Players should be judged on Euros performances only
-------------------------------------------- Team 2mufc0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team Gio -------------------------------------------
Team 2mufc0
Player profiles and Euros CV
Andreas Kopke - Team of the tournament 1996, winner in 1996 including 3 clean sheets and wiining a shoot out in the semis. Won goalkeeper of the year this year too.
Gianluca Zambrotta - Team of the tournament 2004, runner up in 2000, quarter finalist in 2008.
Gieuseppe Bergomi - Team of the tournament 1988 , key part of one of the best defensive units of all time.
Ronald Koeman - Team of the tournament 1988, winner in the same tournament. Dutch footballer of the year of the back of this.
Paolo Maldini - Team of the tournament 1988, 1996, 2000, runner up in 2000. No need to sell this guy, simply the best defender of all time and consistently delivered at the Euros.
Stefen Effenberg - Team of the tournament 1992 and runner up.
Frank Rijkaard - Team of the tournament 1988, winner in the same year, semi finalist in 1992.
Amancio - Team of the tournament and winner in 1964 scoring a extra time winner in the semis.
Lukas Podolski - Runner up and team of the tournament 2008 scoring 3 goals
Dennis Bergkamp - Team of the tournament 1992 and semi finalist.
Fernando Torres - Winner and team of the tournament 2008 as well as man of the match in the final scoring the winning goal. Golden boot in 2012.
All players are proven at the Euros, a solid defensive base which allows the pacey front line and versatile midfield to attack with freedom. A proven Dutch synergy runs through the spine of the team marshalled by Maldini and Bergomi at the back who were part of the meanest international defenses in Euros history. It should be noted this is the version of Torres is before his dramatic physical decline, before this he was a menace, pacey, hard working and aggressive and probably the best striker in the world at that moment in time.
Team Gio
FERNANDO TOLDO
Toldo played just the one international tournament - but what a tournament it was. A massive presence behind one of the greatest defences, his finest hour arguably come in fending off the Dutch onslaught in the semi-final, saving 3 penalties over normal and shootout time.
GIACINTO FACCHETTI
Gran Capitano of Italy's winning Euro-68 side. Aged 25, Facchetti was in his physical prime, wore the no10 shirt while helping to keep 2 clean sheets in 3 matches. Selected in the Team of the Tournament.
BOBBY MOORE
Selected in the Team of the Tournament. Moore was particularly outstanding against USSR. Aged 26.
FLUVIO COLLOVATI
The imposing stopper who along with Scirea et al marshalled Italy to concede zero goals during the last 8 group stage in 1980. Over the 4 games the only goal the rearguard conceded was a 30-yard strike into the top corner in the 3rd place play-off with Czechoslovakia. Selected in the Team of the Tournament by El Grafico, Corriere dello Sport, Sport (Zurich), Ceskoslovensky Sport and SofaSport.
JOSE PINTO
Euro 1984's outstanding right-back, Pinto was famed for his "two hearts and four lungs" as a flank dominating presence for club and country. Influential through the tournament (nicknamed Capitao), beginning in the opening 0-0 draw against holders West Germany saw "Pinto bombing forward from right-back as he so often did, supplied a rocket of a strike that Schumacher did well to turn over", through to the famous semi-final with France: "Extra time saw the goalkeepers come to the fore... Bats was equally decisive as he made a terrific save to deny Nene's header after Joao Pinto had supplied a cross from the right"
RODRI
Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024. Now widely regarded as the best central midfielder in the world, Rodri was the midfield architect behind Spain's Euro 2024 winning campaign.
FABIAN RUIZ
Selected in the Team of the Tournament after a dominant campaign alongside Rodri in the heart of the Spanish midfield. Despite his deep-lying role, he had the 9th most successful dribbles of any player at Euro 2024 (behind only attackers), and also contributed with 2 goals and 2 assists.
BERND SCHUSTER
Schuster electrified Euro 1980 by dominating the Netherlands and Belgium in the semi-final and final respectively. A tigerish and talismanic presence from his right-sided central-midfield role. He created or scored 4 out of the 5 goals that West Germany netted in those two decisive games.
WESLEY SNEIJDER
Part of a barnstroming Holland team that looked like they were going to blow the whole of Europe away before Russia had other ideas in the knockouts. Forced to come out of the blocks flying, Netherlands were drawn with two World Cup finalists in their group and took them both to the cleaners. At his 2008-2010 peak, Sneijder was the hub of all their action, scoring two outstanding goals against Italy and France. Scored 2 goals and provided 2 assists in just 3 games and impressed throughout with his high work rate. A UEFA compilation gives a flavour of the high level he reached.
WAYNE ROONEY
MARCO VAN BASTEN
-------------------------------------------- Team 2mufc0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team Gio -------------------------------------------
Team 2mufc0
Player profiles and Euros CV
Andreas Kopke - Team of the tournament 1996, winner in 1996 including 3 clean sheets and wiining a shoot out in the semis. Won goalkeeper of the year this year too.
Gianluca Zambrotta - Team of the tournament 2004, runner up in 2000, quarter finalist in 2008.
Gieuseppe Bergomi - Team of the tournament 1988 , key part of one of the best defensive units of all time.
Ronald Koeman - Team of the tournament 1988, winner in the same tournament. Dutch footballer of the year of the back of this.
Paolo Maldini - Team of the tournament 1988, 1996, 2000, runner up in 2000. No need to sell this guy, simply the best defender of all time and consistently delivered at the Euros.
Stefen Effenberg - Team of the tournament 1992 and runner up.
Frank Rijkaard - Team of the tournament 1988, winner in the same year, semi finalist in 1992.
Amancio - Team of the tournament and winner in 1964 scoring a extra time winner in the semis.
Lukas Podolski - Runner up and team of the tournament 2008 scoring 3 goals
Dennis Bergkamp - Team of the tournament 1992 and semi finalist.
Fernando Torres - Winner and team of the tournament 2008 as well as man of the match in the final scoring the winning goal. Golden boot in 2012.
All players are proven at the Euros, a solid defensive base which allows the pacey front line and versatile midfield to attack with freedom. A proven Dutch synergy runs through the spine of the team marshalled by Maldini and Bergomi at the back who were part of the meanest international defenses in Euros history. It should be noted this is the version of Torres is before his dramatic physical decline, before this he was a menace, pacey, hard working and aggressive and probably the best striker in the world at that moment in time.
Team Gio
TACTICAL POINTS
- Strong 4-man midfield unit that will be looking to take control of the middle of the park, using the polished possession base and proven partnership of Spain's Rodri and Ruiz, with Schuster and Sneijder probing and providing service for Rooney and Van Basten.
- Persuasive left flank led by Facchetti's box-to-box impact, supported by Fabian Ruiz's creative and incisive game, with young Rooney's Thuram-bashing form asking Zambrotta all sorts of questions.
EURO PLAYER PROFILES
FERNANDO TOLDO
Toldo played just the one international tournament - but what a tournament it was. A massive presence behind one of the greatest defences, his finest hour arguably come in fending off the Dutch onslaught in the semi-final, saving 3 penalties over normal and shootout time.
GIACINTO FACCHETTI
Gran Capitano of Italy's winning Euro-68 side. Aged 25, Facchetti was in his physical prime, wore the no10 shirt while helping to keep 2 clean sheets in 3 matches. Selected in the Team of the Tournament.
BOBBY MOORE
Selected in the Team of the Tournament. Moore was particularly outstanding against USSR. Aged 26.
FLUVIO COLLOVATI
The imposing stopper who along with Scirea et al marshalled Italy to concede zero goals during the last 8 group stage in 1980. Over the 4 games the only goal the rearguard conceded was a 30-yard strike into the top corner in the 3rd place play-off with Czechoslovakia. Selected in the Team of the Tournament by El Grafico, Corriere dello Sport, Sport (Zurich), Ceskoslovensky Sport and SofaSport.
JOSE PINTO
Euro 1984's outstanding right-back, Pinto was famed for his "two hearts and four lungs" as a flank dominating presence for club and country. Influential through the tournament (nicknamed Capitao), beginning in the opening 0-0 draw against holders West Germany saw "Pinto bombing forward from right-back as he so often did, supplied a rocket of a strike that Schumacher did well to turn over", through to the famous semi-final with France: "Extra time saw the goalkeepers come to the fore... Bats was equally decisive as he made a terrific save to deny Nene's header after Joao Pinto had supplied a cross from the right"
RODRI
Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024. Now widely regarded as the best central midfielder in the world, Rodri was the midfield architect behind Spain's Euro 2024 winning campaign.
FABIAN RUIZ
Selected in the Team of the Tournament after a dominant campaign alongside Rodri in the heart of the Spanish midfield. Despite his deep-lying role, he had the 9th most successful dribbles of any player at Euro 2024 (behind only attackers), and also contributed with 2 goals and 2 assists.
BERND SCHUSTER
Schuster electrified Euro 1980 by dominating the Netherlands and Belgium in the semi-final and final respectively. A tigerish and talismanic presence from his right-sided central-midfield role. He created or scored 4 out of the 5 goals that West Germany netted in those two decisive games.
WESLEY SNEIJDER
Part of a barnstroming Holland team that looked like they were going to blow the whole of Europe away before Russia had other ideas in the knockouts. Forced to come out of the blocks flying, Netherlands were drawn with two World Cup finalists in their group and took them both to the cleaners. At his 2008-2010 peak, Sneijder was the hub of all their action, scoring two outstanding goals against Italy and France. Scored 2 goals and provided 2 assists in just 3 games and impressed throughout with his high work rate. A UEFA compilation gives a flavour of the high level he reached.
WAYNE ROONEY
MARCO VAN BASTEN