Euro 2020: Italy win it; morons, encouraged by UK govt., racially abuse England's greatest team since '66.

[Herdanos]

Was reading the BBC pundit's predictions on who will win the Euro's (mostly france) and although I do like Micah Richards I presume he's on a wind up with this.

Belgium are going to win the Euros because Kevin de Bruyne - the best midfielder in the world - is going to light it up. The team has got that experience now that they need too.

I actually think France are going to struggle. They have got too much quality and that means too many arguments. You know what it's like in the camp - it will be who's taking the free-kick? Who's taking the penalty? There will be too much ego in that squad, so they are going to struggle - you heard it here first.

Too much quality didn't cause many arguments when they won the World Cup eh Micah?

He's right for the wrong reasons IMO. The recall of Benzema might backfire. Giroud is a far better fit for this France side - selfless and creating link-up plays to enable Griezmann, Mbappe and Pogba. Benzema is undoubtedly a quality footballer (though he is an utterly awful human) but his strength is as a focal point, which he won't be for this team to fully function. And if things start to go wrong, who do you want in your camp: level-headed Olivier, or the man whose history of decision making entails soliciting underage prostitutes, condoning attacks on figures standing up to terrorism, and blackmailing his own teammates?

[Moggy]

Steady on, there's no need to get political about it!

You know who else stands up? Marxists! Marxists love standing up!

I've found proof that "stand up to racism" is BLM Marxism dedicated to defunding the nuclear family.

[Jenuall]

Steady on, there's no need to get political about it!

You know who else stands up? Marxists! Marxists love standing up!

I've found proof that "stand up to racism" is BLM Marxism dedicated to defunding the nuclear family.

Boooooooo

[Cuttooth]

I wonder what the excuse would be in the universe where all BLM organisations and activists were strictly liberal.

Would their denouncers just stick to it being very divisive to mention racial injustice?

[Lotus]

I don't think we should expect other countries to start kneeling in the same way that England does. It's a very American concept and idea, very much linked to American issues, and as with most things - for better or worse - we've imported it from them. Most other countries haven't, and - rightly I would say - feel it has nothing to do with them. Not sure why we'd suddently expect them to start doing it just because we do.

[Moggy]

I don't think we should expect other countries to start kneeling in the same way that England does. It's a very American concept and idea, very much linked to American issues, and as with most things - for better or worse - we've imported it from them. Most other countries haven't, and - rightly I would say - feel it has nothing to do with them. Not sure why we'd suddently expect them to start doing it just because we do.

Nobody expects any team to do it.

[Cuttooth]

In what way is racial injustice a solely American issue?

[KK]

Hopefully ITV has a more interesting set for this tournament. Debut programme on BBC1 tonight and it’s still the hideous Unreal Engine green screen set-up.

[Herdanos]

Hopefully ITV has a more interesting set for this tournament. Debut programme on BBC1 tonight and it’s still the hideous Unreal Engine green screen set-up.

What are they airing tonight?

[KK]

Gary Lineker, Micah Richards, James McFadden, Ashley Williams and various others discussing and previewing the tournament basically, with interviews and look at all the teams. I left it and they were playing a package on Portugal and Ronaldo.

[Jenuall]

Nobody wants to watch Gary Linekar giving a detailed analysis of Ronaldo's package.

[Vermilion]

No tournament is complete without football cat...

[Lotus]

Gary Lineker, Micah Richards, James McFadden, Ashley Williams and various others discussing and previewing the tournament basically, with interviews and look at all the teams. I left it and they were playing a package on Portugal and Ronaldo.

I watched this, but it was pretty gooseberry fool. The definition of trying to fill time.

And you can't watch or listen to anything about football at the moment without Micah Richards being on it. strawberry floating hell
Must be the easiest gig in the world going into punditry after retiring. Hundreds of ex-footballers just doing the rounds spouting shite.

[BTB]

Really looking forward to the Euros now! Missed the big international tournaments and as I'm WFH/currently serving my notice period this is the perfect time to watch as much as I can!

Still seems odd that it is happening across all of the different countries and some covid outbreaks are inevitable I feel, but hope it doesn't take too much away from the tournament.

Difficult group for Wales, but hoping we can squeeze past it! Going to watch the final episode of 'Football Nation' at lunch for preparation. Then making a big pasta dish for the first game this evening

[Photek]

Strange decisiong by Scotland that is. The Rep of Ireland team got booed in Hungary by a full stadium for kneeling at the start of the match a couple of days ago (Hungary don't kneel either). We then brought on our first ever African born Irish international.

[Corazon de Leon]

Strange decisiong by Scotland that is. The Rep of Ireland team got booed in Hungary by a full stadium for kneeling at the start of the match a couple of days ago (Hungary don't kneel either). We then brought on our first ever African born Irish international.

It's a thing that happened after Rangers' Glen Kamara was racially abused in a Europa League match by a Sparta Prague player. I don't know the whole story but apparently Kamara and a few other players made the decision to stop taking the knee after it and the trend spread in Scotland, so the national team followed suit. The Scotland squad haven't been taking the knee since March, so this isn't a new thing and I've no idea why it's being reported as such.

FWIW I'm not arguing about it either way as it's not my call to make. I would've liked to see the players take the knee at least in the England match in solidarity with the England players who've been receiving abuse, but we'll see what happens I guess.

[Jenuall]

We've done a Euros sweepstake at work.

I've got Russia

[Photek]

We've done a Euros sweepstake at work.

I've got Russia

I got Germany (at my job, we don't work together obviously. )

[Jenuall]

We've done a Euros sweepstake at work.

I've got Russia

I got Germany (at my job, we don't work together obviously. )

The guy at my work who got Germany is a right dick head. Maybe we do work together!

[Photek]

Facts.