Today in the first leg of the pre-qualifying round for the first round of qualifying for the first round proper of the Europa League, Shkendija 79 Tetovo of Macedonia beat KS Cracovia of Poland 2-0. At the same time Poland were heading to a penalty shoot out defeat to Portugal in Euro 2016. Polish player Bartosz Kapustka came on as a late substitute but didn’t make much of a difference. The Polish fans probably hardly noticed him and I wonder if the fans of KS Cracovia were watching their team and wondering what difference he could have made for them. Kapustka plays for Cracovia and because of the incredible amount of football being played these days was playing for his country at an end of season summer tournament while his club were starting their new season. So while he left for France with Poland at the end of the domestic season, his team mates were starting pre-season training. Its just crazy. Will Kapustka join Cracovia for the second leg, or the next round if they make it, then play a full regular season, play the Europa league again next June, another full season and then the World Cup the following summer (while his team mates start pre-season again).
I did not used to be one for sympathy for footballers, who complained about how much football they played, but having to be in top competitive shape, physically and mentally, all year round for 2 or 3 consecutive years is just too much. I said the same about the South American players who played in the Copa America last summer, in the special Copa this year, the Confederations Cup next summer and then the World Cup in two years. Too much.
On a lighter note, the fans of Hamburg have started a petition for the club to buy the Wigan and Northern Irish striker Will Grigg. They feel his presence will add much needed atmosphere to their stadium. It's not his playing style because like everybody else watching the Euros they never saw him play, but it's because of the "Will Grigg's on fire" chant that was the too often heard Irish fans party song in Paris. It made him the most sung about, never played footballer. So instead of petitioning for his signature the Hamburg fans should simply go through their team list, find a player who had a permanent seat on the bench last season, look for a Euro pop song that said player’s name can be integrated into and come up with a catchy chant from the stands. On top of the improvement in Hamburg fans' enjoyment of home matches, with all that extra singing, it could do a world of good for the lucky player’s international prospects. He could be the Will Grigg of Russia 2018: never seen but the name will never leave you.
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