“It’s Never Going to Get Any Better Than This”

Why Euro 2000 was, perhaps, the best international tournament ever.

© knvb.nl

Walking off the pitch after the final, France’s captain, Didier Deschamps, was unequivocal. His first words to the eager journalists preying for a breathless expression of his elation: “It’s never going to get any better than this.” He has just seen his side play out one of the greatest finals of all time, settled by a golden goal after an equally dramatic ninetieth minute leveller; however, while the experienced Frenchman may have expressed his sentiments regarding the game itself, his words could have not been truer in describing the whole tournament. Quite simply, Euro 2000 co-hosted by Belgium and Netherlands, was arguably the best and most exciting tournament of recent memory.

This summer may see the sun shine, but that mid afternoon call of the football won’t be there; the pubs will be empty; the fanatics who wouldn’t miss a single moment of every clash, won’t be able to impress us with their encyclopaedic knowledge of Turkish football. Although this year’s tournament was cancelled in light of the pandemic of whose name I shall not speak, it’s a perfect time to pay homage to the older vintages of international football that served as the bedrock for much of my early childhood memories. The European Championships may be Euro-centric in their obvious nature, lacking the worldwide spectacle and grander internationalism of the World Cup, but the local rivalries, quintessentially quaint host cities, and overall quality of the each of the qualified teams means that the supposed stop-gap between the four year world cup cycle, often leads to surprisingly better tournaments.

Before even considering some of the nuances that made this tournament so special, it’s important to address some of the general truths. There were sheer surprises, ridiculously high scoring games, drama, tension, and a tactical trend within teams to attack at every turn. The championships had it all, but perhaps most symbolically, there were more goals per game than previous incarnations. Given the manner in which club football’s Champions League began to consume the baying demands of European audiences, this was the last international tournament in which the latter of the ‘truths’ was so apparent in international football.

Some international tournaments, including Spain’s European triumph in 2008, may be outstanding, but are completely out of sync with the climate. Although worthy winners, Spanish footballing ascendancy was in its infancy. No La Liga side had performed particularly well in the Champions League, their national team were perennial underachievers, yet the ease in which they won the tournament was considered to be a “April Snowstorm” by the Guardian’s Rob Smyth. If this tournament was considered a surprise, Euro 2000 was much easier to forecast. As previously alluded to, the dominant teams all were purveyors of fluid and attack driven play. Nations which reached the knockouts were spearheaded by the mercurial talents in the traditional ‘number ten’ role. Totti, Hagi, Costa, Stojkovic and of course, Zidane (we like him here on this page) to name but a few, with the list going on, but being purposefully curtailed to sound less like the aforementioned Turkish football trivia titan.

Nations adorned with the favourite tags were not the only ones to be quite so bold. Slovenia, tournament debutants, pushed the Yugoslavs right to the edge, but succumbed to a remarkable comeback from a 3-0 lead. The Yugoslavs, everyone’s second team by the end, also saw a 3-0 lead turn into defeat against Spain, but they must be lauded for how they approached the match, attacking the obviously more gifted Spaniards. These games were some of six matches to see teams come back from at least two goals down, and with this, comes the proof of the excitement within the championship. It was the pure unpredictable nature of the games played, where the bigger teams always felt under threat by more limited opposition, determined to attack.

Football really was great at the turn of the century. The 4-2-3-1 bug hadn’t kicked in for most teams which made games more defensive by nature. Even the final showcased how the game was at its zenith. Both France and Italy’s individual performances, with quite contrasting tactical dimensions, only added to the psychological and strategic dimensions of the contest. While there were many moments of outstanding skill and individual excellence, it was the continuum of brilliance which meant Euro 2000 really was no freak weather but fully in sync with the climate.

It is no surprise that the countries who performed the worst and were deemed ‘surplus to requirements’ by the cutthroat nature of tournament football, all lacked these qualities. Norway, Germany and quite unsurprisingly England, were all pretty dour because they lacked a cutting edge. One performance in particular stands out; where an England side, so bereft of creativity, sat back on a fortunately accrued 2-0 lead over Portugal. Final score, 3-2 Portugal. Luis Figo scoring the goal of the tournament to get the ball rolling for the triumphant and determined Lusitanians. England may have had their usual noughties qualities, right at the start of a decade of disappointment, but such was the quality of the championship, six year old me didn’t even care...I think. This case of failure would unfortunately be very much predictable “weather” for the foreseeable future.

Goals and attacking play are a hugely simplistic way of analysing excitement in football. In its stripped back and purest form, the whole intellect of the game is for Team A to put the ball in the back of the net more times than Team B, savvy? Euro 2000 had only three 0-0 draws. Strangely, the undoubtable best game of the tournament was the goalless semi-final between the Italians and the Dutch hosts. A complete tragicomedy with all the necessary cast, the Dutch had played their fluid way while the Italians relied on their known defensive prowess, which was implemented as the antidote to the venomous attacking play of the tournament so far. Two penalties missed by the Dutch in regulation time, an Italian red card, chance after chance. However, the Italians knew what would come at them and played an incredible tactical game relying on the trifecta of god-like defenders: Cannavaro, Maldini and Nesta. The penalty shootout even had drama; misses from either side, chuck in a few saves and that most audacious of chipped penalties by Totti (pictured). Understandably the Dutch were distraught and bowed out of a game where defending was sexy. It might seem strange to laud defence in a tournament characterised by attack, but this was no fluke built on tight defence, this was an equally courageous response to the fluid offenses on display and carried out with similarly poised aplomb.

Overall, France really were worthy winners. The final was the most appropriate ending to the previous month’s festivities. The team really was one of the greatest of all time, the kind of squeaky clean champions you’d be happy to introduce to your mum and dad; however, it took more than previous victories to quash their critics. Prior to their World Cup in 1998, the French team were dogged by accusations of not truly representing the country. France’s unique history of immigration and empire meant the majority of the team were either immigrants themselves, or children of immigrants. Zidane himself, the darling of the team, was the son of Algerian immigrants. 1998 had seen this issue divide much of the country as to whether quotas should be brought in to influence the racial make-up of the team; Jean-Marie Le Pen’s National Front party being at the forefront of the criticism, lambasting certain players for singing Le Marseillaise when “they aren’t French”.

Horrible little man aside, the team's victory at the previous tournament had seen a new wave of appreciation for this multicultural team. A moniker given to the squad by the press (Noir, Blanc, Beur, a spin on the three colours of the French tricolour translating to black, white, arab) was officially adopted by the team. This popular acceptance was born in the World Cup campaign but carried on right through the 2000 tournament. Their second successive victory on the international stage once again championed the outcries for a more tolerant society, lauding multi-cultural unity a success as opposed to an issue. France is still no perfect state, fully accepting of minorities, as sadly the debate surrounding Les Bleus still exists, but the victory for France once again highlighted the importance of sport away from the field of play. It had unified the country once more and dispelled many notions which were uncouth and obviously racist. French people, for the most part, were proud of their team and the country they represented. It’s sad that such a trivial thing as sport plays a part in silencing these issues, but a second victory for the team kept the momentum. David Trezuguet’s golden goal winner put to bed much of the popular cloud of racial intolerance directed at his fellow professionals. The team had a real aura and class about them, carried over from their World Cup triumph. They played like champions from the moment go; who said predictable was boring eh?

Of all the sports which hold the attention of international audiences, football is able to attain a unique place on the pedestal of meaning; it’s more than just a sport. In a world so divided and fractured by recent events and past injustices, the innocent power of sport brings people together. France were worthy winners and the re-triumph of their multi-cultural team was as equally important to sport as it was French politics. Football has that distinctive way of meaning more than the actions on the pitch to so many, but when it’s all boiled down, that excitement, drama and passion is what is remembered first and foremost. Euro 2000 had it all.

Just a thought.