The Euro 2024 Thread

[Sniffer]

England haven't won a major tournament since 1966 which is 58 years ago but you'd prefer Austria or Georgia to win it?

Each to their own.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Portugal seriously need to get rid of Ronaldo, he's a complete deadweight and acting like a fucking awful wanker (even by his own standards). They should beat Slovenia regardless though.

He was back to the twat levels of the early-mid 00s with his whinging and theatrics last night.

Interesting that all of his ref aimed abuse was in English.

 

[Dire Wolf]

England haven't won a major tournament since 1966 which is 58 years ago but you'd prefer Austria or Georgia to win it?

Each to their own.

European Champions in 2022. Fact.

 

[Tony Towner]

Seen a lot of that type of comment about both cricket and football lately. Factually correct, but people taking offence and/or being contrary for the sake of it. A lot of pearl clutching when Kane said something similar earlier in the week. Everyone knew what he meant

 

[Dire Wolf]

Seen a lot of that type of comment about both cricket and football lately. Factually correct, but people taking offence and/or being contrary for the sake of it. A lot of pearl clutching when Kane said something similar earlier in the week. Everyone knew what he meant

I'm not taking offence, I just don't think it should be ignored or treated as an irrelevance.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I was pleased for the women's team when they won, it's good for the sport and for young girls in particular, and the squad all seem nice people other than that twat Earps.

I personally got nothing out of it though as I don't really watch women's football properly and don't think I ever will. May as well be a different sport. Whereas I've been watching England (Men) for 36 years and if I'm still here in 36 years will be then as well.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I'm not taking offence, I just don't think it should be ignored or treated as an irrelevance.

It isn't treated as an irrelevance, but in the context of what Kane and Sniffer said it shouldn't be brought up by people, it's unnecessary.

In fact, if Kane had said we haven't won anything since 2022 he'd be criticised for taking credit for what the women did!

 

[Alan]

Yeah, even I'm sitting here like "they're entirely separate competitions, duh".

I wish women's football had the same cultural clout as men's but it simply doesn't right now.

 

[Sniffer]

As for the same teams winning men's major competitions, 8 out of the last 9 Euro winners have been different and the last 6 World Cup winners have been different.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If Wolves Women won the FA Cup next season then I think we'd all be very happy for them.

There's no way you'd say "Wolves' last FA Cup win was in 2025" would you though, it'd still be 1960.

 

[Dire Wolf]

England haven't won a major tournament since 1966 which is 58 years ago but you'd prefer Austria or Georgia to win it?

Each to their own.

Serious answer though, I should want England to win simply because I happen to be born here? Maybe I should want Portugal to win, because at least they have players in their squad who I watch every week for my club and who I actually care about.

My point really is that football is stale and uninspiring when the same teams are routinely in the finals/semi-finals etc. International football is no different to domestic football in that regard, and honestly, I find it boring to see the same teams having success all the time. And that includes the women's game. There is little disparity in the successful teams in the men's and womens games, so seeing a team like Georgia win it (they won't) would be phenomenally more exciting than seeing Germany, Spain or England win it.

 

[Dire Wolf]

As for the same teams winning men's major competitions, 8 out of the last 9 Euro winners have been different and the last 6 World Cup winners have been different.

List the semi-finalists and quarter finalists. I bet a lot of the same names crop up.

 

[Boozad]

It’s different with international football though isn’t it? Some countries just tend to produce better footballers, largely through population and history of the sport. It’s not like Albania or Andorra are going to be bought out by Saudis and hold the monopoly over European Championships, there will always be a hierarchy and has been for decades in international football, a few anomalies aside.

 

[Dire Wolf]

It’s different with international football though isn’t it? Some countries just tend to produce better footballers, largely through population and history of the sport. It’s not like Albania or Andorra are going to be bought out by Saudis and hold the monopoly over European Championships, there will always be a hierarchy and has been for decades in international football, a few anomalies aside.

Oh, I agree, that's why I said in my earlier post it's the same teams, 'for obvious reasons'.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Also your biggest "fairytale" of this century - Greece winning Euro 2004 - wasn't celebrated much at the time and certainly isn't in retrospect because they played largely grim football and were nowhere near the best team in the tournament. No-one looks back and thinks "what a story, I loved that".

Although there is still a Greek restaurant in Norderstedt just outside Hamburg which continues to proudly display "Europäische Meister 2004" on a sign outside.

 

[Dire Wolf]

Also your biggest "fairytale" of this century - Greece winning Euro 2004 - wasn't celebrated much at the time and certainly isn't in retrospect because they played largely grim football and were nowhere near the best team in the tournament. No-one looks back and thinks "what a story, I loved that".

Although there is still a Greek restaurant in Norderstedt just outside Hamburg which continues to proudly display "Europäische Meister 2004" on a sign outside.

Denmark winning it though was great.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Spain haven't won anything since the Euros in 2012 (a pretty long time in footballing terms)
Germany haven't won the Euros since 1996
France haven't won the Euros since 2000
Belgium have never won anything
Netherlands haven't won the Euros (or anything) since 1988
England have never won the Euros

Of all the international tournaments, it's the one that gets shared around most equitably. This year will very likely add to the list as I seriously doubt Italy are retaining their title.

 

[pr0sl0]

Arguably Spain have regressed to their historical mean, though, which is to be a perpetual underperformer (relative to squad talent) alongside England and Portugal and the Netherlands.

France were in there too in the 20th century, but even in spite of what Deschamps is doing to that squad they feel more naturally assumed as top-tier alongside Italy, Germany, etc. now. Conversely, there's a chance we're seeing Brazil fall down a level too.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Italy's modern tournament history is wild. They don't often have a middling effort, it's all or nothing.

1992: Didn't qualify
1994: Final (lost on pens)
1996: Out in the groups (at the expense of Czechia)
1998: Quarter final (lost on pens to the eventual winners)
2000: Final (lost in extra time)
2002: Out in R16 (to South Korea)
2004: Out in the groups (beaten to it by Sweden and Denmark)
2006: Winners
2008: Quarter final (lost on pens to the eventual winners)
2010: Out in the groups (finishing below Paraguay, Slovakia and New Zealand)
2012: Final
2014: Out in the groups (with us, behind Uruguay and Costa Rica)
2016: Quarter final (lost on pens)
2018: Didn't qualify
2021: Winners
2022: Didn't qualify

 

[Dire Wolf]

I get that I probably have a view that is contrary to most. I just don't get that excited about international football, and I really don't care too much whether England do well or not. The prospect of Austria, Georgia, or Slovakia winning it, is much more interesting to me than seeing one of the big nations win again. I'm not expecting anyone else to feel that way, nor do I care if you disagree with my view, to be honest! I really don't care if a different team has won 7 of the last 8 tournaments, the same protagonists are always hyped up, talked about and in the latter stages, so to see a completely different team win it would be fucking fantastic to me. But I don't expect it to happen. I'd be surprised if the final 4 did not include at least 3 of Germany, Spain, England, France or Portugal. And if 1 other team was there, that would be the team I'd like to see win it.