Players who leveled up thanks to Euro 2021

Euro 2021 gave us great moments. We are not only talking about a competition that allows us to see soccer of the highest level but also allowed great players to recover who, for one reason or another, had not had great seasons in their respective clubs.

Despite the performances they had in the past seasons, their national teams relied on their talent. Well, all of them have woken up and we could see that they maintain the performance when they return to their teams. Let's meet the most outstanding "recovered" soccer players.

Granit Xhaka

Switzerland has been one of the great surprises of this competition. In the round of 16, he made the big blow at the National Arena in Bucharest and eliminated France, one of the great candidates for the title. In that 3 to 3, which finally ended in penalties in favor of the Swiss, we saw that Xhaka regained his level.

Although they were eliminated with Spain in the quarterfinals, also on penalties, the Arsenal midfielder established himself as one of the most important figures. In the Premier League, we could see a player who had never become an undisputed player since he only had 19 assists and 0 goals since 2016 when he came from Borussia Möchengladbach.

Also read: France at the Euro: The Latest in a Long List of Disappointments

At 28, the left-hander seems to get his career back on track and become the player for whom Londoners paid 46 million euros. Although so far he has not measured up, his performance in this Cup gives hope to those led by Miguel Arteta.

Andriy Yarmolenko

Ukraine had a great competition. In the round of 16, those led by former soccer star Andriy Schevchenko had beaten Sweden, but then fell 4-0 in the quarterfinals against England. However, in all instances, there was one outstanding player: Yarmolenko.

In his first steps, this professional had dazzled in Dynamo Kiev. After moving to Borussia Dortmund, where he did not finish establishing his level, he reached West Ham of the Premier League. However, he had few appearances as a starter. At 31 years old, this Cup could give him more chances in his team.

Patrick Schick

Perhaps one of the most outstanding of the first parties of this contest. It may not be the best known on this list, but it has shown a level on the same level as the best in Europe. After beating the Netherlands in the round of 16, their country was defeated in the quarter-finals against Denmark.

In any case, Schick's games did not go unnoticed. With four goals in the cup (a spectacular one against Scotland from a long distance), the 25-year-old Bayer Leverkusen striker could settle into the Bundesliga and even move to an elite team. With 13 goals in the previous season, he was not one of the fundamental pieces of his club, but everything could change as a result of his wonderful Cup.

Martin Braithwaite

The Danish forward surprised the world with his arrival at FC Barcelona. With his 30 years, he arrived at the culé team in February 2020, with a clear objective: to be a substitute. Coming from CD Leganés, since his signing for this team he has played 40 games and only scored 3 goals, a very low figure for a striker.

Although he will maintain a secondary role, everything seemed to indicate that he would leave the team as of next season. However, this professional became one of the key players in Denmark, which became one of the revelations of the contest. Probably, he can continue with the Blaugranas and have more games from the bench.

Pablo Sarabia

Few believed that Spain would come out on top in the Eurocup. With a young squad and betting on a generational change – without the great figures that allowed him to obtain the remembered 2010 World Cup in South Africa – there was one name that stood out more than the others: Pablo Sarabia.

From the first moment, it was a surprise for Luis Enrique in the call, because he did not settle in the PSG of Mauricio Pochettino. However, the 29-year-old left-hander became one of the leaders of the Spanish offensive zone, so it should come as no surprise that he takes more minutes in the French team.