EURO FEST
Italy combined class with an unquenchable winning mentality to deservedly win Euro 2020
2020 EURO CHAMPIONS
EURO 2020 RECAP
THE DELAYED EURO 2020 MADE FOR CAPTIVATING VIEWING FROM BEGINNING TO END AND CREATED MANY A LASTING MEMORY. STEPHEN DONOVAN LOOKS BACK ON THE TOURNAMENT AND ITS HIGHLIGHTS…
26 2020 EURO CHAMPIONS ITALY
‘THE MOST SUCCESSFUL FORMATION WAS 4-3-3, A SYSTEM FAVOURED BY THREE OF THE FOUR SEMIFINALISTS’
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t happened a year later than planned, but Euro 2020 was most definitely worth the wait. A unique tournament staged at 11 venues right across the continent at varying degrees of capacity, it captured the imagination through sheer entertainment and unpredictability, with high-quality football on show throughout and numerous records tumbling on the way to Italy’s eventual triumph. There was hardly a dull game to speak of as most teams went at each other punch for punch and often had to go the full distance in order to be separated, but in the end it was the best and most resilient side of all that still emerged on top. Back from the international wilderness of embarrassingly failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Italy were seen as dark horses by many, but that status quickly changed to serious contenders from the moment they got the competition underway with a stylish dismantling of Turkey. From there, they hardly put a foot wrong and although questions were frequently asked of them during the knockout stages, a collective determination and immense mental fortitude carried them all the way. Indeed, the competition as a whole was one that rewarded such strength of character. Nothing epitomized that more than Denmark, who were rocked by talisman Christian Eriksen’s sickening cardiac arrest and looked set for an early exit, only to regroup and produce a series of inspired performances which led them to the semi-finals. Elsewhere, England defied persistent concerns
Marco Verratti
