Three most disappointing teams in Euro 2020

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Bengaluru, July 12: The European Championship 2020 has had no shortage of excitement. From big upsets to amazing underdog stories, the Euros have had everything for the neutrals to be excited about. In this article, we will take a look at three teams to have disappointed the most in Euro 2020.

Germany

Things have not quite worked for Germany since their FIFA World Cup triumph back in 2014 and Die Mannschaft endured yet another major tournament to forget. One of the most consistent performers in either World Cup or European Championship, Germany seems to be going through their most difficult period and the fans can only hope that Hans-Dieter Flick is able to turn their fortunes around having taken the mantle from Joachim Low.

The Germans somehow managed to qualify for the Round of 16 from Group F, the 'Group of Death', finishing second with one win, one draw and one loss but their run ended in the Round of 16 itself with a 2-0 loss against arch-rivals England. Leaky defensively and profligate while going forward, Germany have grounds to make up if they have to come back from their woes and have a decent World Cup in 2022.

France

World champions France were outright favourites for the European glory this time out considering the strength and depth of their squad as well as their winning experience in World Cup 2018. However, Didier Deschamps' side never seemed to manage to turn up in the Euros and it ended prematurely for them in the Round of 16 just like Germany.

France qualified as group winners from the 'Group of Death' i.e. Group F but only managed to win just one game in the process drawing the other two. They seemed to get a pretty kind fixture in the Round of 16 against Switzerland but could not see the game off despite leading 3-1 at one point. Vladimir Petkovic's side clinched a memorable comeback to make the game 3-3 and won it in penalties.

Portugal

Interestingly, Portugal, the third team in this list was also placed in the Group of Death alongside France and Germany. The defending champions of Europe, led by Cristiano Ronaldo and managed by Fernando Santos, headed into the Euros with a much stronger team compared to that in 2016 and were one of the favourites for European supremacy but their run also ended prematurely in the Round of 16.

Portugal qualified from Group F as one of the best third-placed teams and had one of the worst possible Round of 16 opponents in the form of Belgium, the number one ranked team in FIFA rankings. The Red Devils completely dominated Portugal in the game and won it convincingly although the scoreline of 1-0 does not completely reflect the story. Santos' team selection and tactics in the Euros have come under severe scrutiny following Portugal's poor Euro campaign and the 66-year-old must work on those if Portugal have to enjoy a much better World Cup campaign in 2022.