FFT’S bold predictions

Southgate’s jeggings and Uri Geller getting his revenge: the stuff that will ( maybe) happen

WE’LL HAVE A NEW CHAMPION

The 15 previous European Championships have been won by 10 different nations: ( West) Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Denmark and Greece. This summer, there will be an eleventh. England have home advantage in the group stage

and if they reach the semis and final, while Belgium are well- fancied again, Croatia are World Cup finalists and Poland have Robert Lewandowski, Fourfourtwo’s world player of the year. Ready for a first- time winner?

HUNGARY WILL SURVIVE THE GROUP OF DEA TH

Drawn into a group with Portugal, France and Germany, Hungary won’t be popular in the work sweepstake. However, Euro 2020’ s 24- team format means the minnows may have to finish ahead of only one of those to reach the knockout stage. As four of the six third- placed teams go through, a single win – or even three draws – could be enough. Those scenarios did the job for Northern Ireland and Portugal respectively at Euro 2016, and look what happened to

them ( well, Portugal, anyway).

URI GELLER SHALL RETURN

It’s been 25 years since oddball Uri Geller came to England’s rescue against Scotland at Euro 96.

Hovering, as one does, above Wembley in a helicopter, the spoon- bending spiritualist used his undoubtedly real powers of psychokinesis to wobble the ball as Gary Mcallister struck a penalty that would have levelled the scores. David Seaman blocked the shot, before England doubled their lead through Paul Gascoigne and... well, you know the rest. Yet Geller’s 2009 move to the tiny island of Lamb off the coast of Scotland, where he believes ancient Egyptian treasure is hidden, has sent conspiracy theorists into overdrive. A change of allegiance would be devastating to England’s hopes on June 18.

THE GOLDEN BOOT WINNER WILL BE POLISH

Lewandowski’s 55- goal haul fired Bayern Munich to a Bundesliga, DFB- Pokal and Champions League treble in 2019– 20 and he has been ever more deadly over the past 12 months, helping his club to lift yet more silverware. The 32- year- old has the confidence and the quality to shoot Poland out of a group containing Spain, Sweden and Slovakia, and even the world’s best defenders won’t fancy marking him in the later stages. If Poland’s record goalscorer can stay fit and receive better service than he did at the 2018 World Cup, then the Golden Boot could be on its way to Warsaw.

VAR WILL WORK PERFECTL Y

Attitudes towards refereeing may never have been lower than they are today, as

VAR and unnecessary tinkering of the handball rule have caused dissent among fans. Things will become clear this summer, however. Video assistance worked perfectly well – ish – in Russia three years ago, while handball rule tweaks that are due to come into effect on July 1, including a revamp of what intention actually means, should be employed from the tournament’s start. The summer should go a long way to restoring faith in the laws of the game. Maybe Twitter could even be more bearable as a result.

ALL THREE HOME NA TIONS WILL REACH THE KNOCKOUTS

England, Scotland and Wales will all make it out of their groups… yep, even the Jocks. Steve Clarke’s Scots are one of the lowest- ranked teams in the competition, yet they have every chance of outmuscling the Czech Republic at Hampden Park in their opening game, and then all bets are off – and speaking of which, England are the bookies’ favourites to win Euro 2020, thanks in no small part to blinkered punters dosed up on Carling. As for Wales, the gifts of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey & Co will surely make them a threat against each of Switzerland, Turkey and Italy, as long as limbs stop falling off their best players.

THE BIGGEST GOAL- FEST EVER

Europe’s top leagues have recorded fewer goals, on average, since VAR’S introduction in 2017. That trend didn’t affect the 2018 World Cup, however, which was both the first to use technology and featured just two goals fewer ( 169) than the top- scoring 1998 and 2014 editions. With an increased pot of 24 teams, Euro 2016 had more goals than ever before but was still low- scoring, averaging only 2.12 goals per game. That’s the lowest rate since Euro 96, which – as anyone who sat through the repeats last summer will attest – wasn’t quite as good as you remembered. This summer, then, a record- breaking 109 goals should be doable. It’s the least we all deserve.

GARETH SOUTHGATE CAN REPOPULARISE JEGGINGS

A spike in waistcoat sales was one of the surprise offshoots of England’s run to the World Cup semi- finals, as nipping to Boxpark to have your three- piece drenched in lager became the latest fad. The pressure is now on Gareth Southgate to provide a sartorial update. Jeggings are receiving some hype but, in FFT’S esteemed opinion, three- quarter- lengths are due a comeback and there’s only one man who can make that happen in time for the summer bank holiday.

GERMANY WILL LOSE ON PENALTIES… TO ENGLAND

Not since the Euro 76 Final and a shootout defeat to Czechoslovakia, decided by Antonin Panenka’s art- meets- football winning spot- kick, have Germany’s men lost on penalties at a major tournament. In the 45 years hence, Die Mannschaft have won all six of their shootouts, including back- to- back victories over England at Italia 90 and Euro 96. The Three Lions have lost six of nine in that same period, but finally broke their hoodoo against Colombia at the last World Cup. The teams could meet as early as the last 16 – could it be time for an upset?

THIS SUMMER COULD RESTORE SOME F AITH IN THE LA WS OF THE GAME