Just watched Spain beat Italy 4-2 at UEFA U-21 Euros. It was a nice game but it could have been better had it not been for a suspect call awarding a penalty to Spain. Easily among the worst I've seen in a long time in a championship game. The game was tight at the point and it completely deflated the Italians.
Such are the breaks.
Still.
Spain looks pretty darn good at all levels at the moment. Looks as though Italy and Germany are closest to them. Maybe Netherlands too.
For the heck of it I amalgamated the finals appearances records of the top European sides at the World Cup, Euros and U-21.
I think we can all reasonably agree those are the big three tournaments.
Ranked by titles:
1) Italy 10-6- 16 appearances
2) Spain 8-3 - 11 appearances
3) Germany 7-10 - 17 appearances
4) France 4-2 - 6
5) Netherlands 3-3 - 6 appearances (no WC titles but three appearances in finals)
6) England 3-1 4 (no Euro titles or appearances)
As you can see, it's three countries that rule the continent (though Italy and Germany still hold a significant lead in appearances - still more when semi-finals are added). Prior to Spain's run since 2008, it was a two-team race. Of course, when it comes to the World Cup, Italy and Germany still tower above all others. On the other end lies England with its rather pedestrian record for a nation that considers itself a power. Only the top four - Italy, Spain, Germany and France have won at least a title in each tournament.
Note: Olympic records: England 3-0-0; Spain 1-2-0; East Germany 1-1-1; France 1-1-0; Italy 1-0-2; Netherlands 0-0-3; West Germany 0-0-1.
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