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As Bruno Fernandes is named the Red Devils' new skipper after Harry Maguire was stripped of the armband, GOAL ranks United's best captains

It has been a summer of change at Manchester United. David de Gea, the last surviving member of the squad from the Sir Alex Ferguson era, has left the club after a dramatic U-turn by Erik ten Hag. And Harry Maguire, captain since January 2020, has just been stripped of the armband by the Dutchman, who is discovering his ruthless streak.

There were a number of suitable candidates to replace Maguire as skipper, but on Thursday, what was widely expected was confirmed as Bruno Fernandes, who was captain in the majority of matches last season, has been given the role on a permanent basis.

Fernandes is set to join a select and prestigious group of players to have captained United, and as well as leading the team out of the tunnel at Old Trafford and away from home, he will be expected to represent the club and be its most enthusiastic ambassador.

The Portugal midfielder will have a wealth of distinguished United greats that he can draw inspiration from to help him be the best captain he can be. But who is the Red Devils' greatest captain of all-time? GOAL decides…

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  15Antonio Valencia

  The fact that Valencia was chosen as captain at the start of the 2018-19 season was an indictment of the lack of experience and character within the squad at the time. The Ecuadorian was not comfortable speaking English, and while he had been a loyal and reliable club servant, he was hardly a galvanising figure.

  Getting the armband seemed to curse the winger-turned-full-back and he made just six appearances that season due to persistent knee injuries. It proved to be his last campaign with United.

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  14Ashley Young

  Young had one of the shortest spells of any United captain. He was named skipper in August 2019 after Valencia's departure as a reward for his loyal service to the club.

  However, despite being a big part of the team and starting the majority of matches, he was sold to Inter in January 2020, meaning he had less than five months as captain. Young's sojourn to Italy was a great success as he won the Serie A title along with former United team-mates Matteo Darmian, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku.

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  13Harry Maguire

  Maguire was named United captain by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer five months after his £80 million ($102m) move from Leicester City following the departure of Young.

  He was given unexpected extra responsibility when the UK entered lockdown due to the emergence of the coronavirus and drew admiration for his leadership during that difficult time, including encouraging his team-mates to donate to charity while personally delivering food parcels to the elderly.

  Maguire also led the team on the pitch, helping them finish fourth and second in the Premier League as well as reaching the Europa League final, although injury prevented him from playing in the showpiece.

  But he badly struggled in the 2021-22 campaign as United registered their worst points total in Premier League history and he only made eight league starts last season under Ten Hag, leading to the Dutch manager to strip him of the captaincy.

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  12Wayne Rooney

  Rooney was on the brink of leaving United after being dropped by Ferguson in 2013, but David Moyes ensured he got a new contract with the club one year later. The following season, after the departure of Vidic, Rooney was named captain by Louis van Gaal.

  Rooney's time as captain coincided with his decline as a player, but he still had plenty of highlights while wearing the armband, including becoming the club's all-time top scorer in 2017 when he struck his 250th goal, against Stoke City.

  Rooney also lifted the 2016 FA Cup, as well as the League Cup and Europa League the following year before leaving to return to boyhood club Everton.

Christian Pulisic has “loads to give” and should be looking to leave Chelsea after seeing more money spent in his position, Glen Johnson has told GOAL

The United States international has been at Stamford Bridge since the summer of 2019, with 143 appearances taken in for the Blues while becoming a Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup winner.

However, Pulisic has rarely been a guaranteed starter during his time in west London and has been included from the off in just eight Premier League games this season.

The USMNT star is now seeing a move elsewhere speculated on, as he approaches the final year of his contract, with Johnson casting an eye over his past, present and future.

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  End of the road

  Pressed on whether Pulisic has reached the end of the road at Chelsea, former Blues defender Johnson – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “I think he’s a very good footballer, will work his socks off, I think he just needs to play every week. That obviously hasn’t been happening, but I think he’s got loads to give. Whichever team he goes to, he is going to improve that team. I think he has got loads more in the tank, but it’s probably not at Chelsea. He needs to go to a team where he can be the number one name on the sheet every week. That will give him confidence and he can start enjoying his football again. If you’re not playing football, then you’re not enjoying yourself. If he can get back to that, then I think he has got a lot to offer.”

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  Why hasn’t it worked?

  Pulisic appears to boast all of the attributes required to be a Premier League success story – pace, creativity, energy, finishing ability – with Johnson saying of why it has not worked out for him at Stamford Bridge: “I never played against him but when you watch him, he looks like a nightmare to play against – he’s quick, sharp, over 10 yards he’s rapid. It’s strange. It looks like he thinks about things too much. Sometimes you just need to get on with it and see what happens. You are going to make mistakes, of course you are, but it looks like if he plays a bad game then he will think about it for the next three days. You have got to put that stuff behind you and try to get on with believing in yourself.”

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  Captain America

  Pulisic is a talismanic presence for his country, but has remained a bit-part figure at Chelsea. Asked if those contrasting standings may have impacted Pulisic, Johnson said: “He’s the big fish when he plays at international level. He’s the main man, then he goes to Chelsea and he’s not. All of a sudden you are with world-class players, you aren’t the big fish in the pond anymore and maybe he doesn’t enjoy it. Maybe he prefers to be a big fish in a smaller pond, I’m not sure. He’s got so much to offer. Everyone says about potential, but that’s only good enough if you deliver at some point. He has got a big 18 months in front of him. If he wants to stay in the Premier League, then he is going to have to deliver on that potential.”

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  Spending big

  Johnson is not convinced that Chelsea need to sell Pulisic this summer, despite having only 12 months remaining on his deal. He feels the Blues need to alter their approach when it comes to spending – with £89 million ($110m) having been wasted on Ukraine international Mykhailo Mudryk in the January window. Johnson added: “I think he has got more to give. I would much rather work out what is going wrong with him as opposed to signing somebody else for 80m. He is a good player. You are going to sell him now for what, £30m maybe? It’s not even touching the sides of what you have just bought somebody else for, so when you have got good assets you just need to spark them up. I would say that instead of signing Mudryk, for example, I would rather they worked with Pulisic, got him going and then all of a sudden you have got a 60m player.”

Everything you need to know about the English star!

Marcus Rashford is a professional footballer who currently plays as a forward for Manchester United and the England national team. He was born on October 31, 1997, in Manchester, England.

Rashford began his football journey with the Manchester City academy before being scouted by Manchester United and joining their youth academy at the age of seven.

Rashford made his professional debut for Manchester United in February 2016, scoring twice on his first start in the Premier League. Since then, he has established himself as a key player for the club, known for his pace, technical ability, and finishing skills. He has won numerous awards and accolades for his performances, including the PFA Young Player of the Year award in the 2015-16 season.

In addition to his football career, Rashford is also known for his activism and charitable work.

Rashford has also represented England at international level, scoring several important goals and helping the team reach the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup.

With his talent, work ethic, and off-field endeavours, Rashford is seen as a role model and inspiration to many young people around the world.

But what are the 13 things you absolutely need to know about the attacker?

• Youngest goalscorer in Manchester derby

  Rashford became the youngest player to score a goal in a Manchester derby when he netted his club’s winner against their city rivals back in 2016 at the age of 18 years and 141 days.

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  Scored on international debut

  Rashford scored on his England debut in May 2016, just a few months after breaking into the Manchester United first team. He became the youngest player in the history of the England national team to score on his debut, at the age of 18 years and 208 days. Rashford has since established himself as a key player for England and has scored 17 goals in 46 appearances for the Three Lions.

• Second youngest Man Utd player to reach 100 appearances

  Rashford is the second youngest player in Manchester United's history after Ryan Giggs to reach 100 appearances for the club. He achieved the milestone at the age of 22 years and 92 days, which is a testament to his rapid rise to prominence and his impact on the team.

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  Idolised Rooney and Ronaldo

  Rashford idolised Manchester United legends Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo growing up. He went on to play alongside both players.

West Ham United are on an upward trajectory under David Moyes and they could land an exciting signing this summer in the form of Matheus Pereira.

According to the Daily Express, the Irons are among the Premier League teams interested in the enigmatic West Bromwich Albion sensation in the upcoming transfer window.

Former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce failed to keep the Baggies in the division, recording his first-ever relegation to the Championship, but it means the 24-year-old playmaker is likely to be hot commodity ahead of next season.

Premier League rivals Leicester City and Leeds United, as well as Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig, have also been linked to Pereira.

Whilst it’s thought that the Brazilian midfielder is only seen as an alternative to Jesse Lingard, who Moyes will undoubtedly try to lure back to the London Stadium on a permanent basis, the club ought to consider signing the West Brom beast too.

Of course, the Manchester United loanee has been a revelation, providing nine goals and three assists in only 13 appearances since his arrival in late January but the East Londoners have long lacked that midfield genius that has supporters on the edge of their seat.

Dimitri Payet was perhaps the last man to do this for the club.

In terms of exciting dribbling skill, ability on the ball and from set pieces, and sheer individual brilliance, the £18m-rated Pereira is certainly cut from the same cloth.

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This season, the former Sporting Lisbon dynamo has delivered ten goals and five assists in the league, also managing to be a more creative influence than Lingard, managing double the number of key passes (1.8).

Only Harry Kane has contributed to a higher proportion of his team’s goals than Pereira this campaign.

Jermaine Jenas alluded to his quality after a particularly starring role against Aston Villa earlier in the campaign, he said: “He’s just silky. When he’s on it, he’s just got that lovely left-foot, (tucked) his penalty away, the delivery into the box for set-pieces was brilliant, and he wanted to showcase his skills.”

Whilst Allardyce has continuously waxed lyrical about his key man, as seen in comments from the very same game. The 66-year-old dubbed him a “big-game player” – very much similar to Payet, who was ever so special in his final campaign at the Hammers.

Just think back to the pair of free-kicks against Manchester United and Crystal Palace – truly sensational. He was a “genius” and that’s exactly what the Baggies star has been called in the past.

Pereira may set GSB back a good £30m or so but he will pay that back in abundance with his sheer attacking and creative ability. If they do bring in another striker, he could absolutely thrive with Pereira sat behind him.

Could there be another enigma like Payet at the London Stadium? Only time will tell.

AND in other news, Forget Arnautovic: West Ham must land 11-goal “elite talent” who’s “destined for greatness”…

After the last-16 ties, many of the pre-tournament favourites have made it through, but how do the teams that are left stack up against each other?

Given its timing and its setting, the 2022 World Cup promised to be an edition like no other, and the tournament has so far provided plenty of drama and surprises.

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Spain were the latest big name to slide out of the competition, with the Morocco triumphing over La Roja to become just the fourth African team to reach the quarter-finals of the competition.

Some of the other pre-tournament favourites are, however, in impressive form, setting us up for a thrilling finale in Qatar.

But who are now the favourites to lift the trophy? Having ranked all the contenders throughout the build-up and during the tournament, here's how GOAL sees it now…

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  8Croatia

  Croatia are doing it again, with 'it' being drawing their way through a World Cup.

  After two penalty shootout wins on their way to the final in 2018, Zlatko Dalic's side again won out on spot-kicks after being held to a 1-1 draw by Japan.

  However, they lack a cutting edge up front while their veteran stars are beginning to tire, so it is difficult to see them making it past Brazil and into the semi-finals this time around.

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  7Morocco

  Morocco backed up a historic group-stage performance for an African side by becoming just the fourth team from the continent to reach a World Cup quarter-final.

  They are deserving of it too, with their resolute performance against Spain earning them even more plaudits following their impressive attacking showings earlier in the tournament.

  They have defensive injuries to overcome when they take on a buoyant Portugal on Saturday, but with perhaps the most vocal group of fans in Qatar backing them and huge amounts of belief, they cannot be counted out just yet.

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  6Netherlands

  In what was their most impressive performance of the tournament so far, the Netherlands largely outclassed the United States to ensure their return to the World Cup will last until at least the quarter-finals.

  Memphis Depay looks to be back to pretty much full fitness after his slow start to Qatar 2022, while manager Louis van Gaal continues to talk up his team's chances of finally winning the trophy for the first time.

  To do so, they will have to beat Argentina on Friday in what is undoubtedly the Oranje's toughest test so far.

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  5Argentina

  It still feels like Argentina are working themselves out, but they are improving with every game they play, while Lionel Messi is beginning to put together a run of special individual performances.

  The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner seems determined to crown what is likely to be his final World Cup with his first global title, and some of his younger team-mates seem to be relishing the chance to help Messi achieve his dream.

  The Albiceleste will kick-off as favourites against the Netherlands in their quarter-final, but it will be far from straightforward.

The Gunners missed a chance to win Group A in the Europa League as they were beaten 2-0 in Eindhoven.

Arsenal suffered only their second defeat of the season on Thursday night as they were beaten 2-0 at PSV in the Europa League.

The Gunners went into the game knowing they only needed a point to guarantee themselves passage through to the knockout stages as group winners and Mikel Arteta named a strong starting XI that included the likes of William Saliba, Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard.

But Arteta's side were comprehensively outplayed by their Dutch hosts, who had two goals ruled out for offside during the first half.

But Arsenal were not so lucky after the interval, with the half-time introduction of Luuk de Jong proving to be a masterstroke by PSV boss Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The 32-year-old striker set up the first goal, which was wonderfully finished by Joey Veerman, and then he scored the second himself – heading home from a corner after a horrible error by Aaron Ramsdale.

The defeat means Arsenal now have to beat FC Zurich next Thursday night at Emirates Stadium to secure top spot in Group A, although a point will be enough if PSV fail to win at Bodo/Glimt.

• The Winners

  Winner: Takehiro Tomiyasu

  This was another impressive individual performance from Tomiyasu.

  He kept Cody Gakpo quiet in London last week, but this was always going to be a tougher proposition for Tomiyasu against the PSV danger man.

  The Japan international was strong once again, even though Gakpo had a much more lively evening than he did at Emirates Stadium.

  Winner: Ruud van Nistelrooy

  This was a good night for the PSV boss.

  He would have been disappointed with his side's performance in London and would have been hoping for a much stronger display this time around.

  And he got exactly that, with PSV full value for their victory.

  Van Nistelrooy's decision to bring on Luuk de Jong at half-time proved to be an inspired one, with the 32-year-old turning the game and causing Arsenal all sorts of problems.

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• The Losers

  Loser: Mikel Arteta

  The Arsenal boss named a stronger team than he would have wanted against PSV, in a bid to get the result he needed to guarantee themselves top spot in Group A.

  But his team selection didn't pay off, with his side struggling to get any sort of rhythm.

  The defeat means that there is still work to do for Arsenal next week when they host FC Zurich in their final game of the group stage.

  That will mean Arteta will once again have name a strong side next Thursday night, which is far from ideal considering the Gunners visit Chelsea on the Sunday in the Premier League.

  Loser: Gabriel Martinelli

  He's not had many of them this season, but this was a real off night for the Brazilian.

  Whether it was the tricky playing surface was unclear, but Martinelli just seemed to struggle with the basics all evening.

  His touch was off, as was his passing. In fact, he lost possession 18 times during the 90 minutes, seven more than any other Arsenal player.

  He had one big opportunity on the volley towards the end of the first half which he blazed over. It was the type of errant finish that summed up his night.

  Loser: Rob Holding

  Holding had enjoyed a decent group stage campaign up to this point, but he had no answer to the half-time arrival of De Jong.

  The Arsenal centre-back was given a torrid time by the 32-year-old striker and was rolled far too easily for the opening goal.

  Mikel Arteta hooked Holding soon after, replacing him with Gabriel Jesus as he opted to change his system.

  It felt like the decision was also to protect Holding a bit, who seemed to have little answer to the physicality of de Jong.

• Arsenal Ratings: Defence

  Aaron Ramsdale (6/10):

  Made some good stops, but had a horror moment for the second goal.

  Takehiro Tomiyasu (7/10):

  Probably Arsenal's stand out player, not that there was much competition.

  William Saliba (5/10):

  Seemed to struggle a bit all evening. Not his calm self.

  Rob Holding (5/10):

  Really struggled with De Jong after the interval.

  Kieran Tierney (6/10):

  Looked good in the first half, but couldn't maintain that level.

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• Midfield

  Sambi Lokonga (5/10):

  Never made an impact.

  Granit Xhaka (6/10):

  Not his usual self. Booked and will miss the Zurich game.

  Martin Odegaard (5/10):

  Sloppy throughout. Wasn't an influence.

West Brom have identified a new name as a potential replacement for Sam Allardyce this summer, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Sun on Sunday (18/04, p67) claim the Baggies will target Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael should they fail in their attempts to keep hold of the 66-year-old past the end of the current campaign.

It’s suggested that the Midlands outfit would like Big Sam to remain in charge but he won’t make a decision until he knows what his potential transfer budget would be ahead of the summer window.

Ismael’s stock has risen this season after guiding the Tykes to the cusp of a playoff position having narrowly avoided relegation last season. The 45-year-old has also been linked to Crystal Palace, where ex-Albion boss Roy Hodgson is out of contract.

Big Sam successor?

West Brom are still likely to be relegated from the Premier League despite recording back-to-back wins as they still remain nine points adrift of safety, with only five games left to play.

The Championship is not a division that Allardyce has managed in nearly a decade and things have vastly changed since then – it’s certainly going to be tougher to get back up now.

And whilst he’s certainly turned around their form, the football on offer at times is still pretty drab and that’s something West Ham fans know all too well about, even when gaining promotion from the second-flight in 2012.

Ismael would bring an attacking brand of football to the Hawthorns and one that is certainly paying dividends in the Championship. He’s recorded a win rate of 61% since arriving at Oakwell in October 2020.

His stint in Austria, where he challenged for the league title with LASK Linz, earned the praise of them being the “second-best pressing team in the world” whilst his feat there has been dubbed “outstanding,” too.

With fans set to return to stadiums by the time next season gets underway, Luke Dowling could do no wrong by employing Ismael as their next manager. He’d certainly bring entertainment back to the west Midlands, and that could well be need post-relegation.

AND in other news, “Ruthless” £30k-p/w outcast in danger of becoming the Hawthorns’ next big flop …

The tournament gets under way in Israel on Monday, with some of the continent's top teenage talents keen to impress and lead their countries to glory

Usually an annual tournament, the Under-17 European Championship has not taken place since 2019, making this year's edition particularly special.

The finals, which are being held in Israel, get under way on Monday, May 16, with potential stars of the future appearing in pretty much every one of the 16 squads.

The likes of Wayne Rooney, Jadon Sancho, Toni Kroos, Cesc Fabregas and Mario Gotze have previously been named Player of the Tournament, meaning there is plenty of scope for the stars of the 2022 competition to reach the very top.

But who are the players to watch out for? GOAL and NXGN have picked out 17 potential stars of the future who will be on show over the next two weeks…

• Soccrates
  

  Isaac Babadi (Netherlands)

  The defending champions from 2019, the Netherlands will again be among the favourites in 2022, with Isaac Babadi likely to be one of their leading lights.

  Not since Memphis Depay was breaking through has there been this much excitement at PSV surrounding one of their academy stars, with Babadi having dominated at U18s level in 2021-22, despite not turning 17 until early April.

  The attacking midfielder who plays either off the left or centrally as a No.10, also made his debut for Jong PSV in the Dutch second tier at the start of 2022, and has already caught new PSV first-team manager Ruud van Nistelrooy's eye in Eindhoven.

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  Tom Bischof (Germany)

  Only one player scored more than Bischof's six goals in qualifying for the tournament, with the Germany midfielder a player many are tipping for a huge career.

  Already the youngest player to ever debut for Hoffenheim, the 16-year-old recently signed a new contract with his boyhood club to ward off transfer interest from leading teams in both Germany and around Europe.

  Julian Nagelsmann has twice tried to sign Bischof, first at RB Leipzig and most recently for Bayern Munich, but both times he has missed out on the left-footed No.10, who can also play as a box-to-box midfielder.

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  El Chadaille Bitshiabu (France)

  Bitshiabu has stood out ever since he arrived at PSG due to his height, but the centre-back certainly has the ability to match his physical traits.

  The youngest player in the history of the Ligue 1 champions after debuting in December, he will turn 17 on the opening day of the tournament in Israel.

  A lack of further first-team exposure could lead Bishiabu to leave Parc des Princes this summer, with Bayern Munich, Manchester City and RB Leipzig having been credited with interest, but first expect him to be the standout defender at these U17 Euros.

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  Iker Bravo (Spain)

  Regarded as the best striker within La Masia when he left Barcelona in the summer of 2021, Bravo has already made his mark for Bayer Leverkusen in his debut campaign in Germany.

  The 17-year-old broke Florian Wirtz's record as Bayer's youngest-ever debutant in October, and made his Bundesliga bow a month later, highlighting why he chose to further his career in Leverkusen rather than be forced to wait for his opportunities at Camp Nou.

  He will lead the line for Spain at the U17 Euros, and will be expected to combine with his former Barcelona team-mate Dani Rodriguez in attack for La Roja.

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, Steve Howey, who made 157 appearances for Newcastle United, has revealed that he wanted the Magpies to sign Danny Ings when Steve McClaren was the manager.

Ings moved to Liverpool in 2015 when his contract expired, however, after several injuries over the years he managed just 25 appearances for the Reds and was eventually sold to Southampton for £20 million.

The £75,000 per week striker has been linked with a move to Manchester City, who are looking for someone to replace Sergio Aguero with the striker set to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Speaking on why he wanted Newcastle to sign Danny Ings and how much he was telling them to pay for the striker, Howey told The Transfer Tavern:

“I’ve always liked him. I said when McClaren was manager to buy him and I think it was £10 million they wanted, and then it went up to £15 million, but I was still saying buy him.

“I think the club thought that was too much but he’s been in devastating form the last few seasons so it doesn’t surprise me that he’s been linked with Man City.”

Ings has suffered more injuries this season with his latest one seeing the 28-year old come off against Tottenham Hotspur after scoring earlier in the game.

Southampton enjoyed a great first half of the season which saw them sit top of the table, however after another 9-0 defeat safety ended up being the priority.

Ten countries have won Europe's biggest international tournament, with only Germany, Spain and France victorious more than once

The European Championship is the continent's major international tournament, and has been graced by some iconic players and teams over the years.

Since the first edition of the tournament in 1960, only 10 countries have held the title of being kings of Europe. Of those 10, only three have won it more than once.

Here, Goal takes a look at every single tournament from the 1960 European Nations' Cup to Euro 2016, celebrating the winners of each title.

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  1960 – Soviet Union

  The first European Championships were held in 1960, though the format was very different to today.

  Just 17 teams entered, with the likes of England, West Germany and Italy all missing from what was then known as the ‘European Nations’ Cup’. Teams played home and away until the final four, with the semi-finals and final played in France.

  The Soviet Union won the inaugural title, beating Yugoslavia 2-1 in extra-time thanks to a 113th-minute goal from Victor Ponedelnik at the Parc des Prince.

  The USSR had beaten Czechoslovakia 3-0 in the semis, with Yugoslavia beating hosts France 5-4 in a thrilling game.

  Final scoreline: Soviet Union 2-1 Yugoslavia

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  1964 – Spain

  By 1964, the tournament had grown to 29 countries, though the home and away format remained the same.

  Reigning champions the Soviet Union qualified again alongside Hungary and Denmark, and eventual hosts and winners Spain.

  Spain snuck past Hungary 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu with the Soviet Union recording a 3-0 win over Denmark at Camp Nou.

  The final in Madrid got off to a lightning-fast start with the crowd of some 80,000 seeing the score tied at 1-1 after just eight minutes, but the winner didn’t come until the closing stages.

  Marcelino beat Lev Yashin six minutes from time to clinch Spain the victory on home soil, and prevent the USSR winning back-to-back titles.

  Final scoreline: Spain 2-1 Soviet Union

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  1968 – Italy

  The third instalment of the tournament brought some changes, as the European Nations’ Cup became the European Championship for the first time, and the home and away knockout phase was replaced with a group stage and quarter-finals.

  England and Italy qualified for the final four for the first time along with Yugoslavia and the USSR.

  The first semi-final finished in unusual circumstances. Italy and the USSR played out a goalless draw after 120 minutes, and so the game was settled by a coin toss – which hosts Italy won.

  Yugoslavia reached their second final courtesy of a late 1-0 win over world champions England, who would go on to beat the Soviet Union 2-0 in the third-place play-off.

  Italy and Yugoslavia drew 1-1 in the final but, rather than flip a coin, this match went to a replay. Two days later, Luigi Riva and Pietro Anastasi scored in a 2-0 win for the Azzurri.

  Final scoreline: Italy 2-0 Yugoslavia (R)

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  1972 – West Germany

  Thirty-two teams went into qualifying for the 1972 tournament, with eight groups each sending a winner into the quarter-finals to determine the final four.

  Belgium were chosen as hosts once they qualified alongside the USSR, West Germany and Hungary.

  The Soviet Union powerhouse reached yet another final with a 1-0 win over Hungary, but the tournament was defined by the goalscoring form of Gerd Muller.

  He scored both goals as West Germany beat Belgium 2-1, and got another double in the final as the Germans thrashed the USSR 3-0 to claim their first title.

  Final scoreline: West Germany 3-0 Soviet Union