England’s Euro 2012 Crusade

On the 8th June 2012 the UEFA European tournament will begin in Poland-Ukraine with 16 of the continents best teams grappling for a shot at the coveted title. Four years […]


On the 8th June 2012 the UEFA European tournament will begin in Poland-Ukraine with 16 of the continents best teams grappling for a shot at the coveted title. Four years ago Spain won the championship as their first achievement towards world football domination. They were a team favored by the bookies from the start and their victory was confirmed as a deserving win two years later when they beat Holland 1=0 in an aggressive final at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. With preparations well under way and stadiums already being stocked with hot-dogs for hungry fans, the question on every Englishman mind is: will England crash and burn or will they bring back the gold?

The English national side has been dusting down its rather empty trophy cabinet for a while now. They have never won the Euros and their last true victory on an international podium was back in the golden year of 1966. The English Premier League is said to be the most ludicrous and most successful footballing league in the world, as well as being the dream destination for world-class players seeking enormous salaries. However the English national side is far from that; plagued by eccentric Italian coaches, wife-cheating, racism, young talent not ripe for the world stage and old veterans being knocked to the ground by the likes of Robben and Villa, England has had a nightmare on the international pitches, despite being ranked 7th in the world.

Nevertheless, perhaps it is a new dawn for English football. With a new manager taking the throne (preferably one that can speak basic English) and young (but not too young) talents, such as Phil Jones and Joe Hart, stepping up to the mark, England will have a chance at winning the Euro 2012 title. It would also be unfair to say that England were totally redundant at the 2010 World Cup. They were cheated out of a crucial goal against Germany and Rob Green may as well have been dyspraxic. The squad has now changed and England are looking strong.

On an entirely different note, I very much look forward to seeing an influx of tourism and wealth to Ukraine and Poland. The Eastern European pair have suffered a “grey patch” since the fall of the Soviet Union and are most certainly not considered a holiday hot spot. It is a great thing that such a tournament can put a spotlight on these two football-loving nations. Keeping the game exclusively in the wealthy west of Europe would neglect the fact that all nations deserve a chance to host a tournament that unites football across Europe.

 

Photos: totalfootballer.com; uefa.com