European Championships
Poland/Ukraine
Sixteen teams spread across eight venues, spread across two countries and IBO’s first attempt to cover a major international championship. Ultimately a competition won comfortably by a clinically efficient, great Spanish side, that wore everybody else down. They overwhelmed a good Italian side in the final.
An enjoyable event all round.
Oh yes, England. We got through to the quarter-finals, where we were turned over by Italy. After a predictable 0-0 game in normal time and a scoreless extra time, Italy won 4-2 on penalties, with Young missing and Cole having his shot saved by Buffon.
France
Twenty-four teams spread across ten venues in one country. It didn’t go France’s way, with Portugal winning the final scoring a solitary goal in the one hundred and ninth minute of the game. Saints had two players in the winning team, with both José Fonte and Cédric featuring.
England got as far as the last sixteen, where we were eliminated 2-1 by the might of Iceland.
Europe Wide
A delayed competition postponed from 2020, due to the Pandemic, this time was not limited to one country, or even two, as in 2012. This time held across 11 countries, including England and Scotland, six groups of four teams, as in 2016 - 24 teams in total to be whittled down to 16 for the beginning of the knockout stage.
Saints have four players involved, although none playing for England. Ché Adams and Stuart Armstrong are in the Scottish squad, with Jannik Vestergaard in the Danish and Jan Bednarek in the Polish squad.
Germany
Returning to the single host nation format after the first post-pandemic Europe-wide competition in 2021
Saints just have Jan Bednarek in the Polish squad, although Ché Adams and Stuart Armstrong are in the Scottish squad. Stuart has just left Saints, and who knows what Ché's status is?
