Looking back: The European Champions of yesteryear, Where are they now? – by Jake Cutler

With the 2021 European Championships fast approaching, it’s safe to say that football fever is amongst us. This is one of the biggest stages on the football calendar and can be a chance for legends to be born. From household names to the more obscure, this is a list of the top 11 most iconic footballers to have won a European Championship.

With this said, whilst these players may have been famous in their prime, some of them have left the game completely, whilst others are up to some pretty unusual things, with others still playing at the highest level. Here’s a look back at previous European Champions and what they’re up to now.

Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel (Denmark)
Peter Schmeichel was best known for his heroics at Manchester United. However, he was also the number 1 during Denmark’s record-breaking 1992 European Championship win. Here, ‘The Great Dane’ kept a clean sheet in the final against reigning champions and favorites Germany. Denmark won 2-0, with Schmeichel at the height of his career, having just signed for Manchester United.

These days, he can be found as a pundit, albeit this has never been a full-time gig for the goalkeeper. In 2006, he also starred on BBC show ‘Strictly come Dancing’. However, his proudest moments after retirement will be seeing his son Kasper win the Premier League with underdogs Leicester City. This was the first time that father and son goalkeepers had won the Premier League.

Left back: Bixente Lizarazu (France)
In 2000, Bixente Lizarazu won the European Championship with France, just two years after their World Cup win which he also featured in. This was a great moment for the French, and Lizarazu proved himself as one of the greatest ever left backs. France beat Italy 2-1 with a golden goal winner via David Trezeguet. However, Lizarazu quietly plied his tried at the back and helped sure up the defence.

Since retiring, Lizarazu has certainly remained physically active. He is a keen surfer and sportsman. Interestingly, he is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has even won a European Championship in the martial art, back in 2009! A man of many talents, Lizarazu can speak five different languages.

Centre back: Traianos Dellas (Greece)
Everybody who watched the 2004 European Championships will remember the legendary Greek squad who won it against all odds. Built on a tight defence, they beat hosts Portugal 1-0 in the final which saw Cristiano Ronaldo’s side shockingly knocked out. Dellas was at the heart of this defensive unit which earned him ‘The Colossus of Rhodes’.

Since then, he married a Greek supermodel and stayed with football. He can now be found managing Panetolikos which is his third club in Greek football. Back in 2014 he won the Greek league with AEK Athens. Unsurprisingly, his teams are known for their defensive solidarity.

Centre back: Carles Puyol (Spain)
Moving on to our next defensive giant, Spain’s Carles Puyol is perhaps their greatest ever defender. Known for his aggression and leadership qualities, he won a host of medals throughout his career for club and country. Whilst the 2008 European Championship finals wasn’t exactly a classic, it was nonetheless a success for Puyol. Spain won 1-0, beating the Germans and announcing themselves as a European powerhouse in the process.

Since retirement, Puyol has lived a relatively quiet life but still does the odd bit of punditry work on the side. After retiring, he was actually offered a job by Barcelona as a sports director. However, Puyol declined this role citing other projects taking up his time and attention. Although he retired a one-club-man, he chose not to continue his role at Barca.

Right back: Lilian Thuram (France)
With Lizarazu at left back and Lilian Thuram at right back, it’s no wonder the French won the 2000 European Championship. Lilian Thuram was a fantastic old-school wing-back who knew how to defend. He also went on to play for France 142 times which speaks volumes in terms of his importance at the back.

After leaving football, Thuram has often been involved in French politics. Here, he has campaigned for gay marriage and also opposed French governments over the years. In 2011, he also hosted his own art gallery named Human Zoos: The Invention of the Savage. This was based on colonialism and was critically acclaimed.

Left midfield: Andreas Iniesta (Spain)
Returning to the 2008 final, Andreas Iniesta was at the peak of his powers and was best known for his midfield partnership with Xavi. Simply put, Iniesta was the talisman for Spain who pulled the strings and controlled the play on the left. Whilst Fernando Torres got the winner, Iniesta and Xavi got the plaudits.

Now aged 37, Iniesta is still playing…just about. After leaving Barcelona in 2018, he’s spent the last few years plying his trade at Vissel Kobe in Japan. Generally speaking, Japan isn’t the most common place for aging footballers to retire, but it looks like this is the case for Iniesta. Once he quits playing, you can almost guarantee an offer from Barcelona as a director.

Central midfield: Patrick Vieira (France)
Widely regarded as one of the most technical and gifted defensive midfielders ever, Vieira was often the driving force in the French team and was something of a general. In a game that was decided by golden goal rules, he was just the type of player you would need to rely on. By keeping the ball with ease, he allowed the French defence a moments rest, whilst also supporting the likes of Thierry Henry ahead of him.

After retiring, Vieira has had two spells in management. The first was with New York City and the second with Nice. Whilst his role at New York was deemed reasonable, he was eventually sacked by Nice after a poor string of results. Generally speaking, his managerial future hangs in the balance dependent on his next venture.

Central midfield: Marcos Senna (Spain)
These days, Marcos Senna was something of a forgotten man in terms of world football. However, without him, Spain wouldn’t have won the 2008 European Championship against Germany. A Brazilian import who was in his 30s, Senna was in the Autumn of his career but he certainly made it count. Defensively excellent, it’s no wonder that Spain recorded a clean sheet with their victory.

Little is known about his post-football career as Senna was often quiet about his private life. In many ways, his personal life often mirrored his role on the pitch. He did found the Evangélico FC charity that helped develop footballers in Spain whilst teaching Christian values. This isn’t too surprising, as like many Brazilian footballers, he is a devout Catholic.

Right midfield: Renato Sanches (Portugal)
In 2016, underdogs Portugal beat France 1-0 to win their first ever European Championship. At the time, Renato Sanches was still 19 and so a lot was expected in terms of his ability. Physically strong and with great vision, Sanches won the midfield battle and helped Portugal reach glory. Unsurprisingly, his value skyrocketed as a result.

Still playing at age 23, Sanches is the youngest player on this list. A poor spell at Bayern Munich and Swansea followed, but a move to Lille reinvigorated his career. Such was his success at the French club, is that he helped them to their first league title in years. In the final game of the season, he got a key assist to see Lille get a vital win. With two league titles under his belt, the lad has not done too badly at all.

Centre forward: Marco Van Basten (Netherlands)
Back in 1988, Netherlands beat the Soviet Union 2-0 and a star was born. Marco Van Basten got on the score sheet and was the Championship’s top scorer. Known for his skills and elegance on the ball, he is often regarded as one of the most talented players to have ever lived.

Unsurprisingly, Van Basten is still in football. After retirement, he’s since managed a string of Dutch clubs, but has never actually won anything. These days he’s a technical director with FIFA.

Centre forward: Eder (Portugal)
Eder is the only player to make this list who was a substitute. Such is the importance of his goal, that it would be too cruel to leave him out. After having a patchy career at best, Eder was bought on whilst Portugal were mostly defending against France. This substitution may not have ever happened had Cristiano Ronaldo not gone off injured. In extra time out of nowhere, Eder scored a long-range screamer and cemented his status as a cult hero. This was great to see, considering he later admitted he had previously considered suicide years before.

Still aged 33, Eder is still playing in the Russian league with Lokomotiv Moscow. Whilst his goal record remains fairly low, he’s still a regular and has won the Russian Premier League.

Jake got in touch with me this week to see if he could do a few articles for this blog and I was glad to offer him the opportunity to show his skills. I have found this article very interesting and hope that you enjoyed reading it too.

About Author