Euro 2020 starts, reminding us what the game - and the competition - are supposed to be about

The Independent’s football newsletter [View in browser]( [The Independent]( June 11, 2021 [The Independent]( Reading the Game Written by Miguel Delaney A continent awaits [Oscars image] There are few feelings in football like the morning a major tournament starts. The players feel it every bit as much as the fans, as can be sensed around the Italian and Turkish squads today. It is almost like childlike. How can it be anything else when so many people are giddy at the idea of losing themselves to days of football for the next four weeks, as well as the great evenings out celebrating it all? That is an excitement only exacerbated by the 15 months we've just had. The Italian team - not to mention England and so many other hosts - are simply elated at the prospect of playing in front of a home crowd for a proper event. There were times over the past year when it seemed it would be denied us, not least when the competition was postponed last summer. There is that sense of life again, of possibility, of people coming together. It's what football is really all about. There are of course many problems with this tournament, from its conception to its structure, as Uefa ludicrously attempt to run a pan-European competition at the time of a global pandemic. And yet the celebration of life that comes with these games is exactly what is needed at such times. My big preview of the competition - and why it could be the most surprising tournament ever seen is [here](. *** Croatia are not just symbolic opposition for England's opening game, but may signal so much. You couldn't have a better indication of your progress than the team that eliminated you from the last tournament. Sure, England might have greatly improved since then as Croatia have levelled off, but it's not quite that simple. The pattern of the 2018 semi-final isn't set to turn on its head in the way the trajectory of the teams have. Croatia possess that specific passing approach that has proven both elusive for England and so effective against them. It has been weighing on Southgate's mind a lot, explaining why he has yet to decide between three at the back - potentially include Luke Shaw at left centre back - and a two-man central defence with a restored Harry Maguire. How the manager sets up, and how England handle Croatia keeping the ball, will indicate so much. It may even prove a juncture moment in the tournament, so early on. All of the great attackers in the world can't make sufficient difference if you can't get the ball to get them on it, or the fragility of your backline cancels out such advantages. It is all why Southgate has been singularly obsessed with protecting his defence. It is also why this isn't about "revenge" for England. It's about asserting themselves. *** Speaking of asserting themselves, that is very what the stance behind taking the knee is about. The players don't want to back down, and have made their decision, so don't want to keep talking about it. It is set to be a theme of the tournament, though. A big piece on it all - and why they are right - [here](. *** There is understandably so much talk of Euro 96 of late, but it overlooks the fact that a much better tournament - and maybe the greatest international tournament of all time - came four years later. Euro 2000 was an infinitely superior championships. It may well have been a peak for the international game, and was probably the last time it represented the highest level of football, when countries could be said to be better than club teams. What was so glorious about it was the concentration and expression of the utmost quality. A series of countries had supreme sides, and it was as if all played to their maximum in this competition, with all of them similarly seeking to play an expansive game. The consequence was a carnival of attacking football, and so many matches that were either high-scoring, high-tension or just high-class. All of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Dennis Bergkamp and a supreme Italian defence were at their peak. The growth of the club game has effectively made a repeat impossible, but then that's also down to how exquisite the standard was. *** The European Championships haven't quite had the prestigious history of the World Cup, but the tournament has had some precious moments. Here are my own personal top 10, based on spectacle, emotion, impact and broad place in history. 1. Spain's perfect goal to win Euro 2012 2. Marco van Basten's volley, 1988 3. Alfonso Perez's sealing Spain's qualification - and remarkable comeback - in the last minute against Yugoslavia, 2000 4. Sheringham's touch against Holland, Shearer's finish, 1996 5. Wayne Rooney's explosive introduction against France, 2004 6. Zinedine Zidane's late double against England, 2004 7. Ray Houghton's winner against England, 1988 8. David Trezeguet's golden goal, 2000 9. Davor Suker's chip against Denmark, 1996 10. Czech Republic beat Holland, 2004 11. Michel Platini's last-minute semi-final winner against Portugal, 1984 12. David Villa destroys Russia, 2008 13. Andrea Pirlo outfoxes Joe Hart, 2012 14. Turkey's comeback against Czech Republic, 2008 15. Eder stuns France, 2016 Top stories [This is England, a united team playing for a divided country]( [Euro 2020 grand preview - and why it could be the most surprising tournament seen]( Miguel’s Dispatches For all the injuries, the questions and the corrosive debates about taking the knee, you wouldn't think it when you walk around England St George's Park base. The atmosphere is excellent. The players are in buoyant mood. It has been one of the virtues of Southgate's time in charge. He has been highly conscious of the chemistry of the team, and paying particular attention to anything that can aid it. The staff want to create the kind of setting where it is almost impossible for the players to get bored, and they are actually enjoying their time in the bubble. It has worked so far. Like much else with Euro 2020, it will still be dependent on results. Quote of the day It is a zany idea but it is a good idea Michel Platini when the pan-European idea for Euro 2020 was first launched almost a decade ago. How the world has changed, also perceptions of his plan haven't Reading the game quiz The Euros proper really began in 1980. Name the eight England players who scored the team's first goal in each of the tournaments they've qualified for since then. (Last week's answers: Ruud Gullit, Peter Schmeichel, Steffen Freund, Fabian Barthez, Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps, Thierry Henry, Christian Karembeu, Nicolas Anelka, Gerard Pique, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, Pedro, Victor Valdes, Alvaro Arbeloa, Juan Mata, Nani, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Quaresma, Ricardo Carvalho) Essential reading [Euro 2020: Why international football is an entirely different ball game]( [Euro 2020 the stage for a new generation of multinational footballers]( If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's football newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's football newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Football_CDP). 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