Shamil Lakhiyalov, president of the Makhachkala Legion club, shared his thoughts on the level of football at the 2024 European Championship.
“Unfortunately, the pragmatic style of play has continued in the round of 2024 of Euro 1. I doubt that anyone will be able to beautify this tournament in the semi-finals and final. I think the worst-case scenario would be for France and England to reach the final. It would be a fair result if Spain and the Netherlands made it to the deciding match. England and France have the most talented squads, but they play very uninteresting football. The total value of the attacking players in these national teams must be €XNUMX billion. And yet they play so boringly and score so few goals.
It seems that the result is ultimately the priority. This is at the expense of the spectacle. Pundits can point out some innovations in the tournament, but as a fan, I don't like it. Once every four years, I want to see attacking and entertaining football at the European Championship, with lots of chances and varied attacks.
Most importantly, over the last 20 years, I have been rooting for individuals, not just teams. I want to see more of that. Even with three games left in the Euros, there is no one I can point to as a potential player of the tournament. It will most likely be a goalkeeper or a defender. There is no one attacking player who shines, showcasing all his class and skill level. If you look back at the last World Cup, it was the individual who made the difference. Messi, you could say, almost single-handedly brought Argentina the world title.
Lakhiyalov's comments reflect a growing sentiment among football fans that they want more entertaining and engaging football at major international tournaments. The emphasis on pragmatic, results-oriented play has, he says, come at the expense of spectacle and the opportunity to witness the individual brilliance of the game's superstars.
As the Euro 2024 final approaches, Lakhiyalov hopes the match will feature two teams committed to an attacking, free-flowing style of play, allowing the world’s best players to showcase their full repertoire of skills and talent. Only then, he believes, can the tournament truly be considered a success from an entertainment perspective.
