Tonight Italy played against their friends and rivals Spain.

There has always been some kind of bond between Spain and Italy. At the same time, it created some rivalry between the two. I guess you can compare it with a Netherlands – Belgium match, or Everton – Liverpool.

Every club football fan is looking forward to the match of the season: The game against their local rivals. Winning this match is almost as important as winning the league. How many underperforming coaches have been fired after losing against their rivals? Or have delayed their dismissal by winning the clash?

We all know the famous derbies:

Manchester United vs Liverpool
Celtic – Rangers
Barcelona – Real Madrid
Boca Juniors – River Plate
Borussia Dortmund – Schalke 04

But do you probably know a few smaller ones too?

Millwall – West Ham United (England)
Vitesse – NEC (Netherlands)
Red Star Belgrade – Partizan (Serbia)
Union Berlin – Hansa Rostock (Germany)
Hibernian – Hearts (Scotland)

They are often more intense than the big ones. You can’t watch these games on tv.
Only when present, do you experience the tension, the atmosphere, the noise. You’ve got to be there yourself.

In Eleven we touch the subject too. It can be one of the objectives the club wants you to fulfill. They are happy if you win the match. But of course, it’s even better to defeat them by a big margin. It will earn you even more victory points.

Sometimes the board sees an opportunity to work together with your rivals. It will earn you money or will develop the team. But do you think the fans will like it? What would you decide?

Thomas Jansen is the designer of Eleven: the football manager game. Ignacy Trzewiczek is the developer of the game. They both will share their thoughts about EuroCup 2021 and also talk about the design or development of Eleven. Be with them every day during Euro! If you like football and board games, please, share the news about Eleven!

You can learn more about Eleven HERE!

England always faces 2 opponents: The team they’re playing against, and the high expectations of the fans.

Why is it that everyone in England always expects their team to become champions? Is it realistic? It’s understandable. The country has enough people to grow talent, there aren’t many countries where football is more popular, it has the biggest league in the world, and the country is seen by many people as the home of football.

And yet, England only won one big prize (World cup, 1966). Most English wasn’t even born then.

About ten years ago, I read a book which was called 'Expensive strikers don’t score’. The writers tried to find the answer. They came up with some arguments which could be true. Or not:

Because of the high level of the Premier League, it is really hard for English players to get in. A lot of foreign players took their positions in the big teams and only a relatively small number of players have the chance to prove themselves.

More than in any other country, football is a working-class sport. Rugby is for the upper class. There is not a real mix of classes, which could have an impact on the sport. They even suggested that average English players could be less intelligent than the ones in other countries.

Why do you think England seems to underachieve?

In Eleven, expectations of the fans are high as well. If you lose a lot, you will lose popularity, and eventually, it results in empty chairs in the stadium. You also need to deal with accidental dilemmas in which you have the opportunity to please the fans. But as in real life, nothing is free.

Thomas Jansen is the designer of Eleven: the football manager game. Ignacy Trzewiczek is the developer of the game. They both will share their thoughts about EuroCup 2021 and also talk about the design or development of Eleven. Be with them every day during Euro! If you like football and board games, please, share the news about Eleven!

You can learn more about Eleven HERE!

First Martians is the best game ever designed. That was my only thought and approach every single day when I was working on it. It has 6 unique, extremely different, and thematic scenarios based on real NASA projects and simulations. Additionally, it has 5 mission-long story-driven campaigns with twists that no one did in board gaming yet. On top of that, it has another 5 mission-long story-driven campaign with an incredible story, twists, and voice-over and narration done by Hollywood actor Rich Sommer. It’s three years of my life, day and night, weekdays and weekends. It’s the best game ever designed.

Only that, it is not. BGG website rates it with an embarrassing score of 6.5. First Martian became my most famous and spectacular failure. It also was the best thing that happened in my professional career.

How’s that?

Pride (Latin: superbia) is considered the most serious of the seven deadly sins. Known also as hubris (from ancient Greek ὕβρις), or futility.

It is believing that one is essentially and necessarily better, superior, or more important than others. It’s refusing to acknowledge one’s own limits, faults, or wrongs.

It is believing that you can design the best game ever designed. It is creating 6 unique scenarios and 5 more, and 5 more, and with each of them showing off your design muscles, changing rules, adding twists, hoping to blow the mind of players every time they play the game. First Martians is a pride in the cleanest form.

I failed. I failed and I learned my lesson. Humble is the word that lives with me since 2017 and is my most trusted companion. I believe I became a better designer, and I hope I became a better human being after the First Martians case.

I mention this today because I wonder if French players will become better after the game against Switzerland. I couldn’t help – watching the match – but think about the pride. About this terrible force that makes you so self-confident, so assured that it no longer is your strength. It becomes your biggest weakness.

This Euro had great moments of underdog teams stood up against bigger teams. Moments of humble effort and hard work on the pitch. Moments of team spirit and team play winning against superstars or at least, holding fast, like Scotland against England.

It’s a great Euro to teach about one of the greatest virtues – humbleness.

Denmark. Czech. Austria. Switzerland. I applaud you.

Thomas Jansen is the designer of Eleven: the football manager game. Ignacy Trzewiczek is the developer of the game. They both will share their thoughts about EuroCup 2021 and also talk about the design or development of Eleven. Be with them every day during Euro! If you like football and board games, please, share the news about Eleven!

You can learn more about Eleven HERE!

Ignacy:
The photo of crying Robert Lewandowski after the final whistle of POL SWE was heartbreaking. His performance against Sweden was outstanding, but you cannot win the game singlehanded. You need a team. You need support, you need quality and effort on the pitch, so you can make a difference.

We saw it so many times.
We saw Cristiano Ronaldo leaving WorldCup in Russia.
We saw Lionel Messi leaving WorldCup in Russia the very same day.

We see the legends, magnificent players pushing their teams forward, one after another through the stages of the tournaments, but at some point this is it. At some point you realize, cannot push any stronger. You won’t win. You can score two goals, but your lousy defenders will lose 3. You reached the limit.

And as much as I will miss Lewandowski and Ronaldo in the tournament, I am happy. I am happy because as for now, the team spirit wins in Euro. Denmark, Italy, Austria, and Czech showed a great performance. Teams without one-man celebrity, the gang of dudes fighting for each other like demons. That’s the football I appreciate. That’s the effort I want to watch.

Thomas:
Last night the Netherlands lost against the Czech Republic. A red card turned everything around. Coach De Boer substituted Malen for Promes. He took off the most dangerous man on the pitch. Why?

It brings back memories.

Along with Portugal, the Czech Republic has been an 'angst gegner’ for the Netherlands this century.

For the Netherlands, Euro 2004 in Portugal started off with a 1-1 draw against Germany. Not bad, but it was important to win the next match against the Czechs.

It all started great. Beautiful football, and within 20 minutes it was 2-0 for the Dutch. Köller got one back, but after that, the score didn’t change for a while. The absolute star on the pitch was Arjen Robben. He was the engine of his team in many ways and he powered up the others.

But then it happened. In the 58′ minute, coach Dick Advocaat decided to take Robben off and put on an extra defender. I was in a room packed with people dressed in orange. All shouting: „No! What is he doing!”

After that, it completely collapsed. The game was lost (2-3).

Songs were written about it, many jokes were made. Although the team still reached the semi-final, which was lost from that other angstgegner, even now, people still talk about that bad substitution.

In Eleven some players can be very important to the team as well. Their presence on the pitch can make others stronger. Some players are experienced and help the younger ones to grow. A good midfield player can make the whole formation stronger. In Eleven it’s not only about the strength rating of one player. Like in real football, there’s more to it, to select the best team.

Thomas Jansen is the designer of Eleven: the football manager game. Ignacy Trzewiczek is the developer of the game. They both will share their thoughts about EuroCup 2021 and also talk about the design or development of Eleven. Be with them every day during Euro! If you like football and board games, please, share the news about Eleven!

You can learn more about Eleven HERE!

Thomas:
For a lot of teams, the Eurocup story ended. The group stage is over and we will tumble into the next round. It must feel a bit like relegation to leave the tournament right after the group stage. Although for some participating in the Eurocup was the prize itself.

I’ve already told you the reason why I started to design a football manager game. In short: I wanted to do something different, a bit more complex, and a solo game. It had to be a football manager. I wanted players to start as nobody. I’ve always hated it when people started their pc manager game with one of the big clubs. What do they think? Why would this club pick you as a manager? So, in my game players had to start at the bottom to prove themselves.

I designed the first scenario. You had to fight against relegation in the lowest pro league. It really worked. When I designed the game, I had the English leagues in mind. They were the real inspiration for the game. And that love for the English leagues came from one old documentary. I bet if I hadn’t seen this, there wouldn’t be any Club Stories and Eleven.

It was called: That final day (2003). Made by Dutch presenter/journalist and football lover: Tom Egbers. It’s still on Youtube. Just type the name and the year and you’ll find it. Although it starts with a short intro in Dutch language, almost everything else is in English. You should really watch it!
It’s about Exeter City and Swansea who played in league 2 at the time, which is the 4th division. They are both at the bottom of the league. One of them will be relegated that day. Of course, the documentary is about the clubs, but it is mainly about the fans. People who work hard during the week, to see their clubs play on the weekends. The documentary makers follow every moment of that final day. And then the final whistle blows.

I know thousands of Dutch people fell in love with English lower league football after watching this.

That’s what I call a butterfly effect.

Thomas Jansen is the designer of Eleven: the football manager game. Ignacy Trzewiczek is the developer of the game. They both will share their thoughts about EuroCup 2021 and also talk about the design or development of Eleven. Be with them every day during Euro! If you like football and board games, please, share the news about Eleven!

You can learn more about Eleven HERE!