Euro 2016 confirmed this year to be the year of the underdog. Leicester City conquered the Premier League, and Iceland and Wales, with a combined population 5% that of England, progressed to the quarter and semi-finals respectively. So what makes 2016 so good for the smaller teams? What has given the underdogs a chance to win the race?
This year we have seen the years-long elite party coming to an end. The big boys club enjoyed their time at the top, but, like any bored party member with money to waste, they drank too much and partied too hard. This season of football has been the hangover finally catching up with them.
England's astonishing failure at the European Championships is a case in point. They have repeatedly taken their ability for granted; scraping through to the latter rounds major competitions only by relying on raw talent. But with the increasing pool of footballing talent, they have been left behind. They were lulled into a false sense of security by the so called ‘golden generation’ of David Beckham and co, and by the time Roy Hodgson, a diplomatic and ineffectual choice for England manager, had arrived, the foundations were already crumbling. The talent had run out, and suddenly organisation and tactics were desperately needed. But we'd spent so much time drinking cocktails that we'd forgotten to eat.
England's failure shouldn't come as a shock. We were lazy, unprepared and disorganised. But this isn't just from the Hodgson era. This has been a problem from long before the not-so-wise owl's appointment. The FA failed to install a system which laid down a clear footballing philosophy, and the chaotic, disorganised, pathetic football played at Euro 2016 was its final product.
The drunkenness of the greats doesn't necessarily justify the rise of the minnows. They have pulled off a considerable feat in taking down the mighty. Have they been lying low until this very moment, when they pounced on the opportunity, or has it been a sudden transformation? The small teams haven't always had this potential. But with the vast spread of footballing culture and resources, the clubs and countries with the biggest drive and desire to improve and organise their sporting structures have improved dramatically, while the larger ones have simply remained as they are, seemingly unaware of the progress all around them. Only a select few have done enough to pull off shocks, but for those who have, all the hard work was worth it. Watching Wales beat Belgium was magical, and the Welsh people received the players like heroes back home.
But this surprise overtake of the small teams won't last. This has been a wake-up call to all the traditional giants to rid themselves of the arrogance and privilege that they have been so comfortable for so long. A reshuffle is in order, and perhaps we'll see them back to their former glory.
With Portugal, Iceland, Wales and Leicester celebrating the year of the underdog with elaborate parades through their home streets, this season of football comes to a close. How will we survive until the start of the Premier League season? Oh of course, the Olympics! My television doesn't get a break just yet.
Joshua Korber Hoffman is a 15 year-old football fanatic and Arsenal supporter. He writes a football blog called The Young Gun, in which his love for writing and the beautiful game intersect.
