From the assistant editor

The Euros were great, but there is plenty to be excited about for the campaign ahead

It is said that there are five stages in the grieving process, starting with denial. In the week after the Euro 2020 final, I was sure that my wall planner must be mistaken – or lying. Surely there had to be another game? It couldn’t all be over? Plenty of England fans, it seems, then moved quickly on to anger, and then bargaining: a change.org petition demanding the final be replayed gained just under 150,000 votes in two weeks. Next comes depression – and the behaviour of many England fans both at Wembley and in the subsequent days definitely added to that feeling – before finally, acceptance. Now, with the 2021-22 European domestic season almost ready to begin, it is time to move on; the Euros were great, but there is plenty to be excited about for the campaign ahead. The never-ending soap opera that is the Premier League is ready to burst back onto primetime, with transfer sagas and new managers teeing up another year of intriguing storylines, while a new cast of coaches in Serie A and the Bundesliga also promises plenty. The ongoing financial meltdowns of Spain’s two giants means that another topsy-turvy La Liga is on the cards, while Paris Saint-Germain will not accept another humiliating year of missing out on the Ligue 1 trophy. All the major leagues have their own fair share of fascinating sub-plots and exciting new faces, and we’ve tried to cover them all in this season preview.