Arda Turan Aiming to Save Barcelona Future at Euro 2016 with Turkey

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Turkey’s ambitions of making an impact at the European Championship will rest largely on their captain. However, the former Galatasaray midfielder has not enjoyed the best of seasons at Camp Nou.

 The Panenka discusses whether the player shouldering the majority of his country’s hope in France can bounce back from a difficult year in Spain.
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Greatest Games of the European Championships: France 4 Yugoslavia 5, 1960

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Like Euro 2016 the inaugural European Championships were held in France. In the next installment of The Panenka’s ‘Greatest Games of The European Championships’ we go all the way back to the first ever tournament in 1960.

 There were goals galore in this nine goal thriller as it served up a sign of things to come for the tournament which would be held every four years thereafter. In the city of love Paris hosted one of the best matches in the history of European football.  Continue reading

Croatia’s Systemic Racism Problem

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In the last ten years Croatia have made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The majority of media coverage surrounding the team has been in connection to the racist behavior of their fans instead of the men on the pitch

The Panenka reviews Croatia’s racist history where the unwelcome behavior has not just been limited to the stands but throughout the national football association.
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Slutsky, Dzyuba Downbeat On Russia’s Euro 2016 Chances

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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.

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Football’s Fathers and Sons: The Gudjohnsen’s

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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.

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Hungary: The Decade of Revival

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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.

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