Gautam Ganguly
(gautamganguly2012@gmail.com)
The 17th edition of the high-voltage quadrennial international football
championship organised by UEFA for the European men’s national teams comes to an end on July 15, having provided month-long nail-biting, action-filled entertainment. Germany has hosted the ‘Euro 2024’ tournament, comprising 24 teams, with Georgia making their European Championship debut.
At the risk of sounding hackneyed, it has to be stated that England has been the cradle of almost all sporting activities as far as ball games are concerned. Time was when there used to be a popular and humorous saying in English: “Cricket for the kings, tennis for the prince, football for the loafers, and rugby for the buggers.” It must be added to that the saying was a lighthearted one and bears any semblance with the prevailing reality in the history of man’s quest for entertainment and relaxation. In terms of popularity, football stands at the zenith of all outdoor games.
The Euro Cup 2024 has been a feast for football lovers. The intensely fought encounters and fiercely competitive matches have showcased the fact that, notwithstanding the exalted status of famous teams, there is virtually no room for a ‘cake walk’ for any team. A superb display of top class football saw lowly placed Georgia, the baby of the tournament, annihilate much-vaunted Portugal by two goals to nil. Cristiano Ronaldo’s million-dollar worth was virtually rendered ineffective by Georgian defenders.
Germany, the three-time Euro Cup champions, had started their campaign with a bang, beating Scotland by five goals to one. Then, when Denmark is defeated handsomely, things will look bright for the home team to win the trophy. However, Switzerland’s Herculean resistance against the home team resulted in a draw. Turkey defeated a strong Austria. All these performances prove the spirit of resistance by so-called lesser teams against top-notch teams.
In a classic instance of upset, the highly rated home team, Germany, was annihilated by Spain in their own backyard, much to the chagrin of millions of German supporters. Tony Kroos, one of the all-time best players in the world and the architect of the German victory in the 2014 FIFA World Cup championship, has announced his retirement following the shocking German defeat.
Italy, the reigning champion, was pulverised by Switzerland by a clear margin of two goals, causing another upset in the enthralling tournament. It was the first time the Swiss beat the Italians in the Euros and for the first time in over 30 years across all competitions.
England, being the nursery for grooming footballers across the world, has not been able to perform to its immense potential for over four decades in FIFA World Cup or Euro Cup outings. Much to the chagrin of its millions of followers across the world, the famed Beckham, Rooney, etc. could not do justice to their potential.
Similarly, Euro 2024 has witnessed a topsy-turvy England. In the run-up to the final, they defeated Slovakia in a heart-stopping encounter. Stunning England and its worldwide supporters, Slovakia took early lead by a solitary goal and kept the England team sweating and perspiring for nearly 89 minutes of the scheduled time. Amidst widespread frustration, Jude Bellingham equalised in the dying minutes acrobatically with a backvolley, much to the relief and joy of the team and supporters. Bellingham’s goal is rated as one of the all-time best by experts.
A highly charged Switzerland had ensured the match in the quarterfinal against England was a cliffhanger. England finally got over its jinx of losing in a ‘penalty shootout’ by converting all five penalty shots to beat Switzerland. It needs to be mentioned that losing in penalty shoot-outs has been a jinx that plagued England from the FIFA World Cup 1990 spread over different decades in the World Cup and Euro Cup. Even in the EURO Cup 2020, England lost to Italy in the final in the ‘tie-breaker’.
England has created a record by entering the Euro Cup final twice consecutively, having beaten a gallant Netherlands convincingly in the semi-final. None has reached the final twice successively since the mid-1970s. Credit must go to Gareth Southgate for his able guidance.
Spain has been in awesome form, displaying its golden touch of ‘Tiki-Taka’ style. To add to their superlative performance, Lamine Yamal, a sixteen-year-old boy, has stunned the football pundits with his brilliance. The young boy’s mind-blowing goal against France in the semifinal has led to Gary Lineker saying, “A superstar is born.”.
The much-awaited final has vindicated the objective analysis of the pundits predicting Spain’s dominance in the pulsating final of the Euro Cup 2024. A masquerading Spain has toppled the resilient England by a margin of 2-1 goals.
The extent of popularity of the Euro Cup can be felt by a survey conducted that revealed that 78% of Indians have followed in the UEFA Euro 2024.
Despite England’s second consecutive entry into the final, their dream to become triumphant and recreate the glory of 1966, when they became champion last time, has remained unfulfilled.