Euro 2024 starts on June 14 with the match between host Germany and Scotland. It will be a month of competition in which there will be no shortage of Brazilian presence, with some footballers and a coach born in that country who make up the participating teams.
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Jorginho (Italy)
Jorge Luiz Frello Filho, better known as Jorginho, has already won Euro 2020 with Italy, played a year later due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Born in Imbituba, in the southern state of Santa Catarina, he was part of the ideal team of that tournament, being decisive in the midfield and becoming the author of the decisive penalty in the semifinals against Spain.
The Azzurri will try to defend the title in Germany after missing out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Led by Luciano Spalletti, they are in the tight Group B along with Spain, Croatia and Albania.
Pepe (Portugal)
The next Euro Cup will be the last for the veteran Pepe. The 41-year-old defender already won this tournament in the 2016 edition held in France. He was also part of the ideal team of that competition in which Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, won the final against the host France.
A idade é só um número 🍷 Pepe, a Muralha Portuguesa, faz hoje 41 anos! 🎂 pic.twitter.com/PUeZ8I8vCO
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) February 26, 2024
Originally from Maceió, a beautiful coastal city and capital of the Brazilian state of Alagoas, the footballer has been part of the Portuguese national team since 2008. His contract with Porto was about to expire and after building a successful career that led him to play for almost a decade in the Real Madrid, the footballer analyzes hanging up his boots after the Euro.
Matheus Nunes (Portugal)
The Manchester City attacking midfielder was included in the Portugal squad after the injury to Otávio, also born in Brazil. Matheus Nunes is from Rio de Janeiro and at the age of 12 he moved with his mother to Lisbon, which allowed him to make a place for himself in Portuguese football first and then in the Premier League.
At 25 years old, this will be his first Euro Cup, although surely not the only one as he is part of Portugal’s generational change along with other young talents such as Rafael Leão, João Neves and Gonçalo Ramos. The team led by Roberto Martínez is part of Group F along with Türkiye, Georgia and the Czech Republic
Sylvinho (Albania)
Sylvinho’s adventure with Albania began in January last year, when he was announced as coach with other old acquaintances as assistants: the Argentine Pablo Zabaleta and the Brazilian Doriva. And in November, the former Barcelona full-back already managed to go down in history by qualifying the team to a Euro for the second time in its history, after France 2016.
⚽ Trajneri i Kombëtares, Sylvinho, ka zhvilluar një intervistë për UEFA-n, ku ka rrëfyer si nisi projekti me 🇦🇱 Shqipërinë, mentalitetin që mundohet t’u përcjellë lojtarëve me Zabaletën dhe Dorivën, ambiciet në #Euro2024 dhe çfarë ka të përbashkët vendi ynë me Sao Paulon. pic.twitter.com/4Ze37aiv9S
— FSHF (@FSHForg) June 5, 2024
In that single precedent, the Balkan team was eliminated in the group stage. The draw for Germany 2024 presented a complicated area along with Italy, Spain and Croatia, all teams with much more experience in international football.
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Binge the full series, available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel.
