The best XI players snubbed at the Euros

As with any major tournament, there are going to be players who don’t make the cut, either because of form or fitness or even politics. For the Euros, we happen to have a mix of all three. So we decided to build a team of the best XI players that were left behind. There was a maximum of three per country and we tried our best to make sure the players blended together (that way we didn’t pick 4 strikers and 5 attacking midfielders). So without anymore delay, here’s the Euros Snubbed XI:

GK: Timo Horn (Germany)

Whoever was named as the goalkeeper was going to be German. There is such a glut of incredible German goalkeepers right now that it was bound to be one of them. Timo Horn made the list for his youth (preparing the next generation), but it could have easily been Loris Karius for the same reason, or Rene Adler, or any of the great keepers. The Germans are spoiled for class in that position.

RCB: Dejan Lovren (Croatia)

Dejan Lovren appears to have turned around his Liverpool career after a dismal 2014/15 season, but it seems that form and ability have little to do with the selection process for Croatia. Instead, internal politics is rearing its ugly head and Lovren is feeling the pain as a result. Long story short, he fell out with the national team manager and it was decided that he would not play a part in the Euros this year.

CB: Robert Huth (Germany)

Robert Huth had an incredible season at Leicester. With his teammates, he accomplished a sporting story that may never be achieved again. That being said, there is still a line of players ahead of him in the German squad. Think about it this way. To make it into the squad, Huth needs to present something beyond being incredibly solid defensively. Germany already has that. He’s not a young player, so he doesn’t offer potential. It’s a funny situation when a Premier League-winning player is left behind because his team is so stacked that they don’t need him.

LCB: Mamadou Sakho (France)

Mamadou Sakho was banned for a long time this season, so to not include him makes some sense if France was at full strength. That being said, they are not and with the charges against him ultimately appearing to be false, it is surprising he hasn’t been brought along. Sakho had a very good season at Liverpool, particularly before his ban, and looked a certainty to be starting.

CM: Danny Drinkwater (England)

After the season he had with Leicester, Roy Hodgson’s snubbing of Danny Drinkwater for the Euros is ludicrous. It especially becomes strange when you consider the partnership that Drinkwater has with Jamie Vardy, who is expected to get a lot of playing time with England this tournament. Often times, the team that does the best in international tournaments is the team that has the most concrete partnerships. All one needs to do is look at the Spain squad that won a World Cup and the Euros. Hodgson’s insistence on breaking up these partnerships, continued in his benching of Dele Alli (who partners with Harry Kane), is baffling.

CM: Santi Cazorla (Spain)

Even though Cazorla was able to take part in full training with Arsenal, it seems that Vincente del Bosque was not convinced and left the player behind. One of the players who really make Arsenal tick, it’s strange that del Bosque didn’t even give the player a chance. When you look at the players that were brought along and the style of play that Spain will most likely be playing at the Euros, and Cazorla would have fit perfectly.

CM: Andrea Pirlo (Italy)

An Italian side without Andrea Pirlo just feels wrong. It was bound to happen eventually, and his move to MLS probably didn’t help, but his experience is second to none and he could have easily fit into that Italian team for the Euros. If you consider the age of some of the other players being taken to France, and his age suddenly looks like less of an issue. When you see that Sebastian Giovinco hasn’t been taken, however, who has been setting MLS alight, you start to get the whole picture.

RAM: Isco (Spain)

Much like Santi Cazorla, it’s a little surprising that Isco has been left behind, considering he was thought of as the future of Spanish soccer only a few years ago. It’s not like he hasn’t played much for Real Madrid this season, either. All told, he featured in 42 games this season and performed quite well in each of them. Whether he is being considered a winger and being kept out of the squad by Pedro or an attacking midfielder and being kept out by Iniesta, it’s surprising he isn’t getting a look in for the Euros.

CAM: Hatem Ben Arfa (France)

This snub seems to be based on equal parts Ben Arfa’s reputation and just how stacked France’s team is this year. For his position alone, he is competing with Paul Pogba, Yohan Cabaye, Moussa Sissoko, Dimitri Payet, and Kingsley Coman. While you could definitely argue that he should be beating out a few of those names to make it into the French squad, you also have to take into account his reputation. Ben Arfa is rather famous for having a bad attitude and France is just exorcising those demons that plagued them for years. He may have been better this year, but is that a risk Didier Deschamps is willing to take? Although, his 18 goals and 6 assists must have been hard to pass up.

LAM: Marco Reus (Germany)

This one is injury-related, as Reus appeared unable to fully prove his fitness ahead of the cut, but it must be a real blow to the German attacking midfielder. This is now the second major tournament he has been declared unfit for, the other being the 2014 World Cup which Germany won. Even though this choice was forced on Joachim Low, he has a place in our team, as a player of Reus’ quality improves any team he is on.

ST: Karim Benzema (France)

He may claim racism influenced Didier Deschamps decision to not take him, but we know what this really comes down to. Benzema definitely has an attitude problem and there was always going to be repercussions for the Valbuena blackmail scandal that he was alleged to be involved in. The important thing for France is that they have enough talent in the squad that they don’t have to rely on a player with that level of a scandal hanging over their heads. That’s great for France, not so great for a world class player like Karim Benzema.