Euro 2020(1)

[Twist]

It feels like a terrible idea to have a multi nation hosted competition during the middle of a pandemic.

Was there ever any consideration given to moving to a single nation? I know Boris Johnson offered to host.

[Lineker]

26 player squads this time around, rather than the normal 23.

[Baddar]

JLingz has a chance of going now!

[Colly]

He'll take 3 extra keepers.

[Naitch]

And play them all as defensive midfielders.

[Baddar]

Laporte is switching allegiance and has opted to play for Spain, apparently.

[GA!]

36 minutes ago, Baddar said:

Laporte is switching allegiance and has opted to play for Spain, apparently.

It's like the time Curt Hennig defected from Wolfpac to Hollywood.

[Baddar]

I used to be under the impression that he was Spanish/Basque anyway. It shocked me when I found out he was representing France.

[Chris2K]

On 23/04/2021 at 09:32, Baddar said:

Now we'll just get endless cuts to the England camp instead, even during Belgium-Russia.

"Belgium 3, Russia 3 with 2 sendings off after an enthralling first half, we'll be talking to Roy and Glenn about the action shortly, but first let's head over to the England camp to see how the team are preparing, and find out what Jordan Henderson had for lunch."

[FestiveJack]

15 hours ago, Baddar said:

I used to be under the impression that he was Spanish/Basque anyway. It shocked me when I found out he was representing France.

He's about as Basque as I am. Had no ties to the region beyond a single great-grandparent and had never lived or played in the region until Bilbao signed him. It was the most ridiculous stretching of their policy.

[Baddar]

Do you have a Basque great-grandparent though?

[Colly]

I reckon one of my great grandparents had a basque, does that count?

[FestiveJack]

52 minutes ago, Baddar said:

Do you have a Basque great-grandparent though?

No idea but I could probably invent one and get signed.

[GA!]

17 hours ago, Chris2K said:

"Belgium 3, Russia 3 with 2 sendings off after an enthralling first half, we'll be talking to Roy and Glenn about the action shortly, but first let's head over to the England camp to see how the team are preparing, and find out what Jordan Henderson had for lunch."

My favourite tournament was World Cup 2014 because England were eliminated so early. It forced Gabriel Clarke to get his nose out of Wayne Rooney's arse and report on something else. It resulted in some really engaging coverage.

[Malenko]

12 hours ago, MadJack said:

No idea but I could probably invent one and get signed.

I know it's a joke but i want to explain some things or share my view on an argument that I hear a lot living over here.

While I understand the obvious stretch in this case, and while it may happen in the future if they stretch it further, nobody was signed based on their grandparent's nationality in their history. From the 20s - don't remember the exact date - to the 50s they only had local players, then up to 1979 only players born in the basque country in general (the historical region - not the Spanish community/county). Since 1979, they allow any player raised - which in the modern definition, just means having played in any basque youth squad - or born in the basque country to play for them. This change made sense when it was "established" because if there was a player who had lived all his life in the city but had been born outside the basque country wouldn't play for them. It happened with some players back then. Obviously this allows for subjectivity and depending on who's in charge at the time, the club may act more according to its interests rather than their ideals/philosophy - followed by many but not all.

Athletic scouts look for talented kids around both the modern day basque country and Navarra and the french basque country. Laporte was signed at the time after a youth tournament in which he represented the Aquitaine which includes Basques and non-basques. He was the latter although he mentioned he had basque grandparents at some point. I don't know if it's true and quite frankly don't care because it doesn't matter. Then he played for Bayonne's youth team first (obviously Athletic was involved in this) and thus *sigh* qualified to play for Athletic. 

This subject is a common topic in Spain with some pro Athletic voices and plenty anti Athletic opinions. E.g. Spanish nationalists hate them.

Still, while Laporte is an obvious stretch I don't think it's fair to say they sign whoever they want, which is a common point of view amongst those who hate the club, when those stretches are extremely rare.

 

Changing subject, because those are completely different situations, the spanish nationality obviously has nothing to do with this. Donato and more recently Senna and Diego Costa played for Spain, just like other players played for other national teams after obtaining the nationality. It has happened often enough in many European countries. You need 5 years living in Spain to ask for it. All of those did. Quite a few countries in Europe require 3 to 7 years in order to ask for it, I believe.

Once you get it you're another choice for the NT. He feels he won't be able to play world cup football in France and he wants to, so that's an option. Obviously he's french, feels french, acts french and maybe even kisses french. I'm obviously not denying he accepts playing for Spain just because he won't be able to play the world cup any other way.

I've been here long enough that I could get it. Pretty sure I'm not on Luis Enrique's plans for the future  but if I was and had a chance to play a world cup, I would too.

[FestiveJack]

Thank you for the further explanation @Malenko! 

I definitely don't blame Laporte for making the choice he's made - it's smart and that he's a world class centreback that has never played for his national team is kinda mad. Everyone wins in this - Spain gets an elite CB to partner Pau Torres (and spare Eric Garcia from the kind of exposure that comes from being first choice for a big national side), Laporte goes to big tournaments in the prime of his career, and France no longer has to worry about fitting him in with the other 15 or so CBs they could call up.

[Baddar]

Ibrahimovic will miss the Euro's.

[Colly]

Surely he can afford a telly?

[Lineker]

Quote

Steve Clarke has opted to put his faith in youth after naming the uncapped trio of Billy Gilmour, Nathan Patterson and David Turnbull in the Scotland squad for this summer’s European Championship.

Nineteen-year-olds Gilmour and Patterson and PFA Scotland young player of the year Turnbull, 21, have made the cut after being named in Clarke’s 26-man squad.

Scotland are heading to their first major tournament in 23 years next month and will host the Czech Republic and Croatia at Hampden either side of a trip to Wembley to face England.

The Chelsea midfielder Gilmour has emerged as a star of the future after moving to Stamford Bridge from Rangers, featuring in a number of high-profile Premier League and European matches. Clarke had until now resisted the urge to hand the deep-lying playmaker a senior call-up but the Scotland Under-21 player will now get his chance to prove he can make his mark.

Patterson is another highly rated teen talent, with his club manager Steven Gerrard claiming the defender was one of the nation’s “brightest prospects ever in terms of right-back”. With just 16 appearances to his name, it was feared a four-game ban he received for breaching lockdown rules earlier this year would count him out but Clarke has decided to look past that indiscretion.

Celtic’s Turnbull has also impressed in his first year at Parkhead. In a season of despair for his club’s supporters, the former Motherwell midfielder has been a rare shining light, contributing 10 goals and eight assists.

Turnbull’s club teammate James Forrest returns to the national team fold after a year of injury, while Newcastle’s Ryan Fraser is included despite Steve Bruce, his club manager, admitting it would be a gamble for him to join Clarke’s squad having not kicked a ball since March due to a groin injury. There is disappointment for the likes of Liam Palmer, Leigh Griffiths, Lawrence Shankland and Andy Considine, who have all been involved recently but have failed to make the squad.

Ryan Jack, Kenny McLean and Oli McBurnie had already been ruled out through injury. And there is no place either for Ryan Gauld despite the Farense forward’s impressive form in Portugal.

Liverpool’s Andy Robertson will become the first man since Colin Hendry at the 1998 World Cup to lead Scotland at a major tournament when his side face begin their campaign against the Czechs on 14 June.

David Marshall - whose vital spot-kick save from Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrovic sealed qualification - is expected to start again in goal ahead of Craig Gordon and Jon McLaughlin.

 

Quote

Scotland's 26-man Euro 2020 squad
Goalkeepers: Craig Gordon (Hearts), David Marshall (Derby), Jon McLaughlin (Rangers) 
Defenders: Liam Cooper (Leeds), Declan Gallagher (Motherwell), Grant Hanley (Norwich), Jack Hendry (Oostende, on loan from Celtic), Scott McKenna (Aberdeen), Stephen O'Donnell (Motherwell), Nathan Patterson (Rangers), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), Greg Taylor (Celtic), Kieran Tierney (Arsenal) 
Midfielders: Stuart Armstrong (Southampton), Ryan Christie (Celtic), John Fleck (Sheffield United), Billy Gilmour (Chelsea), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Scott McTominay (Manchester United), David Turnbull (Celtic) 
Forwards: Che Adams (Southampton), Lyndon Dykes (QPR), James Forrest (Celtic), Ryan Fraser (Newcastle), Kevin Nisbet (Hibernian) 

Elsewhere, the Bayern Munich teenager Jamal Musiala, who earned his first call-up in March after pledging his international future to Germany rather than England, has made the their 26-man squad.

[Baddar]

Sergio Ramos and Iago Aspas are the surprise absentees from the Spain squad.

No Real Madrid representation at all.

Adama Traore got picked.

Enrique only named 24 of 26 players.

I do wonder if it was a mix of Ramos not being properly fit for the past few months, and Enrique wanting to go with a Torres/Laporte partnership. Because not picking him at all is odd.