Hell hath no fury like a player’s mother scorned. France’s shock exit to Switzerland was always likely to be followed up by some scandal or other but the headline revelation so far is related to squabbles between families rather than dressing-room strife.
RMC Sport reported that Veronique Rabiot, the mother of Adrian Rabiot, approached the families of Paul Pogba (above) and Kylian Mbappe in disgust when the game ended. Pogba’s clan was questioned about his role in giving away the ball before the Swiss equaliser, while Mbappe’s father was told that his son was too arrogant. Maybe that explains his solo walk off the pitch with an apparent lack of sympathy from his team-mates but it doesn’t exactly paint a pretty picture of squad harmony.
Continuing the theme of reasonably low key visits to Ireland for Euros protagonists, the small number of people that watched Paul Doolin’s Ireland U-19 side play Ukraine in two Markets Field friendlies in 2015 didn’t realise they were in the presence of future Euros quarter-finalists. Midfielder Victor Tsygankov, a sub in Tuesday’s win over Sweden, was involved in both games along with current squad member Oleksandr Tymchyk. No members of Doolin’s panel have advanced to win senior caps but Bohemians goalkeeper James Talbot did make a squad and still has a chance. Connor Ronan is also rated by Stephen Kenny, while Dylan Watts (Shamrock Rovers) and Olamide Shodipo (QPR) were other notable squad members. Shodipo was excellent on loan at Oxford last term.
Substitutions made by Gareth Southgate during the competition, the fewest number of any team left. Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy and Spain have all made 20 changes which highlights how Southgate has worked off a tight panel in the main.
TV viewers might be skipping between RTÉ and the English stations depending on their pundits of choice and the national broadcaster has revealed its squad list for the quarter-finals.
Didi Hamann is going to be a busy man, for he’s in the studio for all four matches. He’s got Richie Sadlier for company for both of tomorrow’s games with Kevin Doyle in for Switzerland and Spain and Karen Duggan taking his seat for Belgium v Italy.
On Saturday, Liam Brady and Sadlier join Hamann for the Denmark v Czech Republic encounter and Damien Duff takes Sadlier’s berth for Ukraine v England. Duff will be managing Shelbourne’s U-17 side against Treaty United earlier in the day.