
EDICOLA NEWS: LE RECENSIONI nr. 196
album: EURO 1964 (Qubotondo)
stickers: 180 (not numbered)
album + complete set 45,00€
Contemporary release of Qubotondo, together with the album dedicated to the Euro 1960 album, previously reviewed. After the Great Soviet Union of Lev Yashin, here the Spain of Luisito Suarez wins.
We confirm the excellent choice of separating them, unlike what was done with 1968 and 1972 presented in a single album. Certainly the setting is similar, almost the same, but we like that each edition of the European has its own album. Indeed, we launch a provocation to Qubotondo, once the printed copies of the 68/72 album have run out, it would not be bad in the future to propose them each on his own.

Unlike in 1960, almost all the great national teams take part in the tournament, with direct elimination, home and away matches, with the final phase (the two semifinals and the final) played in Spain. Here too Qubotondo rightly gives ample space to the four finalists, let’s say that it suits him, because after a 5-5 overall and subsequent play-off lost with Denmark, the little Luxembourg was one step away from flying to Barcelona, to play for access to the final against the Soviet Union. Perhaps they would have had some difficulty in finding the images of all the GranDucato players.

The album introduces the final phase with splendid black and white stickers, with highlights from the matches played in Spain, plus ample space for the four finalists: Soviet Union, Spain, Hungary and Denmark. Each with 25 stickers, 4 puzzle stickers for training, coach and 20 players.
As also for Euro 1960, the players’ stickers are with a close-up inside a round, a necessary and captivating graphic choice, necessary because it was perhaps impractical to have the correct photos for all the players, in this way the space below with national team logo uniforms the presentation of the various teams. Notes with the scores of the four final matches and details on the individual players.

The nice setting of the album is to allow space based on the result achieved, without looking too hard at the high-sounding name of the national team. It is therefore right that those who have reached the quarter-finals have more stickers: Eire, Sweden, France and precisely Luxembourg; each with 6 stickers, team and five players.
For the teams stopped in the second round, mention of presence with three stickers, team and two of the most representative players including Gianni Rivera: Eire, Italy, East Germany, Albania, Austria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Holland.

The album closes with 4 black and white stickers with some highlights during the qualifiers.
An important detail, the product was created for the international market, rightly so, hence the choice to present all the texts in English.
For further information visit http://www.qubotondo.it/
(EN)