Euro 2024, it's sooner than you think. Because Saturday evening is the draw for the final, which will of course be played in Germany. That will take place in Hamburg at 5pm GMT, as you ask, and the balls will be warmed up in readiness for the 24 finalists, but as far as we know, make that 21 as the play-off round has yet to be decided. There, twelve countries that have used their qualifications, but were given a second chance through a UEFA Nations League comparison in which Nicolaus Copernicus reached for his scientific Casio calculator, will meet other similar countries. All 24 teams will be announced around midnight on March 26.
Who presents this celebration of football bonhomie in which the dreaded phrase 'the beautiful game' is thrown around like confetti? Or does FIFA have copyright on that? Details are sketchy, at least on English-language Google and social media shame TwiXer. The location is the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, an elite venue where orchestras and the like normally perform. Just last month there was a three-day tribute to the music of Kurdistan, while this week Bill Frisell, one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 21st century (it's here), was chomping away on his guitar.
Instead of Pedro Pinto and Reshmin Chowdhury doing the honors, Football Daily wonders who will join the likes of Big Website's Philipp Lahm and Giorgio Marchetti, the bespectacled guy who performs the procedures and once makes jokes in the same style as Gianni Infantino made his trademark move before moving on to, er, things. Will Angela Merkel, who is currently working on her memoirs in a shepherd's hut, be persuaded to appear at her local trek? A wish list of guests would include Christopher Waltz, Ralf Hütter, Nastassja Kinski, the guys from Modern Talking and, yes, the list goes on, The Hoff.
Hamburg is the port city that gave the world Kevin Keegan's cramped permanent years, where the Beatles practiced for 10,000 hours at the Reeperbahn before they became truly great. On Friday, as a prelude to the 2. Bundesliga, St Pauli will host HSV during an enjoyable kick-off at 4:30 PM local time. That is a top-class clash between the Wi-Fi Marxists and the fallen European champions of 30 years ago. It's been a long time since Felix Magath rubbed cheese on his thighs and scored winners against Juventus. As for the mechanics of the draw itself, six groups of four will be selected, from four pots, for a group stage that will see the number drop from 24 to 16, with four third-placed teams progressing to the last 16 and Scotland woefully shoots away. at home with Del Amitri in their ears.
The story continues
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
Join Luke McLaughlin from 7.45pm GMT for MBM coverage of England 0-0 Netherlands in the Women's Nations League.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"In the beginning I knew the pitch was not good and you could see how we were doing. Some of our players had a hard time with it. We've been traveling a lot and that's the toughest environment you can play in." - Aberdeen manager Barry Robson praises his team for rallying from two down to draw 2-2 with HJK at Tin Pot, in a match briefly delayed by Dons fans throwing snowballs on the pitch and later, snow plows arrived to clear the field.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
It's been a while since you had one of these, but the news about Shane MacGowan reminded me that whenever I heard Naby Keïta's name, I would immediately sing the chorus of Navigator by The Pogues. It's so perfect I can't believe they didn't sing it at Anfield. Anyway RIP Shane" - Alan Ferneyhough.
Pleasantly surprised to see Truro City gracing the pages of Football Daily (Yesterday's News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition). I was part of the youth team in their prime in 2007 when the club won the FA Vase before reaching the Conference South. Since then it has been a sad (but familiar) story of financial overreach, administration, 10-point deduction and relegation. Most recently, its home ground since 1900, Treyew Road, was sold (now a Lidl) and the club suffers the ignominy of having to play home games in (gasp) Devon while a new stadium is built. I hope the new owner can bring back the glory days. Finally, for those who would call Cornish football a 'farmer's league', don't worry, they all played rugby" - Jack Stokes.
Re: 'the chaos that has plagued Manchester United behind the scenes for years has finally made its way onto the pitch' (yesterday's Football Daily). Finally? May I be one of the 1,057 to remind you of this" - Rob McPheely (and no others).
Send any letters to [email protected]. The winner of today's letter is... Alan Ferneyhough, who gets his hands on our latest copy of Carrie Dunn's excellent Woman Up.
THE ROAD TO WEMBLEY
Horsham boys, Horsham boys, lace-up boots and corduroys. Yes, the lucky losers of the FA Cup and Lardy Army will head to Sutton United in the second round on Saturday after being relegated. "The most lucrative outcome would be a draw followed by a replay, but I am very aware that for our match against Barnsley in the previous round we had volunteers who took a week's holiday from work to help out," says Chairman Kevin Borrett to Ed. Aarons in this position. "Playing a repeat against Sutton would be a huge logistical challenge, but I'm sure anyone would take it up if given the opportunity. It would be easier to just beat Sutton and then we can relax and watch the third round draw. It's Sunday at 1:00 PM for all those interested...
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
Cristiano Ronaldo has been hit with a class action lawsuit seeking at least $1 billion in damages for his role in promoting cryptocurrency-related NFTs issued by beleaguered cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
Police officers have been injured after violence erupted from Legia Warsaw fans ahead of their Conference League match at Aston Villa. "Despite numerous requests for cooperation regarding their traveling supporters, especially over the last two days, no assistance was forthcoming from the visiting club on the serious safety issue of the visiting fans," Villa fumed in a statement.
As expected, Everton have formally appealed the decision to deduct them 10 points for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, with the outcome expected in the new year.
Jurgen Klopp has told Liverpool's forwards to share the workload of a demanding December schedule after a 4-0 win over Lask booked their place in the Big Vase knockout stages. "This is the most intense period in world football coming up right now, for all teams," he roared. "So they will all play."
Brighton and West Ham are also through, albeit at least to the play-off round, after 1-0 victories over AEK Athens and Backa Topola respectively.
Rangers must wait until the last match of the groups if they want to progress, after Aris Limassol won 1-1 at Ibrox. "It was the first time I felt real disappointment in the dressing room, they were not happy with their performance," sighed Philippe Clement.
Erik ten Hag defended the under-fire André Onana and emphasized that the Cameroon international is one of the best goalkeepers in England. "If you analyze it properly you will see that based on statistics he is the second best goalkeeper in the Premier League, so his expected defensive goals are the second best in the Premier League," Ten Hag ranted.
Bristol Rovers have appointed Matt Taylor - recently dumped by Rotherham - as their new manager. That means if they are still in charge for the League One meeting between the Pirates and Shrewsbury on April 1, it will be Matt Taylor v Matt Taylor.
And Jeff Stelling is back, baby. He returns to screens in a presenting role for Prime Video's Every Game Every Goal show.
DO YOU WANT MORE?
Premier League. Ten things. This weekend. You know it by now.
Before the US! UNITED STATES!! UNITED STATES!!! dominated women's football, there was China. Ryan Baldi reports on a team working its way up.
Hipsters v Rothosen: Will Magee on the derby between St Pauli and HSV.
And Michael Butler talks to Maidstone keeper Lucas Covolan about their FA Cup second round and his journey from Rio de Janeiro, via Spain, to Whitehawk, Worthing, Torquay, Port Vale, Chesterfield and now Kent.
MEMORY LONG
FA Cup supervisors Hassan Enahoro (left) and Roy MacDonald with the trophy in the case at Chasetown in 2008. The Midlands side had progressed through the second round and defeated Port Vale in a replay, so our snapper David Sillitoe spent a few days after the cup round for the third round. They would go on to lose 3-1 to Cardiff City, still no mean feat for a team who were at the time lowest ranked and reached that stage.
