“Seconds out, Group D” featuring Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey and Croatia.
SPAIN
There is an unofficial song done for their Euro 2016 campaign, it’s a bit dull though.
I’ve chosen music from two previous World Cup tournaments simply because both of them have Spanish players singing on them – and featuring in the videos.
» This is from 2006 and is a bit simplistic, with a 12 bar boogie sort of Status Quo vibe going on:
» Fast forward to the last World Cup (2014) and again there are a couple of players not only in the video. but playing some instruments too.
“Defending champions Spain are the latest to launch their bid for chart domination with a tune called ‘Buena Energia’ (‘Good Energy’), and some leading members of the squad lend a hand. Diego Costa features with a cameo on the bongos, Xavi has a good bash on the drums and Iker Casillas picks up the tambourine in the video.”
CZECH REPUBLIC
There aren’t any songs done for the Czech Republic for any major cup competitions. Nobody sings it seems.
I had to go back to a pre-split Czechoslovakia to find anything at all. This is from 1972 and it looks like they got players from various Czechoslovakian football clubs to sing.
It doesn’t matter that you don’t understand the Czech language because you’ll probably know the words to this very familar tune. The title translates as “Green is the grass” but Chelsea fans know it from a different colour.
TURKEY
I stumbled across this video via the wonderful YouTube (I’ve said before that if it wasn’t for YT I’d have no material for F&M).
I have no idea as to when the song was released. It was uploaded to You Tube in 2011 so it can’t be for Euro 2012 because they didn’t qualify for that one. The one thing I do know is that is has football players singing in the video.
If you know more, pop a note in the comments.
CROATIA
When choosing a song for the Croatian team there is only one. Because of this man:
He wears an earring, smokes a fag, plays guitar in a rock band and oh yeah, is a Premier League manager.
After Croatia had qualified for Euro 2008 (when Bilic was the manager of the national team) he said to his bandmates:
“Coach Bilic told us in January that he had a song that sounded good. The song is very catchy, a classic rock tune and I believe that fans will like it and that it will become their hymn,” said Vlatka Bartulovic, a spokeswoman for Zagreb brewery, who will produce the song.
And so was born:
Group D put to bed. Up next is Group E which includes the Republic of Ireland.