITAL: BERLIN CURRENCY: EURO LANGUAGE: GERMAN

QUALIFYING RESULTS Netherlands 2-3 Germany Belarus 0-2 Germany Germany 8-0 Estonia Germany 2-4 Netherlands Northern Ireland 0-2 Germany Estonia 0-3 Germany Germany 4-0 Belarus Germany 6-1 Northern Ireland POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5

8 7 0 1 21 8 6 1 1 19 8 4 1 3 13 8 1 1 6 4 8 0 1 7 1

Germany Netherlands N. Ireland Belarus Estonia

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GROUP F

FIFA RANKING: 37TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 4 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 0

FOUNDED: 1901 NICKNAME: MIGHTY MAGYARS BEST EURO RESULT: THIRD PLACE 1964 EURO RECORD: P8 W2 D2 L4

EURO HISTORY Hungary qualified for last years postponed Euros through play-offs beating Bulgaria and Iceland having finished third in their group. Before that, Hungary had appeared in three UEFA European Championships, with an upcoming fourth appearance at Euro 2020. At the 1964 European Nations Cup they finished third after winning their play-off against Denmark, and at Euro 1972 they placed fourth.

In the 2016 edition, Hungary finished in the round of 16, after winning the group, meaning that the 1964 third-place finish remains their best Euro finish to date.

LEADING SCORER Ferenc Puskás 84 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Balázs Dzsudzsák 108 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI

HUNGARY

H

ungary has a respectable football history, having won three Olympic titles, finishing runners-up in the 1938 and 1954 World Cups, and third in the 1964 UEFA European Championship.

Hungary revolutionized the sport in the 1950s, laying the tactical fundamentals of “Total Football”. They dominated international football with the remarkable Golden Team, which included legend Ferenc Puskás—top goal scorer of the 20th century, to whom FIFA dedicated its newest award, the Puskás Award. The side of that era has one of the longest undefeated runs in football history, remaining unbeaten in 31 games, spanning over four years including the much-heralded ‘Match of the Century.’

Despite these achievements, the Hungarian team faced a severe drought starting from their elimination at the 1986 World Cup, failing to qualify for a major tournament for 30 years and reaching their lowest FIFA ranking (87) in 1996 as well as finishing sixth in their group of Euro 2008 qualifiers.

PLAYER TO WATCH Head coach Marco Rossi will be sweating on the fitness of Leipzig hotshot Szoboszlai as the youngsters in currently out injured. In this Hungarian team, it is impossible to look past him as the player to watch out as he has the quality to make it to the football pinnacle. He was instrumental in RB Salzburg’s European campaign last year.

COUNTRY FACTS

COACHING Marco Rossi is the man tasked with leading the Hungarian National team to the 2020 European Championship.

The idol was appointed coach of the Hungarian national team on 19 June 2018, after resigning from Budapest Honvéd FC. He replaced Georges Leekens and was able to lead his side to the 2020 Euros after finishing fourth in the group behind Croatia, Wales and Slovakia.

GALUASCI SZALAI

FIOLA

NAGY ORBAN

LANG

SIGER

SZOBOSZLAI

HOLENDER

CAPITAL: BUDAPEST CURRENCY: FORINT LANGUAGE: HUNGARIAN

QUALIFYING RESULTS

SALLAI SZALAI

MATCHES June 15: Hungary vs Portugal; Kick-off 12pm (Budapest) June 19: Hungary vs France: Kick-off 9am (Budapest) June 23: Germany vs Hungary; Kick-off 3pm (Munich)

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POPULATION: 10 MILLION

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PREDICTION Hungary find themselves in a very tough group consisting of Spain, Portugal and Germany and they represent the dark horse of this group.

On paper, the three other teams are stronger nations with better players and present Hungary with the toughest possible draw.

If they can navigate this group, it means they would have beaten one of the bigger teams. If that happens, one cannot rule them out from causing further upsets.

Slovakia 2-0 Hungary Hungary 2-1 Croatia Azerbaijan 1-3 Hungary Hungary 2-1 Wales Hungary 1-2 Slovakia Croatia 3-0 Hungary Hungary 1-0 Azerbaijan Wales 2-0 Wales Bulgaria 1-3 Hungary Hungary 2-1 Iceland POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5

8 5 2 1 17 8 4 2 2 14 8 4 1 3 13 8 4 0 4 12 8 0 1 7 1

Croatia Wales Slovakia Hungary Azerbaijan

GROUP F

FOUNDED: 1914 NICKNAME: TEAM OF SHIELDS BEST EURO RESULT: CHAMPIONS 2016 EURO RECORD: P35 W18 D9 L8

FIFA RANKING: 5TH | EURO APPEARANCES: 7 | EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: 1

PORTUGAL

EURO HISTORY W

The 2020 Euros is Portugal’s 8th UEFA European Championship appearance since making their debut in 1984.

Despite boasting the very best players in the world in the likes of Luís Figo, Rui Costa, Ricardo Carvalho, and Cristiano Ronaldo at a certain time in their history Portugal come into this tournament with one Euro title to their name—the won they won in 2016.

In all A Seleção’s appearances in the UEFA Euros, Portugal have never crashed out of the Group Stages. And this time, they look to continue in that line.

Boasting a squad filled with talent and experience, Portugal come into this tournament as hungry as ever.

LEADING SCORER Cristiano Ronaldo 103 Goals MOST APPEARENCES Cristiano Ronaldo 173 Caps

PROBABLE STARTING XI

hen looking for one of the favourites for this years’ UEFA Euros, one will often consider teams with the best players and most successful recent history—Portugal falls under this category. The 2016 European Championship winners are one of Europe’s biggest teams at the moment.

They enter the 2020 Euros 5th in overall FIFA standings and 4th in UEFA nations ahead of bigger names like Italy, Germany and Spain. Their recent Euro and UEFA Nations Cup wins make them the leaders of Europe at the moment. Portugal’s first participation in a major tournament final was at the 1966 World Cup. That appearance saw a team featuring Ballon d’Or winner Eusébio finish in third place. That remains to this day Portugal’s best performance at the world level in any major tournament.

Other semi-final runs and entirely disappointing campaigns have followed since that year, but it was the Euros that Portugal came close to winning international tournaments was in great part due to the production of several world-class players by Portugal, such as who is counted among the best players in history.

PLAYER TO WATCH Cristiano Ronaldo remains to a large extent Portugal’s most important player in history. He has been the man carrying the country for years and remains a very vital cog in the team.

However, players are beginning to rise to take the goalscoring burdens off his shoulders, allowing him the privilege to do some other things.

This year, the player who has shone the most is Diogo Jota.

On current form, he is arguably Portugal’s best player, ahead of Fernandes and Silva.

The nimble forward hit the ground running after his move from Wolves to Liverpool, scoring 12 goals in his first 24 matches. He also has continued his impressive performance at the national team level, making him one who the coach will be glad to build a team around in this tournament.

PATRICIO CANCELO

After winning the 2016 UEFA European championship and the 2019 UEFA Nations League, Fernando Santos remains in charge of Portugal.

The former Portugal international remains one of the most respected coaches in Europe at the moment having managed three of the biggest clubs in Portugal and winning league titles in almost every club he went to. His teams have been known to play beautiful attacking football.

DANILO DIAS

PEPE

SILVA

SANCHES

FERNANDES

JOTA RONALDO

MATCHES June 15: Hungary vs Portugal; Kick-off 12pm (Budapest) June 19: Portugal vs Germany: Kick-off 12pm (Munich) June 23: Portugal vs France; Kick-off 3pm (Budapest)

COUNTRY FACTS

COACHING

FONTE

PREDICTION Group F is easily the toughest group in this years’ European Championship with Germany, France and Portugal alongside Hungary were drawn into the same group.

To qualify from this group, Portugal will have to produce their best performance to be able to go to the next round. The nature of the group means that all three matches will be tough and must be taken seriously.

Either Germany, France or Portugal is expected to top the group, making it a hard task of predicting this group. However, Portugal on their current form look the most likely to qualify from the group alongside France.

POPULATION: 11 MILLION CAPITAL: LISBON CURRENCY: EURO LANGUAGE: PORTUGUESE

QUALIFYING RESULTS Portugal Portugal Serbia Lithuania Portugal Ukraine Portugal Luxembourg

0-0 Ukraine 1-1 Serbia 2-4 Portugal 1-5 Portugal 3-0 Luxembourg 2-1 Portugal 6-0 Lithuania 0-2 Portugal

POS TEAM

G W D L PTS

1 2 3 4 5

10 8 2 0 26 10 6 3 1 21 10 4 5 1 17 10 4 2 4 14 10 1 0 9 3

Ukraine Portugal Serbia Luxembourg Lithuania

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"QUOTES"

“When we announced Miami, there was always going to be talk about what players we were going to bring in, whether it was Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar. There was always going to be those discussions. I actually don’t think it’s a tough one for players to decide, to be honest, because it’s a great place… Miami is a city that has that pull on players who have been playing in Europe that are big stars.”

- David Beckham says that Inter Miami are very much interested in signing global stars and that it won’t probably be a tough sell given the allure Miami has.

ON THE HEAD, MALCOLM HATE THE HATERS Arsenal have launched a new taskforce to help support their players as part of an initiative to combat online hate. The #StopOnlineAbuse action plan features a more formal process for players and staff to report incidents of discrimination and provide advice on specific issues including their social media channels and legal issues. The North London club will also increase the number of workshops for players which explain how to block offensive accounts and mute offensive words. The club’s all-time leading goalscorer Thierry Henry quit social media due to a lack of action from tech companies to tackle discriminatory behaviour while current boss Mikel Arteta revealed he and his family had been victims of online abuse.

TIKKED OFF “Just as we train in the gym or on the pitch to improve our technique and out tactical abilities, I believe the mind is something you also have to train. You have to be ready and that [seeing a psychologist] helps you a lot. Even for my generation, in recent years, it wasn’t seen as something normal to see a psychologist. But inevitably, it has to be something normal. Today it is more common and there will be a day when it will be compulsory. There are people that go through difficult times.”

- lvaro Morata says that a day will come when footballers speak to psychologists about mental health issues as part of their regular training.

“I once went to see a player and as he walked out of the dressing room, he had a Mohawk (hairstyle). I said to my scout ‘nah let’s go home’, not interested. That was a very short scouting trip.”

- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed he once rejected the chance to watch a player because of his haircut.

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Barcelona have a bit of a TikTok problem.

Many fans wait outside the club’s training ground to film and take photos of players, this is nothing new. However, some “fans” in search of clout have taken things a little too far. The players are constantly filmed up close and are often even insulted in search of a reaction. Lionel Messi alongside a number of his teammates were targeted by these TikTok users. Unfortunately for the players, the harassment doesn’t stop at the training ground. Samuel Umtiti was approached at a set of traffic lights by a group of youngsters shouting “Go to Barca B” at him, while Pedri has been sought out at his home. Many players even found people waiting for them at the airport as they departed for international duty.

Barcelona have reportedly been in contact with the police about improving security around their training ground in an effort to stop this from happening.

The Premier League has commenced two studies looking into the forces involved in heading footballs. One study will involve players from Liverpool’s and Manchester City’s academies and women’s teams. The players taking part in the studies will be fitted PROTECHT mouth guards, which will collect data to show how the force and frequency of impacts affect the brain and body. The mouth guards will be fitted with sensors to provide precise measurements. New measures are expected to be introduced ahead of next season as the outcome of the studies will help form guidelines for training at professional levels.

YOU YOUTUBE TOO? Liga MX side, Club Queretaro’s manager Hector Altamirano revealed that he learns new tactics to help his team by watching YouTube videos. Altamirano is a first-time manager in Liga MX and is looking to make the best of this opportunity. Among the videos he watches includes those from former Mexico national team boss Ricardo La Volpe, who posts videos of tactics he used for specific matches on YouTube.

DID YOU KNOW? According to Atletico Mineiro’s physio, •Brazilian striker Hulk (shown right) can lose

up to 11lbs of water weight each match through sweat. Because he sweats so much, the club needs to pay extra attention to his hydration.

Nicolas Siri, the 16-year-old who plays for •Danubio, has become the youngest player in the history of professional football to score a hat-trick, a record previously held

by Pele.

Bayern Munich’s first leg loss to Paris •Saint-Germain was their first loss in the Champions League since March 2019 against Liverpool.

90TH MINUTE

MEMBERSHIP INCREASES

Real Betis enjoys a huge following in its home city of Seville but for many years it has worked to grow this fanbase beyond Spanish borders. As part of its internationalisation strategy, the club aims to spread excitement for the verdiblancos as well as business returns, something it is achieving through the ‘Soy Betico’ membership card. The initiative was launched earlier this season with the aim of offering fans around the world a more exclusive and personal link to the club. For a cost of 30 euros, card holders receive a range of gifts, experiences and discounts.

Already more than 3,000 fans have signed up, with the club expecting to reach more than 5,000 by the end of the season. The holder receives a welcome pack containing the physical card, a book on the club’s history, a personalised facemask and a lanyard. They also receive access to the ‘Inspiring Benefits’ portal, which features heavily discounted goods and services from over 400 companies.

BEST OF THE BEST Cristiano Ronaldo was presented with a special jersey by Juventus president Andrea Agnelli to celebrate surpassing Pele’s career goals record. The shirt had “G.O.A.T.” – “greatest of all time” and the number 770 printed on it. FIFA doesn’t keep an official record of all-time leading scorers, but it’s still an impressive feat. Ronaldo’s achievements didn’t end there. The Portuguese superstar was also named the Serie A player of the year, a few days earlier, for the second consecutive time after scoring 31 goals in 33 league matches last season. Juventus swept the best player awards as Christiana Girelli received the best female player award.

Official italy fiGc team apparel available fOr eUrO 2020

SERGIO ON THE AIR Sergio Aguero has been regularly streaming and playing FIFA on Twitch during the lockdown. During one of his streams, Aguero decided to call one of his good friends and it turned out to be Lionel Messi. The two Argentines had a 10-minute chat that started with Messi asking why Aguero called him at nine in the morning.

The conversation then moved to the City striker’s upcoming birthday on June 2 that they would normally spend together while on international duty but won’t be able to this year.

THIS ONES'S FOR ME A Serbian referee has been handed a 15-month jail sentence and a 10-year ban from refereeing following the conclusion of an investigation into a penalty he awarded three years ago. Srbjan Obradovic was refereeing a match between Spartak Subotica and Radnicki Nis in the Serbian league back in 2018, a game with Europa League qualification on the line. The ref gave Subotica two penalties during the game, helping them secure a 2-0 win, and also sent off a Nis player. The second penalty was the one in question as footage showed it was awarded for no apparent reason.

There was no obvious foul and none of the Spartak players even appealed for a penalty, but the ref blew his whistle and pointed to the spot. Srbjan has now been punished by the anti-corruption department of the Supreme Court.

NEW BADGE FOR INTER Inter have unveiled a new badge during their 113th birthday. The new crest features white lettering with a blue and black background. Reaction to the change has been mixed, with some people even comparing the logo to car manufacturers Volkswagen. The change has been compared to that of Juventus’ a few years ago, dropping their traditional emblem for a more modern look that the club feels will help them become more marketable as a global brand.

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90TH MINUTE Josef Martínez (28) May 19 Club: Atlanta United Nation: Venezuela

Romelu Lukaku (28) May 13 Club: Inter Nation: Belgium • Can speak eight languages including French, Portuguese and Lingala.

• He made his international debut with Belgium at 17 years old.

MAY

Samuel Chukwueze (22) May 22

Rose Lavelle (26) May 14 Club: Manchester City Nation: USA • Watched the USA win the 2015 World Cup at a pizza parlour in Seattle. The following November, she received her first senior call up to a training camp.

Club: Villarreal Nation: Nigeria

Çağlar Söyüncü (25) May 23 Club: Leicester City Nation: Turkey

COUNTING CHICKENS...

Tottenham went into their Europa League round of 16 match against Dinamo Zagreb with a 2-0 lead. With a club of Tottenham’s size and strength many thought that the tie was done after the first match. However, Dinamo Zagreb pulled off the unlikely comeback and went through to the quarter-finals after beating Spurs 3-0 in the second leg. That wasn’t the only surprise for Tottenham fans that night, as goalkeeper Joe Hart shared an Instagram post which read ‘job done’ alongside the score line. Naturally, fans were furious. Hart later posted a video admitting it was an ‘unacceptable’ error from his media team who somehow thought Tottenham won the match.

X TIME IS TICKING Stephan Lichtsteiner retired at the end of last season after spending the final year of his career with Augsburg in the Bundesliga. Most players after retiring usually take up coaching or punditry, and perhaps he will at some point. But, for the time being, the former Swiss fullback has decided to take up watchmaking, starting an internship at Zurich firm Maurice de Mauriac. The watch he makes during his training will be sold with the proceeds going to charity.

SPANISH GRADS

SOCIAL MEDIA

ROUND-UP

Few top-tier European clubs are based in a city as small as Villarreal CF yet few bring through as many academy graduates as the Spanish club do. Club president Fernando Roig has embraced a professional approach to youth development and it is an example for teams across the continent to follow. There are many factors to the club’s success, but one of the most common answers when this question is brought up is that the Villarreal CF academy is the driving force of their achievements. The evidence and the numbers back up this assertion. Of the 25 most-used players by Unai Emery in the 2020/21 season, 11 of them have spent at least some time in the club’s famed youth academy. Villarreal CF also trained up a star like Santi Cazorla in the past, while Rodri Hernández, Pablo Fornals and Borja Iglesias are currently playing for other top clubs after spending time in the Villarreal CF school as youngsters. “When Roig arrived at the club, the first thing he did was build a sporting complex. He was very clear in his mind that the base of the club had to be the academy,” says Luis Arnau Pilar, the club’s director of methodology.

Ian Waterhouse

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THE CLUE IS IN THE NAME A group of Aberdeen supporters invented a fake manager named Ross Nicholson who somehow got listed by a bookmaker as among the favourites to take up the club’s vacant manager job. The fans set up a fictional Wikipedia page under one of their names, who listed the 45-year-old’s current club as “Diznei Exeest” (Doesn’t Exist). Despite that incredible club name, Sky Bet still listed this Ross Nicholson as a 10-1 shot of landing the Aberdeen job. Unfortunately for anyone who put money on Nicholson being named manager, Aberdeen decided to go with a different candidate.

DON’T MESS WITH BOSS Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ RealSociedadFutbol/videos/279297340323597 La Liga side Real Sociedad’s 34-year wait for a major trophy ended when they defeated Athletic Bilbao in the Copa Del Rey final. Coach Imanol Alguacil showed he was made of scary stuff in his impassioned post-match interview.

SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

FAREWELL TO PETER Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ LeedsUnited/photos/a.158277964323723/193442 2896709212/?type=3&p=60 Peter Lorimer played 600+ times for Leeds scoring 200+ goals. The player for Toronto Blizzard and Vancouver Whitecaps passed away in March 2021 aged 74 - Leeds paid their tributes.

HOME HAIRCUT Twitter – https://twitter.com/BeWarmers/ status/1378641106158620678 Premier League referee Stuart Attwell clearly had not broken lockdown rules with a home haircut that had social media in stitches!

90TH MINUTE Phil was the first player to be born after the year 2000 to start a Champions League match.

Phil Foden (21) May 28 Club: Manchester City Nation: England

Alex Meret (24) March 22 Club: Napoli Nation: Italy

Nicolas Pépé (26) May 29 Club: Arsenal Nation: Ivory Coast

Tobin Heath (33) May 29

ALL FORDS ARE CREATED EQUAL...

IT’S THE DEALERSHIP THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Club: Manchester United Nation: USA • She’s the co-founder of Re-Inc. a gender neutral clothing brand.

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DID YOU KNOW? Foden - aged 20 years and 313 days •at Phil the time - was the youngest Englishman to score a 90th minute winner in a Champions League. The previous youngest was Wayne Rooney for Manchester United against Milan in April 2007.

2021 F-150

Japan defeated Mongolia 14-0 in their •World Cup qualifying match. It was their

second biggest win in history, behind a 15-0 win over the Philippines in 1967.

The USWNT (left) is the first team to keep •a clean sheet in all three SheBelieves Cup matches during a single tournament.

NO OFFSIDE RULE - NO CONFUSION :) Marco van Basten wants football to remove the offside rule entirely from the game to make it ‘more spectacular’ for fans. The Dutch legend first proposed changes in 2017 while he was FIFA’s technical director to try and keep football as the most popular sport in the world. Despite the drastic changes doing so would bring, van Basten believes that teams would adapt tactically.

Whether teams leave their defenders deep or have their forwards sit higher up the pitch, it would certainly provide a different viewing experience. Will it be a good thing, no one really knows unless it’s implemented in a few games to test it out. Offside decisions have always been a talking point and now with VAR, it’s gotten even more fans discussing it as so many close calls have been made as they measure down to the millimetre when making a decision.

SHOCKER Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ SportingLifeOfficial/posts/10159324553267812 65th ranked North Macedonia were supposed to offer little resistance to World Cup winners Germany. But instead, created one of the biggest shocks in qualifying history, winning 2-1 away from home.

CR7 STILL ON THE BALL Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/p/ CNU8ukQA5Q4/ He may be 36, but Cristiano Ronaldo took to Instagram to prove that he still has the physique of someone at least 10 years his junior. There will be no retirement any time soon for CR7 based on this evidence.

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90TH MINUTE

"QUOTES"

ERIC IS A NO-SHOW

BEST TEEN

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting did not feature for Cameroon during the past international break because of an email mix-up. The Cameroonian Football Federation sent out an email call-up to the Bayern striker ahead of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. However, instead of sending the email to Choupo-Moting and Bayern Munich, they accidentally sent the email to themselves. Since the email was never received, the player was not officially called up to the Cameroon squad.

Barcelona teenage forward Ansu Fati was named the best young footballer on the planet by Goal.com.

The award has been around since 2016 with the winner being voted on by a group of journalists from the website’s 44 editions around the world. Fati finished ahead of Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and Giovanni Reyna of Borussia Dortmund. Previous winners of the NXGN award include Jadon Sancho, Donnarumma, Rodrygo, Youri Tielemans and Justin Kluivert.

“Being captain of the Portuguese national team is one of the greatest honours and privileges of my life. I give and will always give my best for my country – that will never change. But there are difficult times to cope with, especially when we feel like an entire nation is being harmed.”

DID YOU KNOW? Sergino Dest (shown right) is the third •American player to score in LaLiga history after Jozy Altidore and Yunus Musah, and the first to score a brace.

- Cristiano Ronaldo was outraged after Portugal were denied a late winner against Serbia in their World Cup qualifier.

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of three players to •have scored 25+ goals in two or more seasons

aged 30 or older. Gunnar Nordahl and Antonio Di Natale are the other two.

I.D. CARD FR TIMO

“I already talked about the Carlos Vela case, but I’ll say it again. When a player is committed to the national team, then he should be eligible to play for the senior or youth teams. It doesn’t make sense that a player wants to play in the Olympics, but not for the senior team.”

- Mexico coach Gerardo Martino revealed that Carlos Vela will not be considered for the Mexico Olympic squad despite the desire for the 2019 MLS MVP to participate.

- Gareth Bale plans to return to Real Madrid at the end of his loan spell in London with Tottenham suggesting that the reason he returned to Spurs was to build match fitness ahead of the Euros this summer.

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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

League knockout stage match. The previous record was set by Kaka in 2004.

Chelsea and Germany striker Timo Werner was ‘given’ a North Macedonian identity card out of gratitude after missing a sitter during a World Cup qualifier. Germany fell 2-1 at home to North Macedonia in a shocking result. Werner had an opportunity to give the Germans the lead after Gundogan squared the ball towards him and he somehow misshit it. Minutes later, Eljif Elmas scored the winner for the visitors securing a memorable win for North Macedonia. Media in Macedonia were overjoyed with the result and trolled Werner by giving him his own Macedonian ID card. Images were shared all over social media of Timo Werner’s new ID card which featured his name, date of birth, headshot and even a signature.

ANOTHER LEEDS FAN Patrick Bamford revealed to Leeds’ official podcast that Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele is a massive fan of the Yorkshire club. Leeds goalkeeper Ilan Meslier was on international duty with the French U21 team for the European Championship, asked Bamford and Kalvin Phillips for their shirts because Dembele had requested them.

According to Meslier, Dembele is a huge Leeds fan and watches every game.

“The main reason I came to Spurs this year was, obviously I wanted to play football first and foremost but going into the Euros, I wanted to be match fit. The original plan was only to do a season at Spurs, and then after the Euros, I would still have a year left at Real Madrid. My plan is to go back and that’s as far as I’ve planned to be honest.”

Junior is the youngest Brazilian •to Vinicius score two or more goals in a Champions

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE KIDS Commercial partners entering the world of sports are increasingly directed towards the social, according to Julio González, managing director of the Real Madrid Foundation. Real Madrid’s social objectives are based on disadvantaged groups and childcare, with a broader focus on autonomy, equality and solidarity. Much of this work is led by the Real Madrid Foundation, which González describes as “the soul of the club.” But whether on the pitch or via commercial activities, the club aims to show that teamwork can help accomplish even the most difficult challenges. For González, football is a natural fit for brands looking to promote these values as the sport is heavily based on emotions and social togetherness.

90TH MINUTE

THE CAMERA EYE Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema scored a goal in ElClasico that will live long in the memory, turning in a Lucas Vázquez cross with a backheel flick for the 1-0 lead - a moment that looked on TV like something from a video game. Why? Well, it’s thanks to the new cinematic cameras that LaLiga has started using this season that allow for this razor sharp perspective in front of a blurred background. This is a pioneering initiative in the world of football. These cameras cost 200,000 euros and weigh 30 kilograms once positioned as a steady cam. They are so sophisticated that MEDIAPRO, the production company, have hired focus experts from the world of cinema to work from the sidelines of the pitch along with the camera operator, ensuring that the sharpest image makes it onto the screen.

NO MR. DRESSUP TODAY The ongoing pandemic has been challenging for everyone, with many social events having to be cancelled, including weddings. Many weddings have had to be rescheduled, postponed, cancelled or changed to accommodate the restrictions in place.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, alongside his then fiancé Anastasia Tamazova, decided to go ahead with their wedding with a civil ceremony instead of having a celebration with guests. Some people may still have dressed up for the occasion, Lunin didn’t feel like it was necessary. The 22-year-old wore a tracksuit to the occasion.

NEW SOCCER FASHION Football and fashion often go hand in hand as many sportswear brands and clubs focus on expanding their street wear portfolios. Everything from the jerseys to the track suits, to sweaters and sneakers, clubs continue to release new items for fans to buy and wear, not just on match days, but on any day. As football goes more and more into the fashion world, rarely does a fashion brand go the other way. Italian women’s clothing brand Miu Miu has decided to do just that, releasing Nappa leather mid-heel sneakers. The boots look similar to classic Adidas Copa Mundials, however these particular designs feature a varnished 55mm mid-heel, and a rubber peg sole. The boots cost €750 and are available in both black and white.

Boys

Everything

KEEPS HANDS WARM TOO PUMA have teamed up with designer Nicol McLaughlin to create a jacket made out of goalkeeper gloves. The jacket is the beginning of an ongoing partnership between the two in order to “create unique pieces that highlight the potential of upcycling by using samples, deadstock and other PUMA materials.”

Upcycling has gained momentum over the past few years as more brands look towards sustainability, and it is the act of taking something no longer in use and giving it a new function.

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STRIKER IN ALLEGED BLACKMAIL PLOT Some France fans want Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema to be included in their Euro 2020 squad this summer. Benzema has been exiled from the national team since 2015 and boss Didier Deschamps has insisted that the situation has not changed. The 33-year-old was involved in an alleged blackmail plot involving fellow Frenchman Mathieu Valbuena and hasn’t played for France since. But, his consistency for Real Madrid in recent years has changed opinions among French fans regarding whether or not to bring him back into the team. According to an online poll, Benzema was selected as the sixth most wanted forward behind Griezmann, Mbappe, Coman, Dembele and Giroud.

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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

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90TH MINUTE •

HARRY KANE

ARRY KANE

Use the Word Bank to Find all 30 Words

Sergio teamed up with Los Leales to record a song called “El Kun Aguero” in 2007.

Sergio Aguero (33) June 2

JUNE

WORD SEARCH

Club: Manchester City Nation: Argentina • Is currently Manchester City’s alltime top goal scorer with over 250 goals

IT'S A GAMBLE According to reports, a casino will be part of Real Madrid’s new-look stadium.

It’s been over a year since a match was played at the Santiago Bernabeu with the stadium undergoing renovations.

The addition of a casino is believed that it will generate close to €120 million in revenue. The club’s plans are for each corner of the stadium to have a different feature which include a world class restaurant, a new club museum, shops and more. Renovation costs are said to be around €575 million, but the club believe that they will bring in much greater profits in the long-term.

DUX GAMING DUO WORD BANK

SOCIAL MEDIA

ROUND-UP

ACADAMY AWARD CAPTAIN CAREER CLUB COMPETITION DEBUT ENGLAND FANS FOOTBALL

Ian Waterhouse

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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

GOALSCORER INTERNATIONAL KANE LEAGUE LONDON MATCHDAY PREMIER PROGRESSION PROFESSIONAL RECORD

RIVALRY SEASON SENIOR STADIUM STRIKER TEAM TEN TOTTENHAM TROPHY WORLDCUP

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Real Betis striker Borja Igelsias are major shareholders of the Esports company DUX Gaming. Lately, DUX Gaming has expanded outside of the virtual world and invested into the real world. Last year, the company bought Spanish third division side Internacional de Madrid and changed the name to DUX Internacional de Madrid, to reflect new ownership. Now, they have also entered into women’s football, investing in EDF Logroño, who play in the Spanish first division and reached this season’s Copa del Reina final. The new alliance will come into effect next summer in preparation for the 2021/22 season, with the club being renamed to DUX Logroño alongside changes to the badge and colours.

NO RESPECT Weston McKennie, Paulo Dybala and Arthur were fined by Juventus for attending a party without respecting Covid restrictions.

A neighbour called the police when they noticed there was a party going on inside.

According to the neighbour, there were lots of cars inside the gates and several taxis with women arrived. When police arrived at the house, they waited and knocked for over an hour before being allowed in. The party attendees were fined €400 each, as was the law. The Juventus trio were also fined by the club and suspended for one match.

NO STOPPING LINGARD Twitter - https://twitter.com/WestHam/ status/1376515375341375492 Jesse Lingard’s re-emergence at West Ham has been the talk of the Premier League with the winger showing no signs of slowing down. His current loan club West Ham hammered home his achievements, surely making Manchester United take note. Rumour has it he will either get a second chance at Old Trafford – or be sold for a big price.

APRIL FOOL’S DAY BACKFIRES Twitter - https://twitter.com/KeralaBlasters/status/ Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters thought it would be hilarious to reveal a joke home kit on their Twitter page. However, the prank backfired with the shirt receiving wide praise from fans. If they were to produce the shirt, it’d be a sure-fire collectors’ item…

90TH MINUTE Becky played varsity soccer, volleyball and basketball in high school.

Becky Sauerbrunn (36) June 6 Club: Portland Thorns Nation: USA

Rafael Leão (22) June 10 Club: AC Milan Nation: Portugal • Has released a 7-track album called “Beginning” under the pseudonym Way 45 ranging from rap, trap and drill. .

Ashley Lawrence (25) June 11 Club: Paris Saint-Germain Nation: Canada

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Kingsley Coman (25) June 13 Club: Bayern Munich Nation: France

Lorenzo Pellegrini (25) June 19 Club: Roma Nation: Italy

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Club: Rangers Nation: Colombia

FARM FUNDRAISER Five of California’s professional soccer clubs came together to raise money for the state’s farm workers. Los Angeles FC, LA Galaxy, and the San Jose Earthquakes alongside Oakland Roots and Sacramento Republic participated in the fundraiser to benefit the United Farm Workers Foundation. The funds raised will go towards the foundation’s coronavirus relief and vaccine efforts. Julian Araujo of the LA Galaxy is the son of two farmers and has been an advocate for farm workers in recent months.

He donated $1700 to the United Farm Workers Foundation.

DID YOU KNOW? Denmark failed to qualify for the 1992 •European Championships. However due

to the war in the Balkans, Yugoslavia was expelled from the tournament and Denmark took their place. Denmark would go on to win the trophy.

1968 semi-final match between •theThe USSR and Italy ended in a draw and

was decided on a coin toss. Italy guessed correctly and advanced to the final.

For the first time ever, the European •Championship will be played in more

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Alphonso Davies can now call himself a UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambassador as he’s the first soccer player to become a United Nations Refugee Agency ambassador. The 20-year-old Canadian has been taking the soccer world by storm with his impressive performances at Bayern Munich and his story is an inspiration for many. While Davies grew up in Canada, his family fled Liberia because of an on-going civil war. He was born in a refugee camp in Ghana before the family relocated to Edmonton. Growing up as a refugee, Davies wants to bring awareness to the importance of helping refugees and providing them access to education and sports in order for them to fulfill their potential.

than two countries. The tournament will be played all across Europe in 12 different countries.

GERRARD CELEBRATIONS Facebook - https://www.facebook. com/210468495638580/ videos/2981268348822387 Steven Gerrard guided Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title, thus ending Celtic’s decade-long domination – and ensuring the former Liverpool midfielder’s managerial stock has never been higher.

Next stop Anfield?

IBRA THE NFL FAN Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/p/ CM7DY4CMyzJ/ Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes he can do anything and his latest choice of TV may suggest he fancies a crack at the NFL. Either that or he’s on a nice retainer from a technology company. We’ll let you decide.

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“I have earned the right to make whatever decision I want. I will perform at the highest level. If not, I stay at home. If not, it wouldn’t be worth it. That I’m fine with my age is no accident.”

- Sergio Ramos is out of contract at Real Madrid at the end of the season and has not yet decided if he will remain at the club or move elsewhere.

Elisa Mangado, director of the SD Eibar Foundation, noted that the values of the club (including commitment, respect and humility) are reflected in its day to day work and should be present among club sponsors too. "Our projects are selected based on our values,” she said. “With our grassroots football for example, we have around 500 young people who spend years in our academies and we want to train them not only as athletes but also as people.

It is essential for us to partner with companies that want to help give back to society what is has given to us.” Beyond signing new agreements, SD Eibar also wants to use its considerable profile to increase the impact of new social initiatives. “Football clubs are great platforms with a high impact and therefore, we want to make the social work that we do together with our partners very visible.

ANSU IS DRIVEN Barcelona’s Ansu Fati is one of the sport’s most promising youngsters.

He is the youngest player to score in the Champions League and to score a senior international goal for Spain. The 18-year-old has a bright future ahead of him. With such promise, brands are looking to associate themselves with him. Fati has become an ambassador of Cupra, a Spanish car company and one of Barcelona’s official partners. The 18-year-old visited the manufacturer’s base and even customized his own Cupra Formentor which was given to him as part of the sponsorship deal with the club. There’s one problem though.

The minimum legal driving age in Spain is 18, a milestone Fati reached last October. However, just a week later he suffered a knee injury that required surgery and has been on the sidelines ever since. So for the time being, Ansu Fati will not be able to get behind the wheel of his new car.

DID YOU KNOW? has played the most games in •theEngland European Championship without ever reaching the final, 31 matches.

Finland and North Macedonia will make •their debut in the European Championship this summer after qualifying for their first major tournament.

the last two editions, Germany in 2012 •wasIn the only team to win all three of its

“I don’t ask for shirts, I usually swap them, but I asked Zidane once. If there is an Argentine I swap it with him, but, unless someone asks me, I’m not asking anyone.”

- Lionel Messi reveals his rules for swapping shirts with other players, insisting that he rarely asks for a shirt swap.

group games. No country managed to do so in 2016

FUNNY TOTTI Francesco Totti has a comedy drama depicting his life and career produced on Sky Italia. The six-part series is called “Speravo de Morì Prima” (translates to, ‘I had hoped to die before this’), named after a banner that was on display in the stands during Totti’s final match at the Stadio Olimpico. The series covers a bit about Totti’s life on and off the pitch, with the main focus being on a player in the final years of his career who does not feel ready to hang up his boots.

“The ego? Of course, it’s important because when you’re in the rough, no one else is going to push you. And you have to convince yourself that you are capable of toppling mountains… it’s just you and your mindset.

You have to convince yourself that you are capable of doing great things. Every time I go on a pitch I always tell myself that I’m the best and yet I have played on grounds where there was Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. They are better players than me, they have done a billion more things than me. But, in my head, I always tell myself that I’m the best because that way you don’t give yourself limits and you try to give your best.”

- Kylian Mbappe reveals that the mindset on the pitch helps him in improving his game.

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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

NOT TODAY - I HAVE A HEADACHE Major League Soccer have implemented concussion substitutions for the 2021 season. The protocols have been approved by both FIFA and the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which oversees changes to the laws of the game. The IFAB have set a 20-month trial period to test the concussion substitutions initiative in competitions around the world that will last through to August 31, 2022. Other soccer leagues across the United States will also be part of the trial, and implement the substitutions when needed including the NWSL, USL, and NISA. Concussions on the field have been an area of concern in the sport for a long time, former professional Taylor Twellman had his career ended at the age of 30 because of a series of concussions.

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SHEBELIEVES CUP The United States Women’s National team have the 2021 SheBelieves Cup for the fourth time with this edition being their third in the last four years.

A tournament consisting of four teams, the U.S. defeated Canada, Brazil and Argentina to finish the tournament with a perfect record.

Rapinoe finished as the tournament’s top goal scorer, netting three times, while Rose Lavelle was named as the Best Player.

PRESIDENT JOAN Joan Laporta won a second term as president of Barcelona, winning the election with over 54% of the vote. Laporta was previously president of Barcelona from 2003 to 2010, so he has plenty of experience in the position. This time around though, he faces different challenges. The Catalan club is in poor financial health, a situation which has been made worse by the ongoing pandemic, with over €1 billion of debt. In addition to the financials, there’s a certain players future to deal with. Messi’s relationship with the club soured last summer when Barcelona refused to let the Argentine leave, but with a new president in charge, can Laporta convince Messi to stay at the club?

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2021 NISSAN ROGUE PAVEL TROLLED Former Inter defender and World Cup winner Marco Materazzi trolled Juventus Vice-President Pavel Nedved on Instagram following his comments on the Scudetto run. The former Juve winger, speaking at an interview, said that his son was in high school when Juventus won the league title in 2011-12 and now he drives a car and studies at university and the Scudetto is still Juve’s. Materazzi responded to Nedved’s interview with his own post writing, “Pavel… we all wish him to be able to see you WIN the Champions League before he finishes his studies.”

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Charlotte FC, in partnership with Ally Bank, will install 22 new mini pitches across Charlotte and the Carolinas. The new pitches will provide people with a safe playing space in their communities and will also be supported with a character-based mentoring curriculum and soccer programming. The first pitch is set to be completed and ready to use by this spring.

WHAT WOULD ALI THINK ?

Racing Louisville are participating in their first NWSL season this year and will come out swinging from the start.

The Kentucky based club will mark their debut season with a Muhammad Ali inspired kit. The legendary boxer was born in Louisville in 1942 and was buried there as well following his death in 2016. Racing Louisville’s home shirt is a midnight violet colour that is covered in lilies, a symbol of the city, and also features butterflies and bees – a reference to one of Ali’s most iconic quotes: “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee – his hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see.”

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DON’T EXPECT GRATITUDE FOOTBALL FANS AND MEDIA HAVE SHORT MEMORIES WHEN IT COMES TO SUCCESS OR EVEN FAILURE, EXPLAINS SUSY CAMPANALE, AS THE RUSH TO CHANGE IS ALREADY IN FULL SWING.

T

he old phrase used to be ‘a week is a long time in politics.’ It can feel like an eternity in football, especially if there are three games in that brief period, spanning two different competitions. We regularly hear it’s a crucial week for this coach or that player, their futures hanging by a thread depending on the results in the next seven days. What really irritates me, though, is seeing how short some people’s memories are and the absolute lack of gratitude once that initial burst of success has worn off.

Stefano Pioli took Milan from battling to scrape into the Europa League every year to Scudetto contenders and Winter Champions, yet the moment results begin to falter because he has a limited squad at

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SOCCER360 MAY • JUNE 2021

TOP: Even Jurgen Klopp cannot rely on the goodwill of Liverpool fans RIGHT: Stefano Pioli BOTTOM RIGHT: Andrea Pirlo got the Juventus job because he was a beloved player

his disposal, some of the fans are already eyeing up replacements to take them to the next level.

Some Lazio ultras even turned on Simone Inzaghi, who achieved miracles with very little investment.

Manchester United supporters seem to fly between Ole Out and Ole’s At the Wheel from one day to the next, as if Solskjaer was the key to every performance. The most laughable take was the Liverpool fans saying it was time for Jurgen Klopp to move on, as if they didn’t realize every tactical approach has weaknesses and will become predictable after a certain amount of time. When you are a surprise, that’s when you can tear teams to pieces. It’s a different game entirely when all your opponents clam up in defence and study ways to neutralize you. Losing half your defence and not finding suitable replacements will also inevitably put a dent in a side that wasn’t exactly solid at the back in the first place.

Juventus supporters have always been an ungrateful bunch, especially over the last decade, because they take success for granted. That hit its nadir last season, when Maurizio Sarri won the Serie A title and the Italian Supercup, reaching the Coppa Italia Final, yet was deemed a failure. What, then, is Andrea Pirlo? Antonio Conte started the record-breaking Scudetto streak and it will come to a spectacular end this term, with the Old Lady suddenly scrambling just to get into the Champions League.

The big mistake Juve made was firing Max Allegri after five league titles in a row plus two Champions League Finals. Every club has its personality and Juventus are the hard-working, efficient grinders of results. When they tried to bring in Sarri to create a sort of super-team between Juve’s ruthlessness and the beautiful football of his Napoli, it weakened both of those elements instead of combining them.

Pirlo is much the same, trying to implement a style of football without the right personnel or general approach from the club. The more Juventus try to get rid of their utilitarian persona and become a glamourpuss of the sport, the sillier they look.

And yet, there are some leopards who can change their spots. The Juvefication of Inter was a slow process, started with former Bianconeri director Beppe Marotta, continued with Antonio Conte and his ex-Italy team manager Lele Oriali. One of the

first things Conte did was stop them playing the club anthem, called Pazza Inter [Crazy Inter]. Now the Nerazzurri are running away with their first Serie A title in over a decade, a club that won the Treble under Jose Mourinho in 2010 and absolutely nothing after 2011.

Unpredictable entertainment has gone out the window, instead replaced by efficiency, grinding out results and getting the job done with the minimum of risk or effort.

Is that new for Inter, though? Mourinho may have won the Treble, but it’d take a brave fan to argue they were remotely entertaining with it. Maybe they’ve just forgotten Samuel Eto’o basically playing as a full-back.

The fans might have short memories when it comes to gratitude, but clubs love to rely on the existing sentiment when choosing coaches.

Let’s not pretend Frank Lampard at Chelsea, Pirlo at Juventus or even Ronald Koeman at Barcelona were picked because they were so perfectly qualified for the job. These were cynical exercises in brand management, hoping a former great player and symbol of the club could create a sense of identity and belonging throughout his squad, building on the existing bond with fans and media.

Zinedine Zidane probably was originally brought in at Real Madrid for the same shallow reasons, but his introduction proved to be a masterstroke. He left on a high after an historic third consecutive Champions League trophy, so choosing to return last year was at best risky, at worst enough to ruin those wonderful previous memories of success. The Spaniards were collapsing on all fronts in November and December, but 2021 has turned over a new leaf and Zizou has his team buzzing again both in La Liga and the Champions League. Will he decide to leave in glory again or throw the dice once more?

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