From the publisher:
Euro 88: The Football Purists’ European Championship delves into the last major international tournament on European soil before Italia 90 – a tournament of rancour and drama blessed by the presence of Gullit, Van Basten, Belanov, Protasov, Vialli, Klinsmann, Butragueño, Elkjær, Whelan and Robson. From England’s hypnotic self-destruction via an impressive qualification and Ireland’s heroic near-miss of a place in the semi-finals, to the Netherlands finally fulfilling their destiny in lifting the trophy against the Ukrainian-powered Soviet Union – this was a tournament that had it all. It was a glorious summer on the pitch with Rinus Michels, Valeriy Lobanovskyi, Franz Beckenbauer, Azeglio Vicini, Miguel Muñoz, Sepp Piontek, Jack Charlton and Bobby Robson bringing their nations to a high-rolling game of footballing poker.
But it was set against a volatile backdrop of violent intent on the terraces and a governing body that was struggling to maintain control. Euro 88 was anything but dull.
The author:
Steven is a senior writer and podcaster for These Football Times. He has featured on Guardian Sport and The Athletic. His debut book, A Tournament Frozen in Time, was shortlisted for Football Book of the Year at The Telegraph's 2020 Sports Book Awards. He also authored the book's sequels, Where the Cool Kids Hung Out and The Undisputed Champions of Europe.
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