As UEFA Euro 2020 nears, many of the Euro teams are divulging their squads. While some expected faces were included in the teams, some surprising exclusions were made. Right from England to France and Spain, some players just didn’t make the cut.
Here are some surprising exclusions from the biggest squads of the 2020 Euro season.
1. France Squad
France is undoubtedly one of the popular teams across the globe. Their manager, Didier Deschamps, sure had a lot of choices while selecting the squad. While it was a tough decision for Deschamps, he missed out on talents like Dayot Upamecano, Tanguy Ndombele, and Eduardo Camavinga among others.
Let’s start with Camavinga as he is one of the most sought-after midfielders. The 18-year-old is a regular part of Rennes and has already made over 80 appearances. With remarkable performance as a defensive midfielder, Arsenal and Real Madrid are interested in having Camavinga over to their side. As Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante have been announced as a part of the squad, looks like Camavinga has to wait.
The next surprising exclusion comes with Dayot Upamecano. One of the highly-rated center-backs on the planet was replaced by Barcelona’s Clement Lenglet. Upamecano is often lauded for his passing skills. However, the squad already has Kurt Zouma, Raphael Varane, and Presnel Kimpembe as their center-backs. But Upamecano will sure be a part of the nation’s team soon.
Meanwhile, Tanguy Ndombele was the highlight of the show despite Tottenham Hotspur’s poor performance in 2020-21. Ndombele charged a whopping $54 million for joining the Tottenham Hotspur from Lyon. He has 3 goals under his belt and has appeared for over 33 matches. However, the French squad’s midfielders are already quite strong.
2. England Squad
Perhaps, the most questionable choice would be to not have Fikayo Tomori on the squad. This year, Tomori joined AC Milan on loan from Chelsea and was a regular starter for them. Throughout the series, he was seen 17 times and helped the team finish second on the league table. With such stellar performance, AC Milan is keen on taking Tomori on permanently. But even with strong defense skills, Tomori was left out from the squad.
Even James Maddison did not make it to the provisional squad. The talented midfielder was one of the important players for Leicester City since 2018. Despite injuries, his performance remained one of the highlights of the season. Formerly, Maddison was a part of Coventry City where he scored 8 goals. With Mason Mount, Jack Grealish, and Phil Foden on the squad, Maddison’s absence can be explained.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s absence in the squad has also raised some eyebrows (they could be missing out on a fantastic tackler). In 2019, Wan-Bissaka joined Manchester United for $49.5 million. The 23-year-old has some great defensive skills and is placed amongst the best defenders in the league. Wan-Bissaka appeared 34 times as the right-back of Manchester United.
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3. Spanish Squad
For the first time, the Spanish squad would be without a Real Madrid player in the upcoming UEFA Euro.
One of the biggest names that did not make it to the Spanish squad is Sergio Ramos. The center-back to Real Madrid and the captain of Spain will not be seen at UEFA Euro 2020. Team manager Enrique cited fitness and lack of minutes as reasons for exclusion. Despite Ramos’ few appearances in the recent La Liga, fans expected him to be in UEFA Euro. The 35-year-old is regarded as one of the center-backs on the planet and has picked up 180 caps for Spain.
Saul has also been excluded from the team by manager Luis Enrique. This comes as a surprise since Saul has spent a chunk of his career playing with the La Liga giants. The 26-year-old is a versatile player with impressive defense skills. He was a teammate in Atletico Madrid, the team that bagged the La Liga title this season. With Koke, Rodri, and Thiago in the squad, Saul’s presence would have been a surplus.
Iago Aspas was another surprising exclusion from Spain’s Euro team for 2020. Aspas returned to Celta Vigo in 2015 and since then has continued to perform well. The 33-year-old scored 14 goals and delivered 13 successful assists across his 33 La Liga appearances. However, Enrique selected Alvaro Morata and Gerard Moreno to be on the squad instead of going for Aspas.
Which squads have the highest chances of winning?
1. France
This time around, the French squad is likely to take the trophy. Didier Deschamps was spoilt for choice when it came to picking the best players for his squad. Since players like Dayot Upamecano, Tanguy Ndombele, Nabil Fekir, and more did not make the cut, you can imagine the strength of the team. Moreover, the Real Madrid striker, Karim Benzema has been added to the list.
2. Portugal
Needless to say, the team will be helmed by Cristiano Ronaldo. With Ruben Dias, Bruno Fernandes, Bernando Silva, Diogo Jota, the Portugal squad looks stellar. However, the age factor may turn out to be a hurdle with 38-year-old Pepe and 37-year-old Jose Fonte.
3. Belgium
Belgium delivered some impressive performance at the UEFA National League which has bolstered their confidence. The manager, Roberto Martinez, has picked out a strong team. He has Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, and Kevin De Bruyne a.k.a the deadly trio who might get them the cup.
The UEFA Euro 2020 event is all set to begin on June 12. The first match is between Turkey and Italy followed by Wales vs. Switzerland and Denmark vs. Finland on the same day.What are some of the most unforgettable moments in Football history? Read about some of the most spontaneous football moments in 2021 on this informative site
GAG Staff