France and the Netherlands are left devastated after their Euro 2024 journeys came to a crashing halt in the semi-finals.
Their tournament is now over after defeats to Spain and England, as there is no third-place playoff at the European Championship.
Didier Deschamps’ France, despite underwhelming performances throughout the tournament, briefly sparked hope with Randal Kolo Muani’s early goal against Spain. However, their dreams were dashed by a first-half double from Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo, sending Les Bleus packing with a 2-1 defeat.
The Netherlands’ exit was even more heartbreaking. Xavi Simons had given them a dream start with a stunning goal against England. However, the tide turned when a controversial penalty was awarded to England after a foul on Harry Kane. The final blow came in the dying minutes of the game, with Ollie Watkins sealing England’s victory and leaving the Dutch players in despair.
It might come as a surprise to some people, though, that both teams have now played their final match at the competition, as in the World Cup, it’s tradition for the two teams who finished on the losing end in the semi-finals to face off in an additional match to decide which of the pair gets the honour of finishing third.
There might not be any physical bronze medals for the team that does so, but it sounds a lot better to finish on the podium than not. Unfortunately, neither side will have the chance to do this at Euro 2024 as the competition hasn’t held a third-place playoff in over four decades.
Unlike the World Cup, the European Championship doesn’t seem concerned when it comes to determining which team has finished in third place. Remarkably, there hasn’t been a match to determine third spot since Euro 1980. The last two teams to compete in the match were Italy, who were hosting the tournament that summer, and Czechoslovakia.
It was the latter who came away with the victory via a penalty shootout that finished 9-8 after the two sides battled to a 1-1 draw in the initial match. While that sounds like an exciting battle, the lack of jeopardy hindered intrigue in the match. Both TV ratings and the attendance in the stadium for the game were disappointing and, consequently, 10 European Championship tournaments have taken place since that haven’t featured a match to decide who finishes third.
While it might be disappointing for some that France and the Netherlands won’t get the chance to fight for that final place on the figurative podium, both teams will likely be relieved that their tournament has come to an end after some less-than-stellar performances over the course of the last month.
While Euro 2024 ended in heartbreak for both France and the Netherlands, England and Spain were both elated to overcome their opposition and reach the final of the tournament.
Source: Givemesports
