“Welcome to the Guardian’s Euro 2024 stadium guide, which will take you through the 10 venues being used for this summer’s tournament. Some of the names may look unfamiliar at first glance as Uefa avoid using stadium-specific sponsors for the tournament. …”
Guardian (Audio)
“On 14 July, the European champions will be crowned in Berlin. No one really expects a former communist country to win in the city whose division once symbolised the cold war but perhaps, finally, 35 years after the Wall came down, the eastern part of the continent is beginning from a football perspective to regather its strength. Not including Germany (two players in their provisional squad were born in the east), 11 of the 24 teams at the Euros will be from the former Soviet bloc, as opposed to eight in 2020 and 2016. Even including the two hosts, Poland and Ukraine, five of the 16 were from the east in 2012; there were five in 2008, 2004 and 1996 and four in 2000. …”
Guardian – Jonathan Wilson
Turkey Euro 2024 squad guide: ‘The Little Airplane’, silky playmakers and calls from Erdogan “The manager: The Little Airplane, as the 5ft 8in (173cm) Vincenzo Montella became known in his playing days because of his arms-out goal celebration, quickly achieved lift-off as Turkey manager after getting the job last September. The opening goal of his reign, by Baris Alper Yilmaz the following month, was historic in more ways than one, because it condemned Croatia to their first ever home defeat in a European Championship qualifier. Then in November, Turkey surprised Germany in another away game, coming from 1-0 down to win 3-2 in a Berlin friendly. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Georgia Euro 2024 squad guide: Kvaratskhelia in attack but defence is untested “The manager: If you lead a national team to their first major tournament, it is a fair bet that you will be adored. Former France full-back Willy Sagnol took over Georgia at a difficult time four years ago, when they had narrowly failed to qualify for Euro 2020 after losing to North Macedonia in their Path D play-off final. The game was delayed and played without fans because of Covid-19 restrictions, leaving Georgia without their vociferous home support. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Portugal Euro 2024 squad guide: The complete package, if the balance is right “The manager: After falling short of winning a title with one country’s ‘golden generation’ of players, Roberto Martinez is now tasked with going one better with another set. Martinez led Belgium to the top of FIFA’s world rankings and kept them there for more than half of his six-year tenure but, across three major tournaments, they couldn’t go that final step. They lost to World Cup winners France in the semi-finals in 2018 and European Championshipwinners Italy in the quarters in 2021. Martinez’s reign ended horribly in 2022 with an embarrassing group-stage exit from the Qatar World Cup, bowing out after drawing 0-0 with Croatia when the only target Romelu Lukaku hit was the dugout in a post-match rage. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Czech Republic Euro 2024 squad guide: Expect unadulterated no-thrills football “The manager: ‘The pressure was already enormous. Sometimes, I didn’t understand it myself.’ Those were the words of Jaroslav Silhavy, who stepped down as Czech Republic head coach in November after successfully qualifying for Euro 2024. In his place came the experienced Ivan Hasek, 60, a former midfielder who captained Czechoslovakia to the World Cup quarter-finals in 1990. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Belgium Euro 2024 squad guide: Talisman Lukaku, Bakayoko one to watch – but Courtois left out “The manager: Marc Wilmots and Roberto Martinez finished empty-handed despite having Belgium’s golden generation in their prime. Now, Domenico Tedesco has the task of trying to claim the national team’s first major silverware with its remaining stars now the wrong side of 30 and their successors still growing into their potential. Belgium are yet to lose a game since Tedesco took over in February 2023, with the new man typically setting up his team in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Ukraine Euro 2024 guide: A strong squad and La Liga’s top scorer – but the war weighs heavy “The manager: There was an element of destiny to Sergei Rebrov becoming Ukraine’s head coach. Andriy Shevchenko had a go, leading his country at the last European Championship, but his former strike partner and fellow national hero took over in 2023. If it was a sentimental appointment, you can understand why: if ever a national team needed an emotional connection to its manager, it is Ukraine right now. The war with Russia is into its third year and they have not played a genuine home game since March 2022. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Romania Euro 2024 squad guide: Iordanescu has a settled defence but Coman could star “The manager: The name of Romania’s coach might ring a bell. Probably not from his playing career: Edward Iordanescu was a journeyman midfielder who shuttled around a series of relatively minor Romanian clubs. Maybe not even for his coaching career either: he won the league with CFR Cluj in 2021, but otherwise there’s not much that would stand out to an outside observer. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Slovakia Euro 2024 squad guide: A familiar blend of experience led by a former coffee-seller “The manager: There can’t be many more unusual stories in international management than Francesco Calzona. Calzona didn’t have much of a playing career to speak of and, in fact, split his younger days between amateur football and selling coffee. He eventually became part of Maurizio Sarri’s coaching staff at five clubs, including his most successful years at Napoli, which is where the seeds of his appointment as Slovakia manager were sown. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Scissors Kick 