European Championship 2024

[AG67]

https://www.sportspolitika.news/p/euro- ... medium=web

And in the Copa American -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c844jrxewv8t

[prophet:marginal]

Have a sneaking feeling it's the Swiss who will prevail diesen Nachmittag

Xhaka's gonna school them.

[sussexhammer74]

And the following applies to all major tournaments.

The camera pans to the crowd, and you see some absolute stunners, jumping up and down.

How come these women can't do a wet Tuesday night in Stockport?

[fjthegrey]

Maybe I'm depressed or something, but this tournament has completely fallen off my radar.

Haven't watched a knockout game so far, including England, or even checked the highlights out.

Maybe losing my love for it all. How sad.

[prophet:marginal]

Maybe I'm depressed or something, but this tournament has completely fallen off my radar.

Haven't watched a knockout game so far, including England, or even checked the highlights out.

Maybe losing my love for it all. How sad.

I was talking to a younger colleague at work yesterday and he and I agreed that when Bellingham scored that overhead kick, we surprised ourselves by having mixed feelings. There was a small sense of happiness, but I also realised that I didn't actually care all that much about it, too.

I have been puzzling over it ever since.

I have sadly concluded that I don't really feel much kinship with our players any more. Some are decent enough, but quite a few of them just leave me cold.

I think this is partly because, since COVID, football has become almost a daily televised event. Others, who play for other teams, Ronaldo especially, have also seriously dented my desire to sit and watch games that don't involve West Ham.

I am also, sad to say, not even bothered about club this summer, either.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

I may not be as bothered by England winning as I used to be, but I still love the big international tournaments. I have pretty much watched at least some of every game, and find i miss it when there are no games on (like today)

I love the hype, the fans, the national anthems, the bundles when a team scores, the celebrations at the end with players and fans, the permutations of who plays who, the different pundits, the fact all of Europe comes together and obsesses about it - all of it. It still takes me back to being a kid and the excitement of a World Cup or Euro tournament

This one has been particularly engaging for me as it is the first big tournament since 2016 with a proper fan atmosphere and participation. 2018 suffered by being in Russia, 2020/21 was obviously **** as spread across countries and had Covid and 2022 was in Qatar in winter!

I probably prefer a big summer international tournament to any other football scenario, even if i don't have anywhere near the same passion or emotional attachment to any specific team like i do for West Ham/ Plymouth

[prophet:marginal]

I personally find the 'whole bench/coaching staff' goal celebrations ridiculous, especially the first half ones.

Sure, have a rave up in the stands, and a good old sing song, but everyone dashing about because they've scored a goal in the 12th minute is daft.

[fjthegrey]

I think this is partly because, since COVID, football has become almost a daily televised event. Others, who play for other teams, Ronaldo especially, have also seriously dented my desire to sit and watch games that don't involve West Ham.

I think this is quite a bit part of it. The event of a game being on is almost non-existent. There's always a relatively 'big' game on near enough every day. And I also find Ronaldo literally unwatchable. I can't stand him on any level. He seems like an utterly miserable person to me.

I obviously knew the England game was on Sunday, and as it approached and I thought about the logistics of putting it on my thought process went something like, I didn't enjoy a single minute of our previous 3 matches as we are an utterly wretched team to watch, I don't actually think I care if we win or not, why would I bother watching something that I don't enjoy and don't care about? I can just check the result afterwards and get exactly the same amount of potential pleasure as I would by sitting through the full 90/120.

The one half of an England game I did watch socially this tournament was the first vs Denmark and it was only due to the fact that I deliberately positioned myself out of everyone's way that I didn't get covered in beer when Kane scored the opener. It was ridiculously fake reaction to a nothingy goal. People screaming and jumping over each other like it was a last minute winner in a final. Went home at half time. Maybe it was a genuine reaction but I'm unconvinced.

I guess I don't really get the whole national pride thing either, but that's a different debate really. Have never felt more detached or disinterested with the professional game that's for sure.

[prophet:marginal]

I actually think that the ban for 2 yellows, regardless of when they are handed out, is a fair way of approaching a tournament of this nature. It's a bit of a leveller and makes squad management a more interesting situation.

It also probably makes people think twice about both simulation and shirt removal at the point of scoring, if they think that a crafty dive might lead to them losing their place in the team going forward.