Eurowatch: Recent Episodes
Ritwik Sarkar & Alex Barker
The EUROs are the second biggest football tournament anywhere in the world, that have always captivated in audiences in a way that the World Cup fails at. With minnows and world champions battling for the crown of the continents best, Alex Barker and Ritwik Sarkar give you a guide to the tournament like no other around. No stones unturned as we take you through the preparations, teams, hot takes and hot topics.
After seven months and 23 episodes, Alex & I bring a close to one hell of a tournament. Fans in stands, hearts in hands and a highlight reel of goals to rival the best there ever was. England's disappointment does little to shroud just how far they've come, but it was Italy who triumphed at the game's final gauntlet. Alex & I take a look back to our biggest predictions, what we got right, and what we got oh so wrong. Join us in a finale episode you wont forget. Trust us when we say however, that we'll be back! Wait till the end to see how! Thank you everyone for giving us your half an hour every week. It truly means the the world. For now, it's arrivederci
Alex I eat humble pie ONCE again, as neither of our predicted finalists didn't make it. However, we wouldn't have it any other way. Undefeated Italy & England have conquered all those in front of them to set up a final worthy of the beautiful tournament we've had. We go over the top performers, the highlights, the low points and everything in between. Home conditions favour the English, but Italy have won every game in front of them, and are the historical favourites. Italy haven't won the Euro's since 1968 and England haven't won a tournament since 1966. Jpin us as we recap the paths both teams have taken, and wait till the end for our predictions!
All the cards are on the table, as the four semi finalists (none of whom played this stage last time around).
Italy and England look as imperious as each other (what a shocking sentence) through they both will have a stern test ahead of them.
Spain we're back to their woeful group form, unable to muster up anything in regular time, receiving nothing short of a miracle in the penalty shoot out vs the Swiss. The Danes continue to ride the wave of momentum which has seemed to crest opportunistically before thei clash against England. Southgate's men will need to be at their razor sharpest, as a convincing win at the semi's will be a cause for concern for either finalist they might face. All this and more on today's edition of Eurowatch!
The crown jewel of the Round of 16 in undoubtedly England v Germany. Both teams have a storied history against one-another, that often dips in the realms beyond just sport. Both teams have seen a wave of doubt awash from both their supporters. Germany's results so far haven't made for an easy read, as even a 4-2 win vs Portugal involved 2 own goals. England on the other hand, have taken a barrage of criticism in both victory and stalemate. Despite being the only team in the tournament to not concede, this will be the most important test of Gareth Southgate's preparations. They've come up short against big opposition under him. Now's the time to put up, or shut up
EURO 2020 is here! and after a little break, so are Alex and I! Despite spending a large part of the last 10 months predicting every scenario,
we're always happy to be proven wrong. . . quite wrong. In a fortnight filled with football and even thousands of fans, It's been great to see all the highs and lows of International football in all their colour. We take a look at Machiavellian Mancini's Italy side— a true unit, Southgate's England—a sputtering engine and the not-so-dark horses Turkey.
After an 8 year and two tournament exile Karim Benzema makes his way back to the French national team. On the back of some stellar campaigns at the helm of Real Madrid's attack, Alex & i delve into all the permutations of this decision, how it affects France, and how it changes our view. Elsewhere we cover the national news from the Netherlands as well as Portugal. Some spicy news ahead !
It's time for the news! Alex & I have only just been able to keep up with everything happening in the world of the Euros!
Aymeric Laporte's decision to represent Spain sents waves throughout both France and SPain for different reasons. Zlatan's & Van Dijk's injuries
prove to grave for them to continue
To be a captain of a national team, you need to be a particular kind of crazy. Alex & I explore the sheer depth of our ludicrous supposition, by scoring all of the captains at this season's EURO. Some are born to lead, while others are forced to. Join us as we offer our usual spicy. takes and tell you if captains are even needed in world football anymore!
Alex & I have loved putting bringing you this pod for close to six months now and time was long overdue to take some of your questions. From Trent's troubles, to Netherlands struggles we tackle a whole variety of questions. As always, if you want to ask us questions, you can reach either Alex & I on twitter @EUROEXPERT_ or @ritwikjsarkar
Alex I always want to give you the whole picture, and this time we're covering our 3 picks for managers to watch. We're joined by Portuguese football expert and author Nathan Motz. Join us we go through an old hero, a defending champion and a the man who he beat
It wasn't a week where most of EUrope's big guns overed themselves in too much glory. The minnows of North Macedonia pulled a deservedly shock upset over Germany, and Ritwik has some choice words for Gareth Southgate. Elsewhere, Alex takes us through the trials and tribulations of being a fan of the Dutch national team, which is rapidly losing their sense of accomplishment. We touch upon the human rights issues of Qatar, and why the boycott maybe too little too late.
With domestic football taking a backseat to the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers, Alex I talk about the ballsy managerial decisions around the European teams. Surprise callups, heart-breaking exclusions and decisions that don't make any sense, have left us with a lot to discuss. As the teams for the Euros start to crystallise, there is both fear and relief to see where these teams stand
From Nicolo Barella to Gianluigi Donnarumma, Italy is looking more youthful than it has for a while. With a larger spectrum of clubs comprising the national setup, Roberto Mancini has taken a team ravaged by a loss in confidence, into mentality monsters. With few holes in their system, who will be the one to truly standup and take Italy to the echelon of European football? Join Alex, me and our very special guest, Get German Football News' Jake Smalley to find out everything there is to know about the rise of the Azzuri
Pre-empting Joachim Löew's announcement of stepping down after the Euros, Alex & I delve back into the German national team. Lots has been made of their fall from grace since the 2014 World Cup. In and amongst all the doom and gloom however, still lies the vestiges of a lost winning mentality. We touch upon the managerial issues, the old guard forced to the sidelines, and the young colts yet to grow their fangs. Theres banter, Brandt and a whole lot more
Alex & I take a break from our usual spiel and talk about every team participating in the Euros!
From North Macedonia to England, we look at the latest news around every side, whp's firing, who isn't, which managers are in trouble, and how their chances are looking
With the pandemic already pushing the EUROs back a whole year, there are still concerns as to if it can take place in it's intended form. From England to Portugal, Netherlands to France, we break down the likely candidates for a one-nation tournament. The results aren't pretty . . .
Gareth Southgate is close to losing the goodwill gained during England's fortuitous 3rd place finish at the last World Cup. Patchy performances and formation changes have left England looking more defense-heavy, and reliant on individual sparks of brilliance to break them through. Behind this veil however, England have scarcely had talent this good at their disposal. Young talent at that. Alex and I argue as to who deserves England's starting XI spot the most, disagreeing characteristically along the way
Frank De Boer's Netherlands have to shake off not onyl their manager's reputations, but their own reckoning which is fast upon them. Big names, backed by big performances have enabled the Dutch to reach their first tournament since the 2014 World Cup. Promise, purpose and perseverance can only take you so far. Alex and I discuss what it'll take for them to reach that next step.
Both giants come into this tournament as the real dark horses of the competition. Belgium have solidly shed their creative dependence on Eden Hazard, while Italy to creative forces within their own youth ranks. The Azzuri are building upto something great, though this tournament might be coming just a tad too soon for them. Belgium on the other hand are at the peak of their new golden generation, and this could be the tournament for them to either put up, or shut up
Making their first appearance at a major tournament since 1996, Scotland have kicked and clawed to get themselves to the promised land. Their grit, determination and cohesiveness might not get them very far, but it's enough for them to build on. Germany are coming into the tournament neutered, and far less of a threat than they were previously. With our special guest Tom Fenton from Get German Football News, we dissect and appraise the finer points of each teams' games
The two former world champions have fared contrastingly in the the build up to this year's Euros. France have been a bit less swashbuckling, and a bit more pragmatic. Spain are still struggling to find a consistent core of players to bring them beyond their three poor finishes in past tournaments. We take a look at what can become of these behemoths
With Britain failing to "Bring it Home" for half a century & Portugal looking like dark horses to retain their crown, we delve into both teams chances.
Awkward similarities between both teams, make for an interesting deep dive, As Alex & I delve into the strengths, weaknesses and chances of The Three Lions and the Seleccao
With EURO 2021 fast upon us, Alex & I take a break from our usual country-by-country breakdowns to give you our picks of the six players to watch out for