Football can be infinitely cruel. Scotland against Hungary was a good example of this. Not a high-level game, but a passionately fought game. Hungary needs a big win to maintain its chance to progress as one of the four best third-placed teams in the tournament, but is playing surprisingly cautiously and defensively. The big shock came in the 68th minute: Hungarian striker Barnabás Varga collided with Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn – and remained unconscious.
(1/3) Hungarian player Barnabas Varga received a heavy blow in the match #EURO2024 match against Scotland.
A collision with goalkeeper Gunn left Varga unconscious. He was treated for several minutes before being carried off the field on a stretcher.#SCOHUN #INDvsAUS #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/X11Sn1jYJi
— Travis Kutty (@TravisKutty) June 23, 2024
The result was a one-minute stoppage in the match – criticism of the medical team in Stuttgart was also loud. From the point of view of many Hungarians, the rescuers took too much time. Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai runs towards the team and gets involved himself. Afterwards, the 23-year-old is furious. “I have no idea what the protocol is or whether people are not allowed to enter the field,” he told streaming service MagentaTV after the match. “We have to do this faster. Everyone knows that seconds make a difference.”
Due to the long break in the match, the group final lasts not 90, but 100 minutes – curtain raiser for Kevin Csoboth. Roland Sallai runs from the right towards the baseline, sees Csoboth, who remains cool – and pushes the ball over the line. Total ecstasy, millions of Hungarians scream. The only tragedy is that the Hungarians are still eliminated due to the remaining results in Group A. Lots of emotions, a serious injury and all for nothing. Football is sometimes like life: hard but unfair.
Modrić’s goal is not enough
Croatia’s national shrine, Luka Modrić, can tell you a thing or two about this. “It’s unfair to be eliminated like this because we fought for our people from the first minute,” the 38-year-old Real Madrid legend said after the final whistle. With his opening goal against Italy in the 53rd minute, he became the oldest European Championship goalscorer of all time – but Italian striker Mattia Zaccagni equalized at the last second. Ecstasy among the Italians, horror among the Croats. Luka Modrić cries snot and water. Typically Italian: not always glamorous, but always ice cold.
Austria caused a sensation on matchday 3 with a 3-2 win in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin against the Netherlands: very few people had seen that the Alpine republic would advance as group winners ahead of France and the Netherlands. Nevertheless, the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) was meek after the match. What happened? Shortly before the final whistle of the match against the Netherlands, the front row of the fan block unfurled a banner with the inscription “Defend Europe”.
Football fans from Austria who are loyal to their home country come to the stadium with the flag of Defend Europe!
🙂#Euro2024 #POLAUT #DefendEurope pic.twitter.com/G4JFxN0UVt— Hard Money (@Hartes_Geld) June 22, 2024
This slogan has been used for years by migration critics across Europe. The ÖFB distanced itself shortly afterwards. The national team and the association “stand clearly for tolerance, diversity and integration in all areas of our society”. German head coach Ralf Rangnick is concerned about the shift to the right across the continent and expresses his incomprehension about the action: “After all, we are still doing relatively well in Europe”. As a multimillionaire, you can certainly see it that way. With so much drama, a historic success on the field almost becomes a side issue.
“Kwaradona” scores, Ronaldo is served
Not since Spain in the 2010s has there been a national team as strong as France. A team full of world stars. Mbappé, Dembélé, Griezmann, Kanté, Camavinga – where do you start? But somehow, things aren’t going well for the Équipe Tricolore. Although a 1-1 draw in the last match against Poland was enough to secure a second place in the group behind the Ösis, the third group match wasn’t exactly a footballing spectacle either. Spain is scary, but – to paraphrase Sportfreunde Stiller – with heart in hands and passion in legs, these Frenchmen are absolutely beatable.
What the French can do, the British have been able to do for a long time. A 0-0 draw against Slovenia is enough to win the group, but this kick was also not subject to entertainment tax. Inventing a sport and then becoming bad at it is something you have to do first. Cheers!
It was sensational in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday. Portugal vs Georgia. Clear thing. Or? Not exactly. After two minutes, António Silva plays an incorrect pass into the legs of Georgian striker Georges Mikautadze. He sees Napoli star Chwitscha Kwarazchelia, affectionately known in Italy as “Kwaradona” because of his skills. “Kwaradona” runs on and remains frozen in front of the goal. 1-0 for the clear outsider. Georges Mikautadze made it 2-0 in the 57th minute, and a visibly injured Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted shortly afterwards. Forgiving: Both teams have advanced to the next round.
“Peace has a price”
The only Muslim country in the tournament, Turkey, secured its place in the round of 16 with a hard-fought 2-1 win against the Czech Republic. Although the Czechs started out more actively, over time the Ottomans came into the game better. Only in extra time did the Turks reward themselves with the winning goal. How tough the match was is evident from the following statistics: twelve yellow cards and one expulsion. The Czech Republic is out, Turkey is through. Let’s look forward to it further escalating car parades everywhere in (West) German cities.
Football is the most beautiful sideshow in the world, but it is only a sideshow. You can hardly show this more impressively than the Ukrainian fans in the match against Belgium. Regardless of how you feel about the current war, this action cannot leave anyone unmoved.
A few minutes into the match, Ukrainian fans unfurled a large banner with the image of a young man: Nazarii Hryntsevich, nicknamed “Grenka”. He was one of the youngest soldiers captured by the Russians during the Battle of the Azov Valley. After his return, he continued to fight until he fell in May. The image consisted of a total of 182 smaller images of dead Ukrainian soldiers, all from the ultramilitary. The saying goes: “Peace has a price. Since February 2022, thousands of football fans have lost their lives.” It did not help, the goalless draw against Belgium was not enough for the blue-yellows to advance.
Eternal glory to the heroes 🫡
Fallen Azov player Nazarii “Grenka” Hryntsevich 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/xoZyriGwaa
— Rocke Fella – NAFO raccoon (@NAFORaccoon) June 26, 2024
Fair play is worth it
A strange thing happened when our round of 16 opponents Denmark drew 0-0 in the match against Serbia. Both teams did not achieve much, the Serbs scored a goal after halftime that was disallowed for offside. The point now is: because Denmark and group opponents Slovenia have exactly the same number of points, the same goal difference and have drawn in a direct comparison, Denmark advances because of the fair play rule.
The Scandinavians have received one fewer yellow card than Slovenia in the tournament so far and are therefore now second in the group. But Slovenia is also included as one of the four best third parties in the tournament. Even in an unfair world, honesty is sometimes rewarded.