Portugal wins European championship

The Euro 2016 has ended with the victory of the Portuguese team. Commentators disagree: does football help to overcome crises?

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Mediapart (FR) /

Football heals France's wounds

Although the French national team was not able to realize its dream, the growing enthusiasm for "Les Bleus" as the tournament progressed had a beneficial impact on the host country, political scientist Pascal Boniface writes on his blog with Mediapart:

“Traumatised by social, economic and security issues, France has regained its smile thanks to its football team, despite its defeat in its final match. Of course, that doesn't change the country's basic situation, but it does encourage optimism and promote self-esteem. Football isn't magic, but one cannot deny its healing powers. France is more beautiful today than it was at the start of the tournament on June 10 thanks to the wonderful performance of its football team.”

Jornal de Negócios (PT) /

Portugal must stay on the ball

Portugal may be Europe's football champion but when it comes to the economy it plays in the bottom leagues, Jornal de Negócios points out, warning against too much euphoria:

“The Euro victory has given our fragile collective self-esteem a little boost. … But if we lose sight of the ball we could end up paying dearly. The European champion is a small country on the Eurozone's periphery that has just emerged from the bailout programme with a mountain of debt, an ailing bank sector and an economy with little potential for growth. … For the 'markets' we are easy prey - a country that fits nicely into the role of loser. We must stay on the ball and keep tabs on what's going on all over the pitch. And there won't be any magicians called Eder [who scored the winning goal] to save us here.”

Mladá fronta dnes (CZ) /

Too much money, too little football

The Euro 2016, with Portugal as the winner, was well worth the effort for Uefa but less pleasing for spectators, Mladá fronta dnes comments uneasily:

“Profits were one third higher than four years ago. ... But the impression left by the games themselves was less cut and dry. The teams that no one had on their list deserve all our respect: the Northern Irish, the courageous Albanians, the Hungarians, the Vikings from Iceland with their football fairytale, as well as the Welsh, who took home bronze. So while it was anything but a boring Euro, it was not what you could call true football entertainment. The experiment with more participants produced only mediocre, highly tactical games. And things are not set to improve with the harebrained model for the Euro 2020, which is set to take place in 13 different countries.”

Der Standard (AT) /

Sport as a chance for the EU

International sporting events can do much to encourage identification with Europe, Der Standard believes:

“'Nation building' is always a difficult undertaking, and the emotional aspect is the least easy to control. But the EU and its member states would do well to put some thought into how they can create a sense of community without questioning the bonds with one's homeland or encouraging negative images of others - either the US, Russia or China. Sport provides a good point of departure. Why can't the EU as a whole have a spot on the medals tables at the Olympic Games in Rio? It would certainly be right at the top. And at the next Games in Tokyo in 2020 it should be possible for athletes to compete under the European flag. And if they won gold, Beethoven's rousing melody would be played.”