Euro 2024 comment: Substance not style - why unloved finalists England are in 'good' company

Late on Sunday evening at the end of this latest major summer tournament, history will judge which camp Gareth Southgate, inset, finds himself in.

Will Southgate’s England be ‘ugly’ competition victors like Santos’ Portugal and Rehhagel’s Greece in the Euro finals of 2016 and 2004 respectively or be in good - or should that be bad - company alongside several losing finalists who failed to win hearts and minds, let alone silverware.

Loved or unloved?

Taking ‘pride’ of place in the latter are the Dutch side who lost the World Cup final under van Marwijk in 2010 and Derwall’s beaten West German finalists of 1982, who are primarily remembered for two despicable episodes.

Given England’s epic trophy drought, the ends would justify the means if they somehow prevailed in Berlin and continued to display substance as opposed to style, their signature tune of Euro 2024.

In the final analysis, being remembered for being ‘good’ winners is a bonus. It’s all about the winning, for most observers at any rate, unless you are an idealist and subscribe to the philosophies of say Marcelo Bielsa or Johan Cruyff.

Ultimately, when it comes to leading football nations, no one has been immune from selling their soul.

To most, the most romanticised team on the planet will always be Brazil. It did not stop them sacrificing their beauty at the 1994 World Cup.

They won on penalties after a goalless draw in the final against Italy - to claim their first global trophy in 24 years - with their pragmatism summed up by the double anchor of Dunga and Mauro Silva in midfield.

Parreira was vilified by Brazil legends, but a World Cup pacified the football-mad nation.

While Brazil have been serial trophy winners, the same cannot be said of the country of their mother tongue in Portugal.

They won with functionality and scant finesse at the 2016 Euros and wily manager Santos did not care a jot as his side won their first major trophy.

An extra-time goal saw them stun France, with a semi-final win over Wales representing their only victory in regulation time in seven tournament games. Prosaic Portugal were an ‘ugly ducking’ as Santos admitted.

The most durable teams often are the last ones standing. If Sunday’s final is no classic, don’t expect England to be bothered. It may precede good news.

Aside from the 2012 Euro final when Spain thumped Italy 4-0, just five goals have been scored in four finals, post 2000.

Some losing finalists can be revered, think the Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup, for example. The opposite to 2010 in fact.

A leading nation who have never won the global competition, the Dutch shunned their pure football traits and it nearly worked until they ran into that feted Spain side in the showpiece.

Total football turned total thuggery in Johannesburg. John Heitinga was dismissed in extra time. Others in orange should have gone before.

Martwijk betrayed the Dutch’s tradition in the pursuit of victory. They lost and their cynicism was attacked by the world’s press - moreso because of Oranje’s rich history.

Cruyff was at least happy with those in Spanish jerseys, as opposed to Dutch ones in representing the credos of himself and Rinus Michels.

England have no such tradition in truth, while there are also others who embrace the villain’s role in football more freely and look no further than the Italians or particularly the Germans or Argentines in that regard.

World Cup winners in 82, Enzo Bearzot’s Azzurri famously qualified for the knock-out stages after three draws in three group games.

Sacchi’s class of 94 reached the final in the States, but were also pretty colourless, while the Argentine side of 1990 took gamesmanship to a whole new level in the global event, but would reach a final. Mainly because of a replacement goalkeeper in Sergio Goychochea.

The pièce de résistance came from Derwall’s West Germans in 82, chiefly remembered for the ‘Disgrace of Gijon’ when they connived with Austria to draw their final group game to eliminate Algeria and the ‘Night of Seville’, scene of Toni Schumacher’s horrific assault on Patrick Battiston.

England have not won marks for artistic merit.

At least, they are fair.