If Italia 90 is the ultimate vibes tournament, where scenery, kits, drama, great players, storylines or whatnot took precedence of the sheer quality (or lack there of) of football, this is the European Championship equivalent -- and with much better on-field play.
I am obviously biased, but this tournament seems to have a fairly large grasp outside of Dutch fans for similar reasons: the coming out party of van Basten, everybody going mad for Gullit, at least three all-time great kits (Germany, the Netherlands and USSR one-offs), full stadiums, tremendous atmosphere thanks to the Dutch, drama. The massive and historically delicious upset of Ireland over England. The Dutch finally getting over the hump. The two tremendous goals for the final (everybody sleeps on Gullit's delightful goal).
If Italia 90 is the ultimate vibes tournament, where scenery, kits, drama, great players, storylines or whatnot took precedence of the sheer quality (or lack there of) of football, this is the European Championship equivalent -- and with much better on-field play.
I am obviously biased, but this tournament seems to have a fairly large grasp outside of Dutch fans for similar reasons: the coming out party of van Basten, everybody going mad for Gullit, at least three all-time great kits (Germany, the Netherlands and USSR one-offs), full stadiums, tremendous atmosphere thanks to the Dutch, drama. The massive and historically delicious upset of Ireland over England. The Dutch finally getting over the hump. The two tremendous goals for the final (everybody sleeps on Gullit's delightful goal).