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24Teams. Le Rendezvous 6 Groups. The Assembly Point: France 1Winner. The Theme:
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he teams converge at the birthplace of the EURO Championship for the third time. In 1960, France hosted the first ever EURO Championship and the legend of Lev 'Black Spider' Yashin was born. 1984 was particularly memorable as the flamboyant trio of Michel Platini, Jean Tigana and Alain Giresse ran riot to win the competition. 32 years on, another revolution is complete and we return to the home of love and romance for the third time. “Le rendezvous is much more than a reminder of dates… and venues (but rather) UEFA is sending out an invitation to football fans throughout the world and to lovers of major events, an invitation to meet up and share the emotions of an elite-level tournament” - Jacques Lambert, Chairman of the EURO 2016 organizing committee. Glance into the past Henri Delaunay, French Football Federation's secretary-general, was the major proponent for a panEuropean football tournament. In 1960 the maiden edition of the tournament was held in France with
four teams competing in the finals. Other European countries began to show interest and the numbers grew. Spain and Germany are the teams with the highest number of EURO cups. Both countries have won it 3 times with Spain being0 the only country to win it consecutively (2008 and 2012). EURO 2016 hosts France have won it 2 times. French legend Michel Platini is unarguably the most successful player of EURO Cup history. He holds the record of scoring the highest number of goals in a tournament (9) as well as most hat-tricks (2). Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the highest number of goals including
qualifying rounds (26). Iker Casillas and van der Saar hold a joint record for the most clean sheets (9) while Manchester United and Denmark legend, Peter Schmeichel holds the unwanted record of most goals conceded with a total of 20 goals. Destination France 2010: France was announced as hosts of the European championship. Anxiety, nervous excitement and ultimately celebrations ruled as they edged Turkey by a single vote to win the bidding process. "It is a moment of intense emotion to know that in 2016 France will welcome European football and will fulfill its promises.” said Jean-Pierre Escalettes, president of the French Football Federation. France legend Zinedine 'Zizou' Zidane and former France president Nicolas Sarkozy were key figures in presentation of the bid. 2013: the identity of the event is unveiled. “Celebrating the Art of Football”, a nod to both the quality of football and France's celebrated cultural attractions. Sensuous cuisine, first-rate fashion and more art and history than you can shake a stick at – France, the number one tourist destination in the world. Highlights of France will have you experiencing what the locals call 'coup de foudre' – or as we understand it 'love at first sight'. The football! In the beginning was Lucien Laurent remembered for scoring the first goal in World Cup history, a 19th-minute volley! Then came Just Fontaine. Les Bleus came of age in the era of the three musketeers; Michel Platini, Alain
FOOTBALL
FASHION
CULTURE 1
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Giresse and Jean Tigana. The chill still grips as we remember the spectacular performance of Zidane and his peers at the 1998 FIFA World Cup on home soil. This was quickly followed by FIFA Confederations Cup titles in 2001 and 2003. With great expectation comes disappointment. France has not come close to such heights since. “Aux Armes, nous sommes les Français” (“To your weapons! We are the French…”) – This song is a typical supporter chant with some warrior spirit. 2015: the draws were made. Old rivalries reignited. New enemies? Unavoidable. It's one of the best features of any international football tournament. It is a spectacle that makes the veterans of the sport frantically rub their thighs with in delirious excitement. "This is obviously a tough draw. A group of death? No, those do not exist –- it's a tough draw, nothing more." – Belgium coach Marc Wilmots on being pitted against Italy, Ireland and Sweden. Perhaps, a man that fancies his chances. "It is more difficult than I thought it would be." -- Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque on facing the Czech Republic, Turkey and Croatia in Group D. 2016: show time. Auditions are done, time to face the judges. The 2016 event will feature 24 countries for the first time, up from 16 in 2012. Proceedings are penned to begin at the Saint Denis. The hosts play Romania in the Group A fixture. World champions, Germany face Ukraine two days later and defending champions, Spain, take on Czech Republic at the Stadium de Toulouse a day after. The final match of the tournament is set to hold at Saint Denis. It promises to be a beauty. The atmosphere, electric! The football, captivating!! The stars shall align for the show. After all, only the best get this far.
Bon appétit! Favourite Focus Pundits tip Germany to pick up their fourth EURO trophy. After winning the trophy in 2012, Spain became the first nation to be crowned European champions twice in row. Winning it for a third consecutive time is farfetched. France has also been touted to continue the tradition of home soil wins. The Leicester fairytale gives the English team a glimmer of hope. Perhaps they could pick up their first trophy since 1960. Belgium, major underdogs, have also been tipped to get as far as the semis at least. Mesut Özil returns to the international fold on the back of a great season with Arsenal. Although sometimes anonymous, he keeps the German engine oiled and ticking. Will this be another golden boot winning tournament for Thomas Mueller? Eden Hazard had a season to forget. He gets a nod in the Belgium squad as his form began to peak towards the end of the season. The Belgium team will also need big performances from Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku. France, regardless of the scandals, has a plethora of young players vying to make a point at the international stage. A nice blend with the old dogs will give any country a run for their money. Will Paul Pogba make a case for world class status? England is known as a team of perennial bottlers. They always find a way to disappoint at international
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tournaments even at the peak of the class of '92. However, there's an unusual air of nervous hope around this squad. How far can this team go? EURO 2016 Facts 1. The 15th edition of the UEFA European Championship will take place in France. 2. This year EURO Cup will be the first EURO Cup to have 24 teams which are divided into 6 groups. 3. The Euro 2016 song was written and produced by David Guetta and he will perform at the opening ceremony. He is French. 4. The Tournament will take place at 10 Cities and 10 Stadium's Across France. 5. The official mascot for the event is 'Super Victor'. Abd'kareem: “seize the day, trust as little as possible in tomorrow” Digital marketer. Language enthusiast. Sports administrator. Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat: @seyhleb
5 TEAMS
T H AT C O U L D U P S E T
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ootball has witnessed a lot of upsets in the past, with 'little teams' upsetting 'big teams' in specific matches, and sometimes in major competitions. Blackburn Rovers shocked England and won the league in 1995, Atletico Madrid rattled Barcelona and Real Madrid's cages to pick up the La Liga trophy in 2014. Also most recently, Hibernian lifted the Scottish cup to end a 114-year wait at Rangers' expense, while Leicester City defied the odds by winning the English Premier League with a 10-point gap after battling relegation the previous season. The Euros has also witnessed its fair share of upsets, with the most popular shock coming in 2004 when Greece claimed the coveted prize. That year was a special year, as Spain, Germany and Italy were knocked out in the group stages, while defending champions at the time, France, were knocked out by Greece in the quarter-finals. It was also the first time in the competition that the last match featured the same teams as the opening match (Portugal and Greece). So with the aforementioned, it is deducible that upsets are inevitable. Whether in just a match or throughout an entire tournament, it must happen. So with the spotlight on teams like Spain, Germany, Italy and possibly England, this piece aims
EURO 2016 to highlight a few teams that could produce moments of magic or uke their way to cause major upsets in France this summer. The European championships has seen stunning performances from teams viewed at minnows down the years, as all eyes will be cast on France this summer so many of the smaller teams would love to “Leicester” the championship and send shock waves around Europe.
on the nifty Xherdan Shaqiri in the attacking department and the steel provided by Valon Behrami and Arsenal's new boy Granit Xhaka in midfield. The Swiss should be able to negotiate an easy passage from group a consisting of debuting Albania, Romania and hosts France and who knows maybe all the way?
Switzerland
Wales
Swiss Boss, Vladimir Petkovic has a good spine of young players who are regulars in top ights clubs in Germany, England and Italy. He would fancy defying the odds this time and gun for the top prize. Qualifying second only to England in the qualifying campaign, they mustered 24 goals without any potent striker in their ranks - relying
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Fact: Xherdan Shaqiri finished as Switzerland's highest goal scorer in the qualifying rounds with 4 goals
Wales have waited for 58 years to reach a major competition and compete they will! With the world's most expensive player ever in their squad buoyed by his heroics for Real Madrid, Wales can surprise us all. Scoring 7 of 11 goals the Welsh national side managed in the qualifying round, Gareth Bale is undoubtedly the main man and manager, Chris Coleman will certainly hope he is in rich form in the
summer while looking out for the defensive resilience of Swansea's big man Ashley Williams and tireless runs of Aaron Ramsey from the middle of the pack. With the Welsh possessing great team spirit and camaraderie, nothing might be able to stop them. Fact: Wales let in just 4 goals in the qualifying round, putting them fourth on the list of fewest goals conceded.
Austria
Although they are placed in a somewhat easy group, Austria's 28 points from 10 games is enough to make potential opponents wary. Bayern Munich left back David Alaba featured as a primary figure following his tally of 4 goals and 3 assists in 8 games. The defender is likely to be employed as a central midfielder in the competition, and this might pay off well having seen what Philipp Lahm is capable of. Another useful asset to the Austrian side is Stoke City's Marko Arnautovic whose impressive season in the Premier league saw him reel in 11 goals and 6 assists. It is expected that Marko will be employed on the left in France, reason being he scored 9 and assisted 5 from that position in the just concluded season. So, with Alaba and Arnautovic's ability, it is expected that 6ft 5” striker Marc Janko will be able to build on his 7 goals in the
qualifiers. The Austrian can defy all odds and we might have a debuting champion. Fact: the Austrian side won 9 of their 10 games in the qualifying rounds
Poland Scoring 33 goals while qualifying didn't surprise many due to the presence of Robert Lewandowski, Europe's top marksman in the qualification round finishing with 13 goals. Poland found the back of the net the most times (33 goals) from 162 attempts in the qualifying round. England who came second in scoring goals, found the net 31 times from 195 attempts. Other teams had over 200 attempts to score the number of goals they did. This statistic makes one thing clear; Poland are a huge threat in front of goal. Reliance on Lewandowski goal scoring prowess isn't overburdening, the polish national side have Ajax's striker Alexander Milik who had 6 goals and 6 assists to place him joint top of the assist rankings in the qualifiers. Poland's head coach, Adam Nawalka knows he can field a side that can play intense and confident counterattacking football and punish sides in the opposition box. Just like Iceland, this team should not be taken for granted; just ask Germany.
Can Lewandowski fire his side to glory? Fact: Bayern Munich's forward Robert Lewandowski 13 goals in the qualifying round is a joint record with David Healy of Northern Ireland
Sweden You can't have Zlatan in your ranks and not be considered for any competition you enter for. Even at
34, Ibrahimovic is one of the best strikers on the planet. The Swedish side are over reliant on his ability and aren't even ashamed to admit, who would? Finishing second in the qualifying round with 11 goals only to Lewandowski, his free kick against Denmark in the qualifying playoff was him pushing his side over the line one more time; can he do it in France? Fact: 3 of Zlatan Ibrahamovic's 11 goals in qualification came against Denmark in the playoff rounds.
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TOP 10 PLAYERS AT EUROS 2016 After a gruelling domestic season in the various European leagues, attention now shifts to France, where the best teams are set to battle for glory. From June 10th 2016, the best players in Europe will go head to head to see which country will emerge as the European Champions 2016. Most top teams will be trying to wrestle the trophy back from a Spanish side who have not be flamboyant so far since their not-so-good showing at the 2014 world cup, after previously being European champions back-to-back (2008 and 2012), and also adding the 2010 FIFA world cup along the way. We at 352ng have picked out 10 top players (in no particular order) to watch out for at this year's European championship.
10. GIANLUIGI BUFFON
9. SERGIO RAMOS
8. TOBY ALDERWEIRELD
(Juventus/Italy): Being the first choice for club and country at the age of 38 is no mean feat. It is almost 20 years since he made his debut for Parma, first appeared for Italy in 1997 and also won the world cup in 2006. If the Italian players have their scoring boots on, then they know they have a good chance of winning the Euros with a solid goalkeeper like Buffon, who went 973 minutes without conceding a goal for Juventus this season (a new Serie A record), between the sticks.
(Real Madrid/Spain): The last time Spain were in a major tournament, we remember they were humiliated by Netherlands. If Spain would have any chance to progress from their tricky group, “La Furia Roja” will need their defensive partnership of Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique to work, and work very well. Ramos will want to use the spur of winning the champions league final to inspire him to have a fantastic Euro campaign.
(Tottenham Hotspur/Belgium): Coming off a fantastic season (even though the team still came 3rd) with Tottenham Hotspur, Alderweireld will want to take that form into the Euros. He will be tasked with the responsibility to fill the void left by the injured Vincent Kompany in central defence, and will need to be on top of his game along with his partner Jan Vertoghen.
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7. PAUL POGBA (Juventus/France): Young player of the tournament at the 2014 FIFA world cup, Paul Pogba has gone on to establish himself as a regular in Didier Deschamps side. He is entering the tournament as a senior figure in the French National team. What better time to translate his scintillating form for Juventus over the last four seasons with a major triumph for the national team than in front of the ever vocal and passionate “Les Blues” fans.
6. MESUT ÖZIL (Arsenal/Germany): Ask anybody from the 'Arsenal supporting part' of North London, and they will tell you that this young man (still a baby boy at 27) is the best player in the world. After 19 premier league assists (which is just one short of Thierry Henry's record of 20 in a top flight season), we wait to see if Özil can assist Germany in winning their second major tournament in as many years, after their 2014 World Cup triumph in Brazil.
5. THOMAS MÜLLER (Bayern
4. GARETH BALE (Real
3. ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI
2. ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC
. CRISTIANO RONALDO (Real
Munich/Germany): Six years on from his surprise inclusion for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa where he picked up the Golden boot and best young player, Thomas Müller is almost the first name (we think Manuel Neuer edges him in this regard) on Joachim Löw's team sheet.Versatile, experienced and a proven goal scorer, Germany will need Müller to be at his very best if they are to win their first European Championship since 1996.
Madrid/Wales): Having scored 7of his country's 11goals in qualifying, Gareth Bale 'almost singlehandedly' (we say almost just to recognise the fact that other people played and scored too) brought Wales to their first major finals since 1958.Gareth Bale isn't a stranger to big occasions, but we hope he inspire his team to give a good account of themselves and also enhance his stock as the one of the best (of the rest) players in the world.
(Bayern Munich/Poland):The classic number 9 from Poland, what more can be said about him. Highest goal scorer in qualifying for the tournament with 13 goals, 66 goals in the past two seasons with Bayern Munich, 189 career goals, we expect his goals to lead Poland far enough in the tournament. He might be on the move after the tournament. Real Madrid maybe?
(PSG/Sweden): Ego✔ Self-confidence✔ 6ft+✔ Goals✔ Stunners✔ Everything✔ This guy here does not need any introduction. He's the all-time Swedish goal scorer with 62 goals, scored 11 goals during qualifying (second only to Robert Lewandowski), and recently just left Paris Saint-Germaine after breaking various records, winning numerous trophies and becoming the club's highest goal scorer with 156 goals in 180 appearances.
Madrid/Portugal): Three-time world footballer of the year, Real Madrid's highest goal scorer, multiple European golden shoe winner, scored 50 goals for 6 consecutive seasons etc. I could go on and on, but we all know this narrative. Ronaldo is already Portugal's highest goal scorer and will surpass Luis Figo's record appearances of 127 if he features in at least 3 games at this season's tournament.
Notable Mentions Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/France) Luke Modric (Real Madrid/Croatia) · Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur/England)
· David De Gea (Manchester United/Spain) · Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich/Germany) · Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City/Belgium)
Written by: Amusa Oluwatimilehin +2348130969466 newlifetimi@gmail.com
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· Romelu Lukaku (Everton/Belgium) · Gerard Pique (Barcelona/Spain) Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Danny Welbeck (Arsenal/England)
Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid/Spain)
England's highest goal scorer during qualifying for this tournament with 6 goals, Welbeck would have been guaranteed a spot in Roy Hodgson's squad. at was not to be the case though, as a knee injury in the Gunners game against Manchester City ruled him out of contention. His versatility has always been a plus for Hodgson, and how much that will be missed in the team remains to be seen.
Scored in the nal against Germany in Euro 2008 to help Spain win their rst major competition since 1964. His performances have been stop start since he left Liverpool, but he has been rejuvenated under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid this season. Will Del Bosque's decision to omit experienced strikers in Fernando Torres and Diego Costa be his team's undoing? We wait.
Kevin Gameiro (Sevilla/France) With 28 goals in 51 appearances for Sevilla this season, Gameiro would have made most Euro 2016 squads. Not Didier Deschamps squad though. Although he is on the standby list, bar any extraordinary circumstances or injuries, he would be watching from his living room sofa. Or he can come to the stadium since he is from France. He was very in uential in Sevilla's run to be Europa League champions, and even scored as they defeated Liverpool in the nals.
Marco Reus Ilkay Gundogan (BVB Dortmund/Germany) (BVB Dortmund/Germany) He did well to come back from a serious injury and has done well for Dortmund this season. It was expected that he would be named in the German squad for this year's Euros, but he su ered a Patella dislocation in May which ruled him out of the tournament.
Leighton Baines (Everton/England) Ryan Bertrand and Danny Rose were preferred to Baines in the left back role for England. Baines and the whole Everton team did not do so well in the just concluded premier league season, with the team nishing a lowly 11th and even cost their manager his job.
Originally included in Joachim Low's provisional list, Marco Reus was nally dropped from the nal 23-man list due to concerns over his tness. Unplayable on his day, Reus has been plagued by injuries in the past, and the national team doctors are sceptical that he will be fully t in the coming weeks .
Phil Jagielka (Everton/England) Roy Hodgson opted to take three centre defenders in Chris Smalling, Gary Cahill and John Stones, with Eric Dier who can also play there, and left Jagielka at home. Will the inexperience of Stones and Dier show, and his decision to drop Jagielka come back to haunt him?
Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow/Russia) A broken foot sustained in CSKA's last game of the season, which clinched the Russian premier league title for them, has ruled him out of contention for the showpiece in France. Initially named in Russia's 23-man squad for the tournament, but has since been replaced by Dmitri Torbinski of FC Krasnodar.
XI PLAYERS THAT PLAY IN EUROPE BUT WILL MISS THE EUROS
PEPE REINA (Napoli/Spain) e 33 year old Spaniard didn't make Vicente Del Bosque's provisional 25-man squad. Sergio Rico was preferred as the third goalkeeper ahead of him, with Iker Casillas and David De Gea making up the remaining goalkeeper slots.
Vincent Kompany (Manchester City/Belgium)
Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid/Spain)
Kompany has been plagued by injuries in recent years, and he picked up a groin strain that ended his European championship chances. e Belgian team will miss the leadership of their able captain, but they will hope to rally round to cover his absence.
e 24 year old fullback was named in the original list for the European championship, but an injury picked up in the UEFA Champions league nal He was in the initial 30-man squad to the World cup in 2014, and was unlucky to be cut with the likes of Azpilicueta and Juanfran ahead of him in the pecking order.
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A
TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
big international tournament is here once again and for the next month, we will all put our beloved club football to the back burners and sit in front of our television sets to see Europe's best go toe to toe. The squads for the various teams are taking shape little by little and Euro 2016 scheduled to hold in France, promises to be an exciting tournament. For a good number of football fans, the Euros bring with it a significant level of excitement as not only are the world's top leagues situated here, some of the most exciting brand(s)of football will also be on display!
is already without Zouma, Sakho and Laporte for the tournament and with Raphael Varane now ruled out with a thigh injury, the make-up of his defence is a major worry. Even with the notable absentees the
Defending Champions Spain will be looking to defend their throne and clinch their third straight European title but they will have their work cut out this summer. Host nation France will be desperate to win the title on home soil. Just across the border, “Weltmeister” Germany is warming to the possibility of winning the European Championships for the fourth time. Can Jorgi Löw's men do it? Does England have a chance? Can Cristiano Ronaldo finally lead Portugal to a major title? Here we have a look at the some of the contenders for the title, their strengths, and weaknesses and how they could fare in France.
French squad is still one of the strongest squads. A mixture of young talents such as Kingsley Coman and Anthony Martial, experience in Laurent Koscielny, Hugo Lloris, and Blaise Matuidi just to mention a few give France that much fabled mixture of youth and experience. Going forward they have the attacking talents of Griezmann, Dmitri Payet and the mercurial Giroud. In midfield they have an abundance of energy, the running powers of Matuidi, Cissoko and Ngolo Kante. I mean, it is almost unfair to the other teams in the tournament. Deschamps has spent the last two years trying to fine tune his team and they seem to be playing very well in the 4-3-3 system he favours. With his bold decision to leave out Karim Benzema, there are doubts regarding where the X-factor will come from upfront. Olivier Giroud and Gignac are proven target men but if they are not on song what happens? Step forward Anthony Martial. In 1998, there was then 20 year old French forward by the name Thierry Henry who stood out and helped his team to the final of the World Cup. The Manchester United man Martial will be hoping he can be that man this time around and help his team to
THE USUAL SUSPECTS: FRANCE, GERMANY AND SPAIN
FRANCE The strongest host nation since 2000 will be looking to repeat their triumph from the 1984 European Championships where a Michel Platini inspired French team romped to victory on home soil. The French are no strangers to winning tournaments in front of their own fans as the side captained by current manager Didier Deschamps marched to World Cup glory in the 1998 Mundial staged in France. Very few teams will be able to cope with the French in midfield. The host nation possesses a tantalizing mixture of power, dynamism and creativity. Paul Pogba is the one man in midfield that combines all these attributes and the onus will be on him to inspire his team to victory. Manager Didier Deschamps
another trophy on home turf. Verdict: France is my favourite for the Cup. The squad, the home advantage, the coach's experience and recent results suggest the French are strong contenders. I am personally excited to watch France. The balance, experience and talent in this squad make them stand out as strong favourites. Notable absentees: Kevin Gameiro, Alexandre Lacazette, Karim Benzema and Frank Ribery.
GERMANY
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World champions Germany are another team that go into every tournament as favourites and with good cause too. They have arrived at the semi-finals of every major tournament for the last 20 years. They most
recently destroyed Brazil 7-1 on their way to the world title and that was no simple feat considering Brazil are Brazil and were host. Looking at it on paper, it's obvious that Germany will win the Euros. They are world champions and Europe is a super subset of the world so invariably, they'll win it! Just kidding! With Per Mertesacker, Miroslav Klose and Philipp Lahm deciding to retire from international football after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Jorgi Löw has some leadership gaps in his squad. Captain Bastian Schweinsteiger is still in a race against time to prove his fitness for the tournament. Goalkeeper, Manu Neuer, is the undeniable leader of the defence and
Löw will be hoping the confidence he oozes, ows right through the team. Centre back pairing of Mats Hummels and Jérôme Boateng proved in Brazil that when on song, they can be as formidable as any around. There are still lingering doubts over both full back positions especially at right back as Germany appear weakest there. Further up in midfield, Germany possesses a plethora of options. Despite Ilkay Gündogan's unfortunate absence due to injury, the options for Jorgi Löw are still ridiculous. Arsenal's Mesut Özil is the star man in Germany's midfield. The 4 time German player of the year will be the one the nation pins her creative hopes on in France. The decision by Löw to leave out Marco Reus due to injury concerns is a tough one. The trainer described it as “a bitter decision” and Reus would have been charged alongside Mesut to infuse some magic into Germany's play. That magic now has to come from someone else. Leroy Sane and Andre Schürrle both offer the speed, trickery and directness to stretch teams if chosen to play on either ank. Jorgi Löw has already suggested that he will adjust his system depending on opposition. He said earlier, “We need two teams for this tournament, a team up until the round of 16, and then a second team.” – Jorgi Löw The trainer is preparing his team to face ultra-defensive setups in Group C and as ever, he has some good options to pick from. The major dilemma for Löw is who he goes with upfront. In the recent past, he's opted to start without an out an out number 9 utilizing Müller as the furthest man up the pitch but with Mario Gomez in good form, he has quite the selection dilemma. Players like Julian Draxler, Lukas Podolski and World Cup hero Mario Götze give Löw an embarrassment of riches should he decide to alter the system or want something different. Verdict: The Germans are known to be very efficient and do have the experience of going into the biggest tournaments and doing the business, you don't need to go too far back to see the Germans do their business. The Germans have lost the experience of inuential captain Philip Lahm and Per
for the third consecutive time and Vicente Del Bosque's men will be up for it. With the experience and depth in the squad, it would not come as a shock to see La Roja triumph as Kings of European Football once again.“I don't think we're leaving any Leo Messi's out”, Vicente del Bosque insisted, but with the likes of Santi Carzola, Fernando Torres, Diego Costa, Javi Martinez, Saul, Isco, Juan Mata all not making the final 23-man squad, it further highlights the staggering quality Del Bosque has at his disposal. David De Gea will hope he has done enough to guarantee his place between the sticks and with three of the back four settled (right back being the only doubt); the team look balanced enough to mount a strong title defence. Sergio Busquets is the best in the Mertesacker who both retired after the world in his position and he is the key cog at success of the 2014 world cup, most the base of midfield for the team. With this teams would find that void hard to fill likely to be the last tournament for a number but if any team could manage it, it of Spain's golden generation, the likes of would be the Germans. I can predict Iniesta and Casillas will be desperate to go another semi-final appearance but I out on a high. The World Cup in Brazil left a don't think they might have that little major dent on the Spanish National team, extra to go all the way. but Spain are still the reigning double European champions and when the Notable absentees: Ilkay Gundogan, Marco tournament kicks off on June 10th, they will Reus, Holger Badstuber. not be giving up their crown without a fight.
SPAIN
Verdict: The Spanish have been there and done it before and can do it again. After the dismal showing at the world cup, head coach Vincent Del Bosque (who has been head coach since 2009) must have looked things over and
Spain are the title holders and would be the first team to win three European titles back to back to back. It is hard seeing that happen but you wouldn't want to bet against the Spanish. Granted, they had a disastrous World Cup in Brazil where they surrendered their crown at the first hurdle after being smashed 5-1 by The Netherlands in their first match. But surely this Spanish team has enough quality to bounce back. They still have a core of the same team that won the last European cup, added to the dominance of the Spanish league in recent years it's hard to rule them out. Real Madrid, Barcelona and another final featuring the big Madrid clubs goes to show the strength of the Spanish teams in Europe, granted that these teams are not made up of all Spanish nationals but they do have a core of Spanish players. La Roja have lost a little bit of their aura but as nine wins from 10 in the certainly won't make the same qualifiers will tell you, they are far from a mistakes again. He has introduced spent force. In France, they have a chance of some youngsters and called up new being the first team to win this tournament names while keeping the core of the
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title winning teams still fit enough to play. It would take a brave man to bet against Spain; however I think they're one or two better sides but we'll know more when the games start. Notable absentees: Carzola, Mata, Torres and Diego Costa.
THE DARK HORSES: BELGIUM, PORTUGAL. For every tournament there are always one or two teams everyone keeps an eye on waiting to see if this year would be their year but if they disappoint everyone goes, “oh well”. Think Spain 2002 to 2008. They always had the potential to do something big until they did something big.
BELGIUM: Belgium is the main dark horse for this tournament. It's been said that Belgium are living through a golden generation in soccer, you only need to look through their squad to understand this. Their FIFA ranking as number 2 in the world raised some eye brows but they are certainly worth that lofty position with the results they've been churning out in the past year. Most analysts believe this is the year the Belgians put in a real challenge since the last golden generation over 30 years ago. The Belgian squad is one of the strongest squads in the tournament, famous names such as Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibout Courtois are part of a strong squad. Even with notable absentees such as Captain Vincent Kompany and Kevin Strootman the Belgians should still fancy their chances at going the way. Starting from the back, they have much maligned Courtois in goal, and a quality deputy in Liverpool's Simon Mignolet. In defence they have Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, who were for so long the strongest centre back pairing in the English premier in the just concluded season. The Belgians do not have recognised fullbacks something that has forced head coach Marc Wilmots to use centre backs in that position. In midfield the Belgians have no such concerns. A triumvirate of Moussa Dembele, Axel Witsel and Naigollan should be one of the best midfield combinations at the
tournament. Further forward, the likes of Eden Hazard, De Bruyne, Carrasco and Lukaku is comfortably one of the scariest attacking prospects of the tournament. Romelu Lukaku has been in outstanding form for Everton this season and surely Wilmots cannot overlook him anymore. Christian Benteke's style suits Wilmots' preferred system but with the Liverpool striker short of confidence and bang out of form, the Everton man has to lead the line. Benteke's Liverpool teammate Divock Origi is another option but if Lukaku can adjust his game a bit to suit his manager's style, he'll surely lead the line for his country in France. The time has come for the Belgian Golden generation to step up and compete for a title and the Belgian public will be hoping that stars like Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne step up to the plate this summer while the highest scoring international in the team Marouane Fellaini will be expecting to play a significant
footballing duo in world football in your team, you'll always stand a chance. Cristiano Ronaldo is the ace up the sleeves of the Portuguese. For the better part of 12 years they have had this advantage. They have maybe underperformed for most of that time not because Ronaldo didn't do his part but because his supporting cast has been quite disappointing. The best showing the Portuguese have shown in recent years was way back in 2004 when a baby faced Ronaldo was part of the supporting cast for Portuguese legend Luis Figo, they made it to the final that year where they lost to outsiders Greece. This year, Ronaldo is the Portuguese legend being cast alongside a slew of young talents.
Followers of the Portuguese league will know most of the Portuguese squad but the rest of us can be forgiven if we don't. The Portuguese squad this year has been sprinkled with youth backed by a lot of experience. A lot of the squad selected ply their trade within the Portuguese league with mostly players from league champions Benfica (UCL quarter finalist), Sporting Lisbon, Porto and Braga. First choice goal keeper Rui Patricio is the goalie for sporting Lisbon, certainly one of the best in the league he has capable deputies in Anthony lopes (Lyon) and Eduardo (Dynamo Zagreb). In defence the Portuguese employ role to in France. Coach Wilmots has been with the team for 4 years now; if he plays his an old guard which consist of the likes of card (which by the way is a very lovely hand) Pepe (33 years old), Ricardo Carvalho (38 right the Belgians will become another force years old), Bruno Alves (34 years old) and to be reckoned with for the next few years. Verdict: The Belgians have what it takes to be the best team in Europe, head coach Marc Wilmots has however said he will likely play Vertoghen and Alderwiereld as fullbacks to compensate for their lack in those positions. Personally I think that would be a disservice to those players who have spent the better part of a year playing as a centre back pairing. With the talents in the Belgian squad and the attacking prowess they have, they should make the semi finals at least; going further would be decided on how Mr. Wilmots manages his deficiencies. Notable absentees: Vincent Kompany, Kevin Strootman.
PORTUGAL When you have one half of the best
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Eliseu (32 years who also plays in midfield). Southampton's Jose Fonte and Cedric Soares would be hoping to stake claims at centre back and right back respectively. In midfield Andre Gomes (Valencia), William Carvalho the invisible wall, Joao Moutinho the creative force and 18 year old wonder kid Renato Sanchez should have Portuguese fans pretty excited. In attack Eder has been recalled
after a loan spell at Lille from Swansea saw him finding the back of the net again, upfront he is joined by the enigmatic Nani and Quaresma and the king himself, Cristiano Ronaldo. Coach Fernando Santos has been in charge of the Portuguese team for less than 2 years but he did oversee a relatively stress free euro qualification campaign. Verdict: Portugal are not the intimidating team they once were back in the early 2000s. They have underachieved with the kind of quality they possess. Under Fernando Santos they are a defensive team and their results show this. I expect Portugal to top their group and go as far as the quarter finals then maybe look for the magic of Ronaldo to go further.
THE PRETENDER: ENGLAND The national anthem of the English is “God Save the Queen”, that song might as well be God save the team, God save this team. If there ever was a team that attered to deceive for just about every major tournament it's been the English. The perennial underachievers had a relatively straightforward qualifying campaign and boost of one of the hottest strike forces in Europe today. On the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Cup triumph, the English team head into the tournament amidst a subdued environment with limited expectations but why not dare to dream? The last time they were in a semi final of a major tournament was way back in 1996 and their only triumph at a major tournament was way back in 1966 when they won the world cup 50 years ago. A lot has changed but if you somehow only listened to the English press (apologies if you do) then you would think the English team are once again clear favourites. They did win all their games in the qualifiers but we have seen that before.
if he gets it right in France, England have enough firepower to go a significant distance in France. The intensity and lengthiness of the domestic league in England has often been said to be a contributing factor to the abysmal showings of the National team at major tournaments as the players turn up physically and mentally exhausted from a long hard season. A challenge for Hodgson will be to find a way to re-energize the players and get them focused on the prize. The England conundrum is always a fascinating one; they can either go out there and make history or crumble again like a piece of glass! Time will tell what the England team of 2016 does but recent history does not do them any favours. Verdict: England seems set to fall when push comes to shove and I don't see that changing this time around. They might navigate a seemingly easy group but I don't see them going too far, a quarter final appearances should be seen as a success for a young squad lacking the necessary experience. Notable absentees: Danny Drinkwater, Danny Welbeck, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Leighton Baines, Jack Butland. The excitement and anticipation will only get more intense as June 10th draws closer. There is a healthy mixture of strong contenders, dark horses and underdogs for this tournament and only time will tell what happens. The Euros unlike the World Cup is a tournament where the underdogs have a shot at winning as Denmark in 1992 and Greece more recently in 2004 have proved. With the four best third placed teams from the groups qualifying for the round of 16 in this tournament you can't write off the unexpected. Irrespective of who lifts the trophy on July 10th, this tournament in France promises to be one to remember. Brace yourselves folks, it's almost here!
A worry for manager Roy Hodgson will be the apparent lack of experience in the squad with a good number of players in his squad having less than 10 caps to their names. Another worry for Roy Hodgson should be Roy Hodgson himself! His weird tactics and selections seem to leave the team short but
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The Euro 2016 is the 15th edition of the Euros since inception and will be held France. As with previous editions, it is guaranteed to be entertaining and competitive. Spain are two-time defending Champions of the Euros and will be competing for the top prize. While most of the fans and analysts are assessing the squads and the big stars at the tournament, we take a look at the top 5 managers at this tournament and how their respective teams can fare.
this year's tournament, they have one of top favourites for this tournament. the most desired squads at the tournament and are automatic favourites. The last time Les Blues hosted the Euro was in 1984 which they won 2-0 against Spain in the final. He hasn't done much for the French side since becoming head coach in 2012, but if there is any time for him to confirm his status, it has to be now.
5. Hodgso :
3. Mar Wilmot
1. Vicent De B qu
Head coach of La Roja, defending champion of the Euro and world cup winner in 2010, Del Bosque is expected to be the most “feared” tactician for this tournament. Since taking over the reins from Luis Aragones in 2008, he has been spectacular for the Spanish national team. Based on individual awards, he has 3 IFFHS World's Best National Coach (2009, 2010, and 2012) awards as well as World manager of the year in 2012 and FIFA world coach of the Year 2012. He took Spain to world cup glory in 2010 and a European championship win at the last Euros tournament. The former Real Madrid manager led his team to the top of Group C as they qualified in style for the tournament. His famous blend of youth and experience is something we should be on the lookout for at the Euros this year.
Euro 2016 highest paid coach finishes this list among the top 5 coaches for the tournament. His side, England, have been patchy in recent tournaments with their last semi final appearance at a major tournament coming in 1996 and their last Belgium head coach, Wilmots, is the man glory 50 years ago in 1966. However, they tasked with leading Belgium's golden do have something to prove this year. The generation. Having had a sub-par Three Lions have in-form players that will performance in the world cup 2014, his be essential in winning this year's Euro side is expected to put on a show in which they are slight favourites for. Roy France and prove that being ranked Hodgson must prove his worth this year in number 2 isn't by chance or a rare mistake France. on the part of FIFA. They have the players to win, create and score goals. Having such a wonderful and versatile team with exciting stars and youngsters across the top 5 leagues in Europe, the team will hope they can go far in France for a possible Euro cup glory as most people are predicting. Back-to-back Belgian coach of the year 2013 and 2014 and Globe Soccer Awards Best Coach of the Year 2015, the 47-year-old promises a good show in France.
4. Joachi Low
2. Didier Deschamp
French national head coach Didier Deschamps will be looking to have a sensational tournament in front of the home fans. Not only are France hosting
German head coach Joachim Low has been a successful coach since 2006 when he was appointed as German head coach. He is one of the longest serving managers at the Euros and his experience will be invaluable to the German side. Although he hasn't won the Euro yet, we shouldn't be surprised if the 2014 world cup winning coach follows up with Euro glory this year. His team despite being ranked 5th at the moment, are still one of the few
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TOP 5 MANAGERS AT THE EUROS
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GROUPS PREVIEW first group of this year's Euros features hosts and tournament favourites France, Romania, Switzerland and minnows Albania
with every team having almost equal chances of qualifying.
ALBANIA
ENGLAND
FRANCE
Les Blues are currently breeding a new generation of youngsters who want to bring back the glory days of French football and turn them into a football powerhouse once again. France have not won a major tournament since their Euro 2000 success 16 years ago. Didier Deschamps side however, have been tipped to go all the way by a lot of pundits. Despite Star man Karim Benzema being absence due to an alleged sex scandal, France boasts of an array of stars from Hugo Lloris in goal, Paul Pogba in Midfield to Antoine Griezmann, Anthony Martial and Olivier Giroud in attack. This could be France's year
Albania are the obvious minnows of group A. How they managed to make it out of a group that had Portugal, Denmark and Serbia to qualify for the Euros is still a surprise. Emerging from this group however in Albania's first appearance at the Euros would be nothing short of a miracle. The Albanians do not have "world class players" with their best player being the experienced Lorik Cana who has plied his trade in England, France and Italy
ROMANIA SWITZERLAND
Romania returns to the Euros after their group stage exit in 2008. The Romanians emerged from their qualifying group unbeaten (5 wins 5 draws). Only four teams qualified unbeaten, Romania, England, Austria and Italy. Anghefromrdãnescu's side have a few high profile players in its ranks. The likes of Watford Goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, Napoli defender Vlad Chiriches and Stuttgart playmaker Alexandra Maxim all play top level football and Romania's hopes of qualifying from this group rests on these players
As highly rated as the Swiss are, they are yet to make it out of the group stages in the Euros. They failed to qualify in 2012 and exited in the group stage as hosts in 2008.They would surely fancy their chances of going through this time around in a relatively easy group. The Swiss team comprises of a lot of top players: Yann Sommer and Roman Burki in goal, Stephan Lichsteiner and Richardo Rodriguez in defence, Star player Xherdan Shaqiri and Arsenal new boy Granit Xhaka in midfield, Haris Seferović's and teenage sensation Breel Embolo in attack. With this calibre of players, the Swiss should be able to scale the group stage hurdle at least
GROUP B Group B has England, Russia, Wales and Slovakia seems like a very tough group
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Outside favourites to qualify from this group, England have attered to deceive when it comes to major tournaments. The World cup in Brazil was the latest disappointment for an English team who should really be doing better. The three lions qualified for France comfortably though, winning all of their group games and keeping 8 clean sheets in the process. England's defence looks sorted out with Danny Rose, Gary Cahill, Chris Smalling and Kyle Walker the obvious choices. Roy Hodgson raised a lot of eyebrows with his selections in midfield as Danny Drinkwater deserved to be called up ahead of Jack Wilshere who missed majority of the season through injury. The attack for England looks promising but how Hodgson would fit Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Skipper Wayne Rooney is something we would all have to wait and see.
RUSSIA
Leonid Slutski's side go into the Euros with a mixed run of form. After winning their last 4 games in qualifying to pip Sweden to an automatic qualifying spot, the Russians have lost 3 of their last 4 friendly games after that. The Russian team is a team built on experience and teamwork and with the
experienced Igor Akinfeev between the sticks and Zenit duo of Artem Dzyuba and Aleksandr Kokorin, who both combined to score 11 goals during qualifying in attack, expect Russia to fight hard to qualify from this group
not new to causing upsets as they knocked Blaszczykowski, Kanil Grosicki, Grzegorz out then World Champions Italy in the Krychowiak and Arkadiusz Milik providing group stage of the 2010 world cup. They solid support would definitely be one to keep a close eye on
UKRAINE
GROUP C
WALES
Group C pits Favourites Germany and Poland in the same group after both teams faced each other in the qualifiers. Ukraine and 'Newcomers' Northern Ireland are the other teams in the group.
GERMANY
Making their first appearance in the Euros, Wales are the underdogs in this group. They are by no means pushovers as they showed during qualifying. In Gareth Bale, Wales have a player who on a good day is capable of wonders with the ball at his feet. Wales Coach Chris Coleman would be hoping Bale comes into the Euros with the kind of form he had during the qualifying stage where he scored 7 out of the 11 goals scored by Wales. Bale is undoubtedly the star man for the Welsh team but Swansea's Ashley Williams and Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey are also key players in this team and would no doubt play an important role if Wales are to qualify from this group
World champions Germany are clear favourites to win this group considering the calibre of players they possess. From Manuel Neuer in goal to Thomas Muller in attack, the team oozes class, but they can't afford to be complacent. The Germans lost to Poland and Republic of Ireland during the qualifiers and should be wary this time. Joachim Low though, has a lot of young players coming through, the likes of Leroy Sane, Joshua Kimmich and Julian Brandt to mention a few. Germany would fancy their chances of not only qualifying from this group, but winning the Euros
POLAND
NORTHERN IRELAND
The 30 year wait to qualify for a major championship is finally over. Northern Ireland surprised everyone by finishing top of their group despite being the lowest seeded team. Not much is expected from Martin O'Neil's side in a very tough group for them but with the way they navigated their way out of a relatively tough qualifying group, fancy them pulling off an upset in France
SLOVAKIA Slovakia just like Wales would be making their first appearance at the European Championship. Jan Kozak's side are on a good run of form and have not lost any of their 6 friendly games after qualifying by finishing second behind Spain The Slovakian team have players with lots of experience. Liverpool's Martin Skrtel is captain of the side and Napoli's Marek Hamsik would clearly be their main player going into the tournament. Slovakia are
Apart from four years ago when they appeared automatically as co-hosts, Ukraine have never made it to a European championship through qualifying. To get to this year's Euros they needed a playoff against Slovenia. There's no Andriy Shevchenko this time for Ukraine but they should not be underestimated. In Sevilla's Yevhen Konoplyanka and Dynamo Kiev's Andriy Yarmolenko, Ukraine have wingers which no defence would want to come up against
In Robert Lewandowski, Poland has one of the deadliest strikers in the world right now. Lewandowski was the highest goalscorer in the qualifiers with 13 goals and he just finished the Bundesliga season with 30 goals. If he is able to continue in such a brilliant run of form; who knows where Poland could get to. Poland is not all about Lewandowski though with the likes of Lukasz Piszczek, Jacob
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GROUP D Spain and Croatia are in the same group once again as Turkey and Czech Republic fancy their chances in the 'Group of Death'
SPAIN Defending European champions Spain are currently experiencing some kind of a
Tipped to finish second behind Spain, the Croats would be hoping for a better Euro outing than in 2012 where despite starting very well they crashed out in the group stage. They come into this one more experienced with Captain Darijo Srna, Lula Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandžukić forming the core of the team. Croatia could be a trap other teams would fall into if they are not careful transitional phase with Xavi, Puyol, David Villa, and Xabi Alonso all out of the team. After the humiliating 5-1 loss to Netherlands, it was clear the Spaniards had been found out. The La Fura Roja have lost their aura but still remains one of the favourites for the title. They can become the first team to win the trophy three times in a row and that should be enough motivation for Vincente Del Bosque's side.
CZECH REPUBLIC
TURKEY The surprise team of group A in the qualifiers, the Czechs were not tipped by anyone to qualify from a group that included 2014 world cup semi-finalists Netherlands, Turkey and Iceland. With a team of dark horses coming to make a statement at the Euros, rule them out at your own peril!
IRELAND
GROUP E
Back in the Euros for the first time since 2008, Turkey faces a tough task of qualifying from this group. Turkey didn't need a playoff to book their place in France; they qualified as the third best team. In Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Arda Turan and Yunus Malli, Turkey pose a real threat going forward and with the experienced Fatih Terim in charge, it would be interesting to see how far Turkey goes
CROATIA
FIFA, It's only fair to say that the Red Devils are not called 'Golden Generation' for nothing, especially when you look at the star studded line up with individual brilliance. Marc Wilmot's side will have another go at a major Tournament after a rather unconvincing World Cup when they fell short at the hands of Argentina in the Quarter Final. This is a team that have yet to impact on a major tournament the way they ought to, especially seeing that this is their first successful qualification since 1984.Surely one of the favourites to win the tournament, the World will be on the eyes of Marc Wilmots and his boys to see how yet again they get along and hopefully we see the brilliant uid football we expect from them. This is where it started for Eden, France remembers him as a nimble dribbler, dazzling runner with an eye for goal. He grew up in Lille and helped them win the Ligue 1 where he was named the League's best player for two consecutive seasons before joining Chelsea.
Arguably the toughest group in the tournament, it's safe to say Belgium are the unluckiest top seeded side, especially when you know you are about facing a 34 year old Zlatan, fresh from a tremendous season in Paris, we all know how the French love Zlatan, well, at least the Parisians do. Not to even talk about a rejuvenated Italian side and the Boys in Green with their Passionate Irish fans. We have to say, this is a Group bound to be Nicknamed the Green Army, this is the mouth watering with Entertainment come third appearance of the Irish at the Euros. the start of the Tournament. In their previous appearances they have Let us now take a close look at each team. failed to get past the group stages, which might soon be a statistic of the past with three teams potentially qualifying from a group. The Irish are ranked number 31 by Ranked 2nd in the World according to
BELGIUM
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FIFA in the current rankings. After Ireland's qualification into the Euros happened in the expense of Bosnia due to the play off, it has become a customary way for the Boys in Green to get in or out of a major Tournament. The Irish team is known for their pragmatic approach and that certainly helped when they beat Germany in the Qualifiers that made them push for a play-off spot. Most will expect Ireland to bow to traditional hierarchy of going out in the Groups, but they have a vast experience in the team. With their fierce fans behind their back, anything is possible. “This man is Capable of terrorising any defence in the world”, Martin O'Neil insisted when describing Shane Long.
Zlatan is their captain, leader and star man. It's so hard not to pick him as the star man, considering how domineering and dazzling he is in front of goal. He had 59 goals in 49 appearances this season and also he was the second highest goal scorer in the Qualifiers, possibility that this might be his last, major tournament. Zlatan can singlehandedly take his team to the round of 16, and if all goes according to plan, who knows, the Eiffel Tower may be replaced with his statue.
have head coach Antonio Conte sweating as the tournament draws closer.
GROUP F Group F is made up of Portugal who are the seeded side, new comers Iceland, Austria who dropped only two points in the qualifiers and Hungary who have had a bright past in the Euros but that was fifty years ago.
PORTUGAL
ITALY
SWEDEN
The blue and yellow as they are affectionate called by their fans will be making a fifth appearance at the Euros. Their first and best appearance was way back in 1992 where they went as far as the semis losing to eventual winners Germany. The Swedish haven't been that glorious since then. Head coach Erik Hamren has been at the helm of affairs since 2009 a period that has seen the Swedish team with some highs and lows as they have made and missed some big tournaments. Sweden narrowly made it to the Euros this summer by beating Denmark in the play-offs 4-3.They have a team capable upsetting the big teams in the group, especially how accustomed the players are building around their Captain Ibrahimovic, if everything works out well; they will be known more than just solid weights.
Losing finalist in 2004 and semi finalist in 2012 where they lost to eventual winners Spain on penalties, the Portuguese have The Gli Azzuri, are one time champions recent pedigree in this tournament. That it (1968) and were the losing finalist of the has also coincided with the rise of one last Euros losing 4-0 to a rampant Spanish Cristiano Ronaldo is really no surprise. side, since then things have gone downhill The Portuguese are clear favourites to win for them. A dismal showing at the world the group and I struggle to see any worthy cup in 2014 where they were dumped out challengers. in the group stages after losing two A lot of talented players are present in the matches brought about a change of Portuguese team, not least triple Ballon coaches but things haven't improved too D'or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. The likes much. The team has laboured for goals, of Andre Gomes, Renato Sanches, and they still have a water tight defence but William Carvalho will add air and steel to goals win you games. Italy is known for its the Portuguese midfield, while old heads tepid starts at major tournaments, but this Bruno Alves, Pepe and Jose Fonte will try Italy side is a rejuvenated side, they to keep the back door locked, something qualified for the tournament as Group H they've been succeeding in doing recently. winners in the qualifiers. Portugal qualified from their group in the Italy is one of the most decorated last five euro championship and should do international teams, they have gone to the so once again. Portugal coach Fernando final 3 times and won the tournament in Santos has been in charge for over 2 years 1968, but last time the Azzuri were in the and has slowly built a solid team who are final, they were humiliated 4-1 by Spain. If hard to breakdown and clinical upfront. one thing should be a major problem, it should be the shortage of high class players in the side. Captain and leader Buffon had a 2015/16 season to remember, arguably his best season for Juventus. Breaking the clean sheet record and signing a contract extension for 2 years. This man doesn't look like retiring anytime soon. A sole survivor from the 2006 World Cup winning team, Buffon will pass 160 caps for his country after making Expect to see a few clean sheets from the his debut in 1997. Injuries to important Portuguese going forward. players such as Marchisio and Verratti means they miss the tournament and lack of fitness for De Rossi and Thiago Motta
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ICELAND
A country of just over 300 hundred thousand people, Iceland shocked a lot of people in qualifying for the Euros and they did so winning home and away against the Netherlands, and finishing ahead of Turkey too. They had a very strong home record and fully deserve their place in the Euros. In that time they also managed to climb over 40 places to occupy number 35 in the world according to FIFA. A very large percentage of the Icelandic team ply their trade in the big leagues, the most famous name in the squad would be Eidur Gudjhonsen who played for a number of years in Chelsea before moving to Barcelona. These days, He is a 37 year old veteran still banging in the goals in Molde. Not too far behind would be Gylfi Sigurdsson the main man of Swansea. They have capable goal scorers in Finnbogason and Bodvarsson both of who ply their trade in the Bundesliga. The Icelandic team were mostly underrated during qualifiers and taught a few teams some lessons in respecting your opponent. They have some in and around the squad but I don't think it would be enough to get out of a tough looking group except maybe they end up as a third best finisher.
AUSTRIA
This is only Austria's second appearance at a European championship, the last being in 2008 where they were joint host and left in the group stages. This time around they arrived in style, not losing a single qualifier drawing one game and winning nine. Considering their group contained Sweden and Russia, which was quite a feat. Austria is currently ranked number 11 by FIFA. The Austrians have a strong core and have shown they are no pushovers. David Alaba, the Bayern defender is one of the stand out players of the team. Marko Arnautovic – the Austrian Zlatan - is another. Captain Christian Fuchs will be looking to lead his team into the next round. Head coach Marcel Koller has been at the helm since 2011, in that time he has
taken the Austrians from minnows to a strong attacking team. The Austrians should have too much for the others in the group bar Portugal. I'd go as far as suggesting it would be a straight shootout between both teams for top spot. The Austrians are a balanced team who have grown together for the past three years and know each other very well.
HUNGARY
The Hungarians arrive at their first tournament in almost 50 years. Ranked number 18 by FIFA, the Hungarians qualified for the Euros in France by beating Norway over two legs. German Head coach Bernd Stock has been in charge of the team for less than a year but was able to steer the team into the Euros. A majority of the Hungarian squad ply their trade in the Hungarian first division, the most notable name in the squad is Zoltan Gera who played for Westbromich Albion and Fulham, he is well into his thirties now but his experience will be incredibly useful for this team. The Hungarians are tough team to breakdown and know themselves well. Head coach Bernd Stock is known to be a fiery character and will do his best to motivate his team to cause an upset. I cannot see the Hungarians doing too much as being in the tournament is already an accomplishment in itself for Hungary.
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T
SWANSONG
he European championship is upon us once again. This is a tournament that has produced some brilliant moments in football history. On the cards, we are certain to have some fantastic football, some unthinkable upsets, and some fatal showings. It is a tournament that promises plot twists and turns greater than the game of thrones series. As usual with each tournament, there are bound to be some unfortunate team being dubbed as favourites (read: the English team), and some fantastic teams resting on the laurels of one man (insert Ronaldo's calm down celebration), but if there's one thing that has never ceased
to be a constant in this tournament, it has got to be talent. This article isn't going to be based on some kids who still have to worry about passing their GSCEs or kids too young and financially unintelligent to understand what a lease is. This article is dedicated to the Veterans, the real men, who by virtue of age, might be going to this tournament for the last time (because THIS IS SPARTA!!!). This year, 16 teams shall be vying for a chance to lay their hands on the prized jewel (Smeagol's PRECIOUS! P-R-E-CI-U-O-S!!!), and we shall be looking at a player from each team that might be playing in their last European Championship.
1. Evra was born in 1981 in Dakar, Senegal. The rest is history that isn't important to this article. He made his debut in August, 2004 in a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. His first European championship was in 2008 and he took part in the last championship as well. A former captain and a very dependable left back; he is the leader in the dressing room and very much a leader on the pitch. He plies his trade with Juventus football club of Italy, and he's a first team player despite having spent most of his supposed best days at Manchester United. He's an energetic fullback, with quality crosses, good tackling and good pace even as he's 35. FUN FACT: Evra developed a knack for scoring goals late in his career and despite double figures in numbers of caps, he's yet to score a goal for the blues (plays reggae). It will definitely give him something to cheer about winning this tournament on home soil. Who knows, he might just score the winning goal in the final. DO YOU KNOW? Evra was the player who led the team's protest at the 2010 world cup despite being captain, after the whole Nicolas Anelka fracas.
2. Jamie Vardy: the 29 year old Leicester forward has had a tremendous year. Some years back he was playing in a non-league side and today he is a premier league winner with Leicester football club, scoring 24 times. His rise to prominence was so remarkable that talks of Wayne Rooney losing his place to him in the English side surfaced. A player with an amazing bust of pace, an incredible work rate and a wicked eye for goals; He is expected to partner Harry Kane in the side, in his first and possibly last Euro tournament for the English side. FUN FACT: Jamie Vardy, after getting signed by Leicester used to show up drunk to training because he had no idea what to do with his life anymore. He has scored a total of 113 goals in a total of 227 club matches, spanning from his old sides FC Halifax, Fleetwood Town to his current side Leicester City. He has been voted players' player of the season for every club he has played for. DID YOU KNOW: if you type the phrase “chat shit, get banged” on Google, every page you click will tell you a thing or two about Jamie Vardy? The phrase was culled from his twitter way before he got this famous and gets tweeted by fans with every goal he scores. No FUCHS given!
3. Sergei Igneshevich: He's a 36 year old centre back who plies his trade with CSKA Moscow. He's been in the Russian national team since 2002. He started all of his team's Euro 2004 qualifiers, scoring 3 goals, but missing the tournament via injury. He's appeared at every other European tournament since then. FUN FACT: Sergei has a career total of 52 goals from 628 club games. DID YOU KNOW? Sergei is only the second Russian after Viktor Onopko to have ever earned 100 caps. Not Andriy Arshavin!
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4. Bastian Schweinsteiger: He currently plies his trade with Manchester United. In his days, he was a midfielder with so much ball playing qualities. His passes were neat and clinical, his work rate was impressive - a Van Gaal favourite. He got his first call up to the senior side in 2004 and he's currently the side's captain. FUN FACT: Bastian originally started as a right winger with Bayern Munich until the arrival of Van Gaal, who turned him into a central midfielder. He has over 100 caps and 23 goals to his name. He's a survivor of the team that came second in the 2008 European championships. DO YOU KNOW? Bastian Schweinsteiger is referred to as Basti by fans because he has a senior brother who also played for Bayern Munich, albeit in the reserve team.
5. Anatoliy Tymoschuk: He is a defensive midfielder cum centre back who plies his trade in Kazakhstan with Kairat football club. He is a UEFA cup and UEFA super cup winner with Zenit St. Petersburg, and a UEFA Champions league winner with Bayern Munich. Tymo is currently the captain of the Ukrainian side. Comfortable with the ball on his feet and he's got a keen eye for ferocious shots. His first participation in the European Championship was in 2012. The first time Ukraine made it to the Euros. FUN FACT: Tymo is the only second player with more than 100 caps for the Ukrainian side after Andriy Shevshencko with more caps than the former AC Milan striker. He has a total of 691 club games with 71 goals to his name. DO YOU KNOW? In 2011, Tymo came on top of a poll to determine the most important player in Ukraine's history of the game. He's the most revered player in Ukrainian football according to the fans of Ukrainian football.
6. Tomas Rosicky: He is a currently a free agent as at the time of writing this article, after playing his last match for Arsenal Football club. An attacking midfielder nicknamed the “little Mozart” for his orchestrating abilities. Blessed with a ferocious fire power, vision and intelligence, Rosicky is a thorn on his day. He made his debut for the national side in 2000 and played in his first Euros the same year. He's 35 now and a lot slower than he used to be, but if his last game for Arsenal is anything to go by, then you should know class is a permanent thing. FUN FACT: He was once the most expensive player in the German Bundesliga after signing for Borussia Dortmund from Sparta Prague. He is also the most expensive Czech player ever exported from the Bundesliga when he signed for Arsenal Football club. Arsene Wenger has dubbed him with all kinds of adulation such as “technically top class”. DO YOU KNOW? He once played guitar during a live performance with a rock band called Tri sestry. He picked up the guitar skills during his time injured.
7. Iker Casillas: He is a goalkeeper who currently plies his trade with FC Porto of Portugal. He's a brilliant, or rather was goalkeeper, with quick reexes and he had a thing for making outrageous saves. He was one time rated as the best goalkeeper in the world – often made it was hard to decide who was better between him and Gigi Buffon. He made his debut for the Spanish side in June 2000 at the age of 19. His first Euros was in Portugal in 2004. FUN FACT: He's appeared in 4 FIFA world cups, and this will be his 4th European championship. He's only second to Raul as the most capped players in Real Madrid history. He's made a record of 167 caps for the national side. He holds the record for the most consecutive votes in the FIFPro World XI as well as UEFA team of the year. DO YOU KNOW? Casillas is the youngest goalkeeper to have ever played in the Champions League final.
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8. Gianluigi Buffon: An Italian international since 1997, Buffon is the legend other goalkeeping legends aspire to be. A Juventus and Italian legend with numerous Serie A titles and a world cup win, his cat like reexes separates him from the rest. In his generation, there's only one goalkeeper who can be mentioned in the same breath as him (Iker Casillas). Buffon first Euros was in the 2004 - he got injured just days before Italy's first game in the 2000 edition. FUN FACT: Buffon holds the record for the most caps for an Italian international. He's also the record clean sheet holder for the Azzuris. He's the most expensive goalkeeper in the world. He has the record of the least goals conceded by a world cup winning goalkeeper with just 2 goals. He is the goalkeeper with the most minutes without conceding goals in the Euros qualifying stage. DO YOU KNOW? While at Parma, Buffon revoked his number one jersey for a number 88 jersey but faced heavy criticism for it, the reason being the numbers significance with the Nazis movement of World War II. He however changed it to a number 77 after carefully researching the meaning. 9. Robbie Keane: He currently plays for MLS side, LA Galaxy. He is a striker mostly remembered for his time at Tottenham. His first cap for the national side was in March 1998. He holds the record of playing the most games for the national side. He is also the national side's highest goalscorer. FUN FACT: Considered one of the golden generation of the Irish side in the 90s, he was part of the team that won the under 18 Euros in Cyprus in 1998. He also partook in the WYC held in Nigeria in 1999. The same tournament a lot of stars made their name known to the world as youngsters, players like Casillas, Pablo Aimar, and Ronaldinho. DO YOU KNOW? Keane is the tenth highest goal scorer in Tottenham's history. 10. Zlatan Ibrahimovic: He is currently a free agent, after choosing not to renew his contract with PSG. He earned his first cap in 2001. His first Euros was at the 2012 edition. The national side's goal scorer, he has 62 goals in 112 appearances. FUN FACT: Zlatan has 392 club career goals in 677 appearances. He's adored by fans over the internet for his arrogance more than his football. A scorer of amazingly good goals, he once dribbled half a team, scoring in the process, in a match for Ajax, after a fracas with then teammate Van Der Vaat. DO YOU KNOW? It is claimed that the reason Zlatan was loaned to AC Milan was because he threatened to beat Guardiola in public after their relationship broke down. 11. Eidur Gudjhonsen: He is a striker cum attacking midfielder for Iceland. A former Chelsea and Barcelona player; he currently plays for Molde football club. He is a well-travelled player but he however spent most of his time in England. He made his debut in 1996, so far earning 84 caps and scoring 25 goals. FUN FACT: Eidur played a total of 387 games and scored 112 goals in England. That era of his career remains his productive time ever. His best season is the 2001-02 season, playing 47 games and scoring 23 goals all at Chelsea. DO YOU KNOW? Eidur used to have a gambling problem, losing about £400,000 in casinos over a five month period in 2003. 12. Ricardo Carvalho: Another ex-Chelsea player on the way out of international football. Ricardo also played for Real Madrid defender but currently plays for Monaco. He made his debut for Portugal in 2003. His first Euros was at the 2004 edition in his home country. He was a finalist losing to surprise winners Greece. His time at Porto under Mourinho shot him into prominence and he established himself as one of the best defenders of his generation while at Chelsea. FUN FACT: He was part of the Mourinho Porto team that won the Champions League, voted the best defender of the tournament. His partnership with John Terry is still regarded as one of the best centre back pairings the premier league has ever seen, helping Chelsea to win their first EPL trophy under Mourinho. DO YOU KNOW? After winning the EPL in the 2003-04 season, Mourinho dropped Carvalho for the first game of the season and he made comments about the decision being incomprehensible, earning him a nasty reply and an £85,000 fine from Mourinho.
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