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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Michael Butler (now) and Daniel Harris and John Brewin (earlier)

Euro 2024: Uefa says ‘no delay’ in treating Varga, Croatia v Italy buildup – as it happened

Euro Euro 2024 Scotland Croatia Italy Germany
Dominik Szoboszlai oshows his support for injured Hungary teammate Barnabás Varga.
Dominik Szoboszlai oshows his support for injured Hungary teammate Barnabás Varga. Photograph: Michael Zemanek/Shutterstock

That’s me done for the day. The two MBMs will be live in just over an hour on the website. I’ll be helming Albania v Spain and Scott Murray will be hosting Croatia v Italy. Cancel all your plans, and strap in.

Ta ra for now.

The atmosphere is building in Leipzig before Croatia v Italy. Can confirm that Siracusa (which I thought was spelt Syracuse) is an amazing place to spend a few days.

Ralf Rangnick has been chatting in his pre-match press conference about how there was doubt among the players when he was hired as Austria’s manager in 2022. The following is from Reuters.

Austria, who face the Netherlands on Tuesday in their final Group D game, lost to France 1-0 but were impressive in a 3-1 win over Poland, only the second time they have scored three goals in a single European Championship finals game. Their aggressive, front-foot style has also earned admirers.

“[Marko Arnautovic] and I recently talked about it ourselves,” Rangnick said of Austria’s all-time leading scorer with 36 goals who was sitting alongside at a news conference on Monday. “When Marko heard that I’d become boss here, he thought ‘ooh, this might be a bit tight now’, but I didn’t see it like that. I didn’t quite understand why it was seen like that. He played from the start against Poland and possibly tomorrow as well in such an important game.”

The Dutch lead the group on four points, ahead of France on goals scored, with Austria third. Defender Gernot Trauner will not be available on Tuesday due to injury.

“He didn’t train today, he’s definitely out for tomorrow,” Rangnick said. “And even in the next game, he won’t be able to play probably. I’m really sorry for him, because has been in top form so far, both in training and in the games.”

Rangnick expects a stiff challenge from the Dutch, but he knows what to expect.
“It feels like the Netherlands have played the same way since (legendary Dutch player) Johan Cruyff’s days,” Rangnick said. “A lot of width and a lot of height on the pitch. Who wins the second ball will be crucial.”

Rangnick said he grew up idolising Cruyff, a three-times Ballon d’Or winner and big proponent of the Total Football philosophy.

“I once asked my coach to play in [Cruyff’s] No 14 shirt,” Rangnick said. “Back then it was unusual because you only used to have the numbers between one and 11. Similar to Franz Beckenbauer, Cruyff was someone who had a huge influence on the development of football, not just in his own country.”

A bumper four matches tomorrow, remember. Group D concludes with France v Poland and Netherlands v Austria, with both matches kicking off at 5pm BST/6pm local time. Then, Group C finishes with Denmark v Serbia and England v Slovenia with the games at 8pm BST/9pm CET.

Fitba corner: Ewan Murray on another group-stage exit for Scotland …

… while Barry Glendenning’s Football Daily is also live.

Does seem bizarre to do this, if the reports are true that Southgate will replace Alexander-Arnold with Gallagher. Here my two pence: Declan Rice needs to play well for this England team to function, he is not a No 6, and needs to play in that left-channel No 8 spot where he shone so brightly for Arsenal. Gallagher is a fine footballer in the right system, but he is not what England need right now. Play either Wharton or Mainoo in the No 6, Rice and Bellingham in front. I’d favour Wharton as I think he progresses the ball better through midfield. Rice will also provide protection defensively but will play box-to-box. Hopefully there’s enough structure there to allow Bellingham to roam.

Euros + transfer window = this piece.

I wonder who of this Italian generation is most likely to try a Panenka penalty? Or as the Italians call it, Er Cucchiaio (‘The Table Spoon’). Jorginho, perhaps?

Here’s two fascinating insights from Totti and Pirlo on their Panenkas at previous European Championships.

A worrying stat before tonight’s game if you are Italian: the Azzurri have never beaten Croatia at a major tournament. Zero wins, five draws and three defeats.

Meanwhile, in the Italy camp.

Oh, and if you are wondering what England’s Declan Rice has as his pre-match meal … it’s pancakes. He admitted he made the switch from rice and fish to the sugary treat after joining Arsenal. The following quote was from a Men’s Health interview back in May.

I have four pancakes before a game. Covered in syrup or honey. I swear to God, it’s the best thing. When I joined the club, I could see the players eating them and thought to myself, ‘What is going on here?’ But honestly, it’s been a game-changer. I don’t understand the science behind it, what’s in them or anything like that, but it gives me such a high-energy boost.

I find all this mundane stuff genuinely fascinating. Not sure why I expected the gastronomy of the elite players to be more exciting than omelettes and simple vegetables but I did. Quite funny to see Camavinga walk off with a huge plate of what appears to be plain pasta.

Also, I should say that this is the first time I have ever heard Upamecano speak. I mention this because as a 15-year-old, he followed speech therapy sessions to overcome dyslexia and stuttering disorders. The sessions obviously worked. He seems relaxed in front of the camera.

Not sure I agree with Clarke’s questioning here – there’s no reason why we would need exclusively English referees in the Premier League – but it’s a little ridiculous that the penalty wasn’t given for Scotland. Look closely and the only reason why Stuart Armstrong goes over in Hungary’s penalty area is clear contact between Willi Orbán’s right knee and the Scot’s left calf. He completely clears him out.

Hello all, just the five hours until kick-off. A reminder here of how things stand in Group B before tonight’s two fixtures: Albania v Spain and Croatia v Italy.

Spain are already through but other than that, it’s all up for grabs. Italy could finish top, they could still finish bottom. Albania and Croatia surely need to win if they want to qualify.

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Spain 2 4 6
2 Italy 2 0 3
3 Albania 2 -1 1
4 Croatia 2 -3 1

And with that, I shall take my leave. Here’s Michael Butler to chill with you for the next bit.

“The Slaven Bilic-era checkerboard certainly,” says Charles Antaki on kits, “and certainly not that time when they jazzed it up into wonky diamonds. The simple and elegant Polish shirt is a classic, and the Belgian maroonish-red pretty good too. England’s, not too riff too much on the existing pain, is, as usual, indifferent and indistinguished. Of the unspeakable German change strip, that is wooden-spoonery of the champion sort. Also if we have time for a peeve or two, Turkish should bring back the Middlesbrough white strip across the chest, and Portugal should definitely go back to shirts in sinister oxblood.”

I can’t get too upset about any kit based on these.

Updated

“I agree with Ally Berry,” says Rick Harris. “We need 3-5-2 as Walker and Guehi are speedy centre backs and Stones has proved reliable in the middle. I would keep Saka on the right flank however and bring in Gordon as he will stretch the Slovenian defence down the left flank where we have so far lacked any threat at all. Bellingham has excelled for Madrid playing almost as a striker, so if Kane can stop doing a late career Wayne Rooney and thinking he has to be ‘Roy of the Rovers’ all over the pitch and just stay up top as a centre forward, Jude can play off him with these surging runs in behind. Foden, Rice and Mainoo for me in the midfield. Eze, Palmer, Wharton, TAA and Watkins as fresh legs around 60 to 70 minutes in. My worry is that Southgate thinks stubborn adherence to a plan that isn’t working will yield results.”

I’d bring Wharton in, I think – he’s a specialist no6 who can take the ball off the defence and pass it forward. I don’t mind Kane coming deep, but if he does, he needs runners attacking space in behind, and I’d also like to see Cole Palmer get on the pitch whether as a starter or sub. I guess the problem with 3-5-2 is that you lose wingers – Alexander-Arnold would be on the right and if fit, Shaw on the left. But I’d be surprised if Southgate changed formation at this point.

Back to Suker, though, is it just me who thinks he’s a dead ringer for Take Hart’s Mr Bennett?

This, from Euro 96 and modelled by Slaven Bilic, is also up there.

Croatia are playing tonight, so let’s recall the absolute beauty of this kit from France 98.

Updated

Love this. Don’t understand why people do it but reluctantly glad they do it.

Which was the last great international side we saw? Spain 2008-12 I guess, but it feels like a while till we’ll see another. France perhaps have the players but not the manager; the others seem to have too many holes.

Brilliant, Sky now reporting, as news, that Newcastle won’t be buying Dominic Calvert-Lewin. More as we get it!

Ahhh, this is nice.

“Scotland’s last three major tournaments have all followed a familiar and ultimately depressing pattern,” writes Simon McMahon. “Defeat in the opening game, a battling draw in the next, then hopes of qualification dashed with another defeat in the final group game. Final tally of one point on each occasion, three draws and six defeats in total, combined goal difference of minus 13. Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, the third time it’s enemy action. Or incompetence. Or an over cautious approach. Or fear. Or the manager. Or players. Or bad luck. Or, oh I don’t know anymore. The only surprise is that anyone is surprised.”

Yup, I’m afraid they were poor here, and you could see last evening coming the moment Steve Clarke fist-pumped at full time of the Switzerland game. There was lots of blather but not much else, though the team are improving. If only they could find a striker.

I really like Switzerland, and their performance last night was tactically the best I’ve seen since we had two belters in a week: Atalanta’s v Leverkusen in the Europa League final and Man United’s v Man City in the FA Cup final. What they do really well is cover ground, helped by fantastic spacing – to defend that high, but get that many men back to clutter up the box requires a lot of drilling and extreme fitness. Most likely, they play Italy next, and I’d make them favourites if so.

Luke Shaw, then. Real talk, I’ve not a clue how you compile a squad of 26 players and decide to take just one specialist left-back, who is both injury-prone and injured, but here we are. England badly need him to get on to the pitch tomorrow because they’ll want to start him in the last eight, should they get there – they’ll hope to manage without until then – so him back in training is good news. His ability to carry the ball, go on the outside and keep the width is one of the many things the team is currently missing.

Also going on for you:

Also not Euros-related, but Ruud van Nistelrooy played in them, so.

The Scotland squad, meanwhile, have departed their hotel with a band playing My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean. That must’ve cheered them right up!

On the plus side, Scotland may have lost the football but they might just be winning the anthems – so far. And it’s not been forgotten that the other night, just as it was time for Il Canto degli Italiani, ITV cut to break. Dizgraze.

News on last night’s unfortunate collision:

So what about tonight’s games? Croatia v Italy should be a banger, though I doubt it’s free-flowing. The holders might be OK even if they lose, but they’ll want to make sure they come second and try and restore momentum after their 1-0 slapping by Spain, while Croatia are so good at finding ways to get it done they’re hard to back against. But might this be the end of their road?

Not Euros-related but important.

More disagreement between England’s pros and ex-pros registered on Gary Lineker’s pod: “Could you imagine if we went on and said, ‘Well, actually, I thought they played really well’?” he asked. “We’d be lying, for a start. Because they didn’t play well. And Harry knows they didn’t play well.

“I understand where he says, ‘But they have responsibilities being ex-England players and they should know, they know what it’s like, it’s not like they’ve ever won anything’, or words to that effect.

“Fine. And he’s absolutely right. But I will say one thing, the last thing in the world we want to be is downbeat and critical. We want the England team to perform well on the pitch. The best punditry of all is when England play well and we’re excited and we’re enthusiastic about them.

“We don’t want to be critical but we have to be sometimes. We have to say it.”

Lineker – and Alan Shearer – also had thoughts on Kane’s tactical thoughts:

“The draw’s been made for a while now, so I’m sure they’ve been planning to play against a three. So, even those words were slightly worrying, I guess. But you always get the right of reply as players and the team. You go to the next game, you win the game, and you just carry on and move on. That’s tournament football.”

Er, Lil Mikey Dean is now on telling us it was a penalty before giving us his opinion on … how Scotland played? I’m afraid I need some exhibition gesticulation before I can consent to such overreach.

On Sky, they’re still banging on about the penalty Scotland didn’t get (no footage). I was on Germany v Switzerland last evening, so had that game on my second screen, and even out the corner of my eye I could tell it was a stonewaller. I do, though, think it’s important to note that the reffing has been excellent so far and this feels like only the second major controversy after Netherlands’ disallowed go.

Nice bit of pluralisation from Declan Rice here.

You cannot make it up*. First, Gareth Southgate decides a right-back who’s been found out – though yes, he remains a beautiful passer – can learn how to play midfield on the job in a tournament. And now the resultant lack of control is a problem, he replaces him with chaser, leaving two players of serious class – Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo – left sat at the side.

*you can make it up

But

Thanks John and hi everyone. We are Football -6.59 hours.

Updated

Right, that’s me done on the news blog. Daniel Harris is next man up.

Historic defeats, managerial upheaval and turmoil at the federation have plagued the Brazilian national team for two years. This summer is a chance for a reset.

Likes to put it about does Big Toni.

This was a gruesome moment.

A statement from the Hungarian Football Federation said Varga was ‘stable’ in a Stuttgart hospital. He was understood to have been unconscious on the field and to have concussion and will undergo surgery on a cheekbone broken in several places.

Key event

Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have hit back in their “war of words” with the England camp, using their Rest Is Football podcast to say the following:

Lineker: “I actually thought he answered it fine with one or two bits in there, but it’s not easy when you’re thrown that kind of thing.”

Shearer: “We’ve both been there as England captains when you’re sat in front of the media when England have not played well at all, or you as an individual.

“And I would have answered the question in exactly the same way as England captain as Harry did yesterday. He just said they are entitled to their opinion, I understand they also have a job to do - and we do, we have to tell it.”

Lineker: “Can you imagine if we went on and said ‘well, I thought they played really well’? We’d be lying for a start because they didn’t play well and Harry knows that they didn’t play well. And there’s one bit there - which, you know, I understand - where he said ‘they have responsibilities being ex-England players and they should know, they know what it’s like. It’s not like they’ve won anything’ or words to that effect.

“Fine - and he’s absolutely right. But I will say one thing: The last thing in the world we want to be is downbeat and critical. We want the England team to perform well on the pitch, the best punditry of all is when England play well and we’re excited and enthusiastic about them and say ‘this performance was great, that performance was great’. We don’t want to be critical. But we have to be sometimes. We have to say - but we did it balanced as well.”

Shearer: “I’ve no problem with what he said. And I wouldn’t take anything back we said. They were really poor and I think the vast majority of journalists and the country - and even the boys themselves in the squad will know - they were awful against Denmark.”

This was a painful goal to mean Scotland were the second team sent home. Still awaiting details on when that flight might be.

Updated

Looking ahead to today’s big game from which Italy require a result.

Although Spain’s 1-0 win looked marginal on paper, Bastoni admitted it had been a “shellacking”. Italy will be more imposing against a possession-hungry ­Croatia, ­he suggested, although a side schooled in Spalletti’s fluid style will not be kicking them off the park. “That’s something you did about 50 years ago,” the Internazionale defender said. “You left a marker on someone, you gave them a kick. You’ve got to take the sting out of the opponent with your approach. It’s about being bold and daring.”

Some reaction to Germany’s draw with Switzerland, as secured by Niclas Füllkrug’s late goal, per Reuters.

Manuel Neuer: “You should never write off a team, especially ours, especially with the substitutions we were able to make. The players who came on were a breath of fresh air and the result feels a bit like a victory. The Swiss did well, they were always tight and pressed us.

Joshua Kimmich: “We weren’t quite as good over the 90 minutes (as the first two games) and I think a draw was a fair result. We can be satisfied with the point.”

Maxi Beier said the halftime message from coach Julian Nagelsmann was to move the ball quicker: “Let the ball run faster to make the gaps bigger, that worked better in the second half. The Swiss are a good opponent, they didn’t make it easy for us.”

Alan Shearer has made additional remarks to those that seemed to have perturbed Harry Kane. These are from The Athletic:

“It is not a case of leaving Harry out. Instead, you get legs around him - runners off the ball. I don’t care how experienced you are, all players need a little bit of help now and again and I’m sure he and Gareth will have been analysing the performance since Thursday. Harry is brilliant at coming deep - he loves doing it - but he did it too much against Denmark. The issue is that he is coming into traffic and getting in the way of his own players when he does come into midfield areas.

“If he is going to drop deep, we know he needs runners ahead of him. How many times did we see him picking passes for Son Heung-min bursting beyond him in a Tottenham Hotspur shirt? The same has been true at Bayern Munich this season, with the best example being Alphonso Davies’ goal against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final.

This is why I think Anthony Gordon would be really good on the left side of the attack, with (Bukayo) Saka staying on the right. Then you have pace either side with both players who want to run in behind. It might suit Harry’s game more and create more balance in the team because Phil Foden is a fantastic player but he is so much more likely to drift inside and come towards the ball himself.”

Shaw back in training for England

Per PA Media

Luke Shaw returned to England training as all 26 players took part in a session on the eve of the Euro 2024 clash with Slovenia.

Gareth Southgate’s side sit on four points following their opening two fixtures and face Slovenia in Cologne aiming to secure top spot in Group C.

Shaw has not been in action since suffering a hamstring injury playing for Manchester United in February but was a surprise inclusion in Southgate’s squad for the finals.

He has been working on an individual programme in an attempt to get match fit and was out on the grass with his team-mates at Spa & Golf Resort Weimarer Land, England’s training base.

Southgate has some selection headaches for the game in Cologne as he is still attempting to strike the right balance for his team.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has started both games in midfield but has struggled at times, while getting the best out of Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane in the same XI is proving problematic.

WSL news.

Everton are set to sign Nigeria forward Toni Payne and Spain midfielder Inma Gabarro, both from Sevilla.

The duo are understood to be on the verge of completing their moves to the WSL club, where they were highlighted early in the year as being key targets for this summer’s transfer window. They have been with Sevilla since 2018 and 2019 respectively.

Johnny Bennett gets in touch: “As an Englishman, a Grant Hanley, Kenny McLean and Angus Gunn (i.e. Norwich City) fan with a Hungarian wife and children and as a resident of the city of Budapest, I clearly have divided loyalties.

”But isn’t it a bit rich of the Scots to complain they weren’t awarded a penalty after Armstrong threw himself across the ball into Orbán and grabbed hold of his shirt, when another collision at the other end left a Hungarian striker in hospital with a broken face?

“In my humble opinion, Scotland have only themselves to blame for starting so well and then fading badly like their southern neighbours. Hungary, at least, went for it.”

Some Copa América news:

Varga update

Per PA Media:

Hungary striker Barnabas Varga broke several facial bones and suffered a concussion during his country’s 1-0 victory over Scotland. The Ferencvaros forward required lengthy treatment on the pitch after colliding with Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn in the second half of their Euro 2024 match in Stuttgart on Sunday evening.

Hungary players had quickly signalled that the 29-year-old was in trouble and, after six minutes of treatment, Varga was carried off the field on a stretcher while sheets were held up to shield him from view.

The Hungarian Football Association released an update on Varga’s condition late on Sunday evening. The statement on X read: “Several bones in Barnabas Varga’s face were broken during the collision during the match, and he also suffered a concussion. Surgery is most likely to be expected.

“He spends the night in the hospital in Stuttgart. The whole team is rooting for him!”

Updated

Lovely photo essay from Tom Jenkins here.

Let’s go off to the England camp where the squad who said last week they paid no attention to the coverage back home are, er, kicking back against the critics back home.

Should Hungary go through, they are likely to be without their forward.

Sunday’s other game saw the hosts show both their weakness and determination.

And so in a way this was a kind of hazing: a stress test under laboratory conditions, with qualification already secure but a number of flaws that required the scrutiny of a strong Swiss side to expose. How would this team – which until recently was actually very bad – deal with its first big setback, its first indifferent crowd? How would that defence hold up against a team unafraid to run at them? And what happens if you really, really need a goal in the 91st minute?

Was it a penalty? Personal view: in the Premier League that would have been but the Uefa expediency means the game is played on once the refs have waved play on, and the doubt needs to be greater.

Updated

Their hearts were broken, sorrow sorrow. Ewan Murray was our match reporter.

Scotland huffed and puffed. Hungary’s play generally broke down 25 yards from goal until stoppage time, when a basketball match broke out. Steve Clarke and the Tartan Army will be wounded by what transpired here but the harsh reality is over the course of three games they have looked short of the levels required. Scotland promised to have learned lessons from the Euros of three years ago. An identical points return, one, raises questions over that.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/audio/2024/jun/24/scotland-crash-out-of-euro-2024-football-daily Hear Ewan on Euro 2024 Daily too.

Updated

Jonathan Wilson on a night when the party ended.

“No Scotland, no party,” they sang. Let’s see about that.

Preamble

Good morning. Well, unless you are Scottish and enveloped by an all-too familiar feeling of, well, failure. The group stage proved the nemesis once more, and a vale of tears deeper than the Vale of Leven is being washed away. Germany will be far quieter without them; you couldn’t move for Scots in the host cities and beyond. But the show goes on, and there’s a big game later today with Croatia taking on Italy. The last stand of Modric et al? Or the exit of the defending champions?

All that and more to follow before Group B’s finale kicks off. Join us.

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