Next in line Euro 2016 is Group E. Also known as the group of death.
Why ? Because this group has Belgium, Italy, Republic of Ireland and Sweden.
I know that there is a chance for the best 3rd placed finisher to progress to the knockout stages, but would any of these want to take that risk ?
BELGIUM
Star names everywhere and unlike that England ‘golden generation’ these players do gel together as a team. As to how far they can go in this one… There’s the group stage banana skin to avoid first, then after that who knows. I’m saying Semi-Finals at least.
I am happy to tell you that the national Belgium team sang a song for the 1980 European championships. Which by they way they also reached the final, so this must have brought them a bit of luck.
Actually I am not just happy, I’m overjoyed because of all the ingredients added to this single – For the song itself they chose a very well known instrumental tune – then added lyrics to it. As mentioned they sang on the record and here’s the peak of the mountain – the multi-lingual Belgians sang this in English.
Marvel then at the delight that is Red Devil Rock:
ITALY
We are going back to the 1982 World Cup for this song about the Italian national team back then.
Before I mention the song I have to mention and remind you of another very famous tune also released in 1982 that (if you were around at the time) you heard everywhere. And I mean everywhere. If you had one of those Casio VL-Tone keyboards…
If you didn’t click that link: The aforementioned keyboard had on one of the default settings a repetative beat which inspired a German band to create this:
It says that it is the official video but this is the one I remember.
After it’s release there were hundreds of cover versions. (The French one was another of my favourites).
And yes you know where this is going. There was a football and music version. It was created by an Italian producer and in the lyrics you’ll hear the names of the Italian national team being read out.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
I’ve posted mentions about the Republic of Ireland’s football and music many times. Have a look. It’s just a choice of which song to highlight here.
I have decided to go back to their first Euro championship and the official song, sung by the team.
There’s a bonus – here’s a video of them singing the song along with Gay Byrne:
» The (1988) Republic of Ireland Soccer Squad – The Boys In Green
SWEDEN
A quick aside before we continue… Yes we are talking about him again:
In the other major european competition – Eurovision – this year Sweden is going to be represented by Frans. He’ll be singing If I Were Sorry and he will win it with that song. Frans has a football and music connection. When he was 7 years old he sang on a tribute song to Ibranmaich: Who’s Da Man (Zlatan).
The band and song I want to feature is actually a very, very decent tune. It is by a Swedish band which sadly looks like they are not around any more. Name of the band is The Charade and they were band of the week back in 2006.
In that same year they did an unofficial song about the Swedish team for the World Cup. The video is below.
The audio below that is a Euro 2008 remix of the same tune.
» The Charade – Dressed In Yellow and Blue (Beatfanatic Euro 2008 Remix)
Group E finish. Now on to the final Group: F.