The world’s endured plenty since – checks notes – Éder (?) broke French hearts in the epilogue to Euro 2016, with a Donald Trump presidency and a deadly pandemic raising doubts as to whether the majority of us would even be alive to see the next European Championships unfold.
But here we are, folks! We’ve made it. Euro 2020/1 is within touching distance.
A competition that has gifted the footballing world so many iconic moments; from Marco van Basten’s physics-defying volley to Antonin Panenka’s unprecedented improvisation from 12 yards, is set to thrill once again this summer as 11 European cities prepare to host the delayed tournament.
Here at Old Juve, we’ll be trying our best to provide as much coverage as possible of how the Juventus stars fare at the showcase event. First, though, we thought we’d put our knowledge to the test and attempt to forecast the imminent summer festival of international football.
Thus, here are the Old Juve team’s Euro 2020 predictions!
Jyotirmoy Halder
Winner: Italy
What an absurd way to start the round of prediction! Italy, seriously? The Azzurri have been on the hunt for their first European Championship since 1968. With the mass holding Portugal or France or Germany or Spain as the favourites this season, the Italian side’s potential is well going under the radar. Plus, this Italian roster is notably filled with players that play their club football in Italy. Hence, they know each other strengths and weaknesses very well. Synergy is what a team needs to win a big tournament. And this time has that spur in them.
Golden Boot: Harry Kane
In my reckoning, Harry Kane would win the Golden Boot this term. Other than scoring 23 Premier League goals last campaign, he had a superb overall season for Spurs. And not to forget he is one of the finishers in world football, if not the best.
Surprise Early Exit: Croatia
I don’t have any expectation from this ageing Croatian side.
Underdog: Denmark
Denmark have caught my eyes with their very balanced squad. Every position has a reliable match-winner, making them an underdog for the forthcoming tournament.
Player to Watch: Billy Gilmour
Watch out for Billy Gilmour of Scotland! Steve Clarke’s men will be representing their country in a major tournament for the first time since the 1998 World Cup. And they are certainly coming into the competition with an exciting roster of 26 men. Chelsea academy graduate Billy Gilmour is an interesting outlet. If given chances, the young midfielder will surely shine and make the world aware of his juvenile grandeur
Player of the Tournament: Nicolo Barella
Barella had a great campaign with Inter Milan and with Italy potentially winning the championship, he will have to be the Player of the Tournament.
Juventus’ Star of the Tournament: Dejan Kulusevski
Kulusevski is the man Sweden and Juventus followers will be keeping their close eyes on. He ended the domestic season on a high note and is looking likely to continue the good form onto Euro 2020.
How Far Will Italy Progress? Champions
James Cormack
Winner: Portugal
Balance and harmonious dynamics are crucial in international football and they’re two things Fernando Santos’ Portugal have in abundance. This Portuguese side are far superior to the unit that claimed almost unthinkable glory in this competition last time out; Ruben Dias and Pepe anchor a stern defence, one complemented by a balanced midfield and an array of talent in attacking areas. I expect them to top the Group of Death before edging their way to back-to-back Euro triumphs thanks to Santos’ pragmatism and the sprinkling of individual brilliance from their many stars.
Golden Boot: Romelu Lukaku
This is a Belgium side approaching the end of their cycle and they’re perhaps the weakest they’ve been since 2014 with Kevin De Bruyne an injury doubt and Eden Hazard woefully out of sorts. Nevertheless, in Romelu Lukaku they have one of the world’s premier strikers. Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer will be the Red Devils’ protagonist this summer in this golden generations final push for glory.
Surprise Early Exit: Netherlands
The Dutch boast a superbly talented spine and will certainly be aided by what – on paper – appears a fairly weak Group C. Nevertheless, their results have been patchy as of late with Frank De Boer struggling to build on the foundations laid by Ronald Koeman.
Underdog: Austria
Perennial underachievers Austria will raise an eyebrow or two this summer and qualify for their first knockout phase at a major tournament since 1982. You heard it here first! They’ll also be looking to secure their first win at the European Championships in, well, ever. David Alaba has a strong, Bundesliga-laden supporting cast alongside him this time around, with RB Leipzig tandem Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer, Wolfsburg’s Xaver Schlager and Hoffenheim’s Christoph Baumgartner all keen to shine. Their talent is complemented by rugged old-timers in defence and a smart coach in Franco Foda. Overall, this is Austria’s best chance in years to enjoy success at a major tournament.
Player to Watch: Ruslan Malinovskiy
Serie A lovers will be well aware of Ruslan Malinovskiy’s brilliance but the majestic Ukrainian is a player yet to intrigue a worldwide audience. In Andriy Shevchenko’s dynamic Ukraine outfit, Malinovskiy is poised to star from a box-to-box midfield role and should his ability manifest at this summer’s tournament, Atalanta will surely be subject to plenty of calls from Europe’s elite.
Player of the Tournament: Joao Felix
This was really tough to call but I’ve got a good feeling about Joao Felix this summer. His season at Atletico Madrid somewhat petered out after a scintillating start and his spot in Santos’ XI certainly isn’t guaranteed with the likes of Diogo Jota and Bernardo Silva competing for places. Nevertheless, Felix has the potential to enjoy a monster tournament and I’m backing him to do so for the eventual champions.
Juventus’ Star of the Tournament: Federico Chiesa
Federico Chiesa has enjoyed a stellar 2021 and thrives on the big stage. This seemed like a no-brainer.
How Far Will Italy Progress? Semi-Finals
Expectations are high for Roberto Mancini’s Azzurri as they head into the tournament 27 games unbeaten. However, I expect them to fall short on this occasion with this exciting generation at the mere start of their cycle. Their time will arrive a little further down the line. Nevertheless, Italy’s potential should be teased this summer.
Kevin Parvizi
Winner: France
I could try to be clever with this one, but I am going with the odds-on favourite in France. They are just way too talented all-around and have a fluid trio in attack that should take the tournament by storm. Yes, Karim Benzema is very much that influential in solidifying France as favourites, as anyone who has watched him closely these past two seasons will attest.
Golden Boot: Romelu Lukaku
I took way too long with this one, but ultimately I settled on Romelu Lukaku. Not only is he in fine form coming into Euro 2020 after his displays for Inter en route to a Serie A triumph, but he is also going to be so important to his national team. Belgium will rely on Lukaku to create and finish off moves, but more so the latter. They don’t really have another goal-scoring option, aside from the occasional chip-in from Kevin de Bruyne. Eden Hazard is a wild card, but Lukaku is the new superstar for the Red Devils.
Surprise early exit: Netherlands
Is it really even a surprise to say that the Netherlands will be bounced out of the tournament early? They look like a team without a real plan, and, quite frankly, Frank de Boer is in the running as the most “in over his head” manager in the tournament. I believe in some of the players in this team, such as Memphis Depay and Matthijs de Ligt, but I think their manager hasn’t got a clue how to maximize the more iffy starters.
Underdog: Turkey
I was tempted to roll with Austria, because they have a couple of top-class players in Kalajdzic, Alaba, and Sabitzer to go with a robust midfield and defence. But how can I go against Turkey? They have one of the standout players of Ligue 1 up top in Burak Yilmaz, who was beyond phenomenal for the league champions Lille. Their centre backs are among the best in the tournament, and I think they have enough supplemental talent between the likes of Hakan Calhanoglu and Kenan Karaman to do some damage. Turkey plays with real togetherness and has the extra bite to make them one of the toughest teams to face in the tournament.
Player to Watch: Jeremy Doku
With nearly four dribbles completed per game this past season at Rennes, Jeremy Doku is going to be one of the most exciting players to watch this year, and fanbases of clubs like Liverpool will be watching him closely as a potential transfer target. The right-sided winger is going to be Belgium’s X-Factor, especially creatively. Kevin de Bruyne should be back, but Eden Hazard’s immediate future is unknown. And that could mean more opportunities for the electrifying Doku, who is yet another highly positive attacking force in this squad.
Player of the Tournament: N’Golo Kante
It really feels like this is N’Golo Kante’s year, much like 2018 was Luka Modric’s. The Ballon d’Or appears to be calling his name, and perhaps Kante’s biggest challenger to this honour will be his own teammates. Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe are two of the favourites for this honour, and Antoine Griezmann was certainly no slouch in France’s last tournament triumph. But Kante is vital to France in a highly specific way, meaning the spotlight he’s starting to get for his intelligent defending, endless running, and leadership qualities won’t be usurped by anyone around him. Not even 2018 World Cup star Paul Pogba.
Juventus Star of the Tournament: Cristiano Ronaldo
I seriously considered Federico Chiesa for this spot, just as we have all weighed the merits of Chiesa or Cristiano Ronaldo as Juventus Player of the Season. But ultimately, I leaned in the direction of Ronaldo for this question as well. Ronaldo won the Euros four years ago, even if his team crossed the finish line via heroics from Eder – and not the fallen captain. The motivation Ronaldo has is on a different level, both because time is running out for him in international football and because of the whispers behind his back regarding Juve’s poor season.
This Portugal team is the strongest Ronaldo has been a part of, perhaps even including the team that made the third-place game in the 2006 World Cup. There will be no crawling until the end or parking the bus for this year’s Portugal. They need to be at their best to make it out of the ‘Group of Death’ and then contend with other great teams elsewhere like Italy and Belgium. I believe Ronaldo, as he has always done, will be up to the challenge with a Portugal squad that certainly has the talent to support his work. On paper, he is the best player on the second-best team in the tournament.
How far will Italy progress? Semi-finals
I am very bullish on this year’s Italy side. Roberto Mancini has done a tremendous job of getting this team to play to its strengths, highlighting the individual qualities of the midfielders and forwards. Italy is playing exciting, progressive football, and they have some incredible players. Their midfield might actually be the best in the tournament and is five-deep, with the likes of Marco Verratti and Nicolo Barella being the main standouts.
Lorenzo Insigne is a Player of the Tournament sleeper and deserves more love. My only worry is if Mancini starts Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini together too frequently, but, aside from that, this is a strong, well-rounded squad. They are as good contenders as anyone not named France.