There have been a number of fathers and sons performing in EURO history, but it is rare to see both thriving in the tournaments.
The UEFA EURO Championships, simply known as the EURO, are set to be contested this summer from 14 June to 14 July. As one of the major international tournaments, it has been dubbed the ‘mini FIFA World Cup’ due to the large number of UEFA contestants who compete on the global stage.
Throughout EURO history, a number of father-and-son footballers had a chance to play for their nations and help them reach the furthest stage they could go. In the upcoming EURO, a few names whose fathers made appearances in past editions could be included in the final squad for Germany in 2024.
The likes of Federico Chiesa, Marcus Thuram, Kasper Schmeichel, and Ianis Hagi have been included regularly for international games, whereas Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert is rather doubtful to receive his next call-up unless his form in the Premier League this season catches Ronald Koeman’s attention. He has not played for the Netherlands since 2018.
The father-and-son players on the list below would not include those who had contrastive success compared to the other party. Therefore, Federico Chiesa is not one of them. The former was able to lift the trophy while his father, Enrico, failed to help Gli Azzurri go through to the knockout stage.
Here are those distinguished fathers and sons who managed to steal the spotlight in EURO history.
Miroslav and Michal Kadlec (Czechia)
Miroslav Kadlec was the Czech Republic captain when they unexpectedly reached the final of EURO 1996. The former Kaiserslautern man took part five games throughout the competition, mainly as a sweeper or a centre back. He was also a mainstay in Czechoslovakia during their campaign for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Kadlec appeared in all five games and contributed one assist as they progressed to the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, his son, Michal, was a member of the Czech Republic squad in three EURO editions: 2008, 2012, and 2016. The former Bayer Leverkusen and Fenerbahçe man helped his country advance to the quarterfinals in Poland-Ukraine 2012, where he was part of the main line-up. In the previous edition, he only made one appearance in the last match from the bench, while in France 2016, he was merely a benchwarmer.
Anthimos and Michalis Kapsis (Greece)
Anthimos Kapsis was the former centre back in the 1970s who helped Greece make their major tournament debut in EURO 1980. He was even named captain in the opener against Netherlands. Sadly, they were beaten 1-0.
The former Panathinaikos man was only benched when Greece held the eventual champions, West Germany, in a goalless draw. Despite their failure in the competition, it marked an important milestone in Greek football history.
His son, Michalis, achieved the impossible victory with Greece when they shockingly won EURO 2004. The former Bordeaux and Olympiakos man was the key figure of Otto Rehhagel’s side and played in each and every game in the tournament. It was his only appearance in a major international competition.
Antonio and Miguel Veloso (Portugal)
Antonio Veloso was a former Benfica player in the 1980s who was part of the squad when Portugal went through the semifinals of EURO 1984. However, he only made one appearance throughout the competition as a substitute in the opener versus West Germany. The game ended in a stalemate.
His son, Miguel, had better luck. He represented his country in two EURO and two FIFA World Cup editions. The former Sporting Lisbon, Genoa, and Dynamo Kyiv man played only once in Switzerland-Austria in 2008, but then became the key figure in the next edition when Portugal reached the final four in 2012.
Unfortunately, they lost on penalties to the eventual and reigning champions, Spain. The 37-year-old versatile defensive midfielder is currently playing for the Serie B team, Pisa.
Peter and Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark)
No father-and-son pair in EURO history is as successful as Peter and Kasper Schmeichel. Both have been considered the best Scandinavian goalkeepers so far.
Peter was an integral part of Denmark’s fairy tale success while lifting the trophy in EURO 1992, their first and only major title. The former Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon man was even named the best goalie in the tournament. He also helped Denmark advance to the quarterfinals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup before winning a treble with Manchester United a year later.
Meanwhile, his son, Kasper, has been Denmark’s number one man between the sticks. The former Leicester City and Manchester City man thrived in EURO 2020 as he helped his country reach the semifinals before a narrow loss to England. It was their best performance since 1992. Kasper also played in two FIFA World Cup editions, in 2018 and 2022. He is currently playing for Belgian side Anderlecht.