By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
June 22 – Just when they needed to boost regional interest and their own individual reputations ahead of the 2018 World Cup, eastern European sides have been crashing out of Euro 2016 with questions being asked about how far they have fallen behind their western counterparts at international level.
June 22 – Ronaldo returns to action searching for that exclusive goal on a night that could see the Portuguese burst back in to Euro contention…or fizzle out. Ibrahimovic is also on show, his final show, and will want to leave his final mark as Sweden cling on to qualification hopes.
June 22 – Hungary are the latest country to be sanctioned by UEFA over crowd trouble at Euro 2016 incurring a €65,000 fine following the disorder during their encounter with Iceland.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 21 – Croatia, whose fans have brought shame on tournament after tournament, can consider themselves to have got off lightly after UEFA fined them €100,000 as a result of the ugly scenes towards the end of the 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic last Friday.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 21 – Russia coach Leonid Slutsky has offered his resignation after his side’s inglorious exit from Euro 2016 at the group stage.
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
June 21 – When he was at Chelsea, Leicester City’s Premier League-winning manager Claudio Ranieri was known as the ‘tinkerman’ for always chopping and changing his line-up. Now he has a rival in Didier Deschamps.
June 21 – Northern Irish fans have set the tournament alight with their humour but the Germans, in search of their own goal-scoring form, have a serious mission to complete.
June 20 – The chant bearing his name has gone viral on social media sites yet he doesn’t necessarily even start for Northern Ireland. Wigan striker Will Grigg has become a cult hero, bursting into the iTunes top 10 thanks to ‘Will Grigg’s On Fire’, either the best or worst suppporters’ chant depending on your point of view but which has taken Euro 2016 by storm.
By Samindra Kunti in Marseilles
June 19 – Euro 2016 was again scarred by crowd trouble Saturday with UEFA opening proceedings against Hungarian and Turkish federations after fans let off flares in stadiums. UEFA has now opened cases against eight of the 24 competing nations while supporters of other teams, notably England, have been caught up in public disorder in French cities.
June 18 – Switzerland and looking to make a point against France. Albania, who have no points at their first major tournament, see their match against Romania as a matter of life or death.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 18 – Just when their highly impressive team was stamping its mark on the tournament and emerging as genuine dark horses, Croatia’s fans once again brought shame on the nation.
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
June 17 – The far-right leader of the Russian supporters’ association is being deported from France following the violence at the England-Russia Euro 2016 clash in Marseille, escalating a diplomatic row between Russia and France.
June 17 – Sweden vs Italy – Italy striker Graziano Pelle looks to have shaken off a foot problem so the Azzurri, who surprised many with their highly impressive win over Belgium could be unchanged.
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
June 16 – It’s all kicking off in Lille. That was the message spread across social media on Wednesday – but sadly it was not referring to events on the field. Despite all the pleas and warnings and an apparent alcohol ban, England fans were again at the heart of city centre disorder as police made 36 arrests in the northern French city where supporters had been congregating ahead of today’s clash with Wales 40 kms away in Lens.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 16 – The paralysing transport strikes in the French capital that have been deliberately timed to coincide with Euro 2016 have caused mayhem for ordinary Parisians as well as fans. Cancelled trains and disrupted timetables have been de rigueur since day one causing anger and resentment, many Parisians having to resort to taxis to get to and from work.