MUMBAI: The 2023/24 LALIGA EA SPORTS season is over and numerous players who ply their trade on Spanish soil are now gearing up for the upcoming 2024 European Championship, which is set to take place in Germany from June 14th to July 14th. This highly anticipated tournament will kick off on Friday with the opener between hosts Germany and Scotland, a game that will feature Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos, who has returned to international action three years after announcing his retirement from the national team in the wake of Germany’s exit in Euro 2020.

Kroos is just one of the many LALIGA EA SPORTS players expected to steal the limelight at Euro 2024. Here comes a look at five other players worth watching when the competition gets up and running.

Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona & Spain): The prodigy who could light up his first tournament

Having recorded as many as 50 appearances across all competitions in 2023/24, Lamine Yamal had a breakout year and smashed several records on his way to becoming an undisputed starter at FC Barcelona, such as becoming the youngest-ever goalscorer in LALIGA EA SPORTS history.

Moreover, he has also made history with Spain by becoming the youngest debutant and goalscorer in La Roja’s history, playing and scoring in a game against Georgia when he was just 16 years and 57 days old.

Expected to start in Luis de la Fuente’s line-up, Lamine Yamal is preparing for his first international tournament and will hope to help Spain emerge through a challenging Group B, which also features reigning champions Italy, Croatia – captained by Real Madrid veteran Luka Modrić – and Albania.

Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid & England): The Player of the Season hopes for a triumphant summer

After taking LALIGA EA SPORTS by storm and leading Real Madrid to the 2023/24 title, Jude Bellingham will now look to inspire the Three Lions to their first-ever European Championship trophy. The midfielder joined Los Blancos from Borussia Dortmund last summer and, in his first season with the Spanish team, he celebrated both the domestic league and Champions League titles, having recorded 23 goals and 13 assists across all competitions.

England is one of the favorites to win this tournament, given that they reached the final last time when they lost to Italy on penalties at Wembley. Bellingham didn’t play in that final, so his presence could be the X-factor this time around.

Gareth Southgate’s team is in a Group C that also features Slovenia, Serbia, and Denmark, and they’ll be hoping to go far in the tournament, aware that Bellingham is in great form and travels to Germany as a Spanish and European champion.

Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia CF & Georgia): The hero of the European Championship debutants

Giorgi Mamardashvili not only had an excellent season with Valencia CF, but he also kept two clean sheets in the playoff games against Luxembourg and Greece to help Georgia clinch their first-ever European Championship participation. After defeating the former 2-0, Georgia drew 0-0 against the Greek national team, with the game going to a penalty shootout. There, it was time for Mamardashvili to shine again, with the Valencia CF shot-stopper denying Greece captain Anastasios Bakasetas to send fans at the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi into a frenzy.

Georgia’s task to qualify for the Euro 2024 knockout stage will be anything but easy, as they will have to face Turkey, Portugal and Czechia, but Mamardashvili – who finished sixth in the rankings for the Zamora Trophy in LALIGA EA SPORTS in 2023/24 – will be tough to beat for all opponents he comes up against.

Artem Dovbyk (Girona FC & Ukraine): The Pichichi wants more goals

Having netted 24 goals in 36 LALIGA EA SPORTS appearances, Artem Dovbyk became the first Girona FC and first Ukrainian player to ever win the Pichichi prize, awarded to the top goalscorer each LALIGA EA SPORTS season. The Girona FC striker became the first player who doesn’t play for either Real Madrid or FC Barcelona to win the accolade since 2008/09 when Atlético de Madrid striker Diego Forlán earned the award.

He was instrumental to Girona FC’s incredible season, in which the underdogs finished third and secured a maiden ticket for the Champions League. Now, Dovbyk will look to punish opposition defenses in Euro 2024 and he’ll aim to spearhead another Cinderella story, starting with his team’s Group E matches against Romania, Slovakia, and Belgium.

Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid & France): A look at Real Madrid’s new star

Real Madrid fans will have the opportunity to watch their new signing in action this summer, as Kylian Mbappé will captain France at Euro 2024. The striker is set to join Real Madrid after the tournament, with Los Blancos officially announcing his arrival just a few days after winning their 15th Champions League trophy.

After leading France to FIFA World Cup glory in 2018, Mbappé netted a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina, who won the trophy on penalties. He hasn’t yet won the European Championship but hopes to inspire Les Blues to what would be the third success in this competition in their history. But, to do so, France will first need to get through a tough Group D featuring Poland, Austria, and the Netherlands.

Mbappé will be keen to put on a show, aware that even more attention is on him than ever before, and he’ll be accompanied by several other LALIGA EA SPORTS stars, such as Barça defender Jules Koundé, Atleti forward Antoine Griezmann and Real Madrid players Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni.

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INDIA: Deportivo Alavés are back in Spain’s top tier for their 18th season in the highest division in the country, and their seventh at that level in the past eight years. After six consecutive seasons in LaLiga Santander between 2016 and 2022, the Basque side achieved an immediate return after dropping down to LaLiga SmartBank for 2022/23. They did so in dramatic fashion, with Asier Villalibre converting a 129th-minute penalty that will forever be remembered by fans of Los Blanquiazules.

This is a club that has been behind many historic moments over the years and here are five things you might not know about the team from Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of the Basque Country.

Mendizorrotza is the third-oldest stadium in Spain

Inaugurated back on April 27th, 1924, after a bike race and a track meet, Mendizorrotza is the third-oldest stadium in Spain when taking into account the facilities of professional teams. Its name derives from the Basque word which means ‘mountain peak’ or ‘sharp mount.’ Currently boasting a capacity of 20,000 spectators, the historic stadium was constructed on a former wheat field adjacent to a cycling track that no longer exists and it has experienced glorious nights, including Deportivo Alavés’ home games during their incredible run all the way to the 2000/01 UEFA Cup final.

The first name was Sports Friends Club

The strong connections between the Basque Country and England quickly led to the establishment of football in the region during the early 20th century. In a city where cycling had long been the dominant sport, a group of university students came together to found the Sports Friends Club in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, back in 1920. One year later, they changed the name to Deportivo Alavés, with the club considering January 23rd, 1921 as their official foundation date. In a region where Basque giants Athletic Club and Real Sociedad have historically dominated, Deportivo Alavés add a significant dose of commitment and modesty to the local football landscape. According to the club, their mission is to ensure that fans see themselves reflected in the behavior, sacrifice, dedication, and commitment of the players who don the team’s shirt.

The first club to be promoted to the top tier was Deportivo Alavés

Los Blanquiazules managed a historic feat in 1929/30 when they became the first team to secure promotion to the first division, one year after the league was officially founded. After winning the regional title in Vizcaya and becoming champions of the second tier that season, Deportivo Alavés enjoyed three consecutive campaigns in the top flight. This period marked the first glorious phase for the Basque club. However, their greatest success came in 2001 when they reached the UEFA Cup final and finished as runners-up after losing 5-4 in a thrilling encounter against Liverpool.

The nickname of the Bean-eaters

Deportivo Alavés are known by a few nicknames, such as Los Blanquiazules (The White and Blues, in English) or El Glorioso (The Glorious One, in English), while their fans and players of the team are commonly known as Los Babazorros. This term originates from the Basque language and means Bean-eaters, which is a nod to the abundance of beans that were once prevalent in the region. The nickname Los Babazorros is considered by fans a source of pride and identification, with the club’s mascot even being a fox called Zorro Babazorro.

Jorge Valdano’s first European team

Football legend Jorge Valdano, who won the 1986 World Cup, moved from Newell’s Old Boys to Deportivo Alavés in 1975 at the age of 19. Featuring in Spanish football’s second tier, Valdano participated in more than 100 league games for Deportivo Alavés before joining Real Zaragoza in 1979. Five years later he signed for Real Madrid, where he became a club legend, winning two LaLiga titles. However, Deportivo Alavés remains a club that holds a special place in his heart, as he stressed in the club’s documentary ‘2000 Pasos: La historia del centenario del Deportivo Alavés’ (‘2000 Steps: The Story of the Centenary of Deportivo Alavés’, in English), where he noted that joining the Basque club was “the most important and wisest decision I ever made in my life”. The enduring memories of countless Mendizorroza regulars remain filled with the electrifying runs and remarkable technical prowess displayed by one of the best strikers of his era.

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