Opening Game Criteria

[Satchmo Distel]

IIRC 1980 is the only Euros where the holders were given the first game. There appears to have been no first game protocol before 1980, although in 64 and 68 the hosts played the first SF two and half hours earlier than the second was played. Since 1980 it seems to have been a host, with Italy doing this one simply because their group is A (or was it always going to be Italy who were given Group A?).

Some irony that Italy got the first game here but not 1980.

Of course a big problem with giving it to holders is that they may not have qualified, whereas hosts would want their politicians and officials to have the spotlight that the first game gets, combined with the opening ceremony (assuming they had one before 1980).

Thoughts and clarification welcome.

[Simon G]

I know in the World Cup the winner used to qualify automatically for the next one (was 2002 the first time this wasn't the case?).

Has it previously been the case for the Euros?

[Satchmo Distel]

No, the Czechs had to qualify in 1980, otherwise I assume Italy would have got it.

Brazil in 2006 were I think the first holders who had to pre-qualify. France arguably suffered in 2002 from lack of competitive football since 2000 (although it hadn't hurt them in 1998, and Argentina were equally shit in 2002 despite being highly fancied). Other arguably rusty holders: most of the ones from 1974-94. But there have been other shit holders since, such as Germany in 2018, the problem being that qualifying is now too easy, the groups too weak.

[Patrick Thistle]

I thought this thread might be crowd-sourcing answers to 'what makes an opening game great?'

I'd say it needs

• At least three goals - one of them a worldy, one of them a tap-in, ideally split between both sides
• An act of outrageous thuggery that either goes unpunished or gets a straight red card
• Enough shots of fans pointing at themselves on the big screen for viewers at home to get really tired of those shots already
• One comedy moment - a sub can't get his training top off, someone falls over a waterbottle, the fourth official almost clocks a manager with the big flashy board but he ducks out of the way at the last minute
• A studio pundit making a "bold" fashion choice, banter from colleagues optional

[imp]

Before the opening game of Euro 2016 I had literally spent all day at a piss-up in a brewery - Frankfurt referees' outing to the Krombacher centre of beer-producing operations. Drank all the way there, drank the whole time we were there once we'd done a token tour, drank all the way home singing things like "Ohne Holland fahren wir zur EM." (treibeis is never going to talk to me again if he reads this post). I don't think I've ever felt so drunk, even though I didn't feel ill. Got home just in time for kick-off, and the only thing I can remember is that France were playing. I think. And that there was at least one goal. I think.

[imp]

Posted in wrong thread. See Euro U21s thread for my stunning analyses of last night's semi-finals.

[Jah Womble]

IIRC 1980 is the only Euros where the holders were given the first game.

It's also the only major tournament I can recall in which both previous finalists competed the opening match.

Whereas, Euro 2004 is the only tournament of which I can think that began and ended with the same fixture - Portugal vs Greece - and the same outcome.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Was it 1998 where Scotland took the lead against Brazil and the world stopped while everyone went crazy?

[imp]

Rogin, Brazil's not in Europe. Sheesh, Brexit is messing with your heads over there.

[Jah Womble]

No, but the World Cup is a 'major tournament', is it not (as per Satchmo's and my posts)?

The answer's another 'no', anyway: Brazil took the lead in the fourth minute (Cesar Sampaio). Scotland levelled from the spot before half time - which I'll concede was itself enough to put the globe off its axis temporarily - however, a comedic own goal followed by the inevitable collapse against Morocco had Mother Earth back on track again...

[Satchmo Distel]

It's also the only major tournament I can recall in which both previous finalists competed the opening match.

Whereas, Euro 2004 is the only tournament of which I can think that began and ended with the same fixture - Portugal vs Greece - and the same outcome.

A better mathematician than me could work out the probability of either happening again now we have 24 teams. Neither is impossible but the first would require the sides to be in different pots, get drawn in Group A and for the draw to make their seedings the opening game in the group. The second is perhaps more likely given we can recall previous finalists meeting in their group, such as in 1996 and 2012, and two teams from each group don't normally meet again until the final (with exceptions such as Brazil's SFs in 94 and 02).

[Kowalski]

In World Cups the previous winners played the first match until 2006 when the hosts took over. For some reason Italy v Bulgaria from Mexico '86 has stuck in my head and I remember rushing home from school to watch Argentina v Cameroon in Italia '90

As far as I remember the hosts, or one of the co-hosts, have played the first match of the European Championships,

[Jah Womble]

A better mathematician than me could work out the probability of either happening again now we have 24 teams. Neither is impossible but the first would require the sides to be in different pots, get drawn in Group A and for the draw to make their seedings the opening game in the group. The second is perhaps more likely given we can recall previous finalists meeting in their group, such as in 1996 and 2012, and two teams from each group don't normally meet again until the final (with exceptions such as Brazil's SFs in 94 and 02).

The latter did of course happen in Euro 2008 - Spain played Russia twice, including the semi, and whacked them both times on their way to lifting the trophy.

[Kowalski]

The same teams playing each other twice has happened a few times, In world cups there's also Hungary v W. Germany 1954 and England v Belgium 2018.

In the Euros there's Holland v USSR1988

[jwdd27]

Also Germany-Czechia at Euro 96, the Germans won the opening group game 2-0 before winning with an extra time golden goal in the final.

[treibeis]

drank all the way home singing things like "Ohne Holland fahren wir zur EM." (treibeis is never going to talk to me again if he reads this post).

No, no, we all have different ways of going native.

Some of us drink alcohol only at home or on licenced premises, speak barely above a whisper and keep our vocal output to 50 words or fewer per day; and some of us get beered up in the street, bellow like Brian Blessed with a megaphone and attempt to recreate closing time at the Oktoberfest (albeit 400 kilometres from where it actually takes place).

It's not for me to say which way is better.

[imp]

It was all part of an ongoing citizenship test to get my passport. Although I didn't pass until I'd finally learnt to say 'Good morning' to every single fucker who comes into the doctor's waiting room. [But never to greet someone when you're out walking in the countryside, say.]