UEFA Euro 2024

[conscription]

In the moment winning is more fun, but losing is better in the long run.
If you win then it ruins all the following campaigns by setting up the bar high. A constant underperformer narrative however is very exciting, England has a long history of failures and despite being world class they still feel like an underdog, which makes every win feel special and not like a given.

[conscription]

Same goes for opposition
It’s much more exciting to play/win/draw against teams that are in a massive slump like Switzerland, Croatia or Denmark for example than against teams that are better right now but don’t have that pedigree

[matt]

In the moment winning is more fun, but losing is better in the long run.
If you win then it ruins all the following campaigns by setting up the bar high. A constant underperformer narrative however is very exciting, England has a long history of failures and despite being world class they still feel like an underdog, which makes every win feel special and not like a given.

Not really. There are always high expectations about England in recent tourmaments, both at home and abroad.
For EURO 2024 most of the people will include them in the top 3/4 of the most likely teams to win it.

[rpo.castro]

It's simple really. Of course I would derive huge enjoyment out of winning a Euro. But overall I would get more enjoyment from having the things I got in real life vs having to lose them all to get it. The pleasure of watching England racking up wins and the excitement of watching England winning games and progressing through those World Cups, which in turn enhances watching the games not involving England over the humiliation of watching England bomb out in two qualifying campaigns and seeing two tournaments without England and the lessened interest in tournaments without England. I still enjoyed Euro 2008, but it's not the same. World Cup 2014 with England eliminated after 2 games really showed the difference it makes to me enjoying a tournament's other games if England are in vs out.

Let's take it to the extreme. Which would you prefer? Portugal to win Euro 2028, but lose every other game outside of that tournament from now until the 2030 World Cup is over, or Portugal to win every game over that same period except the final of every tournament?

No brainer
If you don't win its like you never been there at all.
All those victories has no value when you are talking about teams of top level.
So only getting the trophy matters. Give me a Euro/WC every 8 or 10 years and being in sofa all the other editions. Bring it on.
One match means anything per se, only one step to final victory, if there won't be final victory those victories were meaningless.

So do you have that feeling that you wasted your time when your team gets knocked out?

Yes I do.
What do I remember of WC 2022, Euro 2020, WC 2018?
Argentina won, Italy won, France won, we didn't.

Euro 2016: we got 3 draws in GS (Iceland, Austria, Hungary), more 2 draws against Croatia and Poland (et and pk), 3-0 over Wales, and Eder's goal on final overtime silencing France. That I remember. I barely remember the oponents of most matches of other editions.

I know all matches from WC66 that was a huge achievement for a even small country that time, Euro 2000 and 2004 (our). But once you have a top team with world class players being top4 isn't memorable, and chosing that instead of winning even if once, its nuts.

Is Tottenham a fucking great club always achieving nothing?

[Lorric]

No brainer
If you don't win its like you never been there at all.
All those victories has no value when you are talking about teams of top level.
So only getting the trophy matters. Give me a Euro/WC every 8 or 10 years and being in sofa all the other editions. Bring it on.
One match means anything per se, only one step to final victory, if there won't be final victory those victories were meaningless.

So do you have that feeling that you wasted your time when your team gets knocked out?

Yes I do.
What do I remember of WC 2022, Euro 2020, WC 2018?
Argentina won, Italy won, France won, we didn't.

Euro 2016: we got 3 draws in GS (Iceland, Austria, Hungary), more 2 draws against Croatia and Poland (et and pk), 3-0 over Wales, and Eder's goal on final overtime silencing France. That I remember. I barely remember the oponents of most matches of other editions.

I know all matches from WC66 that was a huge achievement for a even small country that time, Euro 2000 and 2004 (our). But once you have a top team with world class players being top4 isn't memorable, and chosing that instead of winning even if once, its nuts.

Is Tottenham a fucking great club always achieving nothing?

That's the key difference, I enjoy the journey and still remember the good parts of it fondly. So it all becomes worthless to you after you go out but for me it doesn't.

Tottenham are annoying. They have enough resources to be a great club but they don't behave like one. With the resources available down our league, they may find themselves moved down the pecking order by clubs making better usage of said resources to climb the ladder.

[Lyonnais]

For EURO 2024 most of the people will include them in the top 3/4 of the most likely teams to win it.

Indeed.

As far as Germany are concerned, I tend to think that the situation is rather comparable to 2006, i.e. a German team under reconstruction.

My 2 cts bet: semi-final; they will do well but i may not be sufficient in the biggest games.

Otherwise, just for fun, I ran a random simulation using elo-ratings (transformed into 1X2 win expectations, then a random number) and I got a final NED-AUT with Netherlands win.
2 big teams (FRA and ESP) eliminated at group stage level brrr

[Jackson Harrison]

Here are my stage limits for the 33 remaining teams in UEFA Euro 2024:
Germany - semi-final
Portugal - champion
France - champion
Spain - final
Belgium - semi-final
England - champion
Hungary - semi-final
Türkiye - semi-final
Romania - Round of 16
Denmark - Round of 16
Albania - quarter-final
Austria - semi-final
Netherlands - final
Scotland - quarter-final
Croatia - final
Slovenia - Round of 16
Slovakia - Round of 16
Czechia - quarter-final
Italy - semi-final
Serbia - Round of 16
Switzerland - quarter-final
Wales - Round of 16
Finland - Group stage
Poland - Round of 16
Estonia - Play-off semi-final
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Play-off semi-final
Ukraine - quarter-final
Israel - group stage
Iceland - group stage
Georgia - play-off final
Luxembourg - group stage
Greece - quarter-final
Kazakhstan - group stage

[dandeer]

Here are my stage limits for the 33 remaining teams in UEFA Euro 2024:
Hungary - semi-final

Whaat?

[Jackson Harrison]

Here are my stage limits for the 33 remaining teams in UEFA Euro 2024:
Hungary - semi-final

Whaat?

Greece winning was a bigger shock than that.

Who expected Wales to make SF.

That's limit, i'm not saying you'll make SF.

[wannabeontop]

Oh okay, now I get it. By that logic I could argue the limit is even higher but SF is still great.

[Jackson Harrison]

Oh okay, now I get it. By that logic I could argue the limit is even higher but SF is still great.

Realistic.

That's the furthest I can see each team going.

[Kamtedrejt]

I don't think Germany's going out in the group stage. Their World Cup group was harder, and the 4pts there would almost certainly have been enough. Nations League group was harder and they again would have had enough. Their last three home friendlies against European opposition, lost 2-3 to Turkey, beat France 2-1 and drew 3-3 against Ukraine. Again, 4pts from a tougher trio than this group. They can at least scrape together enough points from three home games in this group.

Not 3-3 against Ukraine but a 2-0 loss to Austria actually.

Wasn't Austria away?

It was away in Vienna

[Kamtedrejt]

Quality/Teamwork Ratings UEFA Nations

1. FRA 5.0*/5.0*
2. ENG 5.0*/4.5*
3. POR 5.0*/4.5*
4. ESP 5.0*/4.5*
5. ITA 4.5*/5.0*
6. NED 4.5*/4.0*
7. BEL 4.5*/4.5*
8. CRO 4.5*/4.5*
9. AUT 4.0*/4.5*
10. DEN 4.5*/4.0*
11. HUN 4.0*/4.5*
12. GER 4.5*/3.5*
13. UKR 4.0*/4.0*
14. TUR 4.0*/4.5*
15. SCO 4.0*/4.5*
16. SUI 4.0*/4.0*
17. NOR 4.0*/3.5*
18. ROU 3.5*/4.5*
19. GRE 3.5*/4.0*
20. SRB 4.0*/3.5*
21. CZE 3.5*/4.0*
22. SVN 3.5*/4.0*
23. POL 4.0*/3.5*
24. WAL 3.5*/4.0*
25. ALB 3.5*/4.0*
26. SWE 4.0*/3.5*
27. SVK 3.5*/4.0*
28. MKD 3.5*/4.0*
29. FIN 3.0*/3.5*
30. RUS 3.5*/3.5*
31. GEO 3.0*/3.0*
32. IRL 3.5*/3.0*
33. ARM 3.0*/3.0*
34. KAZ 2.5*/3.5*
35. KOS 3.5*/3.0*
36. MNE 3.0*/3.0*
37. ISR 3.0*/3.0*
38. LUX 2.5*/3.0*
39. ISL 2.5*/3.0*
40. NIR 2.5*/3.0*
41. AZE 2.5*/3.0*
42. MDA 2.5*/3.0*
43. BUL 2.5*/3.0*
44. BLR 2.5*/3.0*
45. BIH 3.0*/2.5*
46. CYP 2.5*/2.0*
47. LVA 2.0*/2.5*
48. EST 1.5*/1.5*
49. MLT 1.5*/1.5
50. LTU 1.5*/1.5*
51. FRO 1.5*/1.5*

[Kamtedrejt]

Quality/Teamwork Ratings UEFA Nations

1. FRA 5.0*/5.0*
2. ENG 5.0*/4.5*
3. POR 5.0*/4.5*
4. ESP 5.0*/4.5*
5. ITA 4.5*/5.0*
6. NED 4.5*/4.0*
7. BEL 4.5*/4.5*
8. CRO 4.5*/4.5*
9. AUT 4.0*/4.5*
10. DEN 4.5*/4.0*
11. HUN 4.0*/4.5*
12. GER 4.5*/3.5*
13. UKR 4.0*/4.0*
14. TUR 4.0*/4.5*
15. SCO 4.0*/4.5*
16. SUI 4.0*/4.0*
17. NOR 4.0*/3.5*
18. ROU 3.5*/4.5*
19. GRE 3.5*/4.0*
20. SRB 4.0*/3.5*
21. CZE 3.5*/4.0*
22. SVN 3.5*/4.0*
23. POL 4.0*/3.5*
24. WAL 3.5*/4.0*
25. ALB 3.5*/4.0*
26. SWE 4.0*/3.5*
27. SVK 3.5*/4.0*
28. MKD 3.5*/4.0*
29. FIN 3.0*/3.5*
30. RUS 3.5*/3.5*
31. GEO 3.0*/3.0*
32. IRL 3.5*/3.0*
33. ARM 3.0*/3.0*
34. KAZ 2.5*/3.5*
35. KOS 3.5*/3.0*
36. MNE 3.0*/3.0*
37. ISR 3.0*/3.0*
38. LUX 2.5*/3.0*
39. ISL 2.5*/3.0*
40. NIR 2.5*/3.0*
41. AZE 2.5*/3.0*
42. MDA 2.5*/3.0*
43. BUL 2.5*/3.0*
44. BLR 2.5*/3.0*
45. BIH 3.0*/2.5*
46. CYP 2.5*/2.0*
47. LVA 2.0*/2.5*
48. EST 1.5*/1.5*
49. MLT 1.5*/1.5
50. LTU 1.5*/1.5*
51. FRO 1.5*/1.5*

These ratings are provisional and should be taken with a grain of salt.

They are bound to change. These 'quality' ratings are more based off quality on paper than actual quality shown on the pitch. Teamwork ratings are based off impressions I gathered throughout the EURO qualifiers. However I didn't watch enough games of most teams to give a truly informed opinion. So take these ratings with a pinch of a salt. Somebody just sent me two websites where you can watch full matches of EURO qualifiers for free. I'll for sure check out selected games and build my opinion particularly on the teams participating at EURO 2024 on that.

So expect me to revise these ratings afterwards / possibly sometime in spring of next year.

[amenina]

Former midfielder Ivan Hašek returns as the Czech Republic coach

https://apnews.com/article/hasek-czech- ... d2c738e0fe

January 4, 2024

PRAGUE (AP) — Ivan Hašek was appointed as the Czech Republic’s new coach for the European Championship on Thursday.

Hašek was hired to November 2025 with an option to extend his contract to the 2026 World Cup if the team qualifies, said Petr Fousek, the Czech Football Association head.

“It’s a great honor for me,” Hašek said,

He returns as coach after taking charge for five games in 2009-10.

Hašek, aged 60, replaces Jaroslav Šilhavý, who resigned on Nov. 20 after the final game in Euro 2024 qualifying, a 3-0 victory over Moldova. The result secured an eighth straight qualification for the Euros for the Czechs.

Šilhavý took over as coach in 2018 but was under fire for the team’s poor performances in qualifying. The Czechs completed Group E in second place behind Albania.

Under Šilhavý, the Czechs reached the quarterfinals of the 2020 European Championship.

Hašek was a midfielder who played 56 times for the Czechs from 1984–94. He coached in France, Japan and the Middle East. His last job was managing Lebanon until 2022.

“He was coaching abroad for a long time, which is a bonus,” Fousek said.

The Czechs open Euro 2024 in Germany on June 18 against Portugal in Leipzig before facing Turkey and a team from the playoffs, which will be known in March, in Group F.