Robert Marawa believes that Austria can shock the footballing world at Euro 2024.
Marawa says he has been truly impressed by the football played by Ralf Rangnick’s team.
Robert Marawa’s bold pick for Euro winner
“I have said this before and I’m going to put my neck on the block and say that Austria will go on to shock the world and win this year’s EUROs, and I really hope they do,” says Marawa.
“They play incredible football, and there is a great structure from a coaching perspective. We all understand why when we see who the coach is.”
Euro 2024 underdog stories
Marawa loves an underdog story and says he has been rooting for Austria and the likes of Georgia in the tournament.
“I just want to highlight Austria and Georgia because I really like these stories. They have played such brave, phenomenal football.”
With the tournament entering the last 16 phase, Marawa says he is incredibly excited for the climax.
“I always look at tournaments to see what they will bring differently, who will we talk about, which nation will rise to the occasion. I’m happy with Germany and the way they’ve started the tournament. Scotland were shown their frailties in the first game, and the fact that they exited is not a surprise to me. Germany is a well-oiled machine. They have Julian Nagelsmann, a 36-year-old coach who has come in and wants to make a mark.
“They are the host nation and are a team that is ready to roll up their sleeves when they come to the business end of things. I think that they will push all the way, I believe they need to, to keep the tournament alive.”
Underwhelming Portugal
As for Portugal, Marawa says he is yet to see the best of them.
“Portugal have played alright; I have not been wowed by them. But tournament football is what happens now in the last 16, so we may see the real Portugal stand up.”
Netherlands too have been a slight disappointment for Marawa.
“There was a lot of hype with the Dutch going into the tournament. A Ronald Koeman team is meant to be a well-oiled machine. I didn’t see that. Maybe in match day one they were good, but after that I didn’t see any good football. I had really high hopes for the Netherlands. “
Gareth Southgate isn’t the man to lead the Three Lions
As for England, Marawa is disappointed but not surprised. He has spoken previously of his belief that manager Gareth Southgate isn’t the man to lead the Three Lions, and their performances at this year’s spectacle has backed that up.
“I really do believe that England need a new manager to lead them forward. If Pep Guardiola is bored and wants a job, he should coach England, whenever he is retired from club football, and the whole 1966 thing will come to an end. I am not surprised by England’s performance. I think I saw the body language when Trent Alexander-Arnold was left out. When you leave a player out like that, it impacts the team dynamic. Heads were down. You could sense something wasn’t right in the England camp.”
Marawa says leaving out Alexander-Arnold is unjustified.
“I don’t think it’s justified to leave someone with that pedigree out, irrespective of whatever other people are saying and the noise around you. He brought on Cole Palmer for just five minutes in one game. In that five minutes, Cole Palmer took one shot that was pretty lame and didn’t have much fire power. But that is not a reflection of what he has been able to do at Chelsea.
“So what is the problem? I really think Gareth Southgate has been given way too much of time to do something with this England squad, and he should not have been in charge of this current England team as well.”
Euro 2024 up in the air
While disappointed, he says you never know what the team can do.
“Having a world class player like Jude Bellingham, you just never know. He could muster something up. That’s when players take charge. Sometimes players say, coach aside, we will do everything we can to win this tournament, and it may get to the point where the front line does that, because Harry Kane is also looking like a pale shadow of himself. He’s not the Bundesliga hero goal-machine that we’ve seen , so what is wrong is the big question.”
Despite many of the “big nations” not doing as well as they could, Marawa says the tournament has been a thrilling spectacle.
“There have been 81 goals in 36 games. 2.25 goals per game. That is proper entertainment for football fans. It’s been a wonderful spectacle that’s been well run. Football at times does disappoint, but I have been very happy for the underdogs.”
How to watch Euro 2024
Sign up for the Showmax Premier League mobile plan for R69 per month to catch Euro 2024 on the go.
All Euro 2024 matches will also be broadcast on SuperSport on DStv.
