It is smart business by players to brush aside any transfer talk until the end of a major international tournament. Only then do you see a drastic increase in prices, especially coming off a strong performance. Your worth on the open market and weekly wages instantly inflate, and become an agent’s dream scenario.
The opposite is true for clubs, who would rather do business before the start of any international competition. The spotlight always focuses on a select few players who parlay positive performances into lucrative deals, breaking the bank and heightening expectations. The reality is a run of good form does not change anything but market value. And in the modern era of professional football money talks; often clubs are their own worst enemy by getting into bidding wars, jacking up the price even further. With great power comes even greater responsibility; players must now produce immediate results to explain the investment made by their clubs.
Some make their names at the European Championship, reaching cult status that is forever remembered. The heroics of Sylvain Wiltord at Euro 2000 helped France win the final, scoring the equalizer that led to the dramatic golden goal in extra-time. Bought by Arsenal later that summer for a whopping fee, the Frenchman was never able to live up to the hype and price tag.
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The Czech Republic overachieved in a couple tournaments over the years, finishing runners-up in 1996 and semifinalists in 2004. Pavel Kuka and Milan Baros were both voted into the team of the tournament on separate occasions, and Czech players became the trend and were soon moving abroad for big money, but never reached the same heights at club level.
Arguments can be made that the European championship is more difficult to win than the World Cup based on the number of teams participating and the level of football on display. It is also the most unpredictable; previous winners Denmark in 1992 and Greece in 2004 can attest to that.
A month of global exposure can either make or break a player’s career because of the stakes, and some never fully recover. To wit…
Tomas Brolin (Euro 1992)
The Swede finished joint top scorer with three goals on home soil, and was an effective contributor with Italian club Parma leading up to the tournament. However, his career quickly unraveled soon after, falling down the pecking order and eventually moving to Leeds United. That decision turned out to be a disaster. Loan spells at FC Zurich and again Parma did little to revive his form, as he ended up at Crystal Palace before moving back to Sweden and announcing his retirement.
Karel Poborsky (Euro 1996)
Famously known for the lob goal over Portugal’s Vitor Baia, the winger was a stand-out performer in a strong Czech side that made a surprising run to the final where they took the lead before conceding twice and lost to the Germans. Manchester United quickly snapped up Poborsky after the competition ended, but his career at Old Trafford was short-lived and remembered more for being a bust. It is a perfect example on how tournament form does not necessarily translate at club level. Poborsky did have a good spell at Benfica before a forgettable season at Lazio, and finally ended his career back in the Czech Republic.
Hakan Sukur (Euro 2000)
Sukur produced a brace against Belgium in the final group match which sent Turkey into the quarterfinals before losing to Portugal. The prolific striker is worshipped on home soil and is his country’s top goal scorer at international level. He even recorded the fastest goal in World Cup history in 2002. His strike rate for Galatasaray was off the charts, scoring over 200 goals in three separate stints with the club. After a horrible season with Torino in the mid-90s, Sukur was sold to Inter Milan in 2000 but again continued to struggle abroad. Brief spells with Parma and Blackburn followed before returning to Galatasaray in 2003 and retiring five years later. He barely produced 10 goals total in his time outside of Turkey.
Maniche (Euro 2004)
No one will forget his match winning long-range strike that knocked out the Netherlands in the semifinals. Maniche’s overall performance was first class in the tournament. However, the midfielder was never able to replicate the same type of form outside of his native Portugal. Following back-to-back winner’s medals in the UEFA Cup and Champions League with FC Porto, a move to Dynamo Moscow was a disaster. Maniche had a brief stint with Chelsea, with stops in Spain, Italy and Germany before finishing up with Sporting Lisbon.
Andrei Arshavin (Euro 2008)
Following a two-match ban to start the tournament, Arshavin exploded out of the gate and produced two thrilling performances against Sweden and the Netherlands, before Russia lost to Spain in the semifinals. A big money move to Arsenal was the reward after a long overexposed transfer saga. Unfortunately the Russian struggled with his consistency and never reached the level most expected. Gunners fans will always remember his memorable four-goal performance at Anfield in 2009.
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