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After midnight on Thursday (11/12), Football Europe met, with a delay of several months, the 4 teams that will complete the map of the EURO 2020. Which – due to the coronavirus pandemic – will be played in … 2021 ( June 11 – July 11) and, according to one possible version, not in all cities of the 12 countries, as defined by the original plan to celebrate 60 years. Possibly even one to fix things. Russia in this case, because it offers all the guarantees. A version published by the French Parisien.
At least, and given the circumstances, we know which national teams have ensured their presence in the final. Wherever it is hosted. The 20s already knew each other. Belgium, Italy, England, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, France, Poland, Switzerland, Croatia, Netherlands, Russia, Portugal, Turkey, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Czech Republic, Wales and Finland He had taken over the coveted ticket through the event qualifiers, taking the top two spots from each of the 10 groups. However, they were divided into 6 groups.
The 4 vacancies that would fill the playoffs, which were linked to the first edition of the Nations League (2018-19), were pending. Which through the additional process that started in the October window (with the semifinals) and ended in the corresponding November (final) were occupied -in chronological order- by North Macedonia, Hungary, Slovakia and Scotland.
For the federation, the state of the former Yugoslavia is the first participation in an international event since 1994, the year of recognition by UEFA and FIFA. A success that was justifiably combined with furious celebrations and much shouting.
It would be strange if such a moment did not bear the Goran Padev mark. At 37 years of July, the record holder for participations and goals was the one who correctly placed Loria in the 56th minute of the match with Georgia in Tbilisi on Route D and ‘signed’ the invaluable 1-0. The Genoa veteran made his national team debut in June 2001, scoring for the first time in February 2004 and scoring his 36th goal in 114 appearances to serve as a beacon for the neighboring country’s most brilliant soccer achievement.
Slovakia’s qualification was won in Belfast after a half-hour extra time, in the final of which the score was 2-1 thanks to Douris’s goal in the 110th minute. Things would have been settled if Scriniar had not drawn for Northern Ireland with an own goal at 87 ‘, Koutska’s 0-1 endurance from 17’. In the final, however, they celebrated intensely, having repeated the achievement of 2016, when they had even achieved the knockouts (exclusion of Germany). The fact that to reach the final of Route B they left EDRE out with a 4-2 win on penalties (0-0 etc., par.) Automatically makes them Irish eaters!
British honor was saved, to some extent, by Scotland. A Scotland that did not know what ‘European Championship’ meant since 1996 with that famous poem-goal by Paul Gascoigne, while the last time it participated in the final of an international tournament was in 1998 at the World Cup in France. The coach at the time was Craig Brown, and Jim Leighton and Gordon Dewey played ball. Today, the bracelet is worn by Andy Robertson from Liverpool. Steve Clark’s ‘lions’ won neither the Glasgow semi-finals nor the Belgrade final by Path C. They “ate” the Israelis because they had a 5/5 penalty after 0-0 in 120 minutes . The Serbs had a chance to ‘cut’ them earlier, but Luka Jovic tied Christie’s goal in the 90th minute and after the 1-1 did not change the cue ball shots, they judged the winner. For the second time, the Scots wasted no effort and 5-4 after Marshall’s response to Mitrovic’s execution.
Why not Greece?
We leave the Magyars last. Chronologically, they were the second to do so. However, because their Path A rating contained a Greek finger, they deserve a more extensive report. Neither (the Parisian) Loic Nego and Dominic Sobozlay, who scored in 88 ‘and 92’ to topple the Icelanders 0-1 (by Sigurdsson in 11 ‘and Goulassi’s error) in the final in Budapest, have no roots of our country, nor have they played ball in our parts. However, Marco Rossi’s team would never have reached this point if (our) Nacional had taken care of his destiny and had not degraded his participation in the Nations League.
To understand, we will go back the calendar two years ago: on November 18, 2018. On that day and long before the on-air dispute between Socrates Papastathopoulos (choosing to drink hemp) and Angelos Anastasiadis, Greece welcomed Estonia to OAKA for the sixth and last match of the tournament. It was the second party of the then new federal.
There was no hope of finishing in first place, as Finland was already at +3 and had the advantage of a draw, however, those responsible (federation, team, footballers) should have foreseen that second place could come in the future. a second chance to participate in the final. The brilliant appearance, the performance below the base and Lambropoulos’s own goal in the 44th minute brought the defeat (0-1) and together the third place of the group. Because at the same time Hungary beat the Finns 2-0 and beat them. That night one point would be enough, since in the total of 10 the Selection was superior. However, it did not come, with the result that after Finland progressed to the EURO through the playoffs, Hungary moved up to the playoffs. And not Greece!
What would his destiny be, who knows? Certainly though, he would claim qualification in just two matches without posting qualifying scenarios unthinkable through playoffs. He did not even have this opportunity, on the contrary, the Hungarians seized it and he will be there again. As in 2016. It was a football ‘crime’, a blasphemy against the god of the ball, which was later severely punished. The fact that it falls into the group of Portugal, France and Germany does not detract from the mismanagement. Let it be a lesson for the present and the future.
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