Table of contents for Euro 2024 Preview in FourFourTwo UK

When did your support of Manchester United begin? When I was born in Ordsall, near the ground. Where I lived, you could see Old Trafford. My best mate was a City fan, so we’d go to one ground one week and the other the next. I used to park the coaches for the away fans, which was really interesting, especially when Leeds came. What was the first game that you ever attended? I was 10, so this would be 1966. It was the scariest thing in the world! We used to sneak in and, bloody hell, it was f**king mental with the fights and hooliganism – you were in fear of your life! I saw some terrible things with crowds and crushing; how more people weren’t killed, I’ll never know.…

Sir Alf Ramsey never forgot the moment when his dream job came to an end. Deep inside what was the FA’s Lancaster Gate headquarters, the England manager was summoned from his office to the plush council chamber to learn his fate. “It was the most devastating half hour of my life,” the World Cup winner later said. “I stood in a room almost full of staring committee men. It was like I was on trial. I thought I was going to be hanged.” The 54-year-old’s executioners advised him to go on holiday, to avoid ‘ordeals with the press’. The FA kept the decision secret for 10 days, until Joe Mercer’s appointment as caretaker manager. Then, on May 1, 1974, fully 50 years ago this month, the FA announced that Ramsey’s…

The tireless ex-forward on mixing it with Becks & Co at Euro 2004, as well as his love for Sven and Manchester derby wins How did it feel to break into the first team at Aston Villa, your boyhood club, in 1998? It meant the world to me. Now, I probably enjoy that achievement more than anything. At the time, because it’s so intense and you have such an important job, you find yourself caught up in the moment. You have to be professional and focus on the task at hand. No one thought it would happen, possibly, but I managed to make a career out of it. Why did you and Juan Pablo Angel form such a good strike partnership? Juan brought flair and ingenuity to the team. He…

ADIDAS PREDATOR ELITE TONGUE FG X Y-3 £350 prodirectsport.com Could this be the one – the best-looking boots ever made? They’re so good, you’d have to win a lottery to own a pair. “This is a strictly limited release for customers chosen by Pro:Direct Sport,” according to the website. The cleats form part of a collection that comprises a Real Madrid Y-3 fourth strip, training gear and goalkeeper gloves, with the name stitched into the tongue that of fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto, known for his avant-garde style. Only Real Madrid could really handle this vibe. CFC GENOA KAPPA FOURTH KIT £85 kappa.com A long-sleeved Kappa shirt just hits differently. Genoa have endured an on-off relationship with the Italian brand, so this is a throwback to when the pair first met…

Having failed to reach a single major tournament between 1986 and 2016, Hungary are getting ready for a third successive European Championship showing, their thirst fully quenched. The Magyars topped their Euro 2016 group ahead of fellow overachieving upstarts Iceland and eventual winners Portugal, then took points off France and Germany in the Group of Death five years on. The draw is considerably kinder this time and the Hungarians are quietly confident of ruffling feathers. LESSON FROM QUALIFYING The system works. After half a dozen years in charge, Marco Rossi knows his team perfectly. The opposition wasn’t the toughest, but qualifying unbeaten, and finishing above Serbia by defeating them home and away, was remarkable nonetheless. They haven’t lost a game since 2022, and that was 2-0 to Italy. STRENGTHS The tactical…

We don’t get much right at FFT – putting on our trousers the correct way round represents a proud daily achievement – so please forgive us a moment’s self-congratulation. “Spain will reach the last 16 full of hope,” we penned in our 2022 World Cup preview, “at which point Alvaro Morata fluffs his lines and inevitable shootout pain ensues.” Now, far be it from us to blow our own trumpet, but honk honk, eh? With apologies to Morata, who was too anonymous to be of note, Spain’s last-16 loss to Morocco from the spot following an insipid stalemate really was that predictable. It just had to be penalties. Only one country (sorry, Gareth) has been knocked out of more major tournament finals on shootouts than the Iberians, currently on six,…

If not now, when? And if not Gareth, whom? England travel to Germany as joint-favourites (with France) to lift their first major trophy in nearly 60 years, acutely aware that this summer represents a final shot at Euros glory for many of the party. Though Southgate has refused to be drawn on his post-tournament plans, many of the manager’s favourites will be 30-plus by kick-off. Jordan Pickford, Harry Maguire, Harry Kane, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Jordan Henderson and John Stones may feel it’s now or never in terms of lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy. That septet all started against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, all featured against Italy in the Euro 2020 Final and, unused substitute Trippier aside, all fell against France in the Qatar quarters. Fourth time…

After a chastening Euro 2016 as dark horses, Austria outperformed their humbler expectations at Euro 2020, reaching the last 16 by beating North Macedonia and Ukraine for their first tournament victories since Italia 90. For Euro 2024, anticipation levels lie somewhere in the middle. Das Team qualified in a solid yet unspectacular manner with a strong collective crafted by manager Ralf Rangnick, albeit one beset by devastating ACL injuries to Sasa Kalajdzic and captain David Alaba. LESSON FROM QUALIFYING Focus. Focus. Focus. Only Belgium took points off Austria in a qualification that yielded six wins from eight encounters; they did, though, play themselves into trouble. A wobble at home to Estonia left them needing a late winner, while a three-minute blackout against the Red Devils in Vienna saw them concede two…

Poland’s problem isn’t in reaching European Championships – 2024 will be their fifth finals outing in a row, including as 2012 co-hosts alongside Ukraine – but in achieving anything remotely good once they get there. They have won only two of 14 games in normal time over the previous four tournaments – both at Euro 2016 when they reached the last eight by beating Northern Ireland and Ukraine, then Switzerland on penalties. Poland have otherwise suffered group-stage exits, and something drastic would have to change if they are to avoid stinking out the gaff again in Germany this year. LESSON FROM QUALIFYING The Polish FA demanded a reset after dull and negative performances at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but picking dull and negative Fernando Santos as their manager proved…

Romania are at a major tournament for the first time since their entirely forgettable presence at Euro 2016. Following a dismal 2022-23 Nations League – they were relegated behind a trio of teams who aren’t in Germany this summer – the Tricolorii responded with impressive resolve to top their Euro 2024 qualifying group unbeaten. Resilience and team spirit have taken them this far, even if the 1990s flair of Messrs Hagi, Popescu, Petrescu et al is a long way in the rear view mirror. LESSON FROM QUALIFYING Embrace the sacrifice. Romania won six matches and drew four, but the results don’t show the full extent of their suffering: they scored twice in the final few minutes against both Switzerland and Kosovo to turn one point into four. Their best displays came…

Georgia is a football-mad nation. Even younger supporters from the Caucasus Mountains to the Black Sea can recite Dinamo Tbilisi’s 1981 Cup Winners’ Cup winners by heart. Their chances of success after Soviet independence were always seen as slim, however, and losing to North Macedonia in the Euro 2020 play-off final only crystallised that view. Three years on, the Crusaders have reached their first major tournament, with an assist from a superb 2022-23 Nations League campaign, and it is impossible to put the locals’ happiness into words. Yes, the demands placed on talismanic Napoli forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will be high, but earning a place in the European Championship finals is a remarkable feat in itself. LESSON FROM QUALIFYING Learn to lay a glove on the bigger boys. Georgia’s only wins were…

There’s nothing better than a tournament summer for football fans, and with the Euros kicking off in just a matter of weeks, the countdown is now officially on. England head to Germany with the best crop of talent we’ve seen since the Golden Generation – some would argue that this group of players are even better. In Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden alone, you have three of the world’s best players, all who are having remarkable seasons, in different leagues. That’s before mentioning the outstanding year that the Arsenal pair of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka have had as the Gunners have once again pushed for a Premier League title. Gareth Southgate will know the key men who are guaranteed places in his squad if they stay fit,…

KAREN BARDSLEY “She was an exceptional team-mate for Manchester City and England and a brilliant presence in goal. You always felt safe with her at the back. In the modern game, she’d still be pretty effective in a team that perhaps didn’t play out from the back. She tried to develop the game as it grew, and was a quality goalkeeper who kept you in games.” LUCY BRONZE “I don’t need to say much more. She’s redefined the full-back role in the women’s game. We didn’t see attacking full-backs until Lucy Bronze emerged and everyone has tried to follow suit. A proper winner.” WENDIE RENARD “I’m putting Wendie in at centre-back next to Rikke Sevecke because they’d complement each other. She read the game so well at Lyon and if…

After three tournament disasters in a row, Germany go into a European Championship on home soil under immense pressure. Stability and confidence need restoring to a team just as lost in the wilderness as the last time they solo-hosted a major tournament: the 2006 World Cup. Prematurely booted out at Bayern Munich, manager Julian Nagelsmann must swiftly re-establish his big-stage reputation as the face of Germany’s young coaching generation. The 36-year-old replaced Hansi Flick last September after a 4-1 humbling by Japan – a third successive defeat – but with no qualification campaign to focus the mind, the hosts’ new boss has had to make do with friendlies. A draw against Mexico and defeats to Turkey and Austria felt as if little had improved, but Nagelsmann’s Germany then relit their…

Albania are Group B underdogs and wear their badge proudly. Fanatical defending combined with deadly transitions via the flanks will be the Eagles’ weapons of choice. This is only their second major tournament, the first one being Euro 2016, but if you underestimate them, they can hurt you on the counter-attack faster than you can say ‘Sokol Cikalleshi’. No UEFA Nations League backdoor needed here – Albania topped their qualifying group. LESSON FROM QUALIFYING Trust the senior players. Though some talented youngsters are beginning to emerge – Ernest Muci, Mario Mitaj and Kristjan Asllani, a box-to-box midfielder impressing at Inter – it was their more seasoned team-mates who produced the goods in the games that mattered. They do, however, welcome back striker Armando Broja after the 22-year-old Chelsea livewire missed their…

Things looked quite good for Croatia ahead of the Qatar World Cup. The Vatreni’s change of generations was largely complete, with Luka Modric staying as the main creative force. The skipper was beyond his prime, sure, but he could still lead, dictate play and do all of those little things that had helped to deliver a spot in the 2018 World Cup Final for his country and the Ballon d’Or for himself. Josko Gvardiol was a rising talent in a new defensive line, while intriguing options – albeit not exactly world-class ones – had emerged in attack. The squad depth was rather extraordinary relative to the nation’s size, and Zlatko Dalic’s team, infused with fresh blood, justified bold predictions and claimed their second consecutive World Cup medal by coming third.…

Serbia have qualified for three of the last four World Cup finals, so it’s a quirk that this is the team’s first outing at a European Championship since Montenegrin independence. After a less than assured qualifying campaign, however, Dragan Stojkovic’s men head to Germany with less hope and enthusiasm than they did to Qatar in 2022. That tournament highlighted everything this unit lacks – an ability to hold onto leads, chief among them. LESSON FROM QUALIFYING That they’re far from their scintillating displays of 2021. That year, the Eagles topped their qualifying group ahead of Portugal; this time, they defeated only Montenegro and lowly Lithuania, lost twice to Hungary and barely snatched a pair of late draws with rock-bottom Bulgaria. The side looked defensively sloppy and missed stability throughout, as Stojkovic’s…

Can a side that has reached the last two World Cup finals, winning one, really have enough motivation to lift the lesser of the two major trophies for which they compete? Oh you bet. France and the Euros have plenty of unfinished business. As 2016 hosts, their hopes of wild celebrations on the Champs-Elysees were dashed when Eder (zero goals in 15 Swansea outings that season) smashed a soul-crushing winner for Portugal in extra time of the Stade de France showpiece. The pain of three years ago was just as acute: with nine minutes remaining, France let slip a 3-1 advantage against Switzerland in the last 16 and exited on penalties to a team who hadn’t won a knockout tie at a major tournament since 1938. However, recent disappointments may…

More than two years on from the beginning of Russia’s cruel invasion, occupation and extended state of war, Ukraine will participate in an event where football confirms its place as the most important of the least important things in life. Having fallen at the final hurdle in 2022 World Cup qualifying, Ukraine came through the play-offs this time and motivation couldn’t be higher for a talented squad. A fierce underdog determination has traditionally served sides well in European Championship history – could it do so again? LESSON FROM QUALIFYING Stay positive. Unlucky to be drawn with Euro 2020 finalists England and Italy, Ukraine missed out on automatic qualification only on the basis of their head-to-head record against the defending champions, having also had a strong penalty claim turned down in the…

Portugal have a proud European Championship record, reaching the semi-final or better at four of the last six tournaments. Anything less this year would be a big letdown after a record-breaking qualifying phase in which, for the first time in their history, they won every fixture. “Can we win it? Yes, we can,” said Bob the Builder Roberto Martinez after their perfect 10. “We know the talent we have. But talent alone doesn’t win games consistently. It’s your attitude, commitment and clarity of thought.” There has been a real swagger under Martinez, with 36 goals scored and only two conceded in their 10 matches making Portugal both the most potent attack and the meanest defence in qualifying. The Spaniard has brought fresh ideas and tactical flexibility to the Selecao –…

The tough-tackling ex-Chelsea defender on Euro 2008 heartbreak and how he got his ‘Cannibal’ moniker How was your relationship with Martin Jol, who gave you your professional debut? Jol played a very important role at the start of my career. Before I came to RKC [Waalwijk] I had a tough time in the youth academy of AZ Alkmaar when I lost my father at the age of 16. I was no longer myself and it affected my performances. AZ didn’t want to continue with me and I understood. RKC felt like a new start. Jol spent a lot of time with me. He was very critical, but he always had constructive criticism. He said that to get right to the top, one has to do more than the competition. If…

01 HARRY KANE England Age 30 Still banging them in as Bayern Munich stuttered, Kane will relish the chance to bolster his tumbleweedy trophy cabinet – one that does boast a World Cup Golden Boot, lest we forget. The Bundesliga’s winter break, while most of his England team-mates were being flogged to dust, could help him to stay club-sharp for the whole tournament. 02 KYLIAN MBAPPE France Age 25 Moving house is stressful for the best of us. Bring down the personalised Louis Vuitton basketball hoop or just buy a new one? Tricky. Mbappe looked flat as France failed three years ago, missing the crucial shootout spot-kick against Switzerland, and flirting with Real Madrid may distract him here. 03 CRISTIANO RONALDO Portugal Age 39 Unlike Jordan Henderson (in so many…

If a week is a long time in politics, then Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph in 2021 feels like an eternity ago. Since the post-COVID high of that against-the-odds win which electrified the country and sparked a festival of horn-beeping, flag-waving euphoria, the comedown has been savage. A second consecutive botched World Cup qualification campaign was an embarrassment for one of football’s most decorated international sides. Then Roberto Mancini’s decision to leave Italy for Saudi Arabia prompted outrage, and a nervy end to Euro 2024 qualification did nothing to assuage doubts that an upturn was imminent – all this, amid concerns over a chronic lack of young talent coming through. Gone are bone-crunching Wembley heroes Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. So, too, midfield schemer Marco Verratti and pint-sized winger Lorenzo Insigne,…

In Slovenia’s first appearance at the Euros, in 2000, they put on one of the tournament’s best ever group-stage matches. With this new team set up well by a canny coach, they hope that their second showing could offer something even more special than the 3-3 draw against FR Yugoslavia. Having been drawn to meet Serbia this summer, as well as qualifying rivals Denmark and their 2010 World Cup opponents England, they’ve nothing to lose from their first appearance at a major tournament in 14 years. Maybe they can earn themselves a nickname – Slovenia still await a suitable moniker, despite previous attempts to establish ‘Kekci’ during head coach Matjaz Kek’s first spell in charge from 2007 to 2011. LESSON FROM QUALIFYING Maintain their momentum. Sure, they had a kind draw,…

Ronald Koeman’s youthful side are one to be taken seriously after last year’s solid development. However, the former Everton and Barcelona boss has had to wade through some choppy waters since his second coming began in March 2023 with an inauspicious 4-0 defeat to France. Yes, injuries and a virus that swept through the Netherlands squad – flu or a dodgy chicken curry, depending on who you believe – presented mitigation, but the rout made the Oranje’s brave display in a World Cup quarter-final shootout exit to eventual champions Argentina, just a few months earlier, seem like the distant past. Absentees became a recurring issue, including in Nations League finals losses hosting Croatia and Italy last June, all resulting in a feeling that the Dutch were some way behind the…

This is Belgium 3.0 – neither the exhilarating side of the 2018 World Cup, nor the pale shadow of it at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, but a team in transition under a new manager and seeking to shed the skin of Belgium’s golden generation. Troubled by ailing players and intra-squad bickering, they departed Qatar through the backdoor due to the woodwork, obdurate Croatians and the profligacy of an unfit Romelu Lukaku. Roberto Martinez left and a flurry of retirements included Axel Witsel, Toby Alderweireld and Eden Hazard – their second, third and fourth most-capped men’s players. Now, for the first time in a decade, Belgium enter a tournament without high expectations. Strong ticket sales do still hint at a sense of cautious optimism, at least, re-energised by…

Reaching an eighth Euros finals from eight attempts as the Czech Republic was the result of probably the most unpredictable qualifying campaign that the 1996 runners-up have had. Their circuitous route to Germany began with a goal after 27 seconds in a fine 3-1 win over Poland, but it also featured a draw in Moldova and a 3-0 loss in Albania before the spectacular denouement. Less than half an hour after his side had beaten Moldova 3-0 to secure qualification, coach Jaroslav Silhavy resigned, citing the “anger and aggression” shown towards him. Ivan Hasek began in March with a pair of come-from-behind wins over Norway and Armenia, but he doesn’t have much time to change the playing style that so irked his predecessor’s critics. LESSON FROM QUALIFYING Keep scoring first. The…