European Super Football

Let's explore a World Cup icon.  Nobby Stiles played for England for five years, winning 28 caps and scoring one goal.  He played every minute of England's 1966 FIFA World Cup campaign.  The last and only time they won a major tournament. Can they repeat the fate in 2022? You certainly won't see any players like Stiles this winter. In the semi-final of the 1966 World Cup against Portugal, he was given the job of marking Eusébio. His incredible performance resulted in Eusébio being nullified for most of game. Stiles then played in the final, which England won 4–2 against West Germany.  His post-match jig and dance at Wembley, holding the famous World Cup trophy in one hand and his false teeth in the other, was widely broadcast. It has also been referenced in a fairly popular song. Stiles spent the majority of his club career for Manchester United , spending 11 years at Old Trafford, where he became renowned for his tough tackling and ball-winning qualities. He was cruc

 Spain 1 - 0 England The wait for England to win its first Women's World Cup title continues after Spain won the final in Sydney. In a game full of flair and creativity, the Spanish team outplayed the Lionesses, looking to become the first England senior team to win a World Cup since 1966. After a final corner kick was dealt with by Spain in the 14th minute of nerve-wracking stoppage time, England players fell to their knees in tears at the final whistle. In the first half, Spain's Olga Carmona scored the winning goal after England's Lucy Bronze lost possession in midfield. Women's World Cup 2023 news and stories After losing two consecutive World Cup finals, Sarina Wiegman introduced Lauren James and Chloe Kelly at half-time, but Spain maintained control. Earps, who won the Golden Glove award as best goalkeeper at the tournament, made several stunning saves, none better than from the penalty spot to deny Jenni Hermoso in the second half. She moved early to her left

Franz Beckenbauer is a German former professional footballer and manager.  Quick summary of his career During an illustrious career, he was nicknamed "The Emperor" because of his elegant style, dominance and leadership on the field, The first name "Franz" is reminiscent of the Austrian emperors. He is widely regarded to be one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. He was a versatile player who started as a midfielder, Beckenbauer made his name as a central defender. He is often credited with having invented the role of the modern sweeper. Very few players have had that level of impact on the sport.  Club career At club level with Bayern Munich, Beckenbauer won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1967 and three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976. The latter feat made him the first player to win three European Cups as captain of his club. He became team manager and later president of Bayern Munich. After two spells with the New York Cosmos, he

Gareth Southgate's England have arrived in Germany, facing a crucial test to determine if they are genuine contenders or simply a team that falters when it matters most. Southgate’s tenure – whether it concludes at the end of Euro 2024 or continues beyond – should always be assessed against the chaos he inherited.  Appointed permanently in November 2016, Southgate has since led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, the Euro 2020 final, and the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals. World Cup 2022: How England's journey came to an end  As the England players settle into their base in Germany, there is much to be hopeful about. Southgate has fostered a positive atmosphere within the squad, with players now enjoying representing their country without the heavy burden of expectations. He has also rekindled a sense of goodwill from the fans and the wider public towards the team and himself. This tournament carries a sense of urgency – a ‘now or never’ moment – following the World C

Is it coming home for England or will Qatar mean more years of hurt? They were so close in both World Cup 2018 and the Euro 2020/2021 tournaments. They lost out to Croatia in the last World Cup, this was followed by a devastating penalty loss to Italy last year in the Euro 2020 final. Their female counterparts brought football home this summer by beating Germany in the final of Euro 2022. A repeat of that success will be crucial for the men's team. There is no doubt that the squad is talented and motivated. They just need to make the final step and get the trophy. Read a report on how England's female football talent won a major trophy -  Women's Euro 2022: England win after dramatic final (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The final squad has been announced after a lot of debate. Do you agree with the England manager's picks? Video credit -  The Telegraph - YouTube Reaction to the squad announcement Before we explore England's chances, let's explore the reacti

 Australia 1 - 3 England On a historic evening in Sydney, England spoiled co-hosts Australia's party by reaching the Women's World Cup final for the first time. A sell-out crowd at Stadium Australia was silenced by the Lionesses' 3-1 victory, making them the first English football team to reach a senior final since 1966. More news from the tournament can be found here: Latest Women's World Cup 2023 news and stories With this win, England, crowned European champions on home soil for the first time last year, showed their superiority and know-how against a team of Australia spurred on by a nation inspired by the Matildas' success after two sensational years under Sarina Wiegman. In this match, Ella Toone set the tone for England with this stunning strike. This made England fans start to dream. However, there was still a lot of time in the match.  📐 @EllaToone99 set the tone for England with a beautiful strike. @Xero | #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/Jf3CwOsEuB — FIFA W

 Lionel Messi has been named men's player of the year at the 2022 Best Fifa Awards. The World Cup winner beat French forwards Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to the prize. He captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, and scored 27 goals in 49 games for club and country in 2021-22. Liam, a Manchester United fan, told us: "You have to say, he deserves it. The World Cup was the crowning glory of this career." In a long statement, Messi told the media: "It's amazing. It's an honour for me to be here tonight and win this award. Without my team-mates I wouldn't be here. It was an amazing year and I achieved the dream that I've been hoping for so long and finally, I managed to achieve it." Manuel, a PSG fan, was delighted with Messi winning the award: "He deserves this award. However, more for his performances with Argentina then PSG sadly. I don't think we have seen the best of him in Paris." This is a full list of the other wi

Thomas Tuchel has been named as England's new manager Author - William G The 51-year-old German has signed an 18-month contract which will start on January 1st 2025. This makes him the third non-British coach to take permanent charge of the men’s team, following in the footsteps of Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello. Gareth Southgate stepped down from the role in July after England’s loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Lee Carsley, who has overseen four matches as interim manager since his appointment in August, will continue to lead the team for their Nations League fixtures against Greece and the Republic of Ireland next month. The best man for the job? The FA's decision to appoint Thomas Tuchel as England manager will likely be seen by some as a betrayal of the widely promoted pathway from St George’s Park to the top. Is this a snub to homegrown coaching talent? Tuchel, a German, will replace Gareth Southgate, who held the role for eight years after previously mana

England manager Gareth Southgate has signed a new contract to keep him in the role until December 2024. He has been manager of England since November 2016. During this time in charge, he led England to the final of Euro 2020 - their best performance in a competition since the 1966 World Cup.  He told the media: "It remains an incredible privilege to lead this team. We have a great opportunity in front of us." "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the players and support team for their hard work. I know they and the fans are all excited about what this squad could achieve in future." Assistant manager Steve Holland has also agreed a new deal through to the end of 2024. In 2018, he led England to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in 28 years. Under his tenure, they also finished third in the Uefa Nations League before reaching the previously mentioned Euro 2020 final, where they lost on penalties to Italy. Southgate also added with the media:

The relationship between English football fans and international football can be mixed.  Some see it as a refreshing change, offering a chance to follow their national team and watch players from different clubs come together to represent their country.  Author - Liam C Others view it as an unwelcome interruption to what they care about most, causing frustration and even outright disdain. In many ways, it’s a love-hate relationship that has become a regular feature of the footballing calendar. More disruption Some fans of the big Premier League clubs might be annoyed that this current break is the 2nd one in an already-packed schedule. Some teams such as Nottingham Forest have started to build momentum. A break for these fans could feel like a real mood-killer. That same level of passion doesn’t always translate to the international stage, especially outside major tournaments.  Another major point of contention has been the risk of injuries. A couple of injuries at this stage of th

 Everyone at European Super Football was saddened yesterday by the passing of the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton.  This article will explore his fantastic career. A brief summary Sir Bobby spent most of his club career at Manchester United, scoring 249 goals. It was only in 2017 that Wayne Rooney beat him as United's most prolific goalscorer. In terms of trophies, he won the First Division on three occasions and the Fa Cup in 1963. His crowning glory came in 1968 when he scored twice in their European Cup Final win against Benfica. His last game for United was against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 28 April 1973. Before the game, the BBC cameras for Match of the Day captured the Chelsea chairman handing him a commemorative cigarette case. Coincidentally, this day also marked his brother Jackie's last appearance for Leeds. The impact of Munich After bursting onto the scene at Manchester United in the 1950s, tragedy struck. The Munich Air Crash of 1958 also had a profound impact

Ahead of Euro 2024, we will start looking back at some iconic moments from previous competitions.  First up is a recap of the final of the last tournament.  You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. What were your memories of that memorable night?  HIGHLIGHTS | More penalty pain for England as Italy win Euro 2020 (youtube.com) England's hopes of ending a 55-year wait for a major trophy were crushed heartbreakingly as they lost 3-2 on penalties to Italy in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley.  On a night of incredible tension played in a feverish atmosphere, England looked on course for their most joyous day since the 1966 World Cup final when Luke Shaw gave them the dream start after only two minutes. Italy eventually edged their way back into the game and were level in the 67th minute when Leonardo Bonucci pounced after England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford turned Marco Verratti's header onto the post. More news from across Italy England look ahead to Euro

 England 3 - 0 Bosnia-Herzegovina Cole Palmer celebrated his first start for England by setting Gareth Southgate's team on the path to victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina at St James' Park, as preparations for Euro 2024 continued. England's heavily rotated side struggled to find their rhythm in a scrappy match. Still, they eventually broke the deadlock an hour in when Palmer confidently converted a penalty after Ezri Konsa was fouled during a corner. Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold secured the win with a fine volley at the far post five minutes before full-time. Harry Kane then added a third from close range, giving the final scoreline a more convincing look. Iconic Euros Moments: Throwback to England v Scotland (1996)  Iconic Euros moments: Throwback to England v Italy (2021)  Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, also making his full debut, was a standout performer until he was substituted, giving manager Southgate much to consider as he finalises his squad for the

Everyone at European Super Football was saddened by the death of Jimmy Greaves Greaves is often regarded as one England’s greatest strikers and a member of the squad that won the 1966 World Cup During his career, Greaves scored 132 goals for Chelsea in 169 matches between 1957 and 1961. He then moved to Tottenham and becoming their all-time top scorer with 266 goals in 379 appearances. He also scored 44 England goals in 57 appearances – including six hat-tricks. A statement on the Tottenham website read : “We are extremely saddened to learn of the passing of the great Jimmy Greaves, not just Tottenham Hotspur’s record goalscorer but the finest marksman this country has ever seen.” It goes onto say: "there’s no question that Jimmy’s arrival in N17 made us an even better team. He was a natural goalscorer, always in the right place at the right time to add the finishing touch to another well-worked move, while he could also create his own goals, as he did on numerous occasions by g

UEFA has confirmed that the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland will host the 2028 European Championships . The joint bid was unopposed after Turkey withdrew to focus on a bid with Italy for Euro 2032, which was also confirmed at a meeting in Switzerland. Check out this video from  FAI TV - YouTube The UK and Ireland focused on Euro 2028, with UEFA's approval, after they had previously cancelled a plan to be Europe's preferred candidate for the 2030 World Cup. London's Wembley Stadium and Glasgow's Hampden Park hosted games at Euro 2020. Wembley hosted the final after what proved to be a hugely controversial day where there were reports of carnage and hooliganism outside the stadium.  Matches at Euro 2028 are set to be held at 10 different grounds, including Wembley and Hampden Park alongside Cardiff's Principality Stadium and Dublin's Aviva Stadium. Belfast's Casement Park and Everton's Bramley-Moore Dock stadium, the former unbuilt while the

Let's look at some of the best matches and moments of 2021. England v Italy - Euro 2020 final It was so close to coming home. England had a superb tournament but came unstuck in a penalty shootout in the final. The gradual return of crowds throughout the competition meant a special atmosphere.  Italy's triumph was perhaps unexpected despite their wonderful run of form throughout recent history, Southgate and England went one better than their semi-final spot in the 2018 World Cup. Can they finally win their first trophy since 1966 in Qatar 2022? Another notable mention from the tournament was France 3-3 Switzerland. The 2018 World Cup winners were knocked out after an enthralling match. Chelsea v Manchester City - Champions League final Another all English final. Manchester City were desperate to win their first Champions League title but it never really happened for them on the night. Back in May, Greater Manchester took a detailed look at some of the best reaction from th

Back in July, News Ball UK spoke with a number of people about their favourite football matches. Finals, semi-finals and last day relegation battles are all mentioned here. Click here to read the original story. Manchester United 2 - 1 Bayern Munich. 1999 Champions League final On the 26th May 1999, Manchester United won the Champions League in rather dramatic circumstances. They sealed an historic Treble. Ryan Thomas said: "It was the greatest night of my life. Nothing has ever come close." More Manchester United news and stories can be found here>>> Wigan Athletic 1 - 0 Manchester City. 2013 FA Cup Final Dave Whelan's dreams had come true. Wigan Athletic have won the FA Cup. Marcus Thompson, a Wigan fan and occasional contributor, told this blog: "You grew up as a Wigan fan not expecting to ever do or win anything. Getting to the Premier League in 2005 was great but this was another level entirely." Oldham Athletic 4 - 3 Southampton. Oldham stay in th

There has been a dramatic announcement in the aftermath of the Euro 2024 final England manager Gareth Southgate has stepped down just two days after the team's defeat by Spain in the 2024 European Championship final. The Three Lions were narrowly beaten 2-1 in Berlin on Sunday , marking their second consecutive Euros final loss, following a penalty shootout defeat to Italy at Wembley three years ago. Southgate, aged 53, has overseen 102 matches during his eight-year tenure. His contract was due to end later this year. Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham has indicated that the search for Southgate’s replacement has already begun, and the FA aim to complete the process quickly. Southgate rekindled England fans' belief in their national side Aside from Sir Alf Ramsey, who led England to World Cup victory in 1966, Southgate is the only manager to have guided the men's team to a major tournament final. He managed England in four major tournaments, reaching

Italy 1 - 0 England It was another awful night for England as they were relegated from their Nations League. There are now a lot of questions to answer for Gareth Southgate.  He has of course been here before – in his nightmares at Molineux. Back in June, at the end of the 4-0 humiliation against Hungary, the England manager had ventured onto the pitch to applaud the home crowd. The boos that greeted him dripped with venom. And so to full time here. After Hungary at home; goodness, after the loss to Hungary away – plus the draws in between against Germany and Italy which had got this Nations League campaign off to such a bad start – it was a night when Southgate desperately needed a mood-changer, something to restore belief. Yet there would only be more frustration, more dead-ends and an absence of creative inspiration. Watch the highlights from England's dismal night. Footage from  England - YouTube   Jude Bellingham was England’s standout man on another poor night in the Nati

Whilst Wembley Stadium was hosting the England games during their victorious World Cup campaign, various other grounds across the country hosted matches.  Old Trafford hosted this match between Portugal and Bulgaria and it featured one of the greatest players of all time, Eusébio. Head to Greater Manchester Football to read the original story. Some wider context In the North West of England, Old Trafford and Goodison Park played host to Group 3 of the 66 World Cup. It was a group that contained some of the best players around at the time.  The group saw the two-time defending champions Brazil finish in third place behind Portugal and Hungary, be eliminated along with Bulgaria. Brazil were beaten 3–1 by Hungary in a classic encounter before falling by the same scoreline to Portugal in a controversial game.  Click here to read more from the archives The Portugal side contained Eusébio and they appearing in the finals for the first time, and made quite an impact.  They won all three of