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The European Championships are well underway as the continent's best international teams vie to get their hands on the Henri Delaunay trophy.
We have already had plenty of excitement and drama on display in the early stages of the competition and Euro 2016 is really shaping up to be quite an enthralling spectacle as throngs of fans continue to party in France.
Ahead of the tournament, new Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti stated his belief that the next few weeks could be the perfect stage for some smashing counter-attacking football, and it’s difficult to argue with him. If the domestic season is any sort of a reliable measuring stick, we should see plenty of breakaway football on display.
We have witnessed some tremendous believers in that game-plan in the past, so to get us in the mood for the rest of the tournament, join us in looking back at some other teams who have taken a similar approach.
#1 Denmark (1992)
In Sweden at Euro 1992, there were just eight teams competing to win the Championship outright which is a far cry from the inflated 24-nation contest we are seeing today. A lot has changed since that competition, not least the ability of Denmark to win a major tournament, but that’s precisely what they managed nearly a quarter of a century ago.
Oddly enough, Denmark had not actually qualified for the tournament and were only admitted after war-stricken Yugoslavia were thrown out by UEFA after a culmination of criticism from various voices in the wider community. Viewed as mighty underdogs, the Danes were not expected to do much of note but wound up overcoming France, a much fancied Netherlands outfit as well as then world champions Germany in the showpiece final.
Key to their success was the talents of Peter Schmeichel, Brian Laudrup, John Jensen and Henrik Larsen but it was undoubtedly their counter-attacking ploys which saw them enjoy such dramatic success as they often broke with pace after their stubborn defence had broken down the waves of attacks which came their way. Employing a system which got almost everyone behind the ball whenever Jurgen Klinsmann and company drove forward, they frustrated in their approach.
A very defensive unit, manager Richard Moller Nielsen’s charges were not the prettiest exponents of football anyone has ever seen but they were extremely effective at what they did and it would be hard to convincingly argue that they didn’t deserve their triumph all those years ago.
#2 Czech Republic (1996)
Widely recognised as the best chance Czech Republic have ever had of winning a European Championship title, they were unfortunate not to come away with a victory, ultimately losing thanks to an Oliver Bierhoff golden goal in extra time.
Boasting the burgeoning talents of Pavel Nedved, Karel Poborsky, Vladimir Smicer and Patrik Berger, they had a roster chock-full of really nifty players – and they played some riveting stuff in the mid-1990s as England hosted the tournament.
Regularly throughout the competition the Czechs countered their opponents with lightning-quick fluidity, often finding real joy down the middle of the park by way of some confident runs through Pavel Kuka, and although they came a cropper against the Germans who were hell-bent on capturing silverware after their stutter against Denmark just four years earlier, Dusan Uhrin’s men were nonetheless a joy to watch – and Poborsky’s cheeky chipped effort against Portugal perfectly sums up the flair for the dramatic they had at the time.
They were nearly men in the end but their brave, counter-attacking industry will live on even though there will always be the pang of cruel regret over Germany’s winning goal that fateful summer’s day.
#3 Italy (2000)
They might not have won Euro 2000, but Italy came agonisingly close to it and wrestled some great results when public opinion was very much against them. What’s more, they did it with some rather effective counter-attacking football.
Losing the final against France 2-1 after a David Trezeguet golden goal dealt them a cruel blow, the Italians saw all of their hard work come to nothing, and for many it was what they deserved for their defensive stifling which many had deemed too negative and boring. Their former coach Arrigo Sacchi was particularly back-handed with his praise at the time, following the Azzurri’s 2-0 win over Belgium:
“We were very good in defence, even if we defended with too many players, always using the same 3-5-1-1 formation."
Sitting back, overpopulating the defence whenever teams camped outside their 18-yard box and looking to soak up pressure before unleashing it with reflexive attacks. Their forages forward were rare occurrences, but they were deadly when carried out properly.
Against Sweden in the group stages, they conjured two great counter attacks as they ran out 2-1 winners, and in the final up against Les Bleus they brought the same game-plan, nearly punishing the eventual winners on the break a number of times, not least when Alessandro Del Piero should have doubled their lead after a quick transition from defence to attack only to see his shot bobble wide of the right post.
Both matches were characteristic of their style for the tournament and although it earned them some criticism, they were almost rewarded for sticking so confidently to their guns.
#4 Greece (2004)
The Greece side of 2004 were applauded and derided in equal measure for their victory over Portugal in the Euro final. They are like milkshake dipped french fries...or, erm, marmite; you either love them or hate them.
Whatever your personal preference, there is no denying the fact that they won it outright and they did so thanks to a very particular set of tactics which even the very best of offences found difficult to break down, the most solid of midfields couldn’t stop from being over-run, and the best goalkeepers couldn’t prevent their sniping attacks.
Otto Rehhagel was the mastermind behind their on-pitch exploits which saw them score little (just seven in all), but effectively. Indeed, their top scorer Angelos Charisteas only nabbed three strikes, but it was typical of the man that one of those was the most important of the entire competition – his 57th minute conversion on July 4 to kill Portugal’s title hopes.
Yes, set-pieces were used intelligently, but they normally eked out those chances thanks to well-timed counter attacks. They didn't have the technical quality to compete with plenty of possession but as many teams are proving today, they didn’t need it because they were able to make the most of their time on the ball. Some deemed their philosophy to be anti-football due to their defensive, cynical stylings but they did what they needed to do to win and it worked.
Frustrating to play against but champions of what underdogs could do to upset the odds they outgrew their limits in a spectacular way and they attacked appropriately in response to their own weaknesses.
#5 The Netherlands (2008)
Despite exiting at the quarter-final stage back in 2008, the Netherlands were masters of the counter-attacking threat.
In the group stage, they battered the 2006 World Champions Italy on a score-line of 3-0, dismantled ‘06 finalists France 4-1 and also overcame Romania 2-0. Scoring nine goals was a fantastic way for the Dutch to announce themselves in the group stage and it was just a shame they couldn't keep their momentum going throughout.
With Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Ruud van Nistelrooy among their ranks, it was always likely that they were going to provide threat but the manner in which they did it took everyone by surprise. It also vexed more than a few including Thierry Henry who was more than a little annoyed after his side were crushed by the Oranje:
"The scoreline is tough if you look at the match but they did the same as they did against Italy, they relied on counter-attacks
The way they flipped their attentions from defence to attack was quite remarkable, and it produced some of the best attacking football the competition has ever seen. In the end, they burned away, getting dumped out by a feisty Russia team in extra time, but the fun and creativity Marco Van Basten brought from the dugout remains a cherished memory.
