In April 1996 Eidur Gudjohnsen made international football history in a game against Estonia when he replaced his father Arnor during the second half. The first time a father and son had played in the same international match
The Panenka looks at the careers of the two strikers with the news that the younger of the pair will be representing his country at Euro 2016 with Iceland.
In April 1996 Eidur Gudjohnsen made international football history in a game against Estonia when he replaced his father Arnor during the second half. The first time a father and son had played in the same international match
The Panenka looks at the careers of the two strikers with the news that the younger of the pair will be representing his country at Euro 2016 with Iceland.
Hungary boss Bernd Storck is carried off the pitch after seeing his side secure qualification to Euro 2016 in France.
History hangs heavy around the necks of Hungarian football. Once the powerhouse that inspired generations of tacticians and players in the 50s, Hungary are rising once again with a reinvigorated sense of purpose and ambition.
Much of that is thanks to coach Bernd Storck who is at the forefront of a revolution for Hungarian international football. The Panenka looks at the blueprint for “A Decade of Revival” in Hungary as they prepare for Euro 2016.
The Panenka starts a new series of articles chronicling some of the best games ever witnessed at the European Championships.
The first of the series takes us to Gothenburg in 1992 where the tournament finale created one of sport’s most unlikely underdog stories. 1990 World Champions Germany met Denmark after the Danes found themselves competing at the summer tournament due to some very unusual circumstances.
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Dynamo Kiev had already been crowned champions in another difficult season for football in Ukraine, but when the champions travelled to Lviv to face staunch enemies Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukrainian Classico, all hell broke loose to add a sour taste to Ukraine’s Euro 2016 preparations.
The Panenka reports on the incident and how it could derail Ukraine’s Euro 2016 chances.
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Vladimir Petkovich’s improbable journey to the top of Swiss football has included stops as a player and manager all across Europe, including a stint working at a Roman Catholic charity.
The Panenka takes a closer look at the Switzerland coach.
This time four years ago we were sat around calling one of the best teams in the history of football boring because a) they won all the time and b) were so good that it wasn’t fair. Fast forward to today and after a disastrous 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Spain’s untouchable reputation has somehow been reduced to rubble. Despite all this, the reigning champions will undoubtedly be difficult to stop and anyone who pulls La Roja out the hat in the office sweepstake will have every reason to be confident.
They are difficult times in Ukraine with political upheaval disrupting both the domestic league and the preparations of the national team. Ukraine qualified in 2012 as joint host along with Poland but has no other history in the tournament to speak of since separating from the USSR. Notable Ukrainian exports include Andriy Shevchenko but since his retirement they have been dark times for Ukrainian football both on and off the pitch in comparison to the heady Lobanovsky days.
The country that provides the headquarters for both FIFA and UEFA have never made it past the group stages. This time they are looking to make it one better after gaining a reputation as a serious football nation since the 90s. A solid back line once saw them boast one of the cleanest defensive records in world football. With the help of their more creative player spathere is definitely the potential for them to progress to the knockouts at Euro 2016.
Despite being knocked out of the World Cup in the Quarter-final at the hands of Argentina, Belgium are still ranked number 2 in the FIFA World Rankings, yeah, go figure. Still, they are good value for having a right old stab at the European Championship as they harbor what is being heralded as their golden generation. Cynics might point to the declining form of Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku’s failure to score on the international stage for over 250 minutes but despite that there is still plenty for Belgium to be positive about.
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