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ANDY MITTEN: EUROPEAN PAPER REVIEW - The biggest earthquake in footballing history, Cesc brings up a century and sluggish Germany criticised

Andy Mitten wraps up what the European newspapers have been reporting on a busy weekend of international qualifiers.

The midfielder started for his side in Monday's Euro 2016 qualifying match against Ukraine to reach a century of caps for La Roja.
The midfielder started for his side in Monday's Euro 2016 qualifying match against Ukraine to reach a century of caps for La Roja.

European champions Spain joined the growing ranks of teams in Euro 2016 after Friday’s 4-0 win over Luxembourg. They’re a team in transition, but they’re aiming to become the first country to lift three continental titles. They played in Ukraine on Monday night with the support of their country and a ‘We’re All With the Champions’ cover on AS.

Cesc Fabregas also won his 100th cap and AS reports that “Cesc will become the tenth player to have made over 100 appearances with Spain, joining Casillas, Xavi, Sergio Ramos, Zubizarreta, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, Iniesta, Raúl and Puyol. He’ll be the second youngest player to do so, after Sergio Ramos, who reached the magic figure aged just 26 years and 357 days.”

Two Davids are close behind. New York City’s Villa, who could make a surprise return to the reckoning, is on 97. Manchester’s Silva, is on 94. La Liga action returns at the weekend, but Spain’s second division had a full schedule. The biggest match was the derby between promoted Alaves (remember them?) and league leaders Osasuna in Vitoria. Alaves won 3-0. “A grand triumph,” wrote El Correo, which also celebrated the full house 16,140 crowd.

The big story off the pitch has again involved FIFA.

“Shock for two of the most powerful men in football”, wrote Germany’s Tim Röhn in Die Welt on Wednesday. The paper was the first to break the news that FIFA’s ethics committee were planning to suspend chief Sepp Blatter and UEFA boss Michel Platini. “The biggest earthquake in footballing history strikes Blatter and Platini”, confirmed the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitungon Thursday as the two men were banned from footballing activities for 90 days following an alleged illegal payment of 2m Swiss Francs to the French legend in July 2011 for “consultation services”. In the same year, Platini’s UEFA then supported Blatter’s re-election in 2011 against the candidacy of the Qatari Mohamed bin Hammam. From Zürich on Friday, Swiss paper Blick depicted Blatter and Platini falling from a sinking Titanic with the headline “Together into the abyss”.

In France, Le Monde ran with a similarly apocalyptic theme, describing the pair as “a duo in hell” and calling the decision “a clap of thunder…a clean sweep through world football’s hierarchy”. It’s a blow particularly to Platini; the French footballing hero was expected to succeed Blatter as FIFA boss. “France facing the unbearable truth: the dream of Platini as president of FIFA is over” said Le Figaro.

Before the weekend of international football, the German papers were dominated not by the build-up to their country’s final two Euro 2016 qualifiers starting with the game in Dublin, but by reports across the Irish Sea that Jürgen Klopp would indeed be taking over from Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool. “Liverpool get their man”, led Kicker, also suggesting that Klopp decided to end his sabbatical after just 3 months because “he would never have found a more fitting club”. There is a fascination with Liverpool in Germany which was reflected in the various headlines, summed up by “A cult manager for a cult club” in Die Presse, whilst Tagesspiegel offered Klopp a crash course in Scouse. “Klopp becomes a Liverpöhler”, quipped the Rheinische Post. Pöhler is a slang term from the Ruhr region for a reckless street footballer, and a nickname given to Klopp during his time at BVB.

Marco Reus reacts during the UEFA EURO 2016 Group D qualifying match between Germany and Georgia in Leipzig. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Marco Reus reacts during the UEFA EURO 2016 Group D qualifying match between Germany and Georgia in Leipzig. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)

When the football finally got underway in Dublin on Friday night, an “unnecessarily sluggish” (Spiegel) Nationalmannschaft crashed to a 1-0 defeat with a performance “unbefitting of world champions” (Focus). “Das dumme Ding von Dublin”, said BILD, the German alliteration sounding a lot better than the English translation “The stupid Dublin thing”. “Ireland catch Germany off guard – only the Irish could have imagined that”, joked Stern, playing on the resemblance between the German words for the Irish, die Iren, and madmen, die Irren.

It wasn’t so amusing for Mario Götze who will be out for 10-12 weeks after rupturing a tendon in his thigh. “There are rarely good times to be injured, but this is particularly cruel”, lamented Spiegel, referring to Götze’s impressive performances for the national team which had earned him starting roles for Bayern Munich recently.

The world champions finally “laboured to the Euros” (Rheinische Post) on Sunday evening with an unconvincing 2-1 over Georgia. “At the moment we’re like a boxer who lands a lot of punches but can’t find the knock-out blow” said Joachim Löw. The FAZ singled out Marco Reus as particularly wasteful in front of goal.

Elsewhere, Anthony Martial made his first start for France in their friendly in Denmark. “Brilliant for 50 minutes before taking their foot off the pedal”, said FranceFootball as Les Bleus won 2-1.

Marco Verratti (Italy)
Marco Verratti (Italy)

Italy secured their spot in Euro 16 with a 3-1 win in Azerbaijan, when “the grand Verratti guided the Azzurri” (La Gazzetta). The paper went bigger with Marco Verratti’s importance to the Italy team on Monday’s cover, suggesting that it could be the tournament for the 22-year old. The positioning of the PSG midfielder just in front of Andrea Pirlo, Italy’s pre-eminent force for much of the last decade, won’t be lost, but for now Verratti thinks the 36-year-old is still the most important Italian player. Asked where he was going to replace Pirlo, Verratti told Gazetta: “There is no inheritance to collect.”  

Italy play Norway on Tuesday, a huge game for it will decide their position in the group, and whether Norway can finish in a qualifying position.