Euro: Euro 2024: announced squads, pre-tournament friendlies etc.

[Savi]

Belgium squad:

GK Koen Casteels (Hoffenheim)
GK Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest)
GK Thomas Kaminski (Luton Town)

RB Timothy Castagne (Fulham)
RB Thomas Meunier (Dortmund)
CB Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht)
CB Zeno Debast (Anderlecht)
CB Wout Faes (Leicester)
CB Axel Witsel (Atlético)
CB Arthur Theate (Rennes)
LB Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge)

DM Amadou Onana (Everton)
DM Orel Mangala (Lyon)
CM Artur Vermeeren (Atlético)
CM Aster Vranckx (Wolfsburg)
CM Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa)
CM Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)

RW Yannick Carrasco (Al-Shabab)
RW Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla)
LW Jeremy Doku (Man City)
LW Johan Bakayoko (PSV)
F Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)
F Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta)
ST Lois Openda (Leipzig)
ST Romelu Lukaku (Roma)

 

[Corto]

Belgium squad:

GK Koen Casteels (Hoffenheim)
GK Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest)
GK Thomas Kaminski (Luton Town)

RB Timothy Castagne (Fulham)
RB Thomas Meunier (Dortmund)
CB Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht)
CB Zeno Debast (Anderlecht)
CB Wout Faes (Leicester)
CB Axel Witsel (Atlético)
CB Arthur Theate (Rennes)
LB Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge)

DM Amadou Onana (Everton)
DM Orel Mangala (Lyon)
CM Artur Vermeeren (Atlético)
CM Aster Vranckx (Wolfsburg)
CM Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa)
CM Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)

RW Yannick Carrasco (Al-Shabab)
RW Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla)
LW Jeremy Doku (Man City)
LW Johan Bakayoko (PSV)
F Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)
F Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta)
ST Lois Openda (Leipzig)
ST Romelu Lukaku (Roma)

I'll be honest, that defence doesn't look that hot IMO.
Everything else still top tier. Well, you could use Curtois I guess, but yeah...

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Has Courtois retired from the NT?!?!?!?

 

[cgf]

Has Courtois retired from the NT?!?!?!?

He's beefing with Tedesco.

 

[robertmac43]

He's beefing with Tedesco.

Isn't that whole locker room beefing at this point.

I forget the full story, but some of the players left Qatar on their own flight because they didn't want to travel home with the team.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

didn't Courtois say when he got injured that his aim was to be back by end of season but he didn't want to risk it at the Euros? Am I getting this wrong?

 

[Savi]

didn't Courtois say when he got injured that his aim was to be back by end of season but he didn't want to risk it at the Euros? Am I getting this wrong?

That's what he said indeed. But he's not going to the Euro because his beef with Tedesco. The injury was just convenient.

Courtois is an asshole and a petty manchild, so yeah leave his ass at home.

 

[gary69]

I'll be honest, that defence doesn't look that hot IMO.
Everything else still top tier. Well, you could use Curtois I guess, but yeah...

Young and speedy CB pairing of Vertonghen and Witzel...

But honestly, who's going to start and what the defensive formation will be? 3 CBs or what? As they have 1 spot left open, is that going to be a LB, or does De Cuyper have that nailed without back up. I suppose Carrasco doesn't start as a WB/winger anymore.

Plenty of players in attack who had a good season, at least individually/statistically even if their teams didn't.

 

[PanniniClaus]

That's what he said indeed. But he's not going to the Euro because his beef with Tedesco. The injury was just convenient.

Courtois is an asshole and a petty manchild, so yeah leave his ass at home.

Never ever liked the guy and thought he was overrated at Chelsea.. Overrated in the national team too.

Young and speedy CB pairing of Vertonghen and Witzel...

But honestly, who's going to start and what the defensive formation will be? 3 CBs or what? As they have 1 spot left open, is that going to be a LB, or does De Cuyper have that nailed without back up. I suppose Carrasco doesn't start as a WB/winger anymore.

Plenty of players in attack who had a good season, at least individually/statistically even if their teams didn't.

Vertonghen and Witzel.. that's rough.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Witsel has not been bad this season, all things being said

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Never ever liked the guy and thought he was overrated at Chelsea.. Overrated in the national team too.

oh goodness!

courtois and hazard are the only reason why belgium came out of its 'golden generation' with even the tiniest thing to show for it. if not for courtois and hazard in 2018 - who dragged a gang of extremely high-profile and extremely underwhelming passengers to within a corner kick of a world cup final which they likely would've won - belgium would've had a golden gen of [2014 qf], [2016 qf], [2018 qf], [2020 qf] rather than at least having a bronze medal for it. courtois and hazard were the only two belgian stars who EVER pulled their weight in tournaments.

and overrated at chelsea? nah.

 

[Savi]

Yeah I would never, ever call him overrated

but he's got a garbage personality

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Yeah I would never, ever call him overrated

but he's got a garbage personality

yeah there's no doubt he's a f***ing prick, and he's not welcome back at the Bridge after how his departure went

but he's also been consistently a top 3 keeper in the world since 2013

 

[PanniniClaus]

oh goodness!

courtois and hazard are the only reason why belgium came out of its 'golden generation' with even the tiniest thing to show for it. if not for courtois and hazard in 2018 - who dragged a gang of extremely high-profile and extremely underwhelming passengers to within a corner kick of a world cup final which they likely would've won - belgium would've had a golden gen of [2014 qf], [2016 qf], [2018 qf], [2020 qf] rather than at least having a bronze medal for it. courtois and hazard were the only two belgian stars who EVER pulled their weight in tournaments.

and overrated at chelsea? nah.

Well - I get that is controversial but there were many Champions League nights I felt one more save from Courtois and we would progress further. Always seemed to come up small when you needed him most.

Euro 2016... I thought he stunk the joint out against Wales..

I'll give you the WC in 2018.. He was pretty good.

He had 16 clean sheets during the 2017 title run but that team was truly ruled by Kante at the height of his powers. Hazard and Costa scoring the key goals.. Some great defense from experienced campaigners in Cahill, Luiz, Azpuilicueta. Even in this "dominant" year for Courtois... De Gea was voted the keeper of the year.

So I always felt he could have done more given his size and athleticism..

 

[bluesfan94]

but he's also been consistently a top 3 keeper in the world since 2013

minor quibble in that I think he's fallen off slightly in the last couple years (obviously hard to judge this year) especially in terms of consistency. Of course, he also won Real Madrid a Champions League two seasons ago, so the drop off at the top end isn't the same, if that makes sense.

 

[Chimaera]

I'm late. But watch Spain win with that ridiculous roster.

 

[John Price]

 

[luiginb]

I'm late. But watch Spain win with that ridiculous roster.

I saw Spain being third favourites with my bookies lol

 

[GKJ]

Yeah I would never, ever call him overrated

but he's got a garbage personality

I don’t know if they’re a contender for this but It’s probably time to turn some of those guys over anyways.

 

[cgf]

They're the most interesting bet IMO. Surprisingly intriguing odds to make the final / win, with as much talent as any of the top 3 betting favorites.

 

[hockey20000]

spains squad is an interesting choice...

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

They're the most interesting bet IMO. Surprisingly intriguing odds to make the final / win, with as much talent as any of the top 3 betting favorites.

between the lingering ego of a captain who will insist on starting when he could be the best super sub in the tournament and the enormous bozo who is coaching them, they're hard to predict.

on paper, they are the third best team in this tournament IMO (behind england and france). and they were definitely an absolute machine in qualifying (albeit in a pretty straight-forward group). 10-0-0, 36 GF 2GA is a pretty wild record.

they will also likely face a 3rd place team rather than a runner-up in R16 (albeit, it is possible that the third place team will be one of spain, italy, or croatia).

unfortunately, roberto martinez is the worst possible coach for a squad with potential defensive frailties (a fullback group which has never tracked back and a defensive midfielder whose strategy is 'tackle everything that moves' rather than think tactically). they should go deep, but i don't think they will.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Netherlands made their cuts. Maatsen amongst them

 

[Eye of Ra]

Lots of moaning about some of the choices on spains squad. But who should been included instead of Perez and Joselu then?

Fati? Asensio? Zaragoza? Pino?

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Netherlands made their cuts. Maatsen amongst them

i need ronald koeman to explain this to me like i'm five years old

your only 'left backs' are daley blind and nathan ake, both of whom play centre back at club level.

you also took three right backs, all three of whom are pure right backs/right wingbacks.

and then you get rid of an extremely dynamic left-back