Euro 2016 Team Preview: Croatia

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After becoming a fully-fledged nation in 1991 Croatia quickly grew into a powerhouse of world football. Despite nurturing and producing some of the best talent available in world football, the dark side of Croatian football has too often overshadowed their ability on the pitch in recent times. 

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England’s Excuses Part Three: A Foreign Manager

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After the formation of The English Football Association in 1863, it is insane that the nation that gave the greatest sport to the world could not find a native, adequate enough at the art of coaching, to take charge of the national team in 2001.

 The Panenka looks at the outcome that having a foreign manager had on the already damaged psyche of the England team in the period between 2001 and 2006.

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Euro 2016 Team Preview: Iceland

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After failing to defeat Croatia in a 2014 World Cup play-off Iceland were more determined that ever to make their mark on the international scene. So after navigating a tricky qualifying group they exorcised their play-off hoodoo to qualify for their first ever international tournament. As the smallest population to ever qualify for a major tournament (326,000) Group F might prove to be a little too much for them but they are certainly an international force on the up.

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England’s Excuses Part One: The Heat

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The Panenka’s series ‘England’s Excuses’ kicks off with a look at how hot weather prevented The Three Lions from recouping the World Cup in 1970.

When it comes to the English it is true that we love to talk about the weather and when it comes to football it appears that climate conditions have a big impact on the fortunes of the national team. In terms of using the weather as an excuse for failure, World Cup 1970 in Mexico springs to mind.

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