July 3rd 2024.
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, two former England football players, have been very critical of their national team's performance at Euro 2024. The tension is high as England prepares to face Switzerland in the quarter-finals of the competition this Saturday evening in Dusseldorf. The Three Lions have had a rocky journey so far, only managing to win one of their three group games and barely escaping defeat against Slovakia in the last 16.
Their lackluster performances have not gone unnoticed, with Lineker and Shearer, now BBC pundits, leading the way in criticizing their former team. In fact, Lineker described England's performance in their draw against Denmark as "s**t". On the other hand, Switzerland has been having a strong tournament, beating Hungary and drawing with Scotland before coming close to defeating hosts Germany. They eventually cruised past reigning champions Italy in their last 16 match.
There is a real sense of confidence within the Swiss team that they can continue their success against England in Dusseldorf. Former Swiss international, Ramon Vega, who played against England at Euro 1996, is particularly eager to see the reaction of Lineker and Shearer if Switzerland were to win. "I would love to be in the studio with those guys, just to see their faces!" Vega told the Mirror. He even plans to bring some traditional Swiss cheese to the studio if his team were to emerge victorious.
Vega is not alone in hyping up Switzerland's chances. Lineker himself has acknowledged that England is not the clear favorite in this match, despite being on the "easier" side of the tournament bracket. "It is hard to be that hopeful," Lineker admitted. "If you had said at the start of the tournament that England would be facing Switzerland in the quarter-finals, you would have thought fantastic, you fancy your chances there. But I don't think they are big favorites. Far from it."
Switzerland, on the other hand, is feeling confident and determined. They have a history of success against top teams, having knocked out France in the last Euros and beating holders Italy in the last round. "Everyone talks about Italy being poor that day. Why is that? I'll tell you why: we made them look bad. We outplayed them. It was down to us. Not them," Vega proudly declared.
As the quarter-final match approaches, both teams have a lot to prove. For England, it's about silencing their critics and proving themselves as true contenders. For Switzerland, it's about continuing their impressive run and causing another upset. It's bound to be an intense and unpredictable clash between these two talented teams.
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