Ultimate Euros.

Sunday evening, not a lot of people about... what better time to do an article most won't read, and few will contribute to?

With no Euros this summer, I have choosen mid-April to theorise on who would win between two great teams of European Championship history (in my lifetime anyway.)

Game 1 France 84 vs Netherlands 88
The first two champions I remember.
The midfield of France has to go down as one of the best in history. Platini is, despite his post-playing antics, one of the greatest to play. A lot of this teams goal scoring fell to Platini as their strikers didn't quite match up to the midfield. Fernandez, Giresse and Tigana made up that special midfield.
The Dutch, on the other hand, had one of the all time great strikers in Marco van Basten. Ruud Guillit was at the top of his game, and in Koeman and Rijkaard they had a top defence. Arnold Muhren, formerly of Ipswich, added a lot of experience in midfield next to Jan Wouters.

I'm going for the Dutch here, mainly due to MvB.

Game 2 France 2000 vs Spain 2012
Reigning World Champions add the European title (or in Spains case, retain it)
This French side had a great defence - Thuram, Blanc, Desailly, Lizarazu - protected by Decshamps and Vieira.
Against them is the attacking creativity of Xavi, Iniestia, Silva, Fabregas, Xabi Alonso.
France, though, had Zinidane Zidane. They had Thierry Henry. They also had Pires, Wiltord and Trezeguet in reserve. Those subs actually made the difference in 2000.
Both beat Italy in the final, France needing extra time Spain winning 4-0.

However, I am giving it to the French.


Game 3 - England 96 vs Netherlands 2000
Aka it's not coming home.
Two host nations who looked like turning home advantage into glory, only to find a penalty shoot-out in the semi finals blocking their path.
It was a golden England team, led by Tony Adams, Paul Gascoigne back to his best, Alan Shearer full of goals, and a couple of 1990 World Cup semi finalists in Stuart Pearce and David Platt. Unfortunately, despite making key penalty saves against Scotland and Spain in previous rounds, David Seaman couldn't stop the Germans and Southgates miss ended the dream.
The Dutch were a free scoring side in 2000 - 13 in the 4 games up to the semi final. With Dennis Bergkamp and Marc Overmars creating for Patrick Kluivert, they looked unstoppable. Until Italy stopped them, taking the semi final to penalties after a 0-0. Van der Sar, Stam and Ronald de Boer were other stand-outs in this team. 4 years after being humiliated by England at Wembley, this was a far improved team.

I'm going for a draw and the longest penalty shoot-out ever. England would probably win in the end.

Game 4 - Portugal 04 vs Portugal 16
The golden generation who should have won their home tournament versus the one man team who won it without that man.

The 04 team was at the end of the golden generation period, tbf, but still had Luis Figo, Pauleto, Rui Costa (albeit from the bench), Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, and of course Ronaldo. Costinha and Maniche were the steel in midfield.
The 16 team had a Ronaldo at his peak, Nani, Pepe and a youngster named Renato Sanches who was meant to be the next big thing. It took Eder, a striker who flopped at Swansea without scoring a single goal, to win it for them.

You have to give it to the 16 team, who beat a very good French team in France. However, on paper the 04 team looks better. But lost to Greece when it mattered most.

Semi Finals
Netherlands 88 beat England 96
France 2000 beat Portugal 16

Final
France 2000 beat Netherlands 88

Goodnight.