The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Thursday, July 8

Hi, all!

I have to say, I’m going to miss these international tournaments when they’re gone.

Ramble of the Day

I feel like this isn’t always the case, but I find all of the Euro semifinalists relatively likable. Naturally, I like some more than others but I have not developed an animosity towards any of them. That could be down to not having the time to commit to disliking a team, but as I think about it, I can pretty easily explain why I like all of them.

• Denmark: the feel-good story of the tournament, no further comment needed
• Italy: watching them is basically a whole experience, and a very entertaining one from start to finish for the most part
• Spain: almost a neutral, but they’re not boring to watch and have played some entertaining (and bonkers) matches so they can’t be unlikable
• England: the biggest contender for being unlikable because they’re the least entertaining of the group, but this is a talented collection of players who are pretty likeable off the pitch so I am forgiving

What probably helps all of these teams is that none of them have outrageously unlikable players, which can really drag down a team’s likability factor. (There are always some contenders, but I don’t think there’s a culture around disliking any of the players on these teams. I also think the Álvaro Morata situation doesn’t quite meet this description.) The opposite is also in play — Italy’s a little bit more likable because Leonardo Spinazzola was a blast to watch during this tournament, for example.

It’s a nice way to cap off what’s been a pretty entertaining tournament. I didn’t have a lot of hopes for the tournament that every player would show up tired to, but I think it’s had enough drama to keep us all entertained.

tl;dr: I find the Euro final four to be pretty likable, which I feel isn’t always the case.

Stay informed, read this: Iliana Limón Romero on ESPN’s culture of undervaluing the Black people that work for the network for the Los Angeles Times

Links of the Day

Canada international Diana Matheson retired after an 18 year career.

Konami canceled its contract with Antoine Griezmann after a video of him racially abusing Asian staff resurfaced.

A longer read: Emma Kemp on Rohingya United, a grassroots club that serves as a gathering place for Rohingya people in Australia for the Guardian