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. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
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. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
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
“The European Championships are almost upon us. Where the continent’s best and brightest gather to decide once and for all (or until 2028) who is the top dog. You have probably done all your research on the players and the teams and the tactics, so now it’s time to judge their outfits. And we’ve got some bad news for you folks: this has not been a vintage year for home kits. Too many templates, too many dull shirts, not much to get you excited about. And then there’s the kit that will make the players look like they’re wearing a diaper. So read on, and judge for yourselves…”
“The 2023–24 Premier League was the 32nd season of the 
“This was one of those results that felt like an instant piece of sports trivia, future material for the writers of football-themed pub quizzes. “In 2023-24, Inter won their 20th league title with a dominant league campaign in which they only lost two games. Which opponents beat them?” A trick question, as both defeats were to the same team. And an unlikely answer: 
“There’s a tendency to frame football matches in black and white: the winners got it right, the losers weren’t up to the task. But the reality is usually somewhere in between — an individual mistake here, or a shot that hits the post and stays out there, moments that can change the game state and momentum. More often than not, the 90 minutes and more played on the pitch are a shade of grey, and 
“The right to face 
“In the summer of 1999, Simone Inzaghi left boyhood club Piacenza and joined Lazio, where he would enjoy a fruitful first season by winning the Coppa Italia as well as their first Scudetto in 26 years (and their last to date). He would spend the following decade at the Biancocelesti before hanging up his boots, quickly transitioning into coaching with Lazio’s youth sides and eventually taking the reins as Lazio manager following Stefano Pioli’s sacking. Inzaghi’s interim spell in charge would last just a couple of months, but after his replacement Marcelo Bielsa walked away after less than a week at the helm, the Italian became the club’s permanent manager. Over the next five years, Inzaghi would lead Lazio to two trips to the Coppa Italia Final, winning the 2018/19 edition and coming away with the Supercoppa Italiana on two occasions. …”
“After another embarrassing failure from the national team, Dutch football has plummeted to a new low that marks a spectacular fall from its golden days of club and international glory. The 2-0 win over Sweden in their final qualifying game on Tuesday couldn’t prevent Netherlands missing out on the 2018 World Cup, but the country had given up hope long before then. After reaching the finals and semi-finals of the last two World Cups, Oranje find themselves the laughing stock of Europe and the latest slip leaves the country wondering once again where its national game is headed. …”
“
“
“As the final whistle blew on an action-packed 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium last night, many of us reached for our smartphones to check social media. … The decision not to award a penalty left Rio Ferdinand, a pundit for TNT Sports, the British broadcaster of the 
“When 
“To understand how 
Scissors Kick 