France Euro 2024 squad guide: A squad of stars. Proven winners. All other teams, beware “The manager: Didier Deschamps is the third longest-serving manager of a European nation and has overseen France’s return to the top of the world game. He was appointed in 2012, in the aftermath of a chaotic World Cup in South Africa two years prior. Blessed with an outstanding talent pool, he has turned France into a team to be feared again. His winning mentality was forged by a hugely successful playing career, which saw him win the Champions League twice, with Marseille and Juventus, before his crowning moment at the World Cup in 1998, where he lifted the trophy as captain of the national team on home soil. …”
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Netherlands Euro 2024 squad guide: Big names like Van Dijk and De Jong, but still lacking firepower “The manager: When Koeman arrived for his second term as Netherlands manager, replacing a 71-year-old Louis van Gaal who had just completed three spells, it caused little excitement. Koeman returned to the role off the back of failures in his last two club roles — at Everton and Barcelona — though his short spell in charge of the national team between 2018 and 2020 was more successful than might have been remembered. After missing out on qualification to the 2016 Euros and 2018 World Cup, the 61-year-old ensured a no-drama qualification for the delayed finals of Euro 2020, though stepped down to take over at Barcelona before the tournament. He also led the Netherlands to the final of the first Nations League in 2019. …”
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Poland Euro 2024 squad guide: Few strengths beyond a fading Lewandowski and a very tough group “The manager: Michal Probierz likes a 3-5-2 — and a controversial remark. Probierz was a promotion from within. In September 2023, he was coach of Poland’s under-21s when Fernando Santos was dismissed. Santos, who led Portugal to their unlikely Euro 2016 success, was not popular. His team were not good, either. A friendly win over a very poor Germany was a rare high point of a nine-month reign and Santos was sacked following an awful 2-0 defeat to Albania in their European Championship qualifying group. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
Austria Euro 2024 squad guide: Revitalised under Rangnick and eyeing upsets in Group D “The manager: After working in club football for the best part of four decades, his six months managing Manchester United in the 2021-22 season appear to have put Ralf Rangnick off. Over the past two years, he has shifted into the international game for the first time, preparing Austria for a close-to-home European Championshipjust over their northern border and, whisper it, appears to have positioned them in something approaching the ‘dark horses’ category… if they can get out of a really tough group also containing France, the Netherlands and Poland. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
“A players’ union has launched criminal action against a football club for the first time in an attempt to stop what it calls the ‘widespread’ behaviour of alleged bullying and intimidation of players. The Slovenian players’ union (SPINS) has filed a criminal complaint against national champions Olimpija Ljubljana, who won the Slovenian domestic double in 2022-23 and stand accused of alleged ‘bullying, harassment and humiliation”’of four players. SPINS has filed criminal charges against the club and its management, accusing them of leaving the players out of training sessions or camps in an attempt to get them to leave or sometimes to sign new contracts. Olimpija has yet to respond to the complaint. …”
“Europe’s top competition is back. For those who have missed the soothing tones of the Champions League anthem, fear not. The knockout stage is upon us and we have 16 more games to feast on over the next four weeks. Using 
“BEFORE football became the plaything of broadcasters, governments and corporates, big clubs could be found in almost every country in Europe. A club wasn’t considered big by merely having a huge bank balance, but more by its place in society. Hence, any list of the world’s most influential clubs would include those that were systemic in their own market – in other words, a giant in their domestic league and a force in European football. Today, a club’s revenues, wage bill, brand power and social media presence are every bit as important. This shift, coupled with the collapse of state-supported clubs in the old communist bloc, has changed the pecking order in global football. …”
Scissors Kick 