The Official 15/26 Various National Soccer Team News and 2016 Euros Thread
So we're not constantly bumping the Brazil World Cup thread.
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Antonio Conte is the new coach of Italy with a two-year contract that will take him through the 2016 European Championship.
The former Juventus manager will replace Cesare Prandelli, who resigned after Italy were knocked out of the 2014 World Cup in the group stage. He is now the manager of Galatasaray in Turkey.
He was one of the first using 3-5-2 on a large stage as he implemented that at Juventus when he first started there.
Also a poorly kept secret. Almost immediately after Conte resigned from Juventus earlier this summer it was rumored that it was because he was tapped on the shoulder by the FIGC after Prandelli left the spot.
He was one of the first using 3-5-2 on a large stage as he implemented that at Juventus when he first started there.
Also a poorly kept secret. Almost immediately after Conte resigned from Juventus earlier this summer it was rumored that it was because he was tapped on the shoulder by the FIGC after Prandelli left the spot.
Oh, terribly kept secret. He'll make tons more money as the manager of the national team and he has a great knowledge of the players.
__________________ The Beatings Shall Continue Until Morale Improves!
This Post Has Been Distilled for the Eradication of Seemingly Incurable Sadness.
If you are flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a Fire Exit. - Mitch Hedberg
Per Mertesacker has become the third member of Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning squad to retire from international football.
The Arsenal defender, 29, has called time on his career with the Nationalmannschaft a month after lifting the World Cup in Brazil, following in the footsteps of Philipp Lahm and Miroslav Klose.
Klose wasnt much of a surprise, Lahm was because I thought he had more to give but Mertesacker is only 29. He must be convinced that he cant keep his place in the squad anymore.
Not a huge loss to Germany, especially not with some superb youth coming in, but the chemistry of the team is going to be a lot different going into the Euros.
__________________ The Beatings Shall Continue Until Morale Improves!
This Post Has Been Distilled for the Eradication of Seemingly Incurable Sadness.
If you are flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a Fire Exit. - Mitch Hedberg
Wayne Rooney is the new England captain. Why? For very much the same reason that Jack Colback and Danny Rose are new England players: Because there really isn't anyone else.
Manager Roy Hodgson referred to Rooney as the "obvious" choice. The word he was looking for was "only." With 95 caps, he has made almost twice as many appearances as his nearest challenger, James Milner. Goalkeeper Joe Hart, utterly unopposed as England's No. 1 thanks to the paucity of candidates, has 43. If Hodgson hadn't given Rooney the armband, he would have needed a very good reason for his decision.
Rooney's record at club level is excellent, of course. He has won the Premier League five times and the Champions League once, with a double of PFA and FWA awards in 2010. But at international level, his impressive hit rate of 40 goals obscures a series of disastrous displays in major tournaments. His coruscating performance at Euro 2004 seemed to herald a bright new era for his nation. Everything since has been an anticlimax.
In 2006, he was sent off for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho's tender parts. Ten-man England were eliminated in his absence. In 2008, he and the rest of the "golden generation" failed to even qualify for the European championship. In the 2010 World Cup, he was woeful and then publicly slammed the travelling supporters for booing him. In 2012, another critical red card, this time for kicking Montenegro's Miodrag Dzudovic up the bottom, saw him ruled out of two of his nation's three group games. England were eliminated in the first knockout round. In 2014, he was poor against Italy but retained his place in spite of widespread public criticism. England were eliminated inside the first week.
England vs. Norway - Wayne Rooney's first game as Captain.
Germany vs. Argentina - The replay of the World Cup Final sans Messi, who I dont think was there at the World Cup Final, he was missing a shoe or something? Anyways, they gave him a rather uncomfortable looking one at the end. He didnt seem too enthused about it all.
Schweinsteiger is named Germany's new Captain, but he hasnt yet played for Bayern this season through injury so its unknown if he'll play, Khedira is also out with injury and of course Lahm, Mertesacker and Klose are retired.
__________________ The Beatings Shall Continue Until Morale Improves!
This Post Has Been Distilled for the Eradication of Seemingly Incurable Sadness.
If you are flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a Fire Exit. - Mitch Hedberg
Another lesson he's (Low) learned was trust the instincts and expertise of his No. 2. On Monday, Low praised the "tactical" and "personal" input of Hansi Flick, who has since departed to become sporting director at the German FA, during the tournament in Brazil. Flick was widely credited for upgrading Germany's threat from dead-ball situations, a key component of their successful campaign. His successor, Low revealed, is Thomas Schneider, 40, the former Stuttgart manager and player. It's a slightly left-field appointment but in line with recent decisions.
Nobody expected Low to employ Flick in the assistant role in 2006, just as Low's own hiring by Jurgen Klinsmann in 2004 had come as a huge surprise at the time. If Schneider works out equally well, it's not inconceivable that he will take over from Low after France. Five out of 10 national managers in (West) Germany's history started out as assistants, and each one of them has delivered at least one trophy. No pressure, then.
England vs. Norway - Wayne Rooney's first game as Captain.
Germany vs. Argentina - The replay of the World Cup Final sans Messi, who I dont think was there at the World Cup Final, he was missing a shoe or something? Anyways, they gave him a rather uncomfortable looking one at the end. He didnt seem too enthused about it all.
Schweinsteiger is named Germany's new Captain, but he hasnt yet played for Bayern this season through injury so its unknown if he'll play, Khedira is also out with injury and of course Lahm, Mertesacker and Klose are retired.
That is an awesome lineup even without Schweini and Boateng. The LB and RB positions are fully up for grabs now that Lahm has retired.
Schweinsteiger being named captain was no surprise. He was already the captain even though Lahm wore the armband. Not taking anything away from Lahm but Schweinsteiger is the heart and sole of the German squad (and Bayern),
That is an awesome lineup even without Schweini and Boateng. The LB and RB positions are fully up for grabs now that Lahm has retired.
Schweinsteiger being named captain was no surprise. He was already the captain even though Lahm wore the armband. Not taking anything away from Lahm but Schweinsteiger is the heart and sole of the German squad (and Bayern),
Thats a good lineup, we're really going to be seeing a lot of changes in the German national team in the next year or so.
I'm hoping to see Gomez get his National Team career back on track. I was super-critical of Gomez for years but Low stuck with him and then for about 2 years he was one of the top strikers in the world and then back to being useless again.
__________________ The Beatings Shall Continue Until Morale Improves!
This Post Has Been Distilled for the Eradication of Seemingly Incurable Sadness.
If you are flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a Fire Exit. - Mitch Hedberg
35k for a friendly against Norway is an accomplishment, on the other, if they had this game in any city but London it probably sells out
I get that they spent all their money on Wembley and feel they need to use it, but I've never seen it this empty
the Telegraph had an idea yesterday to sell it, it suggested to Spurs but the stadium plans are too far along, Chelsea might make more sense, and then to travel more with England while still having Wembley for the big games. Get some money back, and invest some in youth dev.
The Official 15/26 Various National Soccer Team News and 2016 Euros Thread
