Euro 2024 Highs and Lows

AFP/APP

Berlin: Ahead of the Euro 2024 final on Sunday between Spain and England, AFP Sport looks at some of the highs and lows of this summer’s football festival in Germany.

High: Great atmospheres

After the Covid-delayed Euro 2020 was spread around the continent, denying it a coherent sense of soul, this summer has seen hordes of fans descend on Germany looking to make up for lost time.

Many who chose not to head to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup were waiting with baited breath for the tournament to begin.

With cheap beer fuelling particularly vibrant atmospheres, the fans have been one of the highlights of the tournament.

Whether it be Turkey supporters tooting car horns into the night after their wins, the Dutch turning host cities into a ‘sea of Oranje’ or Scots making friends wherever they went, they proved time and time again fans make football.

Low: Safety first

While Spain have shone on their run to the final, too many of the strongest teams have failed to entertain.

France were eliminated in the semi-finals while scoring just one goal from open play themselves, operating a safety-first approach.

Gareth Southgate’s England did the same on their run to final, producing just five shots on target over 240 minutes against Slovakia and Switzerland in the last 16 and quarter-final respectively, won in extra time and on penalties.

Portugal, led astray by misfiring veteran striker Cristiano Ronaldo, needed penalties to edge past Slovenia after a 0-0 draw in the last 16 and then were knocked out in another shoot-out following a goalless tie with France.

The tournament’s biggest star on paper, Les Bleus’ Kylian Mbappe, netted just once and from the penalty spot, while England’s Harry Kane has been a shadow of himself.

Low: Political tension

Amid a political climate marked by key elections across Europe, there has been the occasional flashpoint.

Turkey defender Merih Demiral was banned for making a gesture associated with Turkish right-wing extremist group Grey Wolves.

Demiral said his wolf salute had no hidden message and was a show of Turkish pride but it sparked a diplomatic incident between his country and hosts Germany, whose politicians were critical of it.

In the group phase, meanwhile, offensive chants aimed at Serbians by Albania and Croatia fans caused both teams to be fined by UEFA.

High: Next-gen arrives

While the established star names fell flat to some extent in Germany, young players have excelled.

Spain’s Lamine Yamal became the youngest goalscorer in the competition’s history at 16 years old with his stunning strike against France, while on the opposite flank Nico Williams, who has just turned 22, also devastated opponents.

Germany’s trophy bid was powered by Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala, 21, and Arda Guler, 19, drove Turkey into the quarter-finals for the first time since 2008.

Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, 19, has also established himself as a vital part of England’s midfield.

Low: Dire defending champs

No side has successfully defended the European Championship apart from Spain in 2012 but Italy’s attempt to this summer was nothing short of woeful.

They triumphed at Euro 2020 but shorn of many of their key players from that side, including Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Marco Verratti, they fell flat in Germany.

The Azzurri beat minnows Albania 2-1 but were thoroughly outplayed in a 1-0 defeat by Spain and stole through with a last-gasp strike against Croatia in a 1-1 draw.

Coach Luciano Spalletti struggled to get a tune from his squad whom he labelled “slow” after they were ousted in the last 16 by Switzerland.

High: Thriving minnows

Debutants Georgia were the biggest success story at a tournament where lots of the smaller teams enjoyed great moments.

While many are critical of the Euros’ expansion from 16 teams to 24, some of the smaller nations showed why that can also be a positive.

Georgia made history by earning their first ever Euros win with a shock 2-0 triumph over Portugal to reach the knock-out rounds and even took the lead against finalists Spain in the last 16.

Slovakia had England on the ropes in that round with the Three Lions only rescued in the dying embers by Jude Bellingham’s stunning overhead kick, while Portugal only just scraped past Slovenia.

Matjaz Kek’s side reached the knock-out rounds of a major tournament for the first time in their history.