They are professional footballers AND they are fans.
And so when a massive soccer event like Euro 2020 begins on Friday – it was postponed last year because of the pandemic – coaches and players from Valour FC will undoubtedly be glued to their screens watching it unfold while preparing for the start of the Canadian Premier League season later this month at IG Field.
The 24-country tournament opens with Turkey facing Italy on Friday in Rome with the Round of 16 starting on June 26th, the quarterfinals on July 2, semifinals on July 6th and 7th and the championship final slated for July 11th at Wembley Stadium in London.
Just for kicks and giggles – and, of course, the accompanying trash talk that comes along with predictions – we asked Valour FC coaches and players to make some Euro 2020 predictions.
Who will win each of the six groups?
Which two teams will participate in the final?
A darkhorse/longshot pick?
Which player will lead the tournament in scoring?
And, naturally, which country will be crowned champion.
All told, 10 coaches and players took the time to fill out our questionnaire, with yours truly and Valour media relations/social media ace Sam Calvert also participating to give us an even 12 entries.
For what it’s worth, seven of the dozen polled picked France to win the event, with two each selecting Portugal and England and one selecting Belgium.
Eight different players were also named in predictions to lead the tournament in scoring, with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo picking up three votes, followed by France’s Romelo Lukaku and Harry Kane of England with two votes each.
