Key events
Vertonghen announces international retirement
After Belgium’s elimination from Euro 2024, and after making 157 appearances for his country, former Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen has retired from international football.
He said: “The first and the last. Thank you for all these memories, I was able to live my dream!”
We’ll be able to get a glimpse of England’s training session at 10.50am BST today. All eyes on whether they’re preparing in a back three/five and how much involvement Luke Shaw has.
Away from the Euros, Arne Slot is set to be officially unveiled as Liverpool manager with a press conference at 11am.
We’ll be across it all.
For those of you who were/are concerned about John Stones’s knee:
As if Germany v Spain at 5pm wasn’t enough to enthral you this Friday night, there’s also Portugal v France later on. What an absolute feast.
Philippe Auclair has written about the rivalry between the two countries, saying there will be no hatred when they clash in tonight’s Euro 2024 quarter-final, but it is unlikely to be incident-free based on the controversy that has dominated their meetings throughout history.
Four players are locked on three goals in the Golden Boot race right now, but two of them are out of the tournament. So where’s your money? Cody Gakpo looks pretty lethal in front of goal for the Netherlands, but there are plenty of potent forwards sitting on two goals.
This has tickled me.
That’s a shame though, I really thought Cole Palmer would have some interesting comments on economic reform and the geo political landscape https://t.co/D42JGZoSW5
— Reece Donnelly (@ReeceDSport) July 4, 2024
Saturday will mark 100 England games in charge for Gareth Southgate. He’ll be hoping it’s not 100 and out. What are the highlights of that century?
For me, a quick top three:
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2018 Colombia penalty shootout win
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2018 3-2 Nations League win over Spain
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2021 beating Germany 2-0 at Euro 2020
The 2022 World Cup arguably saw England’s strongest all-round performances, but they only beat Iran, Wales and Senegal.
It’s quite scary to me that every Germany game now could be Toni Kroos’s final ever professional match. What a player he’s been – and still is. Talk about going on out a high.
It’s just been pointed out to me by Kevin O’Rourke that Labour won a landslide majority in 1966, not long before England’s only previous major tournament win.
The Three Lions also won the 1997 Tournoi de France after Tony Blair’s landslide victory.
Read into that what you will.
Let the England selection debate, COMMENCE …
Amar Breckenridge gets in touch on email:
On switching to a back three at short notice: France did that against Switzerland prior to their Euro 2020 round of 16 game, and were knocked out. Murat Yakin did the same for Switzerland against Portugal in Qatar and lost 6-1. Switzerland had played with a back three for several years under their previous coach, and do so now: the point is that teams need time to settle into the system …
For balance, Amar, England switched to that formation against Germany in the last 16 of Euro 2020 and beat them 2-0.
Can England keep going to the well and pulling something out? For all the criticism Gareth Southgate’s side have received, it’s a testament to their mental fortitude that they’ve fought their way to the last eight without playing remotely well.
Here’s what Southgate told Uefa:
We showed great resilience and great character to keep going right until the end, and I think we deserved a draw in the 90 minutes. When you get the goal so early in extra time, you’re able to be in charge of things a little more.
We have to get ourselves back to the mental stage we were in before the game [against Slovakia]. Where whatever it takes to win, you’ve got to be ready to go. You’ve got to be ready to go right to the depths again.
There have been some crackers of this genre on Twitter X over the past day or so, but this might be the best.
Just took 93yr mum to vote, she’s registered blind. In a very loud voice she said, “Which box for Adam Wharton to get some minutes at the Euros?” A cheer went up from waiting voters.
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) July 4, 2024
John Stones would be at home in such a system, that’s for sure.
“We’ve done it in previous tournaments,” the England centre-back said. “I remember [beating] Germany [in] the last Euros. Previously to that in 2018. I think it’s a great thing to have in the locker if we need to play that system. It’s something that shouldn’t be underestimated for us as a team – that we can do it so easily and seamlessly.”
Former Swiss midfielder Gelson Fernandes has been among those to question the (potential) decision by Southgate. (He would though, wouldn’t he).
This is what he told BBC Sport:
Would you change the tactical aspect when you are already in the quarter-final? It’s quite dangerous for me.
At that level you don’t test. Usually you can do that in friendly games. That is when you can change things. At that level it’s tricky.
I don’t want to judge Gareth Southgate because he is the coach, the only thing I would say is, as a player, it’s better to have certain things which you are sure of; if you compensate from right to left, or you push up, or you come out, when you go two v two.
In the final round it’s better to know what you’re doing, because otherwise it can be tricky and on the pitch you don’t have time to react and to adjust. It might be too late. But that’s not my problem. It’s England’s problem.
I might regret starting such a discussion – as it usually prompts an extraordinary amount of emails – but I’m interested to gauge England fans’ thoughts on the potential change of formation for the Switzerland game. Supporters have been crying out for change, but there’s a fair bit of consternation about ripping up the hymn sheet on the eve of a quarter-final …
I very much echo the thoughts on Spain’s Dani Olmo when he says their clash with Germany could be the final. They’ve arguably been the two best, certainly the two most fluent teams at the tournament.
(And despite the Spain love-in, I’ve got a sneaky suspicion the Germans will go through in Stuttgart).
Anyway here’s Olmo, the RB Leipzig player, chatting with our very own Sid Lowe in Donaueschingen.
Preamble
Good morning and what a morning this is. Hope springs eternal and there’s a sense of refreshing change in the air, as if the shackles of the past few years are about to be released after all the drudgery … and that’s just the news that Gareth Southgate is thinking about changing England’s formation.
I jest, of course, there’s a big General Election result dropping right now in the United Kingdom. But on the continent – and in the world of football, the best world there is – all roads today lead to Stuttgart at 5pm and then Hamburg at 8pm (BST), where two titanic Euro 2024 quarter-finals are about to play out.
We’ll be across all the preview bits and bobs for Germany v Spain and France v Portugal today, with a sprinkling of England news for good measure too. Why not stick around and drop me an email with your thoughts? Let’s go.
