At the European Championships, only the final remains. This will happen on Sunday, July 14, but for now, all fans can do is monitor the news. Here’s what interesting happened during the day.
It was announced who will be the referee for the final match
François Letexier
Photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images
Once the final teams were determined, the referees who would be officiating in the decisive match were also named. UEFA selected 35-year-old Francois Letexier. But who will assist him: assistants – Cyril Munier and Medi Ramuni (all – France), fourth official – Szymon Marciniak (Poland), reserve assistant – Tomasz Listkiewicz (Poland), video assistant – Jerome Brizard (France), video assistants – Willy Delageau (France) and Massimiliano Irrati (Italy).
Former RPL referee Igor Fedotov was sympathetic to this choice: “For 35 years, this is a good achievement. Apparently, there is something in Letexier that Rosetti likes. Because the rest of his favourites, who worked for the Euro, went home quickly. This means that they did not meet certain requirements. Letexier has four matches in the Euro, three of them full-time. We were given a break after the round of 16. When choosing a referee, it is important to monitor his performance and mistakes, although in Europe they are not particularly taken into account unless something terrible happens.
There was no one else to name. The English definitely not, because their team reached the final. UEFA probably had four referees in mind. For some reason, many people thought of Marciniak, but I didn’t like him at all at the Euros, and I think not only me. This is a completely different referee, as if he didn’t need anything. For me, he didn’t meet Rosetti’s requirements. Vincic was liked at the Euros, but he officiated the semi-finals, so he couldn’t reach the final either. Orsato was given the round of 16, but he is no longer needed: he is old and the workload is too great. In terms of movement, this is not a final judge. In the end, only Letexier remained. UEFA thought, sat down and chose.
Read more about who Letexier is and what to expect from him:
Exclusive
“UEFA probably had four referees in mind.” Why was a Frenchman chosen for the Euro final?
Kane is proud of England
Harry Kane
Photo: Fake Images
When the striker traveled to Germany in search of a major trophy, everyone thought of Bayern. It turned out that we were mainly talking about Euro 2024. Harry equalized the score in the match against the Netherlands, set a record for goals in the tournament playoffs (6) and after the match noted how happy he was:
“There’s one more game to go. What an incredible game, what an incredible achievement! We’re back in the final! This is the first final for the current England team outside our country.
“The semi-final was special, it was a special night. I’m incredibly proud of everyone involved. The whole England team – players and staff. The road to the final was very tough but there’s still one more game to go. Thank you all for your support, it means a lot to our team. There’s one more game to go, let’s do it together,” Kane was quoted as saying by The Sun.
Here we reflect on England’s progress to the final:
England in the Euro 2024 final: Is this even legal?
The mother of England’s winner against Holland has demanded that her son be allowed to take to the pitch
Olivia Watkins
Photo: Fake Images
Here’s a fun insight from the guys at the Daily Mail. The publication’s correspondent spotted Ollie Watkins’ mother speaking to England fans before the semi-final against Holland and saying that her son had to go “to that bloody ground on Wednesday night.”
Gareth Southgate seemed to be in the crowd somewhere, because he sent on Ollie in the 81st minute with the score level. Incidentally, instead of Kane himself. This was his second appearance at the Euros. And 10 minutes later he spectacularly finished off his opponent with a precise strike.
“The main thing is that the whole team is ready to play. We felt we were starting to lose a bit of pressure in terms of energy and Kane got hit. Ollie can press well and score goals. We felt it was a good time to try. I’m incredibly happy that Ollie got his moment,” Southgate told UEFA’s official website.
The history of the hero of England is full of interesting moments:
“I swear on the lives of the children: I told Palmer that he would score with his pass.” He led England to the final
Athletic Club president is outraged by rumours of buying his players
Nico Williams
Photo: Fake Images
Nico Williams is having a spectacular Euros. He was actively courted to move to Barcelona throughout the tournament, and Marc Cucurella admitted he is trying to persuade the young winger to become his teammate at Chelsea. Unaya Simona and Dani Vivian are also not averse to moving to stronger clubs than Athletic. Basque coach Jon Uriarte is upset by the attention his players are receiving and has issued a statement.
“We have a top-level project, without restrictions and we can keep players like Nico Williams at the club. He is always asked too many questions about his future because the federation cannot protect him. We ask for respect,” he said emotionally in an interview with the famous journalist Fabrizio Romano.
It is curious to hear about the lack of restrictions in athletics. And yet, these emotions can be understood. If only because the Catalans’ boss, Joan Laporta, does not hide his intentions to take Williams: “Obviously I like him, a lot. Is there money for Williams? Today there is. This is the result of the work that has been done in recent years. We can afford to sign a player of this level.”
We compare the current Spanish team and the sample from Euro 2008. Here’s which one is cooler:
Which Spanish team is stronger: the current one or the winner of Euro 2008?
Van Dijk does not know if he will continue his career with the national team
The Dutch national team suffered a dramatic elimination in the semi-finals of the European Championship. The Dutch are not thinking well at the moment, including the captain. Van Dijk is hesitant to ever wear the national team uniform again, which he openly admitted:
“I have no idea what my future will be with the national team. In the summer you will have to think carefully. Last season was very long. A lot of effort was invested, including emotional energy,” van Dijk told Mundo Deportivo.
On the one hand, Virgil is already 33 years old. On the other hand, he is still at a high level and will probably keep it up until the 2026 World Cup. The current Euros are proof of that. Cap, maybe you will stay after all?
