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First a message from our editor, James Andrew:
With only a matter of days remaining till the 2024 European Championship kicks off, the thrill is admittedly beginning to construct. The membership season is within the rear-view mirror and the main focus is now totally on the subsequent few weeks in Germany. There’s lots to get enthusiastic about as we look ahead to a summer time of gorgeous targets, scintillating video games and being soaked in beer.
If it’s targets you’re fascinated about, then the event’s biggest ever goalscorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, is featured on this difficulty as he prepares for his file sixth Euros – will or not it’s his final main finals? The second-highest scorer in Euros historical past, Michel Platini, talks us via Euro 84, when he scored 9 targets in 5 video games and helped France triumph for the primary time. Then the joint third-highest goalscorer on the Euros, Alan Shearer, discusses all issues 1996, when he bagged the Golden Boot however England suffered penalty ache within the semis.
This event guarantees to be one of the vital thrilling and open ever, so take pleasure in it, whether or not you’re going to video games in individual, watching from residence or heading down the pub with buddies.
James
Ronaldo: The final hurrah?
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal profession was nearly as good as over when he was dropped on the final World Cup – as a substitute, CR7 goes to Euro 2024 as their principal man as soon as extra, aged 39. Will this be the tip, and may he make one final pitch to be thought-about one of the best participant of all time?
Bellingham’s summer time to shine
Three years in the past, Jude Bellingham briefly turned the Euros’ youngest-ever participant – now, after an excellent debut marketing campaign at Actual Madrid, he’s able to make a fair greater influence.
Capitaine. Chief. Legende
Kylian Mbappe wrote his title into historical past at successive World Cups. Now France’s captain and determined to interrupt his Euros aim drought, can Actual Madrid’s newest Galactico lead Les Bleus to the Berlin showpiece and succeed the place Zinedine Zidane failed 18 years in the past?
Sylvinho: King of Albania
The ex-Arsenal and Brazil full-back was an surprising appointment final 12 months, however he guided the Balkan nation to Euro 2024 – now he tells FFT that he needs to spring one other shock.
Georgia’s rise to Euro 2024
A Frenchman, an Englishman and an area genius stroll right into a Caucasus nation to qualify for a primary main event – is that this a joke? Not for Georgia, who’re dreaming massive in Germany.
Platini relives Euro 84
Forty years in the past, Michel Platini’s Euros-record tally of NINE targets propelled France to glory on residence soil… and he wasn’t even a ahead. No participant has ever loved a finer European Championship – now, in his personal phrases, the midfield maestro remembers all of it with FFT.
How Shearer starred in 1996
Solely Cristiano Ronaldo and Michel Platini have plundered extra targets on the European Championship than Alan Shearer’s seven – the ahead walloped 5 of them at Wembley to safe the Golden Boot in 1996, and tells FFT why he discovered kind on the good second.
The best opinion-offerers on UK tv, by way of Del Boy, Area Jam and Donald Trump…
Don’t neglect the Copa America!
Household feuds, Bielsa’s return and an Icelandic dentist – it’s all been happening forward of South America’s greatest event hosted by, er, the USA. Oh, and Messi shall be turning up, too.
Paul Lambert solutions YOUR questions
The previous Borussia Dortmund, Celtic and Scotland midfielder talks ‘One Group in Tallinn’, marking Zinedine Zidane out of a Champions League closing, taking Norwich from League One to the Premier League in successive seasons, working with Roy Keane and way more.
Tactically talking
Adam Clery whips out his Subbuteo gear as soon as once more to summarise how England may take the handbrake off on the Euros, why Scotland may simply be the darkish horses of the summer time and what Spain’s 2012 champions did to show you don’t want a goalscorer to attain targets.
Across the grounds within the EFL, non-league and Scotland
Final season’s Scottish Premiership prime scorer, Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland, opens up about false profession begins, switch discuss and the prospect of main the road at Euro 2024.
Nathan Owolabi’s abilities on everybody’s favorite managerial sim, Soccer Supervisor, earned him a job at Bromley in February – now they’re an EFL membership and he’s dwelling a lifelong dream.
Diehard Peterborough fan Chris Dowsett describes Posh’s Finest & Worst days, together with ankle-breaking celebrations at Cardiff and excruciating play-off defeats at Hillsborough.
Mayor of the Mascots:
From decking dragons and chasing cheerleaders to throwing up in Silvio Berlusconi’s bathroom, H’Angus the Monkey wasn’t precisely your common politician…
Kernow confusion: Cornwall’s nationwide aspect nonetheless await their debut on the CONIFA World Cup – as non-league Truro Metropolis can attest, it’s a well-recognized story for the county soccer left behind.
The Mixer
Our round-up of the sport’s sought-after stuff options retro knitwear, Sunderland-inspired whiskey, Invincibles beer, iconic Predators and the creme de la creme of soccer tables.
Seen one thing you wish to put in The Mixer? DM Deputy Editor Matt Ketchell
Upfront
Taking part in off the final defender, it’s the big-man little-man partnership of soccer and funnies…
Republic of Eire royalty Ray Houghton names the video games that modified his life, whereas FFT columnist Jules Breach picks out a handful of gamers who may change into stars at Euro 2024.
Attempt to ace all 18 questions in one other Euros quiz, then learn concerning the time Suede icon and Arsenal fan Bernard Butler dined out with fearsome referee Pierluigi Collina in My Soccer.
Elsewhere, we debate who ought to handle England after the Euros, hear how a Norwegian goalkeeper killed a seagull and why a Brazilian group celebrated by pretending to be useless…
Within the Gamers Lounge this month…
Stelios Giannakopoulos hits again at claims that Greece had been overly defensive en path to successful Euro 2004, Stefan Kuntz remembers wrecking England’s goals at Euro 96 and Darijo Srna reveals how partying exhausting helped Croatia deny the Three Lions a spot at Euro 2008.
Excellent XI
Teddy Sheringham selects a Euro 96-themed aspect of Three Lions legends, however gives his place up entrance in Terry Venables’s fabled line-up for certainly one of his favorite England attackers.
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