Innehållsförteckning för June 2021 från FourFourTwo UK

If good things really do come to those who wait, then those who’ve been thumb-twiddling in anticipation for Euro 2020 shouldn’t be disappointed. The year’s delay has been better for some than others, but all of us feel the same either way at this point: thank God it’s here. In this issue, our tournament special, we focus on the three Home Nations desperate to thrive. Raheem Sterling, Sir Geoff Hurst and more evaluate England’s chances on home soil, and their message couldn’t be simpler: believe. For Scotland, the long wait for a tournament appearance must have felt eternal, but the past is just that for proud and patriotic trio Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney and John McGinn. They’ll be hoping to emulate Wales’ glorious summer of 2016, which Dragons heroes old…

PEC Zwolle 4 Ajax 1 September 21, 1988 Eredivisie “You can’t forget your debut, especially when you’re in the academy at Ajax and that’s everything you’ve dreamed about as a kid. By 1988 I was knocking at that door and finally got an opportunity at the age of 18, coming on as a substitute in a match at Zwolle – even if the result didn’t go the way we wanted that day. It was the beginning of a great adventure for me. After that, I played regularly for the remainder of the season and ended up winning 14 trophies with Ajax. We were simply the best football team on the planet during that time and won everything – five Eredivisie titles, two KNVB Cups, the Champions League, UEFA Cup, Super…

What was the first game that you ever attended? Wolves 1-1 Bristol Rovers in September 1990 – Robbie Dennison scored for us. I’d become obsessed with football and Wolves the year before, but it wasn’t until I changed schools that I actually had some people to go with. Molineux was a bit run-down and had a couple of condemned stands back then, so the atmosphere wasn’t the best, but I was in the South Bank and I loved it. Do you have a matchday routine? When I used to go as a fan, I had this strange superstition that I had to do 20 keepie-uppies in my bedroom before I went to the game in order for Wolves not to lose that day. If they did, I’d blame myself and…

Is there an issue you feel strongly about? Contact us: fourfourtwo@futurenet.com FourFourTwoUK FourFourTwo WHERE’S BURY BAGGIO? I’ve gone through your list of the Top 50 Football League Players [FFT 325] numerous times attempting to find the name ‘Callum Styles’ – but I’m beginning to think there could be a misprint or mistake with my mag. The Barnsley man has got to be in the top 20, at least? I also really love watching Watford’s Ismaila Sarr – he has everything needed to go to the very top, and in my opinion should be higher than eighth. As for Bryan Mbeumo, he’s done extremely well to make the top 20 – he looks like he’s been towing a caravan every time I’ve seen him play for Brentford. Ryan Ellis, via email…

We’re giving away this special England Black-Out shirt courtesy of Score Draw, officially licenced by The FA to reproduce a range of popular retro tops. To have a chance of winning it, email fourfourtwo@futurenet.com and tell us the score when England last met Scotland, in 2017. I was still making my way in the game. You’re under the magnifying glass, so I think that was his response to the people who doubted me along the way. He’s quite poetic with his words. We don’t shy away from sharing our love for each other. “The Wales game was just a dream debut. If I could have imagined it to go a certain way, it would have been exactly like that – to score early on, with my head in the penalty…

XI BEST: Jim Leighton, Doug Rougvie, Alex McLeish, Willie Miller, John McMaster, Neale Cooper, Gordon Strachan, Neil Simpson, Peter Weir, Eric Black, Mark McGhee. Substitute: John Hewitt. The team who won the 1983 Cup Winners’ Cup Final in Gothenburg simply could not be embellished upon. WORST: The comic troupe assembled by Danish boss Ebbe Skovdahl not long after his appointment in 1999 – they found extraordinarily effective ways to get regularly trounced. PLAYER B: Many Dons legends have walked the corridors of Pittodrie, but all would bow before the majesty of captain Miller [above right]. W: There’s been plenty of dog meat too, and when you chuck in the bonus of a comedy name, many would opt for Dave Bus [right] – a Dutch defender who turned as quickly as…

You represented Portugal on home soil at Euro 2004. Does losing the final to Greece still hurt 17 years on? It hurts to think we were so close to winning it. The Portuguese people deserved that win, because of the atmosphere during the entire tournament. Luckily, the reaction of our fans made life bearable for us – every Portuguese was devastated to lose the final, but the fans were proud of our campaign because we’d never gone that far at the Euros before. Even today, people stop me in the street and say nice words about 2004. Your best moment of the tournament was arguably the quarter-final against England. What are your memories of it? Lovely memories – an incredible day for us as a team and for me personally.…

How did your transfer to Everton in 1992 come about? I was playing for Rangers when the approach came in. I think Graeme Sharp had moved on and Everton were looking for an experienced forward who could take his place. Sharp was a hard act to follow, because I respected him highly after his successful career at the club. What was Howard Kendall like as a boss? I think one of the best things about Howard was that he was a players’ manager. He could be tough when he needed to be, but he also had a great way about him that made people like him. I personally liked him very much. It was a real shame his second spell at the club didn’t work out, and he left in…

1 LORD BENDTNER THROWS A PADDY (2012) Nicklas Bendtner was never the shy and retiring type, so it wasn’t a huge surprise when the then-Arsenal striker got himself into trouble at Euro 2012 for divulging his drawers. The act of revealing his underwear – when celebrating a goal in Denmark’s 3-2 defeat to Portugal – would probably have been forgiven, had his waistband not been adorned with the logo of bookmakers Paddy Power. UEFA fined Bendtner €100,000, but his sponsors happily picked up the tab and the publicity baton, calling the punishment “hysterical and deeply cynical”. Nevertheless, the flamboyant frontman was banned for the first game of Denmark’s 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign as a result. Now that is pants. 2 DOMENECH’S INDECENT PROPOSAL (2008) Shrugging enigmatically in the face…

ARTHUR ELLIS It’s not every day that a colleague from the greatest football nation on Earth accuses you of being an agent for communist Hungary. Still, it’s the kind of experience that serves you well when you spend 13 years of your life trying to keep a straight face while adults wearing rubber suits attempt to dodge custard pies and artillery fire from over-sized water pistols. There must have been times when Ellis was rather content with the chaos of It’s a Knockout, though. Six years before becoming the first man to officiate a European Championship final – won 2-1 by the Soviet Union after extra time – the proud Yorkshireman had reffed the 1954 World Cup’s infamous Battle of Berne between Brazil and Hungary. A match that turned into…

June 23, 2021. Portugal versus France, the 89th minute. Antoine Griezmann slips by two defenders before firing past Rui Patricio to seal a dramatic last-gasp 3-2 victory that gives Les Bleus a place in the last 16 as group winners. Germany will go with them as runners-up, while Portugal – the 2016 winners – will be joining Hungary on the first flight home. Moments after the final whistle, Cristiano Ronaldo & Co trudge off the pitch; in the media mixed zone, there’s one phrase on everybody’s lips. Portugal have just become the group of death’s latest victim. This is a fictional scenario, of course, but one that could be played out at Euro 2020 this summer. Certainly, these scenarios have claimed many scalps in the past. The forerunner of a…

Roberto Mancini could reasonably claim to be the man who saved the Italian national team. When he took the Azzurri reins in May 2018, one of international football’s most successful sides was at rock bottom after their failure to qualify for the World Cup in Russia – a catastrophe unheard of in 60 years. But Mancini meticulously rebuilt from the ruins to create a team with a clear identity and a promising crop of youngsters competing for selection. The atmosphere couldn’t be more different. National pride in Italy’s football team has been restored, sparking hope for the future and a cautious belief they can challenge at Euro 2020. In qualifying, Mancini broke double World Cup-winning manager Vittorio Pozzo’s record from the 1930s by leading the Azzurri to 11 consecutive victories.…

A 1990s Swiss team-sheet wasn’t complete without Stephane Chapuisat. With the exception of one period when he was absent with a ruptured cruciate ligament, he was virtually ever-present throughout the decade (no mean feat for a striker), and winning more than 100 caps (also no mean feat for a striker) across 15 years reflected that. Even when he wasn’t scoring, Chapuisat was always nearby. His career highlight, winning the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund, was perhaps fitting in that regard. Having done the hard yards, helping Dortmund into the final and then into a 2-1 lead, Chapuisat was substituted for Lars Ricken, who promptly netted a sublime lob with his first touch to finish off Juventus. But the Yellow Wall recognised Chapuisat’s importance – after all, he did score more…

KEY INJURIES HAVE AT LEAST CREATED DEPTH Five years ago, Wales reached a European Championship semi-final. Five years before that, they were officially 116th in the world. What expectations can you base on that? With their FIFA ranking’s sine wave flattening near its peak, recent success looks sustainable. Wales’ four best centre-backs are all aged 20-23 and their attack offers an array of youthful promise, while the FAW’s coaching setup earns nothing but praise. The future’s bright. The present is less rosy. Wales played their World Cup qualifiers in spring not knowing who’d lead them at Euro 2020, with Rob Page in temporary charge since Ryan Giggs’ November arrest on suspicion of assault (his bail was subsequently extended to May). Meanwhile, Jonathan Ford’s 11-year reign as chief executive ended with…

An international debutant in 1960 at the age of 17, the precocious Paul van Himst combined mesmerising technical ability with such deadly finishing that he soon earned the nickname ‘the White Pele’. The four-time Belgian Footballer of the Year racked up goals with startling regularity. He averaged better than a goal every other game for Anderlecht, for whom he won eight league titles and four Belgian Cups in a 16-year professional career, and he scored 30 goals in his 81 caps. That tally for the Red Devils remained unbeaten for more than four decades until Romelu Lukaku appeared on the scene. Van Himst was on top form as Belgium reached the Euro 72 finals, scoring three times – including one in the quarter-final against Italy, the holders – before the…

DENMARK ARE STRONG, RESILIENT AND FUN Twenty-nine years after lifting the trophy in Sweden as the most sensational of European champions, Denmark will be looking at the past to ignite their future. When the Danish Dynamite won Euro 92 – at 10 days’ notice after Yugoslavia’s exclusion as the Balkans disintegrated under a dust cloud of revolution and war – red and white flags conquered in their Scandinavian neighbours’ back yard. A repeat of 1992 seems unlikely – even with Copenhagen set to host the team’s three group stage games against Finland, Belgium and Russia – but with a hugely talented side dotted with Premier League, Serie A and La Liga experience, the Danes are not to be underestimated. The spine is strong – goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel is a fine…

Any fantasy XI comprising the most talented footballers never to grace a major international tournament simply has to feature Jari Litmanen of Finland. Indeed, alongside Liberia’s George Weah and Northern Ireland’s George Best, he would be a rightful candidate to captain that side. The playmaker was imperious at his best, as seen in a glittering club career spent most successfully at Ajax – with whom he won the Champions League – either side of spells with Barcelona and Liverpool. But while Litmanen enjoyed fleeting moments of international success, Finland rarely threatened to qualify for a tournament where he could showcase his immeasurable talent to a wider audience. There were two close calls. Finland, and Litmanen, took a difficult Euro 2008 qualifying group right down to the wire, 10 years on…

FRANK DE BOER WAS INSTALLED TO DEVELOP A TALENTED DUTCH SIDE Did you miss them? It would certainly be the cruellest irony were the sea of Oranje prevented from watching the Netherlands in person, after successive failed attempts at qualifying for the last two major tournaments. Whatever the fan situation, the Dutch will be determined to make up for lost time. Inspiration lies in 1988, the year when Gullit, Van Basten and Rijkaard shone – and Ronald Koeman got up close and personal with Olaf Thon’s shirt – to win the Euros having failed to reach the three previous major tournament finals. That eight-year absence has parallels with the seven that have passed since the 2014 World Cup, when Robin van Persie turned a diving header into a piece of…

When a gaggle of reporters surrounds a national team manager in a café, begging him to recall a striker from the international wilderness, that marksman may just have something special about him. That was certainly true of Austria’s Matthias Sindelar. What’s more, this supposed café coup in 1931 was successful in changing the mind of manager Hugo Meisl, who recalled him to the side. Four years earlier, Sindelar had been dropped by Meisl following a disagreement about his style, but the forward’s speed and creativity soon became the inspiration of Austria’s legendary Wunderteam of the 1930s. Affectionately known as ‘The Paper Man’ for his slight appearance, Sindelar is considered by those who saw him play as one of the greatest footballers in the game’s history, due to his virtuoso displays…

AGE-GROUP CHAMPIONS ARE COMING OF AGE In their first Euros outing in 1968, England finished third, of four teams. They’re still waiting to improve on that. Only Belgium and the old Yugoslavia could claim to have performed better at European Championships without winning one. England have been international football’s big underachievers since 1966, from home-soil heroes to the failed Golden Generation. The Three Lions have won one knockout game in the history of this competition. On penalties. As hosts. Five years ago, they crashed out to Iceland; as the song goes, we’d seen it all before. What followed, though, was new: an unofficial remodelling of English football, led by some of the greatest minds in the game. Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Marcelo Bielsa all arrived, followed by a cast…

Don’t let anyone tell you that international football is a modern-day irrelevance. If they persist, point them in the direction of Ryan Christie’s post-match interview with Sky Sports on the night that Scotland finally ended their agonising 23-year wait to appear at a major international tournament. For 106 seconds, the Celtic star did his best to juggle obvious exhaustion, joy and sheer relief while the tears flowed. Even the most stoic Scot would have struggled to watch it without welling up. This had been a long time coming. The night of their play-off in Serbia was about as ‘Scotland’ as it gets. Even though Steve Clarke’s side put in a confident, composed performance against visibly shaken opposition, and duly led through a Christie goal that looked to be enough for…

It was the most essential assist of his career. The setting: June 29, 2008, Vienna, 33 minutes into a European Championship final that Spain just had to win. Xavi looked up, threaded a through-ball, and watched as Fernando Torres bustled it home. Who knew how huge it would prove? Spain’s opponents that day, Germany, were past masters at grinding out tournament wins. Spain most definitely weren’t. Their last trophy was Euro 64 – held in Spain - and accumulative clouds of failure dogged subsequent national sides. La Roja’s success in Austria and Switzerland was based on a blatant adoption of Barcelona’s possession-based ethos, and why not? Gluing it all together was Xavi, a player who treated the ball as if it was an invaluable heirloom. Xavi – voted Euro 2008’s…

The delay to Euro 2020 has caused something of a headache for Sweden, confusing a side that previously struck success with a clear defence-first, counter-attacking style. Now they’re struggling to transition towards a new identity, provoked by the emergence of a more attacking generation of talent. The Euro 92 semi-finalists strolled to Euro 2020 qualification with only one defeat, but results since then reflect the ongoing battle faced by coach Janne Andersson in figuring out his new crop of players. Having previously been a nightmare for top teams to break down, Sweden were steamrolled by France and Portugal in the Nations League; their only win came at home to Croatia, the rest ending in defeat. Yet if Andersson can balance better forward play with some of their old quality at…

There were numerous highs during Wales’ Euro 2016 adventure, but one unsung early feat was shutting out Marek Hamsik. Not that they kept him totally quiet: Slovakia’s talisman nearly scored one of world football’s juiciest goals just three minutes into their opening game. He slalomed past umpteen Welsh defenders, only for Spurs’ Ben Davies to block brilliantly. Spoilsport. The alternative outcome soon became apparent when he tore Russia to shreds a few days later in Lille. While his assist for Vladimir Weiss’ first goal was good, Hamsik’s own effort – a tight-angled top-corner torpedo – really was a thing of beauty. The shark-finned midfielder has roamed penalty areas for a good 15 years now, as a legend for both his native land and his adopted home, Napoli. The hairdo and…

The mid-1990s was not a vintage era for Germany’s national team, which says a lot for the usual standards, given that they reached the final of Euro 92 and then won Euro 96. These weren’t classic Mannschaft XIs, yet they got results. Then in 1997 Borussia Dortmund won the only Champions League title in their history, so something was up. The common denominator? Matthias Sammer, the greatest midfielder/defender you’d half-forgotten about. Before injury cruelly struck in the late ’90s, the majestic Sammer was shaping up for Beckenbauer-esque status. He had emerged from Dresden as an attack-minded midfielder, helped Stuttgart to win the Bundesliga in 1991–92, then went to Euro 92 as a rare East German in the newly unified side. He set up a goal for Karl-Heinz Riedle in the…

For much of the past year, French football has been dogged by scandals of bullying and misbehaviour, a TV rights fiasco and calls to cut the number of teams in Ligue 1. But it’s not all bad news. The mighty Bleus, still riding the wave of their 2018 World Cup triumph, are eyeing up a trophy haul before the likely departure of commander-in-chief Didier Deschamps in 2022. The 52-year-old has kept the core of the squad that made him only the third man in football history to take home the Jules Rimet trophy as both a player and manager but, uncharacteristically, he is now starting to experiment. Adrien Rabiot – the midfielder once famed for refusing to be named on France’s World Cup standby list – has made a surprise…

TEAMS (PLAYER) 1964-67 SPAL 1967-70 Roma 1970-76 Juventus 1976-80 Milan 1972-76 Italy TEAMS (MANAGER) 1982-86 Milan Primavera 1987 Milan (caretaker) 1991-96 Milan 1996-97 Real Madrid 1997-98 Milan 1999-2004 Roma 2004-06 Juventus 2006-07 Real Madrid 2007-12 England 2012-15 Russia 2017-18 Jiangsu Suning Even if he never coached at the Euros, Fabio Capello’s time as England manager began and ended there. The Italian was appointed as the Three Lions’ second overseas boss just a month after the ‘golden generation’ had disastrously failed to reach Euro 2008, losing at home to Croatia on the infamous night that Steve McClaren became the Wally with the Brolly. In a little over four years, Capello steered England through two qualifying campaigns – though the 2010 World Cup ended with defeat to Germany in the last 16,…

Cristiano Ronaldo may have an academy named after him in Portugal and even his own museum, but Goran Pandev has gone one better. The 37-year-old Genoa ace has helped North Macedonia appear at their first ever Euros, but his legend extends way beyond that – he’s got his own top-flight club, too. Akademija Pandev was founded in 2010, the same year in which Pandev won the Champions League with Inter – if that seems ages ago now, the forward was already looking like a grizzled veteran then, his hairline fast receding. Indeed, Pandev made his international bow back in 2001, and it’s fully 12 years since he broke the country’s goalscoring record – surpassing Georgi Hristov, a man best known for calling the women of Barnsley ugly during his time…

You’re among a handful of players – alongside the likes of Peter Shilton and Roberto Carlos – to have racked up more than 1,000 games. Are you glad to be in that sort of company? I never expected to play this long – 35 was always the retirement age when I was coming through. My aim was to have some fun, earn a decent living and enjoy my career. It wasn’t until my early 30s that I realised I didn’t want to stop so soon. I still had the hunger, and decided that I’d just move down the leagues and even play non-league football if the opportunity came along. It was only as my 1,000th appearance approached [for Bishop’s Stortford in April 2019] that I first thought about the milestone.…

CALLUM STYLES BARNSLEY LOWDOWN Although Barnsley’s frontmen have caught the eye with their high-octane pressing this term, wing-back-cum-midfielder Styles has been in red hot form, weaving through opponents as if they were training cones. The 21-year-old has thrilled Tykes since the end of last season with his close control and dribbling ability. Barnsley avoided relegation by a whisker in 2019-20 thanks to late drama and Wigan’s points penalty; this time, Styles has helped to fuel dreams of promotion. HIGHLIGHT His FA Cup fourth round winner against Norwich in January. After collecting a cross with his back to goal, the ‘Bury Baggio’ pivoted to wrong-foot Onel Hernandez and drill home past keeper Tim Krul. See-ya. THEY SAID “He is a young player with a lot of possibilities,” said boss Valerien Ismael…

THE GAFFER JIM SMITH “He was old school, but not afraid to embrace new technology. You always knew where you stood with Jim, good or bad, and he never held a grudge. It was an honour to play under him.” ANDY GORAM “Andy wasn’t one for coming out for crosses too often, although he was one of the best shot-stoppers I’d ever seen and awesome in one-on-one scenarios. A top lad who denied Celtic titles on many occasions.” COLIN HENDRY “At his peak, one of the greatest defenders at attacking the ball with aggression. Last-ditch challenges and throwing his body in the way of shots to prevent a goal were his trademark. Captaining Scotland at France 98 was a very proud moment for the big man.” FRANK LEBOEUF “Frank is…

1 ANSU FATI Spain Age 18 Position Forward Spanish football ruled the 2010s, but that dynasty has crumbled. Out of the rubble, Fati is carrying not just Barcelona’s future hopes, but his country’s, too. Born in Guinea-Bissau and raised in Seville, Fati grew up in the shade of tiki-taka, joining La Masia aged 10, and he went on to break a 95-year record to become Spain’s youngest-ever goalscorer, aged 17 years and 311 days. He’s a left-sided forward, a stunning technician and electric on the break, capable of bypassing defenders as if they’re training cones. The teenager is already a beacon for two teams in transition, which is why La Roja are especially keen that he can recover from a problematic knee injury in time to make Luis Enrique’s final…

10 ENGLAND U21S 3-3 ITALY U21S 2007 FRIENDLY The first international at the new Wembley might have been a youth fixture, but it was an absolute cracker. Despite future senior stalwarts Gary Cahill and Giorgio Chiellini lining up, both countries threw caution to the wind in a stunning six-goal thriller. David Bentley christened a net under the arch as Italy’s Giampaolo Pazzini bagged a hat-trick. 9 ENGLAND 3-1 ARGENTINA 1980 FRIENDLY Remember a time before England hated Diego Maradona? Nope, probably not – but in 1980, Wembley welcomed the reigning world champions for a friendly. Argentina were duly defeated by the hosts but earned a standing ovation – Ballon d’Or holder Kevin Keegan linked arms and chatted with the young Diego, who’d just glided through the Three Lions’ defence. Turns…

ALL-TIME INTERNATIONAL CAPS RECORD Spain’s chief s**thouse Sergio Ramos (above) motored beyond Gigi Buffon’s European haul of 176 in November – and could now surpass Egypt midfielder Ahmed Hassan, who racked up 184 between 1995 and 2012. Alongside him, though, Oman’s Ahmed Mubarak and Kuwait forward Bader al-Mutawa (both 36) are still going strong. BRIDGES Constantly noticing these while swotting up? That’s because they’re a key feature on the tournament’s logo. Each of the grateful host cities has a local bridge incorporated into its badge design, with London’s Tower Bridge, the Széchenyi Chain in Budapest and Amsterdam’s Magere Brug all featuring. Geography lesson over. ALEKSANDER CEFERIN UEFA’s president (left) is the Slovenian lawyer in charge of his first major international tournament (the poor bloke). He’s been at the wheel of…

Was John Charles a better striker or a better defender? In truth, it didn’t matter. Nat Lofthouse described Charles as the best central defender he’d ever come up against, while England skipper Bobby Moore ranked him as the best forward. Wherever the talented Welshman was playing on the pitch, he would stand out as a world-class performer; a beacon for his team-mates to follow. The 6ft 2in legend for Leeds and Juventus – where he formed the Holy Trinity with Omar Sivori and Giampiero Boniperti – enchanted Europe in the 1950s and early ’60s with his powerful displays, supreme aerial ability and fearsome finishing, and yet it was his temperament that won him so many hearts. Despite all-action displays across more than 750 career appearances, Charles never received a card…

Morale could barely have been lower before Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, but reaching the quarter-finals against all expectations completely changed attitudes towards the national team. Their popularity instantly mushroomed, and even moderately positive results were accepted with enthusiasm. In previous years, they would have been slaughtered in the press after being totally outclassed in qualifying clashes with Belgium, but fans were appeased with four wins over Scotland and Cyprus instead. In that respect, the delay to Euro 2020 hasn’t been good for Russia. Momentum ground to a halt as memories of that heroic last 16 performance against Spain faded. Ageing regulars like 37-year-old Yuri Zhirkov are now even closer to the glue factory, while Russia’s young talents have yet to make a serious impression. Meanwhile, Zenit Saint Petersburg…

A decisive goalkeeper whose bite was just as fearful as his bark, Peter Schmeichel is one of the world’s greatest-ever shot-stoppers. Though best remembered on these shores for his performances in Manchester United’s all-conquering ’90s side, some of the Great Dane’s finest moments came representing his country. Schmeichel was pivotal in Denmark’s surprise Euro 92 triumph as the Scandinavians took full advantage of a late invite to replace war-torn Yugoslavia at the competition, after the latter’s last-minute disqualification over its descent into civil war. The 28-year-old gloveman was in inspired form and made a series of saves to thwart vaunted opponents, helping to shut England out in a goalless draw in Denmark’s opening game and keeping favourites France at bay in a must-win final group match. His piece de resistance…

SHEVCHENKO’S SQUAD IS MORE UNITED AND COHERENT THAN EVER Only Oleg Blokhin can rival Andriy Shevchenko as Ukraine’s greatest footballer of all time. Sheva was there for all three of his country’s major tournaments as an independent nation. In 2006 Shevchenko was among the world’s best players as he fired Ukraine to the World Cup quarter-finals, before he postponed retirement in order to lead the co-hosts at Euro 2012 – then bagged a brilliant brace against Sweden. Ukraine didn’t survive that group, though, and the same fate befell them four years later in France, when the former Ballon d’Or winner served as Mykhaylo Fomenko’s assistant. Shevchenko took over as the national team coach immediately after that limp campaign, but there were significant doubts about his abilities. Critics were merciless at…

Few names are more synonymous with the European Championship as Marco van Basten, the part lethal centre-forward, part ballerina, who reserved some of his greatest displays for the tournament. The three-time Ballon d’Or winner was the star of the Dutch side that won Euro 88, their first major tournament success, with a series of typically attractive, cavalier performances. Van Basten scored a hat-trick against England in the group stage and netted the winner against West Germany in the semi-final, but his most famous moment came in the final against Soviet Union. With a high cross dropping on to Van Basten’s right foot on the far side of the box nine minutes after half-time, the Swan of Utrecht unleashed a looping volley over Soviet goalkeeper Rinat Dasayev from a seemingly impossible…

THEY HAVE THE SPIRIT AND SKILL TO DISH OUT SOME BLOODY NOSES North Macedonia didn’t have a hope of qualifying traditionally, yet they took full advantage of UEFA’s generosity to reach their first major tournament as an independent nation. The decision to let a relatively weak national side come through the play-offs via League D in the Nations League was controversial, but the Macedonians were thrilled with their opportunity – and striker Goran Pandev was rewarded for his patience. But aren’t we all in this for the romance? Pandev, 37, made his debut two decades ago and had considered retiring from international duty. He stayed put, and led his country to their greatest moment with a memorable winner against Georgia. North Macedonia did finish third in qualifying, but it was…

There are millions of old football clips on YouTube, but surely only one that – no matter how often the team’s supporters rewatch it – still genuinely feels as if it might turn out differently this time. A quarter of a century has passed since Paul Gascoigne’s near-miss against Germany at Euro 96, but that footage still causes England fans to release the sort of involuntary howls that horror filmmakers can only dream of eliciting. It’s easy to paint Gascoigne as a nearly man given his dramatic exits from several big semi-finals and finals, usually in tears, sometimes on a stretcher. Those teams would have exited those competitions much earlier without him. Look at Euro 92: Gazza missed it through injury and England barely completed a forward pass before limping…

ANOTHER UNDERDOG SHOWING REMAINS A REAL POSSIBILITY Back in England for another major tournament a quarter of a century after their incredible run to the Euro 96 Final, the Czechs travel to the UK with a buoyant mood and a settled squad. They’re unencumbered by expectation, and bring a team of promising young players and hungry internationals from Europe’s top five leagues, so another underdog showing remains a possibility for coach Jaroslav Silhavy. Perhaps more than most, he has benefitted from the tournament’s postponement. Tomas Soucek – he of the granite forehead and Marouane Fellaini-esque elbows – and full-back Vladimir Coufal already delivered solid performances for Slavia Prague, but not even the most ardent red-and-whites fan would have expected the level both have reached in West Ham’s excellent 2020-21 Premier…

It says much for Kenny Dalglish’s enduring genius that his last cap for Scotland came in 1986, at the age of 35. By the time of that Euro 88 qualifier against Luxembourg, the living legend had been a club manager for over a year and recently won a league and cup double – which must have been an interesting dressing room dynamic for new Scotland boss Andy Roxburgh, who had never managed a club at all. Given the demands of the Anfield hotseat, it’s remarkable that Dalglish played on for the national team, even after securing his 100th cap (his total of 102 is still a record). The first was also a European Championship qualifier, in 1972, when the hot young Celt came off the bench against Belgium. Yet he…

Three years have passed since Poland’s disastrous World Cup showing in Russia, and it’s difficult to say that confidence has returned. Poland topped their qualifying group with a couple of games to spare, but an underwhelming 2020-21 Nations League campaign has tempered expectations somewhat. Narrow qualifying victories against Latvia, Israel and North Macedonia were achieved, but collecting results against the stronger sides in the latter tournament – Italy and the Netherlands, in particular – proved a far more difficult proposition altogether. It wasn’t necessarily the defeats, but rather the manner of the performances which failed to inspire fans. They didn’t inspire much confidence among players, either: when asked about coach Jerzy Brzeczek’s tactics after November’s 2-0 defeat to the Italians, captain Robert Lewandowski stood in silence for a deafening nine…

“Brolin, Dahlin, Broleeen…” A moment so magical, it made Barry Davies go all Dolly Parton. Tomas Brolin’s breakthrough goal is burned into English brains of a certain vintage, as the cherubic forward knocked Graham Taylor’s dreary team out of Euro 92. The English press certainly didn’t forget, because the Swede became prime tabloid fodder during a tricky spell at Leeds years later. Injury hampered Brolin’s career in the mid-1990s, but he packed an awful lot into the glory days. The 20-year-old hit two past Wales legend Neville Southall on his Sweden debut, and a corking consolation against Brazil at Italia 90. But Euro 92 was the major impact. Initially employed as a winger, Brolin went central to score against Denmark, then against England, and then again in the semi-final defeat…

Hi. You recently asked your Twitter followers to recommend someone to build you a driveway, then said, “I’ve never asked for anything so old in my life!” What’s so old about driveways? They’re a fascinating subject. Hi. It was one of those things. I started writing it and just thought, ‘This is such a pensioner kind of thing to be saying’. Not many of my friends have ever had a driveway done. I felt I was pushing it. But you know, some people helped me out and it’s getting sorted next week! What kind of driveway have you gone for? Tarmac? Pebble? Resin. Apparently it’s the new ‘in’ thing for driveways. I saw some nice ideas on Pinterest, and the fella said it was resin. God, this chat is putting…

WHOSE GAME IS IT ANYWAY? Michael Calvin (Pitch, £19.99) Visiting outposts as diverse as the Amazon Basin, Moscow at the height of the Cold War and Vicarage Road, Michael Calvin’s memoir is a poignant reminder of the role football plays in everyday life across the globe. Penned at the height of the COVID-19 crisis, Calvin draws upon decades of experience to cast his eyes over the minutiae. He tells the story of Workington Town cult hero Johnny Martin, The a self 2019 -styled -20 Champions ‘poor man’s George League Best’ who and would Europa sit League on the ball nals and invite were opposition played behind defenders closed to charge doors him , but . You deserted ’ll also find stadiums a bizarre are encounter nothing with new Great Train…

How much are you looking forward to your first major tournament with Italy this summer? I can’t wait for the Euros – all the hard work I’ve put in over the years has been for moments like this. Unfortunately it was postponed 12 months ago. Our confidence was sky-high back then – we had won 11 games in a row, which beat Italy’s record for consecutive victories, and were in great form. We can’t go back in time, so all we can do is find a silver lining in the middle of this – that our youngsters could gain more experience ahead of the finals. What have been your highlights so far in an Italy shirt? The best one has to be finishing the qualifiers for Euro 2020 with a…

When I was growing up, there was a saying that Iceland had too few people to qualify for a major tournament in a global sport like football. There are only 350,000 people in Iceland. Statistically, everybody said we could never have enough good players at one time to do it. But after we qualified for Euro 2016, nobody can say that again – we proved it wrong. That night, fans and players partied together – anywhere else in the world, it’s probably not possible that the fans and the players are all in the pub celebrating with each other! When we went to the finals, we believed we had a chance to do well. We’d had a good qualification campaign. Why not? My passion for football came very early. I’m…

ROBERT PROSINECKI PORTSMOUTH (2001-02) CREDENTIALS The chain-smoking Croatian was a European Cup winner with Red Star Belgrade in 1991, finishing fifth in the Ballon d’Or standings before joining Real Madrid. Injuries and nicotine habits plagued his time at the Bernabeu, and would continue after Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona snapped him up on a free transfer in 1995. “I know smoking is not good for an athlete, but it relaxes me,” he once said. Prosinecki’s brilliant performances steered Croatia to third place at France 98, then Portsmouth owner Milan Mandaric used his powers of persuasion to lure a 32-year-old great to the second tier in 2001... HOW’D IT GO? Team-mates were initially unimpressed (Gary O’Neil claimed “it was like playing football with your dad”), as Prosinecki’s fitness issues gave the impression of…

1 SCORING TOO EARLY The Trotters struck home the Football League’s first ever goal when Kenny Davenport scored inside two minutes against Derby on September 8, 1888. The hosts surged into a 3-0 lead, but didn’t stay top of the live league table for very long (we assume the BBC were on it back then) – eventually, the Rams recovered to win 6-3. 2 PELE SAYS NO Despite being a second-tier team at the time, Bolton tried to appoint Pele as manager in 1982 – the icon had trained in the town with Brazil during the 1966 World Cup, but rejected the chance to replace George Mulhall. Wanderers similarly failed to add Rivaldo to their playing ranks in 2004; after flying in to meet Sam Allardyce, he signed…

Which moments stand out in your career? I must mention my first Champions League season at Villarreal in 2005-06, and the Euro 2008 title with Spain. Those were incredible moments. Reaching the Champions League semi-finals with an underdog like Villarreal was something special, then the European glory with Spain was even better. We played a perfect tournament and the victory was deserved – I doubt anyone would disagree. You were born in Brazil but chose to play for Spain. How did that happen? I’d never thought about it before the chance arose in 2005. Spain boss Luis Aragones said he'd consider calling me up for the national team if I agreed to play for Spain. I said yes. What was it like working with Aragones? Very nice. Before working with…

It may be kicking off 364 days later than originally planned, but Euro 2020 is finally here. It’s been a rough 12 months across the continent, but with light at the end of the tunnel, the European Championship is back to being front and centre for all 24 competing nations. Of those, North Macedonia and Finland are making their debuts in this competition – and while the wait hasn’t been quite so long for Scotland, 23 years since their last major tournament appearance have offered ample misery. Steve Clarke’s team make a welcome return alongside Denmark and the Dutch, after the pair failed to qualify in 2016. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo lifted the trophy in Paris that year, and the Selecao’s ultimate talisman is hunting two major scoring records here: becoming…

The 2018 World Cup will be remembered for many reasons: England reaching the semi-finals, Germany being rubbish, and that Iranian bloke who inexplicably did somersault throw-ins. But if there was one true highlight, it was surely Ally McCoist’s history lessons. The Scot formed a sensational double act on commentary with ITV mic man Jon Champion, showing a surprisingly in-depth knowledge of each Russian city’s history that the duo visited. During a fixture between Poland and Colombia, McCoist casually mused that, “Kazan has come a long way since it fell to Ivan the Terrible in 1552”, while a visit to Kaliningrad for Croatia against Nigeria prompted him to explain that, “I’ve always been fascinated by the role of the Teutonic Knights in the 13th century, and indeed the contribution culturally of…

1 HARRY KANE England Age 27 There are several spaces still up for grabs in Gareth Southgate’s side, but Kane is one of England’s few nailed-on starters. The Tottenham striker has added a creative streak to his game this season but still remains as lethal as ever inside the penalty area – as a seventh successive 20-plus goal season has demonstrated. The 2018 World Cup Golden Boot winner stat-padded his tally in Russia with three penalties, and will be on spot-kick duty again this summer. He should also benefit from the array of attacking talent supplying the ammunition behind him. 2 ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI Poland Age 32 Had the Ballon d’Or not been cancelled in 2020, Lewandowski would have run away with the prize. The Bayern Munich and Poland frontman was…

WE’LL HAVE A NEW CHAMPION The 15 previous European Championships have been won by 10 different nations: (West) Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Denmark and Greece. This summer, there will be an eleventh. England have home advantage in the group stage and if they reach the semis and final, while Belgium are well-fancied again, Croatia are World Cup finalists and Poland have Robert Lewandowski, FourFourTwo’s world player of the year. Ready for a first-time winner? HUNGARY WILL SURVIVE THE GROUP OF DEATH Drawn into a group with Portugal, France and Germany, Hungary won’t be popular in the work sweepstake. However, Euro 2020’s 24-team format means the minnows may have to finish ahead of only one of those to reach the knockout stage. As four…

From national hero to exiled taxi driver, Hakan Sukur’s atypical path since retiring barely reflects his status as an international icon. The 6ft 3in forward won no fewer than 112 caps for Turkey; he is, with 51 goals, far and away the nation’s record scorer; and he played a key part in the team that achieved their best-ever World Cup performance. Yet instead of being revered at home, he has been forced out of Turkey and is currently working for Uber in the US after his assets were frozen by a rather ungrateful Turkish government. Suker, an MP for the ruling Justice and Development Party from 2011 to 2013, was charged with criticising President Recep Erdogan on Twitter in early 2016. There was a warrant for his arrest after he…

BELGIUM CAN COPE WITHOUT EDEN HAZARD – THEY’VE SHOWN THAT Slowly, things have been building to a crescendo for Belgium. The Red Devils reached the last eight of the 2014 World Cup, then claimed third place at Russia 2018 – but their last European Championship experience was a stark reminder that tournament football is unforgiving. Hal Robson-Kanu showed how things can suddenly turn. Literally. Belgium and a magnificent Eden Hazard obliterated Hungary 4-0 in the last 16, and took the lead against Wales in their quarter-final, but they were dumped out by a clinical side. Marc Wilmots was accused of lacking the tactical acumen to respond to Chris Coleman’s setup; he resorted to the physicality of substitute Marouane Fellaini in a desperate attempt to rescue the tournament. It didn’t work.…

So good, they named, not one, but two awards after him. Many believed Lev Yashin was the best goalkeeper there had ever been during his 1950s and 1960s heyday, but it’s an indication of how revered the Russian gloveman still is that when FIFA were looking for a name for its title for the best goalkeeper at the World Cup in 1994, they called it the Lev Yashin Award. To add to that, the Yashin Trophy was founded by France Football in 2019 to give to the world’s best goalkeeper. The Russian shot-stopper’s influence on his position is undeniable. Not only did his reflexes, long arms and penchant for (very dark) blue kits earn him the nickname ‘the Black Spider’, his lack of inhibitions in taking control of his defence…

THERE’S CAMARADERIE IN THE SQUAD, BUT ALSO TALENT AND AMBITION The year-long delay to Finland’s first ever appearance at a major tournament was initially greeted with heavy-sighed frustration by the long-suffering fans of Finnish football – but it may actually work in their favour. The Huuhkajat (‘Eagle-owls’) had an impressive autumn that sent confidence rocketing to new heights, following home and away victories over both Ireland and Bulgaria in the Nations League, plus the cherry on top: a stunning friendly win over the reigning world champions, France. A tighter defence, busier midfield and rejuvenated strike force have made Markku Kanerva’s team an altogether different proposition to the one they represented 12 months ago. Most notably, a number of key players have benefited from the unwelcome wait. Bayer Leverkusen’s Lukas Hradecky…

AUSTRIA WILL HAVE TO BREAK THE SHACKLES TO MAKE AN IMPACT Austria went into Euro 2016 as dark horses after an understated but impressive unbeaten qualifying campaign, winning nine, drawing once and beating Russia home and away. However, hopes were swiftly dashed with a tame group-stage exit and only a point to take home, albeit from eventual champions Portugal. This time around, Das Nationalteam qualified with about as much creativity as their nickname would suggest, but keeping expectations to a minimum is probably for the best in 2021 anyway. To partially misquote John Cleese in Clockwise, it’s the hope that kills you. Franco Foda’s side recovered from a slow start in their qualifying group thanks to some attritional and uninspiring victories over Slovenia, Israel and North Macedonia, but many fans…

Six appearances and one goal may not immediately mark out Darko Pancev as an international superstar, but it’s what the languid forward achieved elsewhere that made him North Macedonia’s leading light. Born in the capital of Skopje, back when it was still part of Yugoslavia, Pancev shot to prominence by netting 248 league goals for local club Vardar and Red Star Belgrade in the 1980s and early ’90s, lifting the 1990–91 European Cup with Red Star. The lethal forward led the Yugoslav line at the 1990 World Cup in Italy and then top-scored during Euro 92 qualifying with 10 goals, including hat-tricks against Austria and Northern Ireland. Alas, he never got to strut his stuff at the finals in Sweden. With Yugoslavia descending into civil war due to political divisions…

If history has taught Spain anything – apart from the suitability of tightly-packed streets in order to outrun a bull – then it’s not to read too much into qualifying form before World Cups and European Championships. La Roja won eight matches and drew two in reaching Euro 2020 – their ninth unbeaten route to a major tournament in 13 attempts, going back to 1996. Sure, they won Euro 2008, Euro 2012 and the 2010 World Cup, but going undefeated before the next two World Cups hardly foresaw the calamities that followed. At least this time Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales did his managerial hiring and firing well in advance, as opposed to three years ago, when he discarded a Real Madrid-bound Julen Lopetegui in a fit of pique just…

Who is the greatest Polish forward ever? It may sound a silly question while that Munich-based goal machine keeps hitting headlines, but there is another contender: the bloke who currently runs Polish football. If you look at international achievements in particular, Zbigniew Boniek is definitely the main man, although the Euros did get away from him. Sporting a suave moustache and never shy to start a row, he troubled Europe’s defences for a decade, and a good few managers. And his own FA. Boniek initially blipped on global radars at Widzew Lodz, who knocked both Manchester clubs out of Europe, scoring twice at Maine Road in 1977. He made a two-goal cameo at the 1978 World Cup but really shone at Spain 82, although Poland’s third-place finish was bittersweet. Should…

Slovakians can enjoy the fact that their team has made it to consecutive European Championships – not least as 2016 was their first appearance in this competition – but, in truth, the past two years have hardly been inspiring. The good news is that their main target of reaching Euro 2020 was accomplished, via play-off victories over the Republic of Ireland and their northern neighbours. The bad news is that their overall form is far from hot. Slovakia began the qualifying campaign with former Czech international Pavel Hapal in charge, but a monotonous style of play resulted in some depressing results across 2020: Nations League home defeats to Czech Republic (1-3) and Israel (2-3) led to relegation from League B. Under Hapal’s hapless guidance, they squeezed through their Euro 2020…

If one man was grateful for Euro 2020 being delayed by a year, it was Joachim Löw. As Germany trudged glumly towards the tournament last summer, before COVID-19 intervened, there were serious concerns about a harrowing repeat of their 2018 World Cup display. Despite having access to a reliable production line of talent, Die Mannschaft spent too much of their post-Russia rebuild spluttering. That’s partly because the German FA left themselves no other choice, having awarded Löw a juicy new contract before that World Cup, but also because of their long-serving manager’s insistence in his ability to still do the job. Other than a defeat to the Netherlands, Germany’s 2019 was largely a step in the right direction on the field. Off it, Löw’s bold move to retire three stalwarts…