The European Championships evolved from a four-team event to an eight team affair in 1980 and although that particular edition was somewhat tame, in 1984 and 1988, Europe was treated to two excellent tournaments in France and Germany respectively. Prior … Continue reading The Euros – 1976 to 1988: Penalties, Platini and volleys
EURO 2020 could be one of the most open competitions in recent memory. A combination of countries and clubs in transition, the pandemic, fatigue and just a little anxiety could mean the viewing public may be in for a surprise … Continue reading It’s not quite 1996, but England can forge some advantage
THE FIRST four winners of the European Championship were the Soviet Union, Spain, Italy and West Germany. The competition didn’t really take off until 1972 when a brilliant German side captivated the continent with its progressive football. When the USSR … Continue reading The Euros – 1960 to 1972: From Netto to Netzer
NO MATTER how well Gareth Southgate’s team performs and how much good progress was made in the 2018 World Cup, many football fans still find international break weekends tedious and an unwelcome distraction. Southgate and his immediate predecessors got what … Continue reading Commentary Box: Why we grudgingly tolerate international breaks
NO sooner than the World Cup is over, we will all focus on the next international competition, the UEFA Nations League (UNL). Designed to create relevance in a crowded fixture list, the UNL is UEFA’s attempt to make national team … Continue reading Nations League – do we really need it?
WHEN Hungary looked as though they were about to rule the football world, the country had a revolution and the team dubbed the best on the planet all but broke up. In September 1956, Hungary won 1-0 in Moscow in … Continue reading The last Magyars – Hungary’s 1960s revival
