Jawad Iqbal Jawad Iqbal

Why is Euro 2024 so dull?

England's Jude Bellingham (Getty)

It is still early days but Euro 2024 in Germany has yet to take off as a tournament. It is hard to say why exactly. It has not been uniformly dull – England’s failings have generated interest aplenty. The opening match between Germany and Scotland was a goal-fest, ending in a 5-1 win for Germany. In fact, there have been some brilliant goals in the tournament so far – Mert Muldur scored a spectacular volley for Turkey against Georgia on Tuesday night.

There is a limited number of genuine superstars

Great goals can go a long way towards making a tournament look and feel good but far too many of the games so far have been a bit hit and miss. Thursday evening’s clash between Spain and Italy is a case in point. It ended in a 1-0 victory to Spain, with the Spaniards in total control and playing sumptuously. It was all fascinating enough in its own way but the one-sidedness made for a less than compelling spectacle.

Written by
Jawad Iqbal

Jawad Iqbal is a broadcaster and ex-television news executive. Jawad is a former Visiting Senior Fellow in the Institute of Global Affairs at the LSE

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