UEFA Euro 2016

I haven't found a thread on the upcoming football competition, so why not create one? While not a huge football fan myself, I think it is the one sport in which all non-North American tropers can have an interest, even if it consists in dissing its overpaid, prone-to-simulate players.

So, thoughts on the upcoming competition? Who are your favorites, the ones that are the most likely to win it all, and your pick for best underdogs?

Since Benzema (fun fact: autocorrect tried to change his name to Benezia) won't be part of its team, I am more enclined to cheer for my home country of France - even though it will still have Evra, one of the biggest a-holes the game has to offer. Griezmann or Pogba are incredible players, so if the defence holds, they could do something. If they fumble, I'll don the red of Belgium, it would be nice to see them play to their full potential. Also, they have the best #1 fan in Stromae.

Head says Germany will get it. Skilled and experimented players everywhere. That goddamn Neuer. That freakin' Thomas Müller. Guy is always in the right place at the right time.

Poland could be the underdogs of the year, Lewandowski is a class act and their whole team is solid enough to take anyone on. Sweden could too if Zlatan is in a good day, but their group is insane - Ireland, Belgium and Italy. And if they qualify in third place they could have to face Spain...

edited 2nd May '16 5:44:02 AM by Julep

England — yay, semi-finals! Well, probably. And, losing on penalties.

I hope the Netherlands will be doing well, but I don't really have high hopes. The team has been a real mess since they missed their shot at the world title against Spain.

EDIT: wait, did we even qualify this year? Did I just embarrass myself? I never actually follow football.

EDIT 2: nope, we did not qualify. Wow, how the mighty have fallen.

edited 2nd May '16 6:31:10 AM by Kayeka

Well, there's no thread exclusively about the Euro, but we do have the encompassing thread that is the 'A Beautiful Thread for the Beautiful Game' (we covered the World Cup 2 years ago, and some of us give weekly updates on our teams and leagues we follow).

Oh, if only you had watched their performances during the qualifying phase...

Losing on penalties against us?

edited 2nd May '16 6:57:29 AM by Quag15

I just looked up the scores. We actually managed to lose to Latvia. That's so embarrassing it's almost an accomplishment in itself.

oh okay, I looked for the thread by typing "football", "FIFA", "world cup"' but did not find it. If the French Ligue 1 was in any way interesting I might have looked for it earlier, Alas...

You might find solace in the fact that no Dutch player was ever accused of blackmailing a teammate over a sextape.

@England: Leicester City looks like it will give huge headaches to your manager, with all those players that are suddenly expected to be on the team yet have next to no international experience like Drinkwater or Vardy :-D

There have been worse ideas <not looking at Glenn Hoddle>...

It's in the Yack Fest forum.

I was surprised at the Iceland victory, and England has to face another round of mockery.

I am celebrating! Finally! Finally!!!! Good to know that Germany's reputation concerning Shot-outs holds, even if it is against Italy!!!

I congratulate Team Portugal on their win.