Sweden

Despite finishing second in Group E, the Swedes qualified automatically for Euro 2012 as the best of the runners-up. Sweden definitely deserved to escape the play-offs having obtained 24 points, only Germany, Netherlands and Italy gained more. They were also the third highest scorers in qualifying, netting 31 times in 10 games. The bright yellow shirts of Swedish fans provide a colourful backdrop to colourful games. Only twice in the last two years have they drawn a football match, once against Germany, another against co-hosts and fellow Group D occupants, Ukraine. Other results include a 3-2 victory against the Dutch and a 5-0 thrashing of fellow Scandinavians Finland. In November, they lost in a friendly to England thanks to a rare Gareth Barry goal meaning that come summer France will be the only nation in their group who they have not faced within the past year. This knowledge and experience could prove vital for the Swedes. Zlatan Ibrahimovic leads the line and captains the side. There are rumours that the lanky charismatic Swede could be making a summer switch to Manchester City for a menial wage of £300,000 a week after the tournament but don’t expect that to distract him. He was Sweden’s top scorer in qualifying and certainly has the ability to cause huge problems for the opposition defence. Former Bolton striker Johan Elmander could partner him up front. With probably the most experienced midfielder in the tournament Anders Svensson occupying the centre of the park. At the age of 35 he has 126 caps for his national side. He will take the set-pieces and turn his former left-wing attacking role into a more central, slower paced, playmaker. Svensson is the Ryan Giggs of the Swedish team. If that was not enough experience though Kim Kallstrom (90 caps), Christian Wilhelmsson (72 caps) and Olaf Mellberg (112 caps) add a little more. Kallstrom will attempt to add to his 3 goals in qualifying as Mellberg will provide a commanding presence in the heart of the Swedish defence. A Premier League trio of comparably inexperienced players could also start for Erik Hamren’s team. Sunderland’s Seb Larrson, West Brom’s Jonas Olsson and Blackburn Rover’s Martin Olsson all have the potential to be in the starting line-up but Celtic’s defender Mikael Lustig is more certain first team option. PSV’s Andreas Isaksson will play between the sticks in the Ukraine. Another 91 caps of experience is part of his repertoire. The injury prone keeper represented Sweden in Euro 2008 and the World Cup in 2006. He never managed to establish himself at Manchester City but that was partly due to the emergence one of Euro 2012’s opposite number 1s, Joe Hart. Sweden have a capable, extremely experienced team. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the only really world-class player, yet he is capable of winning matches alone. The rest of the team will need to work hard to cause considerable trouble. They won’t top Group D but second is a possibility. However, with the tournament being played in the Ukraine they may finish 4th.

Ukraine

Co-host for this summer’s tournament Ukraine enter their own party as European Champions debutants after two years of uninspiring results. Yet, whether planned or through a surge of added commitment in a bid to represent their nation at home in front of a packed home support, they have won four of the last five matches. The reason it may have been planned is due to their opponents in these games – Bulgaria, Estonia, Austria and Israel. It could be an embarrassing summer for the home nation though. Ukraine played both Group D opponents Sweden and France in friendlies. They drew 1-1 and lost 1-0 to Sweden but got thumped by France 4-1. With England being their other opponents I think they will find it hard to advance out of the group stages. Even worst for the hosts, Ukraine manager Oleh Blokhin has insurmountable issues in the goalkeeping department. The three men named in Blokhin’s provisional squad have a solitary cap between them. To have to play a keeper with literally no international experience is potentially a disaster for the yellow and blues. There is little that can be done about the situation but to stand a chance you would look for some experience in the centre of defence to guide the novice through the tournament. However, Oleksandr Kucher has the most caps of anyone in the defence with 28 and none played for the country in their only other international outing, the World Cup in 2006. However, Kucher’s Shakhtar Donetsk teammate Yaroslav Rakitskiy is a strong defender who has scored 3 goals for the national side in his 14 appearances. The defender has the ability to shoot from out of the box and with his young age could be a part of the Ukrainian set up for a long time yet. Thankfully Blokhin can call upon some seasoned campaigners further up the park. Anatoliy Tymoshchuk is one of only two players in the provisional squad to play his football outside the Ukrainian league and with 114 caps the midfielder is the Ukraine’s most capped player ever. Just a few caps behind is Ukraine’s top goalscorer, and undoubtedly the best player to come out of the country ever, Andriy Shevchenko. At the tender age of 35 he is not overcoming defensives in the same manner that saw him denominate Europe for AC Milan but we can still except to see some magic escape his skilful feet. Whether he can inspire his country to a victory in the opening game against fellow yellow and blues Sweden, is yet to be seen. One to potentially watch in the middle of the park is young midfielder Yevhen Konoplyanka. The nifty Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk winger has scored 5 goals in his 16 appearances and could pose a significant attacking threat. Andriy Yarmolenko is another young player who could grab the headlines this summer for all the right reasons. Shevchenko has apparently recommended the left-footed striker to AC Milan after some impressive performances for Dynamo Kiev. His 7 goals in 18 games for the national side may have helped also. Ukraine have a lot of young, new international start-ups who could be ready to bloom this summer. Tymoshchuk and Shevchenko bring class to Oleh Blokhin’s side and will be looking to guide the young pretenders through the tournament. With the home support and every neutral thoroughly behind the host nation they will attack the European Championship’s with real vigour. Hopefully they will at least allow them to win a game.

Spain

Spain, the perennial underachievers. Not anymore. The European Champions cruised to the title of World Champions in South Africa after a minor hiccup against Switzerland. They continually nullified matches through their constant possession, before scoring the one goal required to beat their opponents. Getting the ball off them seemed difficult, keeping it for long enough to create a goalscoring opportunity felt almost impossible. Yet, despite Spain’s flawless qualifying campaign there is a sense that their air of invincibility is thinning. Nobody likes a certainty. It defies the unpredictability aspect of sport that makes it so special. Everyone is willing to try that little bit harder. To throw an extra tackle in. To sit and think that little bit longer about how to defeat the tournament favourites. So much so that even friendlies take on a more competitive edge. Due to this the losses to Argentina, Portugal, Italy and England, the four highest ranked opponents in the last two years, albeit all in friendly matches, have proved significant. It has given nations hope that La Furia Roja (The Red Fury) can be defeated. The recent semi-final exits from Barcelona and Real Madrid in the Champions League has added to this concept. Yet, you would be daft to believe that Spain has placed even a toe on the slippery slope to obscurity. They are still the team to beat and are nothing but entertaining. In the 19 international matches since the World Cup final in Johannesburg there have been on average 3.6 goals per game and there has never been a 0-0 draw. A string of world-class players could all represent Spain in this summer’s finals. Barring injury Iker Casillas will don the Number 1 shirt and captain the nation. The Real Madrid keeper has represented his country 128 times, the most in Spain’s history. Still only 30 Casillas’ cat-like reflexes have kept 72 international clean sheets and have enabled him to win every major club and national tournament. Influential centre-back Carles Puyol is set to miss the tournament and one of the most potent strikers in world football David Villa is still struggling to recover after breaking his leg in December. Spain have enough quality throughout the pitch, although their all-time record goalscorer may be hard to replace. Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique are almost certainties for a starting defensive role. Ramos is renowned for his attacking presence from right-back whereas Pique’s controlled technique will aid him in starting off the Spanish passing game from the back. The midfield sees Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Busquets, Pedro, Silva, Mata and Xabi Alonso all vying for a spot on the plane to Poland, let alone a shirt that will confirm that they will play. Vincente del Bosque certainly has some huge decisions to make in this department but with David Villa potentially unavailable up front, a five man midfield may incorporate more of these major stars. For me it has to be the same four that started the World Cup final in 2010 with Silva replacing Pedro. Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets are fundamental to how the Spaniards play whereas Xabi Alonso goes from strength to strength. His control, pin-point long passing from his exceptional vision and calm head make him a driving force in the national side and undoubtedly he played a huge role in Real Madrid’s title winner season. With Villa potentially unavailable and Torres not really finding true form at Chelsea yet, the striker position is up for grabs. Fernando Llorente has impressed for Athletic Bilbao and could certainly play as the lone frontman. His height and technical ability make him a quality Peter Crouch. However, it was Roberto Soldado who took his international chance. Replacing Llorente in the game against Venezuela at half-time, the Valencia striker scored a hat-trick and had one goal disallowed. Sevilla’s Alvaro Negredo is another option. It is safe to say that Vincente del Bosque has a lot of decisions to make. Each player in the 23 man squad would arguably be a certain starter in other nations. Their group is not easy though and with Italy as an opener they could get off to a slow start. But then again, they did that against Switzerland in the World Cup and went on to be crowned champions.

Portugal

Portugal are the nearly men of football. Over the last two decades we have seen world-class talent emerge from the most westerly country in Europe. But silverware at a national level has always eluded them. The last three European Championships have seen them reach the quarters, the semis and the final but they will get no sympathy from a English writer who has witnessed them beat England at Euro 2000, Euro 2004 and the World Cup in 2006. Bias aside, Portugal have a strong team but one that it is capable of becoming the England of football, always insisting they will win but never actually doing so. The draw has not been kind to them in the last two tournaments. In South Africa they got drawn along with Brazil, Ivory Coast and North Korea. In Ukraine they face Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. Denmark topped the qualifying group that Portugal were in, meaning the Portuguese needed to win in the play-offs against Bosnia and Herzegovina to make it to the Euros. After a tight 0-0 away, a 6-2 thrashing at home booked their place in the finals. Cristiano Ronaldo was once again the main men, scoring 7 goals in 8 games for his country. The Real Madrid striker took 41 shots on goal in his 8 games during qualifying, more than anyone else throughout the phase. On average he had an attempt on goal every 17 ½ minutes. Some would say he is greedy. The fact that he only made three assists during qualifying doesn’t help. But strikers are meant to be selfish and manager Paulo Bento knows, like Europe, exactly what to expect from this match winning footballer. Ronaldo has kept up with Messi this season helping Real overcome the Catalan masters to win La Liga, both exceptional feats. Fellow Real player Pepe will be the heart of the Portuguese defence. In midfield will be two contrasting Premier League players. Manchester United’s Nani and Chelsea’s Raul Meireles sum up Portugal perfectly. Both are gifted players, yet both have failed to hold down a regular starting place this season, Nani especially has been below par. Yet, Nani has the tricks to create chances, whereas Meireles has everything a modern midfielder needs to be an instrumental performer on the park. Helder Postiga and Joao Moutinho will also be relied upon to provide creative flair in this already attacking side. Postiga scored 5 goals in qualifying and will help to lead the line as Ronaldo goes walkabout. Moutinho will try and use his attacking instincts to provide chances for the two forwards. Sporting’s Rui Patricio will probably be the man named in goal with Benefica’s Eduardo being the understudy. This will be the first major tournament for Patricio who is only 24. This inexperience may prove a costly downfall against quality attacking forces which Denmark, Netherlands and Germany all possess in abundance. Portugal definitely have a creative team, with lots of talented individuals. However, for them to even progress out of Group B they are going to need some exceptional performances. Denmark is the easiest game of the group and yet the Danes beat Portugal in the qualifying stages. The 4-4 draw at home to Cyprus and the 1-0 loss away to Norway cost them dearly in qualifying, yet both games commenced in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo. Without him, Portugal are mediocre. With him, they always have a chance.

Poland

Along with the Ukraine, Poland are the co-hosts of the 2012 European Championships. Therefore, no qualification was required for the Poles, something of a fortuitous event when you consider that they are lowest ranked FIFA side in the competition. Poland currently find themselves down in 65th position, a whooping 39 places below the nearest qualifying nation. Admittedly though, they are one place up on China, but two behind Sierra Leone. However, hosting major football tournaments is an effective way of assuring ones place in the limelight of a summer’s sporting event and the hosts are always inspired to greater things with the countries support behind them. Which is also lucky for Poland as in their only appearance at the Euros in 2008 they lost two games and drew 1-1 with failing co-hosts Austria. Safe to say, we do not expect anything too special from Poland in this year’s tournament, but stranger things have happened in the European Championships with both Denmark and Greece shocking Europe with victorious campaigns. Franciszek Smuda is the man in charge of the Polish national team. He has spent the majority of his time playing and coaching in Poland with a brief stint as a player in America representing the likes of the Los Angeles Aztecs and San Jose Earthquakes. He has been in charge since 2009 and has seen differing results in the years building up to the Euros. Whilst others have been busy qualifying Poland played a total of 22 friendlies against an array of teams. In 22 matches The White Eagles have won 8, drawn 9 and lost 5. This includes draws to Ukraine, Greece, Germany and Portugal, but losses to France and Italy. They have not beaten another team who has qualified but a 1-0 victory against Argentina shows some promise. Probably the most recognisable Polish player to British fans is Wojciech Szczesny. The Arsenal shot stopper has been in fine form for the London club, keeping 18 clean sheets this season. Still only 22 the Poles will need him to be at his best to give the nation a chance of progressing in the tournament. As well as Szczesny the Borussia Dortmund contingent will also play a vital part. Having helped their domestic club claim the Bundesliga title this season right-back Lukasz Piszczek, midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowshi and striker Lukasz Piszczek clearly provide the backbone to the Polish national side. Blaszczykowski captains the side whilst Lewandowski is the topscoring player from the current squad with 13. If these four players perform strongly then Poland have a chance of finishing in the top two in what appears to be the easiest of this summer’s groups, Group A. Russia, Greece and the Czech Republic will all prove difficult barriers but with every neutral in Europe behind them Poland could scrape through. A quarter final match against Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark or Portugal will be a spectacle but ultimately the end to their campaign. Poland will no doubt enjoy their time in the limelight. However their lack of true quality throughout the squad mean that it is extremely unlikely that they won’t do anything but emulate the last two hosts of the European Championships and exit at the first hurdle.

Russia

The 2018 World Cup hosts qualified at the top of Group B in a bid to go two places better than their attempt in Euro 2008, when they finished 3rd. This will be ex-Rangers manager Dick Advocaat’s last tournament in charge of the Russian international side after deciding not to extend his contract. Advocaat’s side stumbled through qualifying with the 3-2 away win against the Republic of Ireland back in 2010 being the real decider. The rest of the campaign only had one other notable positive score, a 6-0 thrashing of Andorra. The 1-0 loss at home to Slovakia and 0-0 draw away at Armenia do not suggest excitement. In 18 games in the last two years, they have only scored more than once five times. On the other hand, Russia has only conceded nine goals in the same period, and has not let in a goal in a competitive match in just under a year. Safe to say, this is why Group A in this year’s Euros continues to be worryingly boring. Russia drew 1-1 with fellow Group A occupants Greece in a friendly in November after opening up the game with a 2nd minute goal. The ties against the Czech Republic and Poland also fail to inspire a goal fest outlook. However, this is a good opportunity for Russia to advance to the knock-out stage and sometimes when you expect little you get back more. They certainly possess enough talent to win Group A with the likes of Arshavin, Anyukov and Zhirkov all gaining a starting shirt. Anyukov and Zhirkov play pivotal roles in the Russian side. Both are attacking wing-backs, looking to break forward at all opportunities. Anyukov was Russia’s leading player on assists in the qualifying stage with 3. In midfield is 21 year old Alan Dzagoev. Dzagoev plays for CSKA Moscow and has contributed to the national set up since 2010. He scored 4 goals in qualifying, joint top on the Russian list, including the only goal in a 1-0 victory against Slovakia that all but clinched Russia’s place in Euro 2012. The lack of goals Russia has scored is a little surprising given some of the players that Advocaat can select this summer. However, it may be due slightly to the lack of form of Arshavin. He never quite settled at Arsenal, returning on loan to Zenit Saint Petersburg in February. His return of 17 goals from 68 caps is not brilliant for a man that is employed as a forward for Russia and with others knocking on the door, Advocaat’s persistence in playing the little magician may eventually change. Fellow Zenit forward Alexander Kerzhakov may be the prominent striker for Russia. He scored his 100th goal for Zenit in the Russian league at the weekend in 216 appearances for the club. Otherwise, Roman Pavlyuchenko or Pavel Pogrebnyak will be attempting to put the ball in the back of the opponent’s net. At the opposite end of the field, in charge of protecting Russia’s net is Igor Akinfeev. After being out for 6 months with a cruciate ligament injury in his left knee the CSKA Moscow keeper will look to regain his place in time for Russia’s opening game against the Czech Republic on the 8th of June. Akinfeev kept two clean sheets at Euro 2008, one of which was against Greece and his experience and presence will be vital to their efforts. Russia has talent. They also have resistance which will bode well for the group stages. However, whether the two can be combined to threaten stronger nations is another matter. Expect to see them in the quarters but to look no further than that.

Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland qualified for the European Championships for only the second time in their history. Their only previous appearance came in the 1988 Championship held in West Germany. With only 8 participants Ireland were drawn in a group with the Netherlands, the Soviet Union and England. After beating England 1-0 in the opening game and gaining a point against the Soviet Union in the second they needed a draw against the Netherlands to progress. However, an 82 minute strike from Willem Kieft sent the Dutch through instead. The Dutch went on to lift there first, and only, international championship. This was the start of Ireland’s most successful period of football (1988-1994). However, recently under the guidance of Giovanni Trapattoni there has been a resurgence of optimism in a team brimming with talent. They failed to make it to South Africa in 2010 because of a Henry handball but the play-offs this time saw no heartbreak as they demolished Estonia 4-0 in Tallinn. The Irish come into the tournament on a string of positive results with their last lost coming in March 2011 in a friendly against Uruguay. In the last two years of competitive games they suffered defeat only once, a 3-2 defeat by Group B eventually winners Russia. Trapattoni relies on the energy and commitment of his players. Every game is highly competitive, which explains why the Irish topped the charts out of the qualifying teams on fouls committed during the qualifying period. In 12 matches they committed 176 fouls and suffered 160. That is a foul in the match just over every 3 minutes. The Republic of Ireland’s main man is their all-time record goalscorer, the never static, Robbie Keane. Still only 31, Keane has played for 10 clubs, scoring goals for all. In 115 caps for Ireland he has netted 53 goals, none more memorable than his goals against Germany and Spain in the World Cup in 2002. Another of Ireland’s key attributes is goalkeeper Shay Given. The Villa keeper has 121 caps for Ireland, the most of any Irish player. His command of the box is still strong, as is his ability to prevent shots from making the net bulge. In front of Given would have sat John O’Shea and Richard Dunne. The steadfast pair have been rocks in the heart of Premier League defences for many a season now. With their uncompromising and basic style they have been highly consistent performers and often underrated. However, an injury to O’Shea has made him a doubt for the tournament. Trapattoni has a collection of established stars to select in the middle of the park. Glenn Whelan (Stoke) and Keith Andrews (West Brom) appear to be the favoured pair with Darren Gibson (Everton) and Keith Fahey (Birmingham) pushing for a spot. Out on the wings the creative pair of Damien Duff and Aiden McGeady prowl. One other midfielder has recently forced his way into the Irish squad and will be unlucky not to get a starting shirt. James McClean has been one of the standout players of the Premier League this season. His performances for Sunderland have gained plaudits galore for his strength, power, pace and scoring ability. Out on the left wing he is a rougher Gareth Bale. The Irish certainly have a tough task ahead of them. Spain, Italy and Croatia await the “Boys in Green” in Group C. Their opening game in Poland against Croatia needs to be a victory. A draw against Spain would be a good result. The final game against Italy could decide who progresses to the quarter finals along with the World Champions. So, Trapattoni’s men will need to battle hard to go further than the group stages this summer. However, they evidently have that in abundance. Add to their fighting spirit a goalscorer in Robbie Keane and the Republic of Ireland become a tricky opponent. The prospect of an England v Ireland quarter final is somewhat mouth watering.

Netherlands

The World Cup runners-up head to the Euros after a convincing campaign, during which the Dutch climbed to the top of the FIFA World rankings. After winning nine consecutive qualifying matches, assuring their ticket to Ukraine, they have had time to experiment meaning they are now only ranked a mere 4th. A loss to Sweden in their final qualifying match and a 3-0 beating by Germany in a recent friendly are their only two disappointments since their 1-0 defeat by Spain in Johannesburg. The Dutch were the top scorers in qualifying with an astonishing 37 goals in 10 games. Admittedly their record 11-0 win against the might of San Marino helped, but the Dutch still managed to beat second place Sweden 4-1 and third place finishers Hungary 5-3 and 4-0. They also had the best goals/shot ratio in the qualifiers with 37 goals from 144 shots (83 of which were on target). Their ratio of 2.243 of shots that were on target being converted to goals was only bettered by, surprisingly, England at 2.235. Naturally therefore we can expect some exciting football from the Orange Army this summer. They have a wealth of creative players who ply their trade across Europe’s best leagues and who, historically, do well at the Euros. It is only fitting therefore that we start by looking at the strike force of the Netherlands. Robin van Persie. Need I say more? He has been a goalscoring machine this season, notching an incredible 35 goals for Arsenal. Add 14 assists to that tally and it means out of the 90 goals the Gunners have scored this season Van Persie has played a fundamental role in 49 of them. In fairness to Van Persie, his finishing has never been questioned, only injuries have prevented him from reaching these heights before. And it was injuries that meant he only represented the Netherlands six times during qualifying. He still scored six goals mind. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was the overall top scorer in qualifying with 12 goals. The Schalke striker has scored 31 goals in 50 games for the Netherlands and yet, astonishingly, still may end up on the bench. The current head coach of the Netherlands Bert van Marwijk will probably play a 4-2-3-1 formation. The one spot up front means that Huntelaar may only be used as a substitute behind Van Persie. In qualifying injuries to frail members of the squad helped Huntelaar keep his place but if everyone has a clean bill of health it may be a bench warming summer for the Dutchman. But when you see who the other attacking three players are, you understand why. Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt are the Dutch creative dynamos. Robben’s trickery, Sneijder’s vision and Kuyt’s energy combine to form an artwork in goals. Robben has helped Bayern to the Champions League final whereas, admittedly, Sneijder has not had his best season for Inter Milan. However both are potentially two of the greatest Dutch midfielders ever. Fans of the Premier League may be slightly surprised to see Kuyt’s automatic inclusion but when you consider that he was the joint 7th top scorer in qualifying and also joint 3rd on assists it is clear that he plays an important role in Bert van Marwijk’s starting eleven. To combat the creative talent on show two men are charged with disrupting opposition play, enter the fray the much loved pair of Nigel de Jong and Dutch captain Mark van Bommel. Potentially two of the hardest tacklers in the game parole the middle of the park clattering opponents like we witnessed in the World Cup final. It may please you to know that only the Republic of Ireland can field a player who committed more fouls in qualifying than van Bommel. It may not please you to know that despite this he never received one booking. Dirty they may be, but they are effective. Replacing one of these tenacious players with Huntelaar may leave the Netherlands too exposed at the back. Rafael van der Vaart and PSV youngster Kevin Strootman may also feel slightly aggrieved spending the majority of summer on a bench. At the back Everton’s John Heitinga will play a leading role, alongside Malaga’s Joris Mathijsen and PSV’s Erik Pieters. Ajaz’s Gregory van der Wiel has the task of replacing the legendary Giovanni van Bronckhorst and has been labelled the new Michael Reiziger. Maarten Stekelenburg will no doubt be in goal. The Netherlands have a tough group to contend with. Group B contains Germany, Portugal and Denmark. The Flying Dutchman beat Denmark 2-0 in the previous World Cup but in Germany 2006 they lost to Portugal 1-0 in the last 16 in a fiery encounter that ended with 16 bookings and 4 red cards. The game against the Germans will be no less competitive. However, with the attacking presence that the Dutch possess I think they will too strong for Portugal and Denmark. Once out of the groups anything can happen. But I would not be surprised to see the final match in Kiev to contain a sea of orange.

Italy

Italy has had a turbulent couple of years. Rioting fans, match fixing scandals, a dismal exit from the 2010 World Cup and the emergence of the enigmatic Mario Balotelli have all added to the sarga. Yet, the Azzurri remained undefeated during qualifying and despite their shaky start, topped Group C comfortably. A 0-0 draw at Windsor Park against Northern Ireland was a worrying sign, but when 4 days later Serbian fans instigated a riot inside Genoa’s stadium, Italy were handed three points from their main rivals. After 6 minutes the game was abandoned as Serbian fans threw flares onto the pitch, the match was ruled as forfeited giving Italy a 3-0 win. From then on the Italian’s looked comfortable. They conceded just two goals in the entire qualification period. Yet goals scored were not exactly easy to come by and despite topping the group their last three friendlies have resulted in a 0-0 draw away at Poland, and two 1-0 losses at home to Uruguay and the USA. This lack of stringent testing could hamper Italy in what is a tough draw in Poland. Their opening match is against Spain in Gdansk. The last meeting between these two teams was in August the previous year with Italy winning 2-1 against the World Champions. However, the confidence gained from that result is offset by the other friendly that summer, a 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland, who provide the opposition for the final game in Group C that could potentially decide who progresses to the quarter finals. Omnipresent Italian captain Gianluigi Buffon will be the man between the sticks. 113 caps, Serie A goalkeeper of the year award a record eight times and a World Cup Winners medal all clearly demonstrates the calibre of this distinguished player. Sitting in front of Buffon is fellow Juventus player Giorgio Chiellini. The hard tackling central defender put ex-captain Fabio Cannavaro out of Euro 2008, injuring him in training, which in turn has turned out fortunate for Chiellini. It provided him with the chance to represent Italy in the tournament, performing well which allowed him to cement his place in the national side. Having now reached 50 caps he is one of the more experienced players in the Italian squad. Another of those is Daniele De Rossi. The tenacious midfield player is loved by Italian fans for his high work rate and strong commitment to the game. He has been the driving force in the centre of the park for six years now and is looked upon to break up opposition play. Alongside De Rossi sits Andrea Pirlo and Thiago Motta. Brazilian born Motta comes from Italian descendent and in 2011 played his first game for the Azzurri. In only his second game Motta scored the goal that beat Slovenia in the qualifying stages for Euro 2012. His presence in the Italian midfield could be invaluable, provided he does not get injured. Head coach Cesare Prandelli likes to play with two frontmen with another sitting just behind in a playmaker role. With no natural wingers on the pitch, this could make Italy very narrow. However, with players such as Pirlo, craving paths through the middle of the park should not be an issue. One of the two strikers will be Milan’s controversial forward Antonio Cassano. Cassano’s talent has never been in doubt, he was the Azzurri’s top scorer in qualifying with 6 but his short temper and bad attitude has been his Achilles heel. I dread to think what would happen if things were not going right and his partner upfront was Mario Balotelli. Other options could be former Manchester United player Giuseppe Rossi or Inter Milan forward Giampaolo Pazzini, nicknamed ‘The Madman’. So, Italy may well be in for another bumpy summer. Their group is difficult and without a solid unity it may be hard to perform to the high standard required to progress in the tournament. If the campaign does not start strongly then we could see another internal explosion from some hot-headed players. Despite their talent, this could be another disappointing tournament for the Italians.

Greece

Greece has qualified once more for an international tournament in typical resilient fashion. The 2004 winners have never escaped the group stages of any tournament before or after this achievement and even in Portugal they mustered a mere 7 goals in 6 games. On route to qualifying the Greeks had four games where they scored twice and one match at home to Malta where they notched an unprecedented 3. It took a 92nd minute goal to break the deadlock when the teams met 3 months earlier in Ta’ Qali. It isn’t a surprise therefore that three players topped the national list of goalscorers in the qualifying phase. Giannis Fetfatzidis (midfielder), Kyriakos Papadopoulos (defender) and Vassilis Torossidis (defender) all reached the dizzy heights of 2. Out of all the teams competing in the Euros only Poland and Ukraine qualified with fewer goals. Still, at least we know what we are getting from Fernando Santos’ men. A hard working, disciplined side will compete in Group A, whereupon they will meet Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic. In March and November last year Greece faced Poland and Russia in friendlies, drawing both 0-0 and 1-1 respectively. This exemplifies how tight Group A could be. Greece is led by the aging Giorgos Karagounis. The 35year old midfielder will look to control games and use his dead ball skills to provide chances from set pieces. He scored the first goal for Greece in Euro 2004 against Portugal and will look to inspire the side once again in Poland. At the heart of the Greek defence is the rising star of Greek football. 20 year old Schalke central defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos has gone from strength to strength this season. Anybody who has watched the Europa League will know of his exploits. Tall, physical, commanding and great heading ability make him a strong asset to any team. Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea have all been interested in the potential. This summer could be an important one for this international inexperienced player. Leading the quest for goals could be Celtic’s Giorgos Samaras. His debut came back in 2006 yet despite his skill on the ball he has never managed to impose himself effectively on the international scene. His selfless, hard working nature means he fits in with the Greek ethos, but it will still be set pieces rather than from open play where the goals will come from. One player who may be able to spark some life into the Greek fight could be Ioannis Fetfatzidis. Only 21, “Fetfa” is an attacking winger who plays for Olympiacos. In 12 matches for the national team he has netted twice and will look to use his close control and quick feet to get the Greek fans cheering. He loves a flick and a quick revolving circle around opponents so hopefully we shall see some magic from Fetfa this summer. Greece have a physical squad who will look to defend their way through the group stages. Fernando Santos’ men remained unbeaten in qualifying and by fortunately landing in Group A, could progress through the group stages for only the second time in their history. A lot will rely on the two youngsters Papadopoulos and Fetfa. A good campaign from both could see Greece worry more competitive nations in the quarters. But unfortunately this won’t be the fairytale that 2004 was for them.

Germany

Germany was one of only two teams who won every game in qualifying for the Euros in Poland and Ukraine this summer. They have a wealth of young talent, most of who perform at the highest level across Europe. This certainly gives head coach Joachim Low a pleasant, but considerable, challenge in deciding who represents Germany in the Arena Lviv on the 9th of June in their opening encounter against Portugal. After Portugal the matches get no easier for the Germans. Both Denmark and a tasty tie against the Netherlands await. If you thought the rivalry between the English and Germans was strong, it is nothing compared to these footballing superpowers. Frank Rijkaard spitting into Rudi Voller’s hair is an unforgettable piece of footage from Italia ‘90 and although we don’t want to witness acts like this again, a fair, physical match combined with an artful collection of silky football could potentially provide the game of the tournament. The Metalist Stadium on the 13th of June is the place to be and may only be eclipsed if both reach the final. Low is likely to implement a 4-2-3-1 formation in the finals. This will allow the free-flowing attacking German spirit that tore England apart in the previous World Cup, taking the ease of a potentially vulnerable defence. The isolated man at the head of the German attack may still be Miroslav Klose. At 33 Klose is by far and away the oldest man in the running to make the German squad. 9 goals in qualifying added to his outstanding record of 63 goals in 114 matches. He has scored numerous goals in international tournaments, including 14 in the World Cup – ranking him joint 2nd in the list of FIFA World Cup goalscorers – and it is this reputation that may place him ahead of Mario Gomez. The three players behind Klose need no introductions either. Arsenal’s new signing Lukas Podolski, Real Madrid’s Mesut Ozil and Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller are three of the most exciting attacking players in the world. With an average age of 24 and 152 international caps and 63 goals between them their stats speak for themselves. Their pace, power, precision and finishing combined with Klose makes Germany a goal machine. Behind the four attacking superstars sits Real Madrid’s Sami Khedira and the master puppeteer Bastian Schweinsteiger. Still only 27 Schweinsteiger has represented his country a phenomenal 90 times. He controlled the midfield in Michael Ballack’s absence in South Africa and led the tournament on assists. He is the complete midfielder and when he has scored, Germany has never lost. The German defence is potentially the weak link, however it is not poor. Captain Philipp Lahm is perhaps the best full back in the world. Despite his height his energy and technical ability allow him to sprint forward to join the wealth of attackers. Jerome Boateng is equally adept but also brings power to his game on the opposite side. It is the central defensive partnership that creates an issue. Low appears to favour Bayern Munich’s Holger Badstuber and Arsenal’s Per Mertesacker. However, German Champions Borussia Dortmund have a strong centre-back in Mats Hummels. Mertesacker has a lot more experience than the other two but Low has never had trouble with giving youth a chance. Hamburger’s Dennis Aogo may also challenge Boateng for the wing back position. In goal will no doubt be Manuel Neuer. The German’s impressive season for Bayern Munich has made his spot secure. He broke Bayern Munich’s record of minutes without conceding a goal, previously held by Oliver Kahn, reaching past the 1000 minute mark. He also recently saved penalties from Ronaldo and Kaka to take Bayern through to the Champions League final. Of course, nothing is set in stone. Low has many other prestigious talents breaking through the ranks in German football that may well throw a spanner in the works, Toni Kroos, Andre Schurrle and the exciting Mario Gotze to name a few. But the problem now is that the current team is still relatively young. There is no excuse for replacing youth with youth and the players that currently hold the starting 11 places are potential world beaters. It’s been 16 years now since Germany were last crowned as champions, this year could be their year.

France

France has had a mixed few years in international football. In 2010 the players appeared to go on strike during the World Cup in South Africa when Nicolas Anelka was expelled from the squad for verbally abusing coach Raymond Domenech. They crashed out of the tournament after only scoring one goal and finishing bottom of the group. Since then World Cup winner Laurent Blanc has taken the helm and guided France through a tricky qualifying group. A loss to Belarus at the start of the campaign caused a stir but since then France has looked solid and have beaten Brazil, England and Germany in friendlies. So what to expect from this volatile nation? The answer is, we don’t really know. Laurent Blanc’s side only conceded 4 goals during qualifying, a stat only beaten by Germany, who conceded only twice. The ex-Manchester United centre-back has clearly brought his knowledge into the squad but they do possess a lot of talent in defence. Stripped of his captaincy Patrice Evra has remained Blanc’s favoured left back with Barcelona’s Eric Abidal converting to a more central role. The tall Adil Rami will probably play alongside Abidal, keeping the likes of Philippe Mexes, Younes Kaboul or Laurent Koscielny on the bench. Arsenal’s Bacary Sagna would have completed the back four with but his injury has put him out of the tournament. Anthony Reveillere, Mathieu Deduchy and Gael Clichy, of Lyon, Lille and Manchester City respectively, are all possibly wingback replacements. The new French captain is goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. He has kept 12 clean sheets for Olympique Lyon this season as well as 6 for the French national side during qualifying. His quick reflexes and command of the box make him a dependable player. Further up the pitch, Blanc favours two defensive midfielders, with three more advanced players behind the one focal attacker. The French certainly have the players to utilise this formation. Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery will use his trickery on the left wing whilst Florent Malouda will scamper down the right. Samir Nasri will play in the hole just off Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. Yoann Gourcuff scored 3 goals in his 3 qualifying appearances before injuring his ankle. The Lyon creative midfielder could provide another exciting spark to the French side. If fit, expect to see him pulling the strings and provide skills that have made some liken him to Zidane. He is yet to live up to this high expectation mind. The two defensive players in the heart of the French team are Rennes Yann M’Vila and Newcastle United’s superb midfielder Yohan Cabaye. M’Vila is a natural powerful defensive player whereas Cabaye runs box-to-box. Cabaye has excelled beyond all imagination at Newcastle with his vision, technical skill and final ball helping the northeast side to an impressive season that could saw them finish within touching distance of a Champions League spot. Their group in Euro 2012 include hosts Ukraine, Sweden and, the old enemy, England. With their exceptional attacking ability throughout the team coupled with a solid goalkeeper, France just need to keep their emotions under control to progress through to the knockout phrase. From there this French side could go all the way.

England

After much, and yet surprisingly unvaried, debate amongst the media it finally happened, the FA picked up the phone and rang Roy Hodgson. Looking back on it now, it is no wonder the FA waited so long to make the phone call, any earlier and the papers would have gone crazy, criticising the FA over their snubbing of their particular favourite Harry Redknapp. However, Hodgson’s record is a strong one and despite his failure at Liverpool, the majority of his tenures have been successful. Whichever way you stand on the managerial front, now the question is how to take England forward? Does Hodgson rely on experience or does he bring in some younger players to gain valuable experience before England embarks on qualifying for the World Cup in Brazil? Most people expect little from England this summer so why not give the youth an opportunity, what is the worst that could happen? However, Hodgson has now named his provisional 23 man squad and it is clear that little change is going to be brought about in this tournament. A host of usual players make the trip with only one major surprise. Yet, the European Championship has not been a happy hunting ground for English football in the past. In 96 they reached the semis, losing to Germany on penalties, and in 2004 they reached the quarters, losing to Portugal on penalties. Otherwise though, England has never made it past the group stages and in 2008 they didn’t even qualify. So, for once in an international football tournament, there really shouldn’t be any pressure on the English national side. Joe Hart has been in exceptional form for Manchester City and, even if he got injured, should still start ahead of Rob Green or John Ruddy in goal. Hart is of the top order and is beyond doubt the best English keeper since David Seaman. The rest of the team is much more debatable. Ashley Cole or Leighton Baines are the two players competing for the left-back spot. Baines has played well for Everton for the past few seasons and is a real danger from free-kicks and set pieces. England lack a set-piece specialist so this could be to Baines’ advantage. However, Cole is still one of the best wing-backs in the world. His strong athleticism and all-round ability cannot be questioned. Starting at right-back will be Glen Johnson with out-of-favour Mikah Richards not even in the squad. Richards has power, pace, aggression and his hot-headed attitude has calmed under the guidance of Roberto Mancini. He has played a focal part in Man City’s title challenge but yet couldn’t push past current right-back Glen Johnson in the pecking order. At the heart of the English defence there are only two places for at least six major options. John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Joleon Lescott and Gary Cahill all have a strong case for the number 5 or 6 shirt. Smalling’s battle for fitness has unfortunately seen him as too big a risk but to leave Rio Ferdinand out is baffling. His exclusion is surely due to the inclusion of John Terry, who despite being a good centre-back should have spent his summer at home. An experienced centre back is vital to success in international competitions and therefore it should have been Rio placed alongside Cahill in Ukraine. Gary Cahill’s recent performances for Chelsea, especially against Barcelona, have been of the highest order and have surely earned him the right to a starting shirt. The midfield has equally contentious decisions to be made. Gareth Barry or Scott Parker are the mostly likely candidates for the fun defensive midfielder role. Ashley Young and Stewart Downing provide real potential occupiers of elusive left wing spot with the opposite wing being run by Theo Walcott or maybe even the impressive Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The final space in the middle could be claimed by James Milner, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard or any of the aforementioned players. Unfortunately, Jack Wilshere’s continuing injury issues have ruled him out of the Euros whereas Adam Johnson and, extremely surprisingly, Aaron Lennon have not been selected for this summer’s tournament. Lennon has been particularly dangerous for Spurs when fully fit. His speed matches that of Walcott and his quick footwork, final ball and finishing exceeds that of his London rival. Wayne Rooney will be one of the forwards however his two match suspension means that he won’t be available for most of the group stages. Jermain Defoe has fallen out of favour at Spurs and Andy Carroll has struggled at Liverpool. Danny Welbeck has had a decent season for Man U and is able to hold the ball up front if placed there alone. However, Peter Crouch and Grant Holt both of whom have scored numerously this season in the Premier League don’t travel. The plethora of attacking midfield players, along with the difficulty of finding two world class strikers, means that a 4-3-3 formation may have real merit. The pace and creativity of Young and Oxlade-Chamberlain could provide a strong attacking wide threat leaving Parker, Gerrard and Milner, who all have the energy, discipline and passing ability, to control the midfield. Whichever England team that Hodgson fields is going to have world class players in. The only difference this tournament is that nobody expects the English to win. This should relieve the pressure allowing for some free attacking football that England have lacked in major tournaments recently. The games against France, Sweden and Ukraine will not be easy, but it is certainly not the hardest group in this year’s tournament. Yet, will Hodgson succeed where previous managers have failed in the Euros? Winning the tournament may be out of reach, but a semi-final may well be achievable.

Denmark

The Danes shocked the football community with a stunning 2-1 victory over Portugal in the final match of qualification to top Group H and book their flight to Ukraine. This fighting spirit needs to be taken forward into the Euros however as Denmark got drawn in an extremely tough group. Group B consists of the 2010 World Cup runners-up, the Netherlands, and 3rd place finishers, Germany. If this was not hard enough, Portugal occupy the final spot but at least Denmark can take heart from the fact that they beat that particular foe in qualifying. Morten Olsen’s energetic, structured team has risen to 9th in the FIFA World Rankings and come into Euro 2012 having won seven of their last nine matches, failing to beat Scotland in a friendly at Hampden before losing their latest friendly to Russia 2-0. Denmark have two more friendly matches against Brazil and Australia before their opening game against the Netherlands in Kharkiv. With the opposition so strong it is clear that the Danes are in for an exciting summer. An attacking 4-3-3 formation with a vast amount of pace on the wings should provide a showcase for goals. Dennis Rommedahl, once the fastest man in football, still starts with fellow Brondby winger Michael Krohn-Dehli teasing defenders on the opposing flank. Both will provide opportunities for Sunderland frontman Nicklas Bendtner to convert. In charge of keeping the ball out of the net you will find the omnipresent Thomas Sorensen. The Stoke City keeper has reached the 100 cap mark and is a solid performer for both club and country. He only conceded 6 goals during qualifying but 4 of which were to Portugal. An impressive centre-back pairing of Daniel Agger and Simon Kjaer should provide a strong defensive basis. Liverpool’s Agger captain’s the national team. His strength, commitment and goalscoring prowess make him a dangerous player. AC Roma’s Simon Kjaer’s is still only 23 and is been watched by all the major sides in Europe. 32 year old Lars Jacobsen will be posted at right-back with his replacement at Stuttgart William Kvist likely to occupy a defensive midfield role. Christian Eriksen, the youngest player at the World Cup in 2010, is the man to watch out for. Still only 20 the Ajax creative midfielder has already provided an assist against England and scored against Scotland. His quick feet, tricks, pace and accuracy have made the likes of ex-Ajax manager Martin Jol liken him to Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart and Danish legend Michael Laudrup. Eriksen’s performances along with the front trio will be crucial. Without these four players Denmark’s chances decline slightly but with a full compliment defenders will be wary. Morten Olsen has been the head coach of Denmark since 2000, making him the longest serving manager at the Euros. His blend of youth and experience, coupled with an aggressive, organised defence, and flair in attack has made Denmark a force to be reckoned with. I doubt they will repeat their heroics in ‘92 but I do believe this could be the shock team of Euro 2012. Although, with a talent such as Christian Eriksen in the starting line-up, it shouldn’t really be a surprise.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic narrowly edged out Scotland to grab an all important play-off match against Montenegro. The tie was always going to provide Euro 2012 with a potent attacking force, the Czech Republic only scored 12 goals in qualifying, Montenegro a dismal 7. Thankfully goals from Pilar, Sivok and Jiracek, none of whom are strikers, saw the Czechs on their way to Poland. Luckily, the Czech Republic landed a spot in what is the undoubtedly the easiest group in Euro 2012 Group A. Poland qualified by right as they are co-staging the tournament, whereas Greece and Russia made it through qualifying. Although both are very adept football nations, neither are considered unbeatable. Yet, if history is to go by then this should be another great year for Czech football. In Euro 96 they finished second, Euro 2000 10th, Euro 2004 back up to 3rd, Euro 2008 back down to 11th, meaning that this year’s finish of 4th would do nicely for symmetrical reasons. Realistically though this should be a tough group to call. The Czech’s do have a small number of Europe’s elite in their squad. Petr Cech remains one of the best keepers in the world whilst Czech captain Tomas Rosicky is just finding form again for Arsenal after some poor seasons at the London club. Between them they have 174 caps and their experience will be vital in guiding a team that has had little exposure to high level tournaments. Out of the four defenders who started both play-off games against Montenegro, Tomas Sivok is the eldest at 28 and Michal Kadlec the highest capped at 33, exemplifying the demand on Cech to pass guidance onto his players. The Czech Republic’s head coach Michael Bilek tends to change the formation of the team depending on their opponent. He has started with both 4-5-1 and 4-3-3 formations depending, obviously, on whether they want to defend or attack. However, recently a standard 4-4-2 formation has been reverted to. The Peval Nedved lookalike Jarsoslav Plasil is a regular in midfield alongside Rosicky. The attacking left winger helped Monaco reach the Champions League final in 2004 and will be looked upon along with Vaclav Pilar to provide service from the wide areas. Leading the search for goals could be ex-Liverpool, Aston Villa and Portsmouth striker Milan Baros. Despite Baros’ lack of goals in qualifying, he scored once against Liechtenstein, the Czech has notched up an impressive 40 goals from 86 international matches. His lack of recent goals could hamper his chances of making the starting 11 with Jan Rezek, Tomas Pekhart and David Lafata all attempting to occupy the forward roles, albeit with only 9 international goals between them. The lack of goalscorers in the squad mean that the Czech Republic have little chance of winning the tournament. However, Michael Bilek’s men could still progress out of Group A provided their defence remains strong. A 4th place finish though, may be optimistic.

Croatia

Croatia qualified for Euro 2012 through beating Turkey in the play-offs after finishing behind Greece in the group stages. After a convincing 3-0 win in Istanbul the Croatians settled for a 0-0 draw at home amidst much celebration. This is the 7th major tournament the country has qualified for since gaining independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, a remarkable feat for a population of just over 4 million. However, despite their short existence English football fans will be no strangers to the red and white chequered shirts. The pair has met 7 times already with numerous goals between them. Some of the more memorable encounters include a thrilling 4-2 loss for the Croatians in Euro 2004, Croatia’s 3-2 victory at Wembley preventing England from qualifying for Euro 2008 and the 4-1 and 5-1 reverse in the qualifying stages for the World Cup in South Africa. The four goals Croatia conceded in way back in Euro 2004 were incidentally scored by Rooney, Lampard and Scholes. The Croatian’s are in a tough group in Poland. Group C hosts Spain, Italy and the Republic of Ireland. Some may argue this is the ‘Group of Death’ but with Group B in the fray it is hard to discern. Either way, Croatia has an uphill battle ahead of them. Therefore it is vital that their opening game in Poznan on the 10th of June against the Republic of Ireland ends in a victory. A draw would be problematic. A loss fatal. Slaven Bilic has a strong squad though, with some players of creativity coupled with a good resilience at the back. They conceded only 7 goals in the qualifying stages although, Turkey, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Georgia and Malta do not really scream goal scoring nations. Bilic will probably opt for a standard 4-4-2 formation with potentially some familiar faces such as Vedran Corluka at left-back and Luka Modric in the middle of the park. Nico Kranjcar was Croatia’s top scorer in the qualifiers with 4 but the Spurs midfielder has a knee injury that may make him questionable for the finals. Ivan Perisic, who plays for Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund, may fill the gap after a disappointing season from Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic. Tomislav Dujmovic or Ognejen Vukojevic will lead the defensive fight in midfield whilst Croatia’s influential captain Darijo Srna will maraud the wing. At the back it looks like Croatia may be without Dejan Lovren. The young Lyon defender picked up an injury in the Coupe de France Final and is a doubt. The Dinamo Zagreb trio of Simunic, Vida and Vrsaljko could potentially all start. Going forward Croatia have options. Ivica Olic, who plays for Champions League finalists Bayern Munich, and Mario Mandzukic are the preferred pairing. However, Nikica Jelavic’s recent form for Everton has been sensational, scoring 10 goals in 14 appearances for the Toffees, so don’t be surprised to see him start upfront. The fourth striker Bilic will probably take to Poland is ex-Arsenal frontman Eduardo, however, he also is questionable with a hamstring injury therefore opening a gap potentially for ex-Blackburn striker Nikola Kalinic or Bolton Wanderers’ Ivan Klasnic. Despite this strong frontline, the opposition Croatia will face make it hard to visualise many Croatians seeing Ukraine. To get through the group stages of Euro 2012 Croatia need some sublime performances. Yet, we have witnessed such feats before from this nation, everyone remembers a certain golden boot winner in France 98. Unfortunately Croatia’s all time record top goalscorer Davor Suker is long retired.