Elvis not Memphis
Dutch pundit Johan Derksen gets star billing elsewhere in today’s Eurozone for his comment on the likelihood of Lionel Messi being unimpressed by his new team-mate Memphis Depay when he arrives at Barcelona.
It was earlier this month that the Dutch team announced a boycott of the show Derksen appears on, Veronica Inside, because of his less than diplomatic comments about Black Lives Matters demonstrations in the Netherlands.
If a boycott hadn’t already been announced, you’d be half guessing that Depay would now be launching his own. Let’s just say, Derksen isn’t a fan of the fella. In the last month alone he’s called him a sulker with an oversized ego, a “second-rate player” who “keeps failing, keeps doing weird things” and is most likely going to fail at Barcelona.
And after the defeat by the Czech Republic? “He can try to come across as Elvis Presley, but he has played four games for the Oranje with his big mouth and four games played very badly. He acts like a star - bloody show it! Not once has he lived up to his behaviour off the field.” Strewth.
Quote of the day
"If he plays at Barcelona like he did at Euro 2020, Messi will touch him on the shoulder and ask: 'Hey, have you been playing football for long?'" Dutch pundit Johan Derksen, just a little underwhelmed by Memphis Depay's tournament.
Number of the day
49 - Meanies Uefa 'credited' Pedri with that own goal against Croatia, rather than Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon - so, at 49 yards, it's the 'longest' own-goal in Euro history. Err, congrats.
Oranje is the new Wales
As if the Welsh weren’t in enough pain after their Euro 2020 exit, their attention was then drawn to a piece by Peter Wekking in Voetbal International on the Netherlands’ ousting by the Czech Republic.
“With the victories of Max Verstappen and Matthieu van der Poel, it had everything to be a blissful Sunday,” he wrote. “But it became a black one …. eliminated in the last 16, just like the hobby kickers from Wales. That is the state of the current Orange: Just as bad as Wales. And that’s not even a real country.”
There won’t be a welcome in the valleys for Peter any time soon.
Word of mouth
"Switzerland had an unfair advantage playing in front of a neutral crowd." The tweet machine's Jonny Sharples with a most excellent observation.
"Thank God for that George, thank God for that - that's a tennis score-line, 6-3, we don't want that." Kenny Cunningham when Spain's Dani Olmo hit the post in the 120th minute of their 5-3 win over Croatia. As a former Wimbledon player, you'd think he'd be less hostile to tennis.
"Sorry to say this word, but it's ****ing amazing, man. At 3-1, to come back like this against France, to show big character, this team is ****ing amazing, man." Switzerland's Granit Xhaka showing off his fluency in English after that triumph over the French.
Harry Hancock
Most Striking Front Page Ahead of the England v Germany game: We’ll go with The Sun’s offering which featured a photo of the so-far-goalless but very determined looking Harry Kane. The headline?
“Come on Harry ..... even Hancock scored!”
Hoping for a Matt finish from Harry, then.
