Euro 2020 Team of the Tournament
Preface/ Pre-Note: I realize the obvious fallacy in what I am doing. How can one judge the performance of a player in a tournament when there is one match still left to play, and that too the most important one! My original thought was to prepare a rough draft and wait till the final to make changes. But once I was able to satisfactorily put down my viewpoints, it occurred to me that the final result might kick in a certain amount of recency bias. In order to avoid that, and present the team as it naturally came to me, I decided to go early. Sounds a bit lazy? Anyway, what we have here is my team of the tournament as we get to the Euro 2020 Final.
After a month of exhilarating football that saw 50 matches, 140 goals, and another French self-destruction saga, Euro 2020 is finally coming to an end. The tournament saw Europe’s biggest names compete against each other for bragging rights. In this article, we’ll be talking about the ones who had the biggest impact on the competition and were the most impressive of the lot.
Formation: 4–3–3
Goalkeeper: Gigi Donnarumma (Italy)
This was a tough pick. Sommer and Schmeichel had some amazing performances and Pickford kept the most clean sheets. But I eventually decided to go with Donnarumma who is still just 22 years old considering for how long he’s been around. Attackers had a tough time getting the ball past his 6'5" tall and imposing figure. He showed an immaculate sense of timing in his saves and was often instrumental in starting quick counter-attacks. And it was Donarumma’s heroics that got Italy through the penalty shootout against Spain.
Honourable Mention: Jordan Pickford(England)
Left Back: Leonardo Spinazzola (Italy)
There was no player I enjoyed watching more in this tournament than Leonardo Spinazzola. Majestically storming up and down the pitch, Spinazzola’s speed and intelligence allowed Italy to dominate the left flank. Not only was he good at progressing the ball forward, but also he was proficient at dribbling and crossing. And he did this while also fulfiling his defensive responsibilities. His injury against Belgium was a big loss not just for Italy but also for the viewers who missed his magic at Wembley.
Honourable Mention: Joakim Maehle (Denmark), Luke Shaw (England)
Centre Back: Leonardo Bonucci (Italy)
Critics were quick to point out that the pairing of Bonucci and Chiellini could find it difficult to handle pacy forwards while maintaining a high line. But the two more than made up for it with their experience and game-reading ability. Bonucci deserves special credit here for being able to lead the team and maintain the defensive solidarity in the absence of his Juventus partner. The fact that he could accurately provide long balls added another dimension to the Azzuri which helped them against teams like Spain.
Honourable Mention: Aymeric Laporte (Spain)
Centre Back: Harry Maguire (England)
Unable to play the first two group games, Maguire’s impact was visible since he took the field against the Czech Republic. Much like Bonucci, he has been an out and out leader while acting as a defensive rock in the back. Owing to his sturdy physique, Maguire rarely lost aerial battles and was a constant threat from set-pieces. Every once in a while, he would blast forward with the ball to cause chaos in the opposition half. England did manage to keep two clean sheets before him, but Maguire’s presence certainly helped in extending the streak.
Honourable Mention: Simon Kjaer (Denmark)
Right Back: Kyle Walker (England)
Gareth Southgate was spoiled for choices when it came to picking a right-back for England and yet he went with Kyle Walker. This speaks volumes about the Man City defender. While Shaw was usually the one joining the forward line in attack, Walker would sit back with the two centre-halves to maintain the shape. We can see him playing a similar role in this team with Spinazzola operating on the opposite flank. Walker’s speed and discipline allowed England to maintain a high line, knowing that very few would win a race against him. If needed, he is also capable enough to make overlapping forward runs to support the winger.
Honourable Mention: Vladimir Coufal (Czech Republic)
Defensive Midfielder: Jorginho (Italy)
Entering the tournament as the current Champions League winner, Jorginho picked up from where he left for Chelsea. Amidst Italy’s flashy display in the tournament, his hard work could sometimes go unnoticed. Operating as a regista, he successfully linked defence with attack and made more ball recoveries than any other midfielder. Even in the match against Spain, where his presence was subdued, Jorginho made seven interceptions, more than any other player in the tournament in one match. Add to that his marvellous penalty against Spain in the shootout and we have a guaranteed starter.
Honourable Mention: Sergio Busquets (Spain)
Centre Midfielder: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerj (Denmark)
One of the reasons why I love international tournaments is because we get to see players bring out different facets of their game that often get hid at the club level. This was certainly the case with Hojbjerj, who was an absolute beast on the pitch for Denmark. Operating in a double pivot alongside Delaney, not only did he make key interceptions and recovered balls regularly but also assisted three goals. His role in the middle became even more important when Denmark changed their formation to accommodate Eriksen’s absence.
Honourable Mention: Kalvin Phillips (England)
Centre Midfielder: Pedri (Spain)
In a team consisting of midfielders like Busquets, Koke, Thiago and Rodri among others, few would have expected an 18-year old to steal the limelight. For me, Pedri was the best young player in the tournament by quite some distance. He bossed the midfield in every game regardless of the opposition, keeping things under control and making critical passes at routine intervals. Pedri topped the charts for most goal creating actions and most passes in the final third. To quote Senator Palpatine from The Phantom Menace, ‘We will watch your career with great interest.’
Honourable Mention: Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium), Nicolo Barella (Italy)
Left Winger: Lorenzo Insigne (Italy)
Insigne was a vital cog in Italy’s aggressive display of football. With Spinazzola steaming up the pitch, Insigne was able to move inwards from where he created opportunities for both himself and others. The Napoli veteran had various tricks up his sleeve making him a difficult customer to deal with. He was among the top three individuals for key passes, through balls and shot-creating actions. At the same time, Insigne’s goals against Turkey and Belgium were as good as it gets.
Honourable Mention: Emil Forsberg (Sweden)
Centre Forward: Patrik Schick (Czech Republic)
Omitted some big names to go ahead with this one, but I have my reasons. For Czech Republic to reach the QF of Euro 2020 is quite an achievement and Schick alone scored 5 of their 6 goals in the tournament. Headers, spot-kicks, 50-yard belters, he had everything in his arsenal. Schick ended the tournament as the joint top-scorer with the highest xG and his movement off the ball was constant pain for defenders. From a psychological standpoint, having his spontaneity and flair in the attack gave the Czechs the confidence to punch above their weight.
Honourable Mention: Harry Kane (England), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Right Winger: Raheem Sterling (England)
Not his usual position but I couldn’t imagine a team of the tournament without him. His goals took England past the group stages and gave them the lead against Germany, he assisted Kane against Ukraine and pressured Kjaer into scoring an own-goal. The lesser said about the penalty against Denmark, the better. But Sterling’s overall contribution was much more significant than just goals and assists. Simply put, whenever Sterling started dribbling (which he did more than any other player in this tournament), it felt something is about to happen.
Honourable Mention: Mikkel Damsgaard (Denmark)
Manager: Gareth Southgate has done a wonderful job with this England squad, taking them to the 2018 FIFA World Cup semifinal and their first final in over 50 years. However, I would go with Roberto Mancini here. He took over an Italian side that failed to qualify for the last world cup and within three years turned them into one of the best teams in the world. More than their success, it was their fluid style of play and efficient pressing that really captivated me.
