Albania weren’t even ranked within FIFA’s top 100 less than a decade ago. Now they have earned the right to represent their tiny country at the European Championships in France.
The Panenka looks at the story of one of the unlikeliest of journeys in football as the eagles rose from footballing obscurity to rub shoulders with hosts France at Euro 2016.
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Russia has enjoyed varied degrees of success since Guus Hiddink took the side to a third place finish at Euro 2008. Dreary football and failure to qualify for one of the last three tournaments in the years that followed meant that Russian football was struggling to comprehend it’s failure after witnessing some of it’s best performances.
The appointment of a new domestically respected manager and a strong finish to qualifying has revived expectations back home. The man in charge though is not so confident and has put an air of limitation on what his side can achieve.
Euro 2000, hosted by Netherlands and Belgium, staged some fascinating matches that summer. Among them was England losing 3-2 to both Portugal and Romania, Yugoslavia’s 3-3 draw with Slovenia and when the Netherlands missed two normal-time penalties before missing a few more and losing on spot-kicks to Italy in the semi-final.
The next installment of The Panenka’s Greatest Games of The European Championships series harks back to a time when Yugoslavia was still a country. To a seven goal thriller between Spain and Yugoslavia where a place in the knockout stage was up for grabs for the winner.
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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.
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