Euro 2020: 5 biggest disappointments at the tournament

Bhargav
Ruben Dias was one of the biggest disappointments at Euro 2020.
Ruben Dias was one of the biggest disappointments at Euro 2020.

Roberto Mancini's Italy produced a complete team performance on Sunday, downing England in a nervy penalty shootout to win Euro 2020.

The Azzurri did not depend on the singular brilliance of one or two players, instead relying on a collective effort to win their second European Championship.

That was evident in the fact that as many as five Italian players scored multiple goals at Euro 2020, a joint-record for most multiple-goalscorers for a team at a single edition of the competition.

In one of the most enthralling European Championships in history, several players shone at Euro 2020. Cristiano Ronaldo, 36, played like a player ten years younger, scoring a joint tournament-leading five goals.

Patrik Schick, Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba, Harry Kane, Federico Chiesa and Gianluigi Donnarumma were some of the other notable performers at Euro 2020.

However, as is the case at any major tournament, a few star names failed to get going at Euro 2020, despite arriving off stellar club seasons. On that note, here's a look at five such players who failed to arrive to the party at Euro 2020:


#5 Wojciech Szczesny (Poland)

Wojciech Szczesny had a torrid outing at Euro 2020.
Wojciech Szczesny had a torrid outing at Euro 2020.

Poland no. 1 Wojciech Szczesny had a campaign to forget at Euro 2020. The Juventus custodian conceded as many as six goals in just three games as Poland finished bottom of their group to make a hasty exit from the tournament.

Szczesny also endured the ignominy of becoming the first goalkeeper in European Championship history to score an own goal.

The 31-year-old failed to stop Robert Mac's effort, with the ball ricocheting off his shoulder and into the net in Poland's 1-2 defeat to Slovakia in their Euro 2020 opener.

His heroics did help Poland take a point off Spain in a goalless draw. But Szczesny was arguably at fault for not doing enough to keep out Viktor Claesson's injury-time winner for Sweden after the Poles had recovered from a two-goal deficit to restore parity.

Five years ago, he played only one game at Euro 2016 due to injury, while at Euro 2012, Szczesny saw red and ended up featuring in only one match.


#4 Ruben Dias (Portugal)

Ruben Dias (left)
Ruben Dias (left)

Much was expected of Ruben Dias as he arrived at Euro 2020 after winning the Premier League Player of the Season in Manchester City's triumphant campaign.

The upbeat 24-year-old, who was touted as one of the best centre-backs in the game, had remarked on the eve of the tournament:

"It was also a very tiring season, but I’m always a very focused player and I focused on the individual elements, on the physical aspects for instance and little by little I became more prepared, and I’m ready to be at the highest level and in order to win the Euros we have to be at the highest level."

But Dias' performances at Euro 2020 left a lot to be desired. He was sloppy in defence, with Portugal conceding seven goals in four games, and was particularly found wanting in his aerial challenges.

The Manchester City defender endured a nightmarish outing against Germany, netting an own goal. Dias also came out second-best against key opposition players like Karim Benzema and Adam Szalai during the tournament.

He was also culpable for failing to prevent Thorgan Hazard from netting the winner for Belgium in the Round of 16, which led to Portugal's early exit from the competition.

#3 Serge Gnabry (Germany)

Serge Gnabry (left) had a forgettable campaign at Euro 2020.
Serge Gnabry (left) had a forgettable campaign at Euro 2020.

Making his first appearance for Germany at a major tournament, Serge Gnabry was a massive disappointment at Euro 2020.

The 25-year-old winger, who came off a modest 11-goal season for Bayern Munich, remarked on the eve of the tournament:

"I want to score a goal in every game. I want to score goals. I didn't quite manage that like I'd imagined with Bayern last season, but this is a different stage, a different team. We've got no (Robert) Lewandowski or (Erling) Haaland in our team, but we have massive quality up front and on the wings."

However, as things panned out, Gnabry couldn't open his account at a major tournament despite playing four games.

He also failed to add an assist to his tally, as Joachim Low's long stint in charge of Germany ended with a 2-0 defeat to eventual Euro 2020 finalists England in the Round of 16.

Die Mannschaft had their moments at Euro 2020, thumping holders Portugal 4-2 in the group stage. But their inconsistency and shortcomings were laid threadbare by an excellent English side.


#2 Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)

Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes was one of the big disappointments in a star-studded Portugal team at Euro 2020.

Despite the defending champions arriving at the tournament with an arguably better side than the one that went all the way at France in Euro 2016, Portugal failed to turn up at Euro 2020.

Bruno Fernandes, like his compatriot Ruben Dias, was coming off a dazzling season, scoring 24 goals and recording 16 assists across competitions.

But at Euro 2020, the 26-year-old was a pale shadow of the player who lit up Old Trafford after his arrival in the Premier League last year.

Fernandes did not play the entire 90 minutes in any of the four games Portugal played at Euro 2020.

The midfielder, who failed to score or record an assist, fared so poorly that he only came off the bench against France in Portugal's third group stage game and in the Round of 16 clash against Belgium.


#1 Kylian Mbappe (France)

Kylian Mbappe after his missed penalty against Switzerland.
Kylian Mbappe after his missed penalty against Switzerland.

After playing a key role in France's triumphant FIFA World Cup 2018 campaign in Russia, Kylian Mbappe had a campaign to forget at Euro 2020.

The PSG attacker, making his debut in the European Championship, was expected to hit the ground running at Euro 2020 after scoring 42 goals in all competitions last season. But Mbappe failed to score a goal in four games at the tournament.

The 22-year-old did provide two assists at Euro 2020. But his missed penalty in the Round-of-16 shootout defeat to Switzerland ended Les Bleus' bid to win a third European Championship title.

Mbappe had only three shots on target all tournament and created only seven chances for his teammates.

The legendary Pele was one of the first to come out in defence of Mbappe after his no-show at Euro 2020.

Mbappe, despite his struggles at Euro 2020, remains one of the game's finest young players and is touted as a future Ballon d'Or winner.

It remains to be seen how the Frenchman will recover from this setback and fare at his next major tournament.

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