Inside Euro 2020: Soccer’s Month of Drama, Passion, and Geopolitical Tension

ESPN Daily

ESPN

Sports

4.6 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 11 June 2021

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Never has “better late than never” meant so much to so many. That’s because the 2020 Euros - aka the UEFA European Championship - kicks off today after a year’s delay due to the pandemic. It’s a tournament that consumes the continent and combines high drama on the pitch with real-world geopolitical stakes off of it. Coming off their World Cup victory in 2018, France are heavy favorites, but can they survive the “Group of Death” with rival Germany and reigning champs Portugal? Sam Borden joins us from Rome for a preview of the 24-team field that will see matches played at 11 sites across Europe. Then, Pablo shares his thoughts on athletes and coaches deciding to get the COVID vaccine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Never has the
0:02.0	Stand by for a month of drama
0:06.0	Hars beating, tension palpable, there is much on the line
0:11.0	Without a basket
0:14.0	Out of Belknacks
0:16.0	Champions of Europe
0:26.6	Never has the phrase better late than never meant so much to so many. Because while it may be a year late, the 2020 euros start today, and it's a month-long drama slash party slash geopolitical minefield that consumes an entire continent and entertains the rest of the
0:41.2	planet. Our Sam Borden is on the ground, wearing out his passport, covering a soccer tournament
0:46.9	that for many is every bit as important as the World Cup. I'm Pablo Torre. It's Friday, June 11th.
0:56.8	This is ESPN Day.
1:02.4	Sam, as somebody who is in New York, has been here for 15 months, has only gone to New Jersey,
1:09.8	basically. I just got to say, I am incredibly jealous of your assignment.
1:14.9	Well, thanks, Pablo.
1:15.9	It's definitely different than the last 15 months, that's for sure, where, like, the biggest
1:21.0	trip was going to the grocery store.
1:24.5	San Borden is a global sports correspondent for ESPN and also one of my first friends to travel out of the country since the pandemic.
1:32.8	I am in Rome, Italy, getting ready for the first match of the European soccer championships Friday night at the Stadio Olimpico, Italy against Turkey, and it's going to kick off what
1:45.8	should be a pretty exciting four weeks of soccer.
1:48.9	Yeah, I want to frame this up for the people because this is a particularly magical thing
1:54.2	we're doing right now, Sam, because we're kind of ripping a hole in the space time continuum
2:00.0	because not only are you in a different time continuum because not only are you in a different time
2:01.9	zone, not only are you in Rome, you're covering a tournament that is technically the 2020
	...

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