Some people think it’s all over and it is for both England and Gareth Southgate – an eight-year journey ends with another defeat in a European Championship Final. This time to Spain, who were the better team not only in the final but throughout the tournament as you will see from the Nuggets below starting with
Vamos Espana
As Carlos Alcaraz predicted, last Sunday was an enjoyable one for Spanish sport with Alcaraz winning his second Wimbledon title before the football side won a record fourth European Championships, putting them ahead of Germany who have won three.
Spain became the first side to win all seven matches at a tournament (previously France had won all their matches in 1984 but there were only eight teams, so just five matches – three Group games, a semi-final and final).
They also scored the most goals – 14 – of any team (although they did play more matches than France
Final Farewell, Gareth
Gareth Southgate’s departure in the wake of the Final defeat to Spain ended his eight-year tenure. The statistics show he is the most successful manager of the English side, in winning nine knock-out tournaments matches (3 World Cup, 6 Euros) he equals the number won by all his predecessors combined (8 World Cup, 1 Euros)
In less good news, England became the first country to lose successive Euros final and extended their record of playing in the most tournaments without a championship win to eleven. It still refuses to come home.
Age is just a number
Much of the attention during the tournament focused on age. At one end of the spectrum, the ‘oldies’ were represented by Pepe who at the age of 41 became the oldest player to appear at the Euros and at 38 years-old Luka Modric became the oldest goalscorer. Both are older than Julian Nagelsmann who now is the youngest manager at a Euros at 36 years-old.
While Lamine Yamal’s excellent performances were overshadowed by the continuous references to his youth and thousands of ‘What were you doing when you were sixteen?’ references from media folk. Thankfully, Yamal turned seventeen on the eve of the final and made us all feel not quite as bad about wasting our time as a 16-year-old. He became the youngest player to play in a Euros tournament and score and appear in a final.
Finally, for context
July 2007 – Yamal born
August 2007 – Pepe called up to Portuguese national squad.
Goals dry up while Own Goals flourish
After an initial flurry of goals in the first dozen Group matches – 34 at a rate of 2.83, there was a distinct slowdown with 83 in the remaining 39 matches – a rate of 2.13. Only Spain and the Netherlands managed more than two goals in the knock-out stages and both of those matches came in the Round of 16.
Despite the lack of goals there were a few records broken –
- Albania’s Nedim Bajrami scored the quickest Euros goal in 23 seconds against Italy.
- Hungary’s Kevin Csoboth scooted the latest goal in regulation time in the 100th minute to hasten Scotland out of the tournament.
- Turkey’s Merih Demiral scored the fastest goal in a knock-out match in 57 seconds against Austria.
Of the 117 goals in the entire tournament, there were ten Own Goals, or around 8.5%. In the previous Euros there had been a grand total of 142 goals with a record eleven OGs at a lower percentage of just under 8%. As pointed out in this Guardian piece – https://bit.ly/45QE6FT – the last two tournaments have featured 21 OGs, compared to nine in the previous fifteen tournaments between 1960 and 2016. 70% of own goals have been scored in 2020(1) and 2024.
Jocks away
Talking of own goals, OGs were Scots’ joint top scorer and even McTominay’s goal against the Swiss was originally credited as an OG, so at least they were spared the ignominy of returning home with their only goals being generously donated by the opposition.
In less good news Steve Clarke’s team were one of only four sides to muster just a single point before their exit and as the Scots’ goal difference was minus 5, the worst of that quartet they finished rock bottom of the 24 nations. It was also the twelfth time the Scots had appeared in a World Cup/Euros and they are yet to qualify for the latter stages in any of them. It’s the hope that kills you.
If you want to test yourself on your knowledge of 2024 here’s Guardian quiz – https://bit.ly/3zFvW7x
‘It Started With a Kick’
This week’s episode features the actor/writer/producer Jim Piddock whose first match was a goalless draw between Charlton and Palace at the Valley in 1968, after which he was hooked on the Selhurst Park team. He talks about his experience of watching Palace secure their first ever promotion to the top flight the following year; how he had to follow from afar when he moved to the US in his early twenties to pursue his acting career and how he celebrated the 2013 play-offs final victory with Maxi Jazz in an empty Wembley Stadium while Maxi smoked a spliff.
Here are links to both parts of Jim’s episode
Part 1 https://bit.ly/3xWuxZI
Part 2 https://bit.ly/3Y795vy
The Football Mine 