European Super Football

It's time to explore another legendary footballer.  Sergio Ramos is a Spanish professional footballer renowned as one of the greatest defenders ever.  Author - Peter Grainger from GMCR Football Ramos in action for Real Madrid against local rivals. Photo credit -  Jan S0L0 | Flickr Known for his tackling prowess, aerial strength, leadership, and an impressive goalscoring record for a defender, he netted over 100 goals for Real Madrid. During his sixteen seasons at Real Madrid, he won multiple UEFA Champions League titles, as well as two UEFA European Championships and the 2010 FIFA World Cup with the Spanish national team. An overview of his club career Ramos was born in Seville and developed his skills in Sevilla’s youth academy. After two seasons with Sevilla's senior team, he made a high-profile move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2005. He became an integral part of the squad, winning 22 major honours, including five La Liga titles and four Champions League titles. Ramos

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

 It's time to explore the life of another football icon. This time it's Paolo Cesare Maldini Paolo Maldini is an Italian former professional footballer who played primarily as a left-back and centre-back for AC Milan and the Italy national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time.  As the Milan and Italy captain for many years, he was nicknamed "Il Capitano" ("The Captain"). Maldini held the record for most appearances in Serie A, with 647, until 2020, when he was overtaken by Gianluigi Buffon. He is currently serving as technical director for Milan, as well as being co-owner of USL Championship club Miami FC. A true one-club man... Maldini spent all 25 seasons of his playing career in the Serie A with Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009. He won 26 trophies with Milan: the European Cup/UEFA Champions League five times, seven Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, five Supercoppa Italiana titles, five European/UEFA Super Cu

 England 2 - 1 Colombia As they came from behind against a dangerous Colombia side, England set up a  Women's World Cup semi-final with co-hosts Australia. Despite not playing their best football in the tournament, the European champions showed a much more rounded performance in Sydney in front of a hostile crowd. After goalkeeper Mary Earps had been beaten by a quick-thinking lob in the first half, the Lionesses capitalised on two slices of luck after being composed in defence and hard-working in attack. After Colombia goalkeeper Catalina Perez spilled a routine gather in the six-yard area under pressure from Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp poked in the equalizer just seven minutes after Leicy Santos had caught out Earps. Russo, who had only scored once in four World Cup matches before Saturday's quarter-final, worked tirelessly out of possession, pounced on a kind deflection to score England's second goal. As Colombia's attacking line-up included Real Madrid's tee

This was an article first published in Greater Manchester Football's European Legends series Zinedine Zidane is a legend that played for Juventus and Real Madrid (Zidane celebrates winning the World Cup in 1998) Early life One of Zidane's earliest memories involving football came when he was watching the 1986 World Cup. The performance in that tournament of Diego Maradona had a huge impact on him. He said "Maradona was another level." Move to Juventus After playing professionally in France for Cannes and Bordeaux, Zidane moved to Juventus in 1996. The Italian giants had just won the European Cup so they had signed him from a position of strength.  Zinédine Zidane stats for Juventus (All tournaments) 🏃 212 Appearances; ⚽ 31 Goals; 🅰 38 Assists. #ZinedineZidane #Juventus #SerieA #France pic.twitter.com/E9ZnzCOfWt — Buaksib (@buaksib) April 21, 2021 In his first season, Juventus won the 1996–97 Serie A title and the 1996 Intercontinental Cup. They won the Seri

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

Zlatan Ibrahimović is a former professional footballer who recently played as a striker for Serie A club AC Milan and the Sweden national team.  He is widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time. Ibrahimović is one of the most decorated active footballers in the world, having won 31 trophies in his career.  He has scored over 570 career goals, including more than 500 club goals, and has scored in each of the last four decades. Let's take a look at his career. The start of a decorated career Ibrahimović began his career at Malmö FF in 1999, and signed for Ajax two years later. At Ajax, he gained a reputation as one of the most promising forwards in Europe, and departed two years later to sign for Juventus.  Shining in Italy He excelled in Serie A in a strike partnership with David Trezeguet, before joining domestic rivals Inter Milan in 2006, where he won was Serie A top scorer in 2008–09 and won three consecutive Serie A titles.  An interesting season at Barcelo

 It's time for you to read about another football icon. Jaap Stam is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. As a player, he played as a centre-back and is regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation. A brief introduction Stam played for several European clubs including PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Lazio, Milan and Ajax. More icons The start of a fantastic career On August 15th 1992, Stam made his professional debut for FC Zwolle in a 1–1 draw against SC Heracles in the Eerste Divisie. He became a first-team regular right away and moved to Eredivisie club Cambuur Leeuwarden for the following season, but relegated in his first season which brought him back into the Eerste Divisie.  Two seasons performing well at Cambuur earned him a transfer to Eredivisie club Willem II. At Willem II, he immediately impressed at the Eredivisie level and earned a transfer to PSV Eindhoven despite only making 19 appearances. Icons: Henrik Larsson (eurosuperfootball.

France 1 - 1 Poland A masked Kylian Mbappe scored his first Euro 2024 goal, but France were held to a draw by an already-eliminated Poland, resulting in a second-place finish in Group D. France needed a win to secure the top spot, but Robert Lewandowski's penalty in the 79th minute cancelled out Mbappe’s earlier goal, scored from a penalty 11 minutes into the second half. Ralf Rangnick's Austria put on a brilliant performance to beat the Netherlands 3-2, topping the group, while the Dutch finished third. France, now in the same half of the draw as Portugal, Spain, and Germany , will face the runner-up in Group E. Mbappe, returning to the starting line-up with a protective mask after breaking his nose, finally scored his first European Championship goal to put France ahead. Ousmane Dembele was fouled in the area by Poland and Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior, allowing Mbappe to score from the spot. However, France seemed to relax after the goal, and Dayot Upamecano's clumsy

It's time to explore the stars of Euro 2024. Who was your favourite player from the tournament? We asked some of our contributors what they thought and examined how their careers might develop over the next few years.  Nico Williams - Spain Athletic Bilbao's talented winger stood out in Spain's 1-0 victory over Italy. He scored a powerful goal in their 4-1 win over Georgia and netted a brilliant finish in the final against England. Throughout the summer, he has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, as they reportedly consider him their top target. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - Georgia Georgia's 23-year-old striker Kvaratskhelia made a significant impact for Georgia during Euro 2024, and there are rumours that PSG is interested in signing him. Despite his side losing in the last 16, Kvaratskhelia has gained more admirers. His club Napoli have set a value of £85.2m for him, which might be too high for PSG. There are also reports linking Liverpool to the player. Ho

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

England U21 1 - 0 Spain U21 England won the European Under-21 Championship for the first time in nearly 40 years. James Trafford's dramatic last-minute penalty save ensured the Young Lions beat Spain. The young goalkeeper, who is set to join Burnley from Manchester City in a deal that could be worth up to £19m, kept out Abel Ruiz's low spot-kick in the 99th minute. The 20-year-old then produced another brilliant stop on the follow-up before being mobbed by his team-mates. More England news from every level can be found here. You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below.  England U21 1-0 Spain U21 | Heroic James Trafford Makes Young Lions European Champions! | Highlights - YouTube England just about had enough to overcome Spain The winning goal came with virtually the last kick of the first half when a Cole Palmer free-kick deflected off team-mate Curtis Jones and wrong-footed goalkeeper Arnau Tenas to find the bottom corner. Spain had a Ruiz goal ruled out f

It's time to explore another football icon. Henrik Larsson is a Swedish professional football coach and former player, formerly an assistant manager of Barcelona.  Larsson celebrating a goal for Celtic in 2005. The start of a wonderful career. Playing as a striker, Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. In 1992, he moved to Helsingborg IF where in his first season his partnership up front with Mats Magnusson helped the club win promotion  after over 20 seasons in the lower tiers.  He moved to Feyenoord in November 1993, staying for four years before leaving in 1997. During his time in the Dutch Eredivisie, he won two KNVB Cups with Feyenoord. Trevor Stolk told us: "He should have stayed with us for much longer. Look at what he did for Celtic. He could have achieved that with us if he'd stayed longer." Larsson also broke into the Swedish national football team and helped them finish in third place at the 1994 World Cup. He was gaining a lot of fans but whe

The end of an era in French football  Olivier Giroud has announced his intention to step down from international duty with France after Euro 2024. The AC Milan striker is that nation's all-time top scorer, with 57 goals in 131 appearances and won the World Cup in 2018. The former Arsenal and Chelsea forward has been named in Didier Deschamps' provisional squad for the Euros, which start next month in Germany. A key player for this golden generation of French football? Despite playing 465 minutes at the 2018 World Cup, Giroud did not score or have a shot on target. However, many of those around him have spoken about the massive impact he had. He scored four at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. This included a late winner against England in the quarter-finals. France went on to reach the final, where they were beaten on penalties by Argentina. Giroud is out of contract at AC Milan next month and has agreed to join American Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC after this summer&

Let's have a look at the reaction as Antonio Conte was appointed by Tottenham as their new manager until summer 2023. The Premier League club sacked Nuno Espirito Santo on Monday after just 17 games. The recent defeat by Manchester United was the final straw for the hierarchy at the club. The former Inter Milan manager said: "I am extremely happy to return to coaching, and to do so at a Premier League club that has the ambition to be a protagonist again." Social media reaction Let's have a look at the best tweets since Conte's appointment. This is how the Tottenham official account responded. ✍️ We are delighted to announce the appointment of Antonio Conte as our Head Coach on a contract until the summer of 2023, with an option to extend. — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 2, 2021 One fan replied: "What an appointment! However, you would have to ask why he wasn't brought in after Mourinho was sacked? It could be a very interesting few

Scotland 1 - 1 Switzerland Scotland entered this match with one aim: to avoid being sent home with regrets.  A loss in Cologne would have left them needing unlikely help from other groups, even if they managed to beat Hungary in Stuttgart on Sunday. Now, Scotland know a win against Hungary would bring them to a four-point total, likely enough to secure a coveted spot in the tournament knockout stages for the first time. The Scots bounced back admirably from their 5-1 thrashing by Germany. However, as the dust settles on this thrilling encounter, they may felt they deserved more. Just 102 seconds in, John McGinn won Scotland a corner, showing more attacking intent than in their painful loss in Munich on Friday. Scott McTominay took the set-piece, but it was deflected by a defender. Euro 2024 news and stories  Scotland's breakthrough came from a Swiss corner. The Swiss hesitated after taking it short, allowing Scotland to counter. Billy Gilmour, back in the starting lineup, calml

Students studying the media studies GCSE this academic year will analyse Marcus Rashford's role as an influencer. The syllabus will take a look at the use of social media and how it has been used to speak out on issues such as free school meals and racism. The Manchester United and England forward has already been awarded an MBE and is seen as a role model by many within the education system. He has already had a fantastic career so far. Rashford made his debut in a Europa League match in 2016, scoring twice. This was the start of things to come. Since first coming onto the scene, he has won the FA Cup , League Cup and Europa League. He also runners up medals in the FA Cup and Europa League alongside the same medal in the European Championships. Of course, Marcus Rashford is far more than a footballer now. A former teacher of his said: "On the pitch, he is a fantastic player and off the pitch, he is speaking up and standing up for the rights of children. It is important for

England have confirmed their 26-man squad for the European Championships Gareth Southgate has revealed his final 26-man squad, and some notable names are missing. Manchester City's Jack Grealish, Manchester United's Harry Maguire, and Tottenham's James Maddison have all been left out. Burnley's goalkeeper James Trafford, Liverpool's defender Jarell Quansah, Everton's defender Jarrad Branthwaite, and Liverpool's midfielder Curtis Jones, who were part of the initial 33-player shortlist, have also not made the cut. Manchester United's Luke Shaw who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since mid-February, is part of the squad. This has come to the surprise of many but his experience and nature as one of England's best left-backs probably swung that in his favour. Euro 2024 news and stories (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) International Friendly: England start Euros prep with a win (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Goalkeepers Dean Henderson (Cr

 Malta 0 - 4 England England continued their perfect record in Euro 2024 qualifying with a comfortable win at Malta. Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold scored a fine 25-yard strike between an own goal and two penalties from Harry Kane and Callum Wilson. Gareth Southgate's side had little trouble dispatching the side 172nd in the Fifa rankings. The England boss would maybe liked a couple of extra goals but apart from that, he'd very little to complain about. You can watch the highlights in the video below. Footage from Channel 4 Sport.  Malta v England (0-4) | Trent Alexander-Arnold Masterclass | Match Highlights | Euro 2024 - YouTube The three points were sealed inside the first 31 minutes as Ferdinando Apap turned past his goalkeeper before Alexander-Arnold's impressive strike. Just over 90 seconds after Alexander-Arnold's goal, Kane made it 3-0 from the penalty spot after being fouled by Matthew Guillaumier. It was his 50th competitive England goal which means

Germany is preparing to host and take part in Euro 2024 How far can they go? They are aiming to win their first major title in a decade as they host Euro 2024. Their Group A opener against Scotland marks the beginning of what the country hopes will be a month-long celebration for the country Despite Germany's impressive history of four World Cups and three European Championships, their reputation has been somewhat marred by a string of failures since their 2014 World Cup victory in Brazil. The team is relying on a mix of exceptionally talented young players, such as Jamal Musiala and newly-crowned Bundesliga champion Florian Wirtz, alongside seasoned veterans like 2014 World Cup winners Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller, and Toni Kroos. Challenges in the run-up Between March and September 2023, Germany lost four out of five games against mediocre opponents and failed to secure any wins. Hansi Flick, who also saw his team crash out of the group stages at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar,