The ongoing Euro 2020 has kept football fans at the edge of their seats. Football aside, the European Championships, which debuted in 1960, is also known to create lasting impressions across generations.
What are your memories from the Euro, and which was your first edition? What were you doing in your life then?
As for me, my first experience with the Euro was in 1992. I was eight. I found out about the tournament by accident.
I opened the newspaper on the day of the tournament and read the list of participating teams. To be honest, I had only heard of the World Cup and never about the European Championship.
My dad Jovinder Singh educated me about the tournament. I was surprised to see my favourite team, Italy, missing from the list of the 1992 edition but I was familiar with several other teams and players who represented those teams.
I can never forget Denmark’s fairytale run in Euro 1992 as the Danish side went on to win the tournament. England and France were disappointing, while the players from Sweden lit the stage and made themselves heard.
These are just some of my memories. There are obviously many more.
The recollection of some of the best football moments throughout the 1990s and 2000s influenced me to run a football podcast that pays tribute to that era.
I’m sure my peers will share similar fond memories. The European Championship isn’t about 22 men chasing after a ball – but the connection it has with the billions of fans worldwide. And the memories leave a lasting impression, decades on.
To rekindle the memories while enjoying Euro 2020, I would like to invite you to listen to Back Passt with Ras. It’s a football podcast that I run, in collaboration with The Bola Bola Show.
Till then, enjoy Euro 2020!
This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13.
