Skilful players: Euro 2020
- The Boot Room
- 21 September 2021
After a year delay, international tournaments were back. And so was world-class talent. But who grabbed our attention most? In part two, we focus on key individuals from Euro 2020 – and examine how you can develop similar players.
PEDRI, 18 | CENTRAL MIDFIELDER: SPAIN Over the last few months, Pedri has been the name on everybody’s lips.
After making 52 appearances in the 2020/21 season for Barcelona, the teenager was a key player for Spain. In fact, he only missed one minute of their Euro 2020 campaign – going off at the end of extra time in the quarter-final against Switzerland. Post-tournament, Pedri even helped Spain to a silver medal at the Olympics. But let’s focus on Euro 2020. During the competition, the young midfielder:
- made the most solo runs into the attacking third (27)
- made the most key passes (11)
- covered the most distance in possession (38.23 km)
- achieved a pass completion average of 91%
- had 30 touches per 90 minutes in the attacking third (fifth-highest for a central midfielder)
- created 11 goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Impressive stats that led to him being voted best young player in Euro 2020. He was also the only Spanish player to be named in the team of the tournament.
Pedri is a great technician in the middle of the pitch. If we want to develop players of this ilk, we need to help them be comfortable moving with the ball.
Being able to drive into space, stay on the ball and change direction will help players find solutions to the problems they’re facing in the game.
JANNIK VESTERGAARD, 29 | CENTRAL DEFENDER: DENMARK
Jannik Vestergaard may be a surprise name on this list.
To many, a tall central defender isn't an obvious 'skilful' player. But we believe everyone can be skilful, regardless of their position on the pitch. Vestergaard demonstrated this throughout the tournament. As an essential part of the Danish defence, he played in every game and helped his team reach the semi-final – their best finish since 1992.
The defender, who has recently joined Leicester City, displayed excellent ability in the air. He competed for 27 aerial duels (fifth-most for a central defender with two or more appearances) and won 17 (eighth-most for a central defender with two or more appearances).
Vestergaard also showed confidence in possession. He looked for progressive passes and was key in Denmark’s build-up play – being happy to get on the ball and step into midfield. A great example of this was his importance in the lead up to Denmark’s second goal against the Czech Republic.
On average, Vestergaard attempted 49 passes per 90 minutes, with 38% of them going forward. This ranks him 20th out of 75 centre-back with at least two appearances.
Watching Vestergaard at Euro 2020 showcases how important it is for all players to be comfortable on the ball and have good perception skills. For future defenders, it’s particularly important for them to be able to step out of the defensive line and into midfield. In today’s game, centre-backs often do this to apply pressure on an opponent or to drive forward with the ball. Having experience of playing in other positions can help with all of that.
LEONARDO SPINAZZOLA, 28 | FULL-BACK: ITALY Leonardo Spinazzola certainly made a big impression at Euro 2020. He was named player of the match against Turkey and against Austria, a game which saw him get the assist for Italy’s first goal in extra time. A fine pass that picked out Federico Chiesa in space.
Despite only playing four of Italy’s games due to injury, Spinazzola’s excellent performances saw him named in the ‘Team of the Tournament’.
The left-sided full-back, who is also comfortable playing further forward in midfield, was the quickest player at Euro 2020, reaching a top speed of 33.8km/h. Spinazzola also created 1.9 chances per 90 minutes. This was the second-highest for a full-back during the competition – behind only Spain’s Jordi Alba.
To help your players create similar runs and get into the same positions, it’s important to have practices where players can run into big spaces. So, if it’s appropriate for your team, try altering the size of your pitch. Using longer areas in your sessions will provide more opportunities for forward runs and penetrations – with and without the ball.
GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA, 22 | GOALKEEPER: ITALY It’s sometimes hard to believe that Gianluigi Donnarumma is only 22 years of age – especially given how experienced he is already. His debut at AC Milan came at just 16 years old. And he went on to make 251 appearances, keeping 88 clean sheets.
Donnarumma now plays for PSG, joining in the summer after playing a huge part in Italy’s Euro 2020 success.
The 6ft 6in shot-stopper has over 30 senior caps for the Italian national side and played 719 minutes across Euro 2020 (more than any other player). He also didn’t concede a single goal during the group stages of the tournament. Plus, he won all his aerial duals and had a pass completion rate of 81%.
With those stats and his penalty shootout performances against Spain and England, it was no surprise to see Donnarumma named ‘Player of the Tournament’.
This perfectly showcases that you don’t need to be an outfield player to demonstrate exceptional talent and skill. Stopping goals is just as important as creating and scoring them.
And that’s the message that we need to spread.
Stereotypically, there might not be many putting their hand up to go in net – especially if you work with really young players. But, if you provide a safe environment and plenty of encouragement, they might be more willing to give it a go.
If you work with older players and have set goalkeepers, always keep them involved in your practices. Like Donnarumma, the modern-day goalkeeper has to be able to play with their feet too. This means that actively using them in possession-based sessions, or even getting them to play outfield in training, is really important.
Article image courtesy of Fran Santiago/UEFA via Getty Images.
