GROUP A
| TV | Date/time (BST) | Venue | |
| BBC | Fri 8 June, 17:00 | POLAND v GREECE | Warsaw |
| ITV | Fri 8 June, 19:45 | RUSSIA v CZECH REPUBLIC | Wroclaw |
| ITV | Tue 12 June, 17:00 | GREECE v CZECH REPUBLIC | Wroclaw |
| ITV | Tue 12 June, 19:45 | POLAND v RUSSIA | Warsaw |
| BBC | Sat 16 June, 19:45 | CZECH REPUBLIC v POLAND | Wroclaw |
| BBC | Sat 16 June, 19:45 | GREECE v RUSSIA | Warsaw |
POLAND
FIFA ranking: 62
Coach: Franciszek Smuda (since October 2009)
Best performance: 2008 - Group stage
Last appearance: 2008 - Group stage
Qualification:
Automatic as host nation of Euro 2012
Warm-up matches:
22.05.2012 v Latvia (N) W1-0
26.05.2012 v Slovakia (N) W1-0
02.06.2012 v Andorra (H) W4-0
Prediction: Quarter finals
Poland's attempt to qualify for World Cup 2010 was pitiful as they finished fifth in qualifying, ahead of only complete minnows San Marino. Polish football, for a long time seemingly in decline, had reached its lowest ebb. At the time, there were calls from the Poles themselves for their country to give up its hosting rights to Euro 2012 to avoid humiliation but a recent recovery of form and a genial draw have given hope that they may yet make an impression at their home tournament, despite being the lowest ranked of the 16 teams. Robert Lewandowski is a canny outside bet as top scorer while, in midfield, skipper Jakub Blaszczykowski played alongside Lewandowski in Borussia Dortmund's impressive Bundesliga-winning team.
GREECE
Coach: Franciszek Smuda (since October 2009)
Best performance: 2008 - Group stage
Last appearance: 2008 - Group stage
Qualification:
Automatic as host nation of Euro 2012
Warm-up matches:
22.05.2012 v Latvia (N) W1-0
26.05.2012 v Slovakia (N) W1-0
02.06.2012 v Andorra (H) W4-0
Prediction: Quarter finals
Poland's attempt to qualify for World Cup 2010 was pitiful as they finished fifth in qualifying, ahead of only complete minnows San Marino. Polish football, for a long time seemingly in decline, had reached its lowest ebb. At the time, there were calls from the Poles themselves for their country to give up its hosting rights to Euro 2012 to avoid humiliation but a recent recovery of form and a genial draw have given hope that they may yet make an impression at their home tournament, despite being the lowest ranked of the 16 teams. Robert Lewandowski is a canny outside bet as top scorer while, in midfield, skipper Jakub Blaszczykowski played alongside Lewandowski in Borussia Dortmund's impressive Bundesliga-winning team.
GREECE
FIFA ranking: 15
Coach: Fernando Santos (since July 2010)
Best performance: 2004 - Winners
Last appearance: 2008 - Group stage
Qualification:
Winners of Group F (W7 D3 L0 F14 A5 Pts 24)
03.09.2010 v Georgia (H) D1-1
07.09.2010 v Croatia (A) D0-0
08.10.2010 v Latvia (H) W1-0
12.10.2010 v Israel (H) W2-1
26.03.2011 v Malta (A) W1-0
04.06.2011 v Malta (H) W3-1
02.09.2011 v Israel (A) W1-0
06.09.2011 v Latvia (A) D1-1
07.10.2011 v Croatia (H) W2-0
11.10.2011 v Georgia (A) W2-1
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Slovenia (N) D1-1
31.05.2012 v Armenia (N) W1-0
Prediction: Group stages
The stunning Greece triumph in 2004, when they ground out three successive 1-0 wins in the knockout stages, is unsurprisingly still fondly remembered in Athens. Under the same manager Otto Rehhagel at World Cup 2010, Greece were no more expansive - indeed, needing to win the last group game, they were still largely on the back-foot as Argentina won 2-0. Following that defeat, German Rehhagel left the manager's post and was replaced by Portuguese Fernando Santos - but there was little evidence of Latin flair having been added to the Greeks' game in the qualifiers with just 14 goals scored from 10 games.
RUSSIA
FIFA ranking: 13Coach: Fernando Santos (since July 2010)
Best performance: 2004 - Winners
Last appearance: 2008 - Group stage
Qualification:
Winners of Group F (W7 D3 L0 F14 A5 Pts 24)
03.09.2010 v Georgia (H) D1-1
07.09.2010 v Croatia (A) D0-0
08.10.2010 v Latvia (H) W1-0
12.10.2010 v Israel (H) W2-1
26.03.2011 v Malta (A) W1-0
04.06.2011 v Malta (H) W3-1
02.09.2011 v Israel (A) W1-0
06.09.2011 v Latvia (A) D1-1
07.10.2011 v Croatia (H) W2-0
11.10.2011 v Georgia (A) W2-1
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Slovenia (N) D1-1
31.05.2012 v Armenia (N) W1-0
Prediction: Group stages
The stunning Greece triumph in 2004, when they ground out three successive 1-0 wins in the knockout stages, is unsurprisingly still fondly remembered in Athens. Under the same manager Otto Rehhagel at World Cup 2010, Greece were no more expansive - indeed, needing to win the last group game, they were still largely on the back-foot as Argentina won 2-0. Following that defeat, German Rehhagel left the manager's post and was replaced by Portuguese Fernando Santos - but there was little evidence of Latin flair having been added to the Greeks' game in the qualifiers with just 14 goals scored from 10 games.
RUSSIA
Coach: Dick Advocaat (since May 2010)
Best performance: 1960 - Winners (as USSR), 2008 - Semi finals (as Russia)
Last appearance: 2008 - Semi finals
Qualification:
Winners of Group B (W7 D2 L1 F17 A4 Pts 23)
03.09.2010 v Andorra (A) W2-0
07.09.2010 v Slovakia (H) L0-1
08.10.2010 v Republic of Ireland (A) W3-2
12.10.2010 v FYR Macedonia (A) W1-0
26.03.2011 v Armenia (A) D0-0
04.06.2011 v Armenia (H) W3-1
02.09.2011 v FYR Macedonia (H) W1-0
06.09.2011 v Republic of Ireland (H) D0-0
07.10.2011 v Slovakia (A) W1-0
11.10.2011 v Andorra (H) W6-0
Warm-up matches:
25.05.2012 v Uruguay (H) D1-1
29.05.2012 v Lithuania (N) D0-0
01.06.2012 v Italy (N) W3-0
Prediction: Quarter finals
The tendency for Russia to do better at European Championships than World Cups was repeated in the last four year cycle in which Russia followed up a Euro 2008 semi final place by failing to qualify for World Cup 2010. Guus Hiddink left his post after that, only for the Russians to replace him with another Dutchman, Dick Advocaat. The former Rangers boss did well to negotiate a tricky qualifying group which turned into a four-way fight alongside Republic of Ireland, Slovakia and Armenia - and a good draw has given rise to hopes that Russia may perform just as well as again this summer as they did four years ago. Also, the possibility of a meeting with Netherlands at the quarter finals would be one which Russia would revel in, following their 3-1 extra time defeat of the Dutch at the same stage four years ago.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Coach: Michal Bilek (since October 2009)
Best performance: 1976 - Winners (as Czechoslovakia), 1996 - Runners-up (as Czech Republic)
Last appearance: 2008 - Group stage
Qualification:
Runners-up in Group I (W4 D1 L3 F12 A8 Pts 13)
07.09.2010 v Lithuania (H) L0-1
08.10.2010 v Scotland (H) W1-0
12.10.2010 v Liechtenstein (A) W2-0
25.03.2011 v Spain (A) L1-2
29.03.2011 v Liechtenstein (H) W2-0
03.09.2011 v Scotland (A) D2-2
07.10.2011 v Spain (H) L0-2
11.10.2011 v Lithuania (A) W4-1
Playoff matches (won 3-0 on aggregate)
11.11.2011 v Montenegro (H) W2-0
15.11.2011 v Montenegro (A) W1-0
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Israel (N) W2-1
01.06.2012 v Hungary (H) L1-2
Prediction: Group stages
The Czechs have come up with some surprises in the European Championships over the years - beating West Germany on penalties in the 1976 final, and then reaching the Euro 96 final where the Germans got revenge. Their run to the 2004 semis was less of a surprise considering the likes of Pavel Nedved, Jan Koller and Tomas Rosicky were at the top of their game but group stage exits in 2006 and 2008 were followed by a complete failure to qualify for 2010. That prompted the arrival of Michal Bilek and, while he has at least reached the finals at his first attempt, the Czechs were unconvincing qualifiers, winning just four games in the group, two of which came against Liechtenstein. Rosicky remains one of the Czechs better players alongside Petr Cech, Jaroslav Plasil and Milan Baros - but all of them are on the wrong side of 30.
GROUP B
| TV | Date/time (BST) | Venue | |
| BBC | Sat 9 June, 17:00 | NETHERLANDS v DENMARK | Kharkiv |
| BBC | Sat 9 June, 19:45 | GERMANY v PORTUGAL | Lviv |
| ITV | Wed 13 June, 17:00 | DENMARK v PORTUGAL | Lviv |
| BBC | Wed 13 June, 19:45 | NETHERLANDS v GERMANY | Kharkiv |
| ITV | Sun 17 June, 19:45 | PORTUGAL v NETHERLANDS | Kharkiv |
| ITV | Sun 17 June, 19:45 | DENMARK v GERMANY | Lviv |
GERMANY
FIFA ranking: 3
Coach: Joachim Low (since July 2006)
Best performance: 1972, 1980 - Winners (as West Germany), 1996 - Winners (as Germany)
Last appearance: 2008 - Runners-up
Qualification:
Winners of Group A (W10 D0 L0 F34 A7 Pts 30)
03.09.2010 v Belgium (A) W1-0
07.09.2010 v Azerbaijan (H) W6-1
08.10.2010 v Turkey (H) W3-0
12.10.2010 v Kazakhstan (A) W3-0
26.03.2011 v Kazakhstan (H) W4-0
03.06.2011 v Austria (A) W2-1
07.06.2011 v Azerbaijan (A) W3-1
02.09.2011 v Austria (H) W6-2
07.10.2011 v Turkey (A) W3-1
11.10.2011 v Belgium (H) W3-1
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Switzerland (A) L3-5
31.05.2012 v Israel (H) W2-0
Prediction: Winners
Semi finalists at the last two World Cups, and runners-up four years ago in the European Championships - this new generation of Germans are getting closer. Still, you have to go back 16 years for Germany's last success in international football - and, while that sounds like nothing to an Englishman, it is in fact the longest that the Germans have gone between tournament wins since an 18-year gap between 1954 and 1972. But, with Spain showing a few chinks of weakness, Germany appear to be the ideal candidates to win this tournament after they followed up their high-scoring World Cup 2010 wins with an exemplary qualifying performance. The only question, which remains, is: can the likes of Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger succeed in dealing with the pressure of being one of the favourites having failed to do so with Bayern Munich in the Champions League final? I think, with the goals of Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Mario Gomez, they will be fine - and, with games first up against Portugal and Netherlands in a tough Group B, we shall not have long to find out.
PORTUGAL
Coach: Joachim Low (since July 2006)
Best performance: 1972, 1980 - Winners (as West Germany), 1996 - Winners (as Germany)
Last appearance: 2008 - Runners-up
Qualification:
Winners of Group A (W10 D0 L0 F34 A7 Pts 30)
03.09.2010 v Belgium (A) W1-0
07.09.2010 v Azerbaijan (H) W6-1
08.10.2010 v Turkey (H) W3-0
12.10.2010 v Kazakhstan (A) W3-0
26.03.2011 v Kazakhstan (H) W4-0
03.06.2011 v Austria (A) W2-1
07.06.2011 v Azerbaijan (A) W3-1
02.09.2011 v Austria (H) W6-2
07.10.2011 v Turkey (A) W3-1
11.10.2011 v Belgium (H) W3-1
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Switzerland (A) L3-5
31.05.2012 v Israel (H) W2-0
Prediction: Winners
Semi finalists at the last two World Cups, and runners-up four years ago in the European Championships - this new generation of Germans are getting closer. Still, you have to go back 16 years for Germany's last success in international football - and, while that sounds like nothing to an Englishman, it is in fact the longest that the Germans have gone between tournament wins since an 18-year gap between 1954 and 1972. But, with Spain showing a few chinks of weakness, Germany appear to be the ideal candidates to win this tournament after they followed up their high-scoring World Cup 2010 wins with an exemplary qualifying performance. The only question, which remains, is: can the likes of Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger succeed in dealing with the pressure of being one of the favourites having failed to do so with Bayern Munich in the Champions League final? I think, with the goals of Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Mario Gomez, they will be fine - and, with games first up against Portugal and Netherlands in a tough Group B, we shall not have long to find out.
PORTUGAL
FIFA ranking: 10
Coach: Paulo Bento (since September 2010)
Best performance: 2004 - Runners-up
Last appearance: 2008 - Quarter finalists
Qualification:
Runners-up in Group H (W5 D1 L2 F21 A12 Pts 16)
03.09.2010 v Cyprus (H) D4-4
07.09.2010 v Norway (A) L0-1
08.10.2010 v Denmark (H) W3-1
12.10.2010 v Iceland (A) W3-1
04.06.2011 v Norway (H) W1-0
02.09.2011 v Cyprus (A) W4-0
07.10.2011 v Iceland (H) W5-3
11.10.2011 v Denmark (A) L1-2
Playoff matches (won 6-2 on aggregate)
11.11.2011 v Bosnia-Herzegovina (A) D0-0
15.11.2011 v Bosnia-Herzegovina (H) W6-2
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v FYR Macedonia (H) D0-0
02.06.2012 v Turkey (H) L1-3
Prediction: Group stages
There was a serious case of deja vu for Portugal in the Euro 2012 qualifiers as, just like in the preliminaries for World Cup 2010, early struggles undermined better later performances. On both occasions, the Portuguese went on to finish behind group winners Denmark and were condemned to the playoffs, and - just to complete the coincidences - on both occasions, the Portuguese were drawn against Bosnia-Herzegovina. But, having just settled for a pair of 1-0 wins in qualifying for 2010 - this time braces from Cristiano Ronaldo and Helder Postiga helped Portugal smash six past their Bosnian opponents. It just went to show exactly how Portugal can play when they hit top form - but that often relies on how Ronaldo and his former Manchester United team-mate Nani are feeling. Even then, it is often still not enough to off-set a creaky defence.
NETHERLANDS
Coach: Paulo Bento (since September 2010)
Best performance: 2004 - Runners-up
Last appearance: 2008 - Quarter finalists
Qualification:
Runners-up in Group H (W5 D1 L2 F21 A12 Pts 16)
03.09.2010 v Cyprus (H) D4-4
07.09.2010 v Norway (A) L0-1
08.10.2010 v Denmark (H) W3-1
12.10.2010 v Iceland (A) W3-1
04.06.2011 v Norway (H) W1-0
02.09.2011 v Cyprus (A) W4-0
07.10.2011 v Iceland (H) W5-3
11.10.2011 v Denmark (A) L1-2
Playoff matches (won 6-2 on aggregate)
11.11.2011 v Bosnia-Herzegovina (A) D0-0
15.11.2011 v Bosnia-Herzegovina (H) W6-2
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v FYR Macedonia (H) D0-0
02.06.2012 v Turkey (H) L1-3
Prediction: Group stages
There was a serious case of deja vu for Portugal in the Euro 2012 qualifiers as, just like in the preliminaries for World Cup 2010, early struggles undermined better later performances. On both occasions, the Portuguese went on to finish behind group winners Denmark and were condemned to the playoffs, and - just to complete the coincidences - on both occasions, the Portuguese were drawn against Bosnia-Herzegovina. But, having just settled for a pair of 1-0 wins in qualifying for 2010 - this time braces from Cristiano Ronaldo and Helder Postiga helped Portugal smash six past their Bosnian opponents. It just went to show exactly how Portugal can play when they hit top form - but that often relies on how Ronaldo and his former Manchester United team-mate Nani are feeling. Even then, it is often still not enough to off-set a creaky defence.
NETHERLANDS
FIFA ranking: 4
Coach: Bert van Marwijk (since July 2008)
Best performance: 1988 - Winners
Last appearance: 2008 - Quarter finalists
Qualification:
Winners of Group E (W9 D0 L1 F37 A8 Pts 27)
03.09.2010 v San Marino (A) W5-0
07.09.2010 v Finland (H) W2-1
08.10.2010 v Moldova (A) W1-0
12.10.2010 v Sweden (H) W4-1
25.03.2011 v Hungary (A) W4-0
29.03.2011 v Hungary (H) W5-3
02.09.2011 v San Marino (H) W11-0
06.09.2011 v Finland (A) W2-0
07.10.2011 v Moldova (H) W1-0
11.10.2011 v Sweden (A) L2-3
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Bulgaria (H) L1-2
30.05.2012 v Slovakia (H) W2-0
02.06.2012 v Northern Ireland (H) W6-0
Prediction: Semi finals
Netherlands have high hopes of continuing their fine European Championship record in which they have reached at least the last eight of every Euros since winning it in 1988. No further tournament wins have been forthcoming, however, and defeat in the final of World Cup 2010 meant the Dutch were the first country to have lost their first three World Cup Finals. In other words, there is no shortage of motivation for this supremely-talented team which has a particular embarrassment of riches up front. All seasoned Premier League viewers will know about Robin van Persie but Schalke's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar may yet depose him as the central striker. With support from Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt, the Dutch - top-scorers in qualifying - should again score plenty of goals, and that should be enough to get them through a tough opening group. A repeat of the quarter final from four years ago against Russia is a distinct possibility but, again, the Dutch look to have too much scoring prowess this time. Hopefully, another run to the latter stages of a tournament will not be matched by a denigration of their football, as occurred in the World Cup Final where Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel just kicked anything that moved.
DENMARK
Coach: Bert van Marwijk (since July 2008)
Best performance: 1988 - Winners
Last appearance: 2008 - Quarter finalists
Qualification:
Winners of Group E (W9 D0 L1 F37 A8 Pts 27)
03.09.2010 v San Marino (A) W5-0
07.09.2010 v Finland (H) W2-1
08.10.2010 v Moldova (A) W1-0
12.10.2010 v Sweden (H) W4-1
25.03.2011 v Hungary (A) W4-0
29.03.2011 v Hungary (H) W5-3
02.09.2011 v San Marino (H) W11-0
06.09.2011 v Finland (A) W2-0
07.10.2011 v Moldova (H) W1-0
11.10.2011 v Sweden (A) L2-3
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Bulgaria (H) L1-2
30.05.2012 v Slovakia (H) W2-0
02.06.2012 v Northern Ireland (H) W6-0
Prediction: Semi finals
Netherlands have high hopes of continuing their fine European Championship record in which they have reached at least the last eight of every Euros since winning it in 1988. No further tournament wins have been forthcoming, however, and defeat in the final of World Cup 2010 meant the Dutch were the first country to have lost their first three World Cup Finals. In other words, there is no shortage of motivation for this supremely-talented team which has a particular embarrassment of riches up front. All seasoned Premier League viewers will know about Robin van Persie but Schalke's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar may yet depose him as the central striker. With support from Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt, the Dutch - top-scorers in qualifying - should again score plenty of goals, and that should be enough to get them through a tough opening group. A repeat of the quarter final from four years ago against Russia is a distinct possibility but, again, the Dutch look to have too much scoring prowess this time. Hopefully, another run to the latter stages of a tournament will not be matched by a denigration of their football, as occurred in the World Cup Final where Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel just kicked anything that moved.
DENMARK
Coach: Morten Olsen (since July 2000)
Best performance: 1992 - Winners
Last appearance: 2004 - Quarter finalists
Qualification:
Winners of Group H (W6 D1 L1 F15 A6 Pts 19)
07.09.2010 v Iceland (H) W1-0
08.10.2010 v Portugal (A) L1-3
12.10.2010 v Cyprus (H) W2-0
26.03.2011 v Norway (A) D1-1
04.06.2011 v Iceland (A) W2-0
06.09.2011 v Norway (H) W2-0
07.10.2011 v Cyprus (A) W4-1
11.10.2011 v Portugal (H) W2-1
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Brazil (N) L1-3
02.06.2012 v Australia (H) W2-0
Prediction: Group stages
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this Denmark team is its coach, Morten Olsen, who will have been in situ for 12 years by the time the tournament ends. It demonstrates a rarely-seen loyalty in football, both from the Danish FA and Olsen himself, with the Danes have endured plenty of ups and downs in that time. Indeed, a manager at a bigger European country would surely not have held onto his job after successive failures to qualify in 2006 and 2008 - but, despite that bad patch, Olsen's Denmark have generally punched above their weight. Certainly, that has been the case recently with the Danes topping their World Cup 2010 qualifying group ahead of Portugal... and then, for the avoidance of doubt, repeating the feat in the Euro 2012 qualifiers just for good measure. Denmark meet the Portuguese again in these finals but their primary focus will be on their opener against Netherlands, a repeat of a World Cup 2010 group stage match which the Dutch comfortably won 2-0. If Denmark are going to make any impression at all on this tournament, they simply must get off to a better start than that.
GROUP C
| TV | Date/time (BST) | Venue | |
| ITV | Sun 10 June, 17:00 | SPAIN v ITALY | Gdansk |
| ITV | Sun 10 June, 19:45 | IRELAND v CROATIA | Poznan |
| BBC | Thu 14 June, 17:00 | ITALY v CROATIA | Poznan |
| ITV | Thu 14 June, 19:45 | SPAIN v IRELAND | Gdansk |
| BBC | Mon 18 June, 17:00 | CROATIA v SPAIN | Gdansk |
| BBC | Mon 18 June, 19:45 | ITALY v IRELAND | Poznan |
SPAIN
FIFA ranking: 1
Coach: Vicente del Bosque (since July 2008)
Best performance: 1964, 2008 - Winners
Last appearance: 2008 - Winners
Qualification:
Winners of Group I (W8 D0 L0 F26 A6 Pts 24)
03.09.2010 v Liechtenstein (A) W4-0
08.10.2010 v Lithuania (H) W3-1
12.10.2010 v Scotland (A) W3-2
25.03.2011 v Czech Republic (H) W2-1
29.03.2011 v Lithuania (A) W3-1
06.09.2011 v Liechtenstein (H) W6-0
07.10.2011 v Czech Republic (A) W2-0
11.10.2011 v Scotland (H) W3-1
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Serbia (N) W2-0
30.05.2012 v South Korea (N) W4-1
03.06.2012 v China (H) W1-0
Prediction: Runners-up
Spain continued their imposing international record by qualifying for Euro 2012 with a 100% record, though the likes of Scotland, Lithuania and Liechtenstein were never likely to pose much of a threat. The qualification record means Spain are now unbeaten in European Championship football since losing a Euro 2008 qualifier in October 2006 against Sweden - a total of 23 matches. However, Spaniards would do well to remember that no European side has won three consecutive major tournaments - and it seems as if the fates are indeed conspiring against them. A fractured leg has ruled out all-time leading scorer David Villa while the Gerard Pique-Carlos Puyol axis at the back has been broken by a knee injury to the latter. Still, it is hard to feel too sorry for Spain: up front, Villa will be replaced by either Fernando Torres, who was returning to form with Chelsea, or Fernando Llorente, who had it all season for Athletic Bilbao. Meanwhile, in midfield, Xavi and Andres Iniesta will continue to pull the strings and mesmerise the opposition. Consequently, Puyol's injury at the back may be the greater blow. Spain relied on a string of 1-0 victories to win the World Cup, and it might be harder to achieve this time around.
ITALY
Coach: Vicente del Bosque (since July 2008)
Best performance: 1964, 2008 - Winners
Last appearance: 2008 - Winners
Qualification:
Winners of Group I (W8 D0 L0 F26 A6 Pts 24)
03.09.2010 v Liechtenstein (A) W4-0
08.10.2010 v Lithuania (H) W3-1
12.10.2010 v Scotland (A) W3-2
25.03.2011 v Czech Republic (H) W2-1
29.03.2011 v Lithuania (A) W3-1
06.09.2011 v Liechtenstein (H) W6-0
07.10.2011 v Czech Republic (A) W2-0
11.10.2011 v Scotland (H) W3-1
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Serbia (N) W2-0
30.05.2012 v South Korea (N) W4-1
03.06.2012 v China (H) W1-0
Prediction: Runners-up
Spain continued their imposing international record by qualifying for Euro 2012 with a 100% record, though the likes of Scotland, Lithuania and Liechtenstein were never likely to pose much of a threat. The qualification record means Spain are now unbeaten in European Championship football since losing a Euro 2008 qualifier in October 2006 against Sweden - a total of 23 matches. However, Spaniards would do well to remember that no European side has won three consecutive major tournaments - and it seems as if the fates are indeed conspiring against them. A fractured leg has ruled out all-time leading scorer David Villa while the Gerard Pique-Carlos Puyol axis at the back has been broken by a knee injury to the latter. Still, it is hard to feel too sorry for Spain: up front, Villa will be replaced by either Fernando Torres, who was returning to form with Chelsea, or Fernando Llorente, who had it all season for Athletic Bilbao. Meanwhile, in midfield, Xavi and Andres Iniesta will continue to pull the strings and mesmerise the opposition. Consequently, Puyol's injury at the back may be the greater blow. Spain relied on a string of 1-0 victories to win the World Cup, and it might be harder to achieve this time around.
ITALY
FIFA ranking: 12
Coach: Cesare Prandelli (since July 2010)
Best performance: 1968 - Winners
Last appearance: 2008 - Quarter finalists
Qualification:
Winners of Group C (W8 D2 L0 F20 A2 Pts 26)
03.09.2010 v Estonia (A) W2-1
07.09.2010 v Faroe Islands (H) W5-0
08.10.2010 v Northern Ireland (A) D0-0
12.10.2010 v Serbia (H) W3-0 (awarded after crowd trouble by Serbian hooligans)
25.03.2011 v Slovenia (A) W1-0
03.06.2011 v Estonia (H) W3-0
02.09.2011 v Faroe Islands (A) W1-0
06.09.2011 v Slovenia (H) W1-0
07.10.2011 v Serbia (A) D1-1
11.10.2011 v Northern Ireland (H) W3-0
Warm-up match:
01.06.2012 v Russia (N) L0-3
Prediction: Group stages
Italy looked to have recovered well from their humiliating exit at World Cup 2010 when, as defending world champions, they failed to negotiate their way past Paraguay, Slovakia or New Zealand in the group stages. The Azzurri conceded just twice in an unbeaten Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, suggesting that new coach Cesare Prandelli had restored the Italian knack of keeping it tight at the back. Ever since qualification was ensured, however, it has all gone wrong. Three successive friendly defeats would not be so much of a worry if it were not for the fact that Italy failed to score in any of those games. Meanwhile, the latest beating was a 3-0 reverse to Russia came at the end of a week in which Domenico Criscito had to be dropped from the squad having been arrested, along with 18 other Italian league players, for alleged match-fixing. This turmoil can be added to the unpredictability of the forward line of Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano - although no one would surely blame Balotelli for carrying out his threat of walking off the pitch if he is racially abused from the stands. But, with Spain first up, followed by games against Croatia and Ireland - where Italy's record is also patchy - it could all be set up for another underwhelming tournament from the Azzurri. Italy have only won the European Championships once, and that was back in 1968.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Coach: Cesare Prandelli (since July 2010)
Best performance: 1968 - Winners
Last appearance: 2008 - Quarter finalists
Qualification:
Winners of Group C (W8 D2 L0 F20 A2 Pts 26)
03.09.2010 v Estonia (A) W2-1
07.09.2010 v Faroe Islands (H) W5-0
08.10.2010 v Northern Ireland (A) D0-0
12.10.2010 v Serbia (H) W3-0 (awarded after crowd trouble by Serbian hooligans)
25.03.2011 v Slovenia (A) W1-0
03.06.2011 v Estonia (H) W3-0
02.09.2011 v Faroe Islands (A) W1-0
06.09.2011 v Slovenia (H) W1-0
07.10.2011 v Serbia (A) D1-1
11.10.2011 v Northern Ireland (H) W3-0
Warm-up match:
01.06.2012 v Russia (N) L0-3
Prediction: Group stages
Italy looked to have recovered well from their humiliating exit at World Cup 2010 when, as defending world champions, they failed to negotiate their way past Paraguay, Slovakia or New Zealand in the group stages. The Azzurri conceded just twice in an unbeaten Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, suggesting that new coach Cesare Prandelli had restored the Italian knack of keeping it tight at the back. Ever since qualification was ensured, however, it has all gone wrong. Three successive friendly defeats would not be so much of a worry if it were not for the fact that Italy failed to score in any of those games. Meanwhile, the latest beating was a 3-0 reverse to Russia came at the end of a week in which Domenico Criscito had to be dropped from the squad having been arrested, along with 18 other Italian league players, for alleged match-fixing. This turmoil can be added to the unpredictability of the forward line of Mario Balotelli and Antonio Cassano - although no one would surely blame Balotelli for carrying out his threat of walking off the pitch if he is racially abused from the stands. But, with Spain first up, followed by games against Croatia and Ireland - where Italy's record is also patchy - it could all be set up for another underwhelming tournament from the Azzurri. Italy have only won the European Championships once, and that was back in 1968.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
FIFA ranking: 18
Coach: Giovanni Trapattoni (since February 2008)
Best performance: 1988 - Group stage
Last appearance: 1988 - Group stage
Qualification:
Runners-up in Group B (W6 D3 L1 F15 A7 Pts 21)
03.09.2010 v Armenia (A) W1-0
07.09.2010 v Andorra (H) W3-1
08.10.2010 v Russia (H) L2-3
12.10.2010 v Slovakia (A) D1-1
26.03.2011 v FYR Macedonia (H) W2-1
04.06.2011 v FYR Macedonia (A) W2-0
02.09.2011 v Slovakia (H) D0-0
06.09.2011 v Russia (A) D0-0
07.10.2011 v Andorra (A) W2-0
11.10.2011 v Armenia (H) W2-1
Playoff matches (won 5-1 on aggregate)
11.11.2011 v Estonia (A) W4-0
15.11.2011 v Estonia (H) D1-1
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Bosnia-Herzegovina (H) W1-0
04.06.2012 v Hungary (A) D0-0
Prediction: Group stages
While the media and public across the Irish Sea in England wail about perhaps their weakest ever team to qualify, the Republic of Ireland genuinely are just happy to made it back to a finals. This is the Irish's first major tournament since World Cup 2002 and their first European Championship finals since 1988 when a Ray Houghton header embarrassed England in 1-0 win in the group stages. In fairness to Ireland, recently they had been getting closer to qualifying all the time and were denied of a shot at World Cup 2010 only by Thierry Henry's handball for France in the playoffs. Thankfully, there was no controversy in the playoffs this time, as Robbie Keane scored twice in a 4-0 thumping of Estonia away to set up a 5-1 aggregate victory. Despite playing in the relatively sedentary MLS, 31-year-old Keane - the record British and Irish international goalscorer with 53 goals - remains Ireland's biggest threat, with much of the rest of Giovanni Trapattoni's team focused on stopping the other team. Unfortunately, that puts a lot of pressure on the opening game against Croatia as, with Spain up next, it could easily be that Ireland's adventure is over after just two games.
CROATIA
FIFA ranking: 8
Coach: Slaven Bilic (since July 2006)
Best performance: 1996, 2008 - Quarter finalists
Last appearance: 2008 - Quarter finalists
Qualification:
Runners-up in Group F (W7 D1 L2 F18 A7 Pts 22)
03.09.2010 v Latvia (A) W3-0
07.09.2010 v Greece (H) D0-0
09.10.2010 v Israel (A) W2-1
17.11.2010 v Malta (H) W3-0
26.03.2011 v Georgia (A) L0-1
03.06.2011 v Georgia (H) W2-1
02.09.2011 v Malta (A) W3-1
06.09.2011 v Israel (H) W3-1
07.10.2011 v Greece (A) L0-2
11.10.2011 v Latvia (H) W2-0
Playoff matches (won 3-0 on aggregate)
11.11.2011 v Turkey (A) W3-0
15.11.2011 v Turkey (H) D0-0
Warm-up matches:
25.05.2012 v Estonia (H) W3-1
02.06.2012 v Norway (A) D1-1
Prediction: Quarter finals
Slaven Bilic will say goodbye to the Croatia job after this tournament, bringing the curtain down on six topsy-turvy years. Bilic's reign started well when a famous 3-2 victory over England at Wembley helped Croatia qualify for Euro 2008. However, it is almost as if the Croatians have never recovered from the incredible last-minute defeat to Turkey in the quarter finals of that tournament. Bilic's men failed to qualify for World Cup 2010 and were generally unconvincing in qualifying for Euro 2012. Still, they did make it after an impressive revenge win in Turkey and, with Ireland unfancied and Italy having problems of their own, it could yet mean coach Bilic bows out on a relative high.
Coach: Giovanni Trapattoni (since February 2008)
Best performance: 1988 - Group stage
Last appearance: 1988 - Group stage
Qualification:
Runners-up in Group B (W6 D3 L1 F15 A7 Pts 21)
03.09.2010 v Armenia (A) W1-0
07.09.2010 v Andorra (H) W3-1
08.10.2010 v Russia (H) L2-3
12.10.2010 v Slovakia (A) D1-1
26.03.2011 v FYR Macedonia (H) W2-1
04.06.2011 v FYR Macedonia (A) W2-0
02.09.2011 v Slovakia (H) D0-0
06.09.2011 v Russia (A) D0-0
07.10.2011 v Andorra (A) W2-0
11.10.2011 v Armenia (H) W2-1
Playoff matches (won 5-1 on aggregate)
11.11.2011 v Estonia (A) W4-0
15.11.2011 v Estonia (H) D1-1
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Bosnia-Herzegovina (H) W1-0
04.06.2012 v Hungary (A) D0-0
Prediction: Group stages
While the media and public across the Irish Sea in England wail about perhaps their weakest ever team to qualify, the Republic of Ireland genuinely are just happy to made it back to a finals. This is the Irish's first major tournament since World Cup 2002 and their first European Championship finals since 1988 when a Ray Houghton header embarrassed England in 1-0 win in the group stages. In fairness to Ireland, recently they had been getting closer to qualifying all the time and were denied of a shot at World Cup 2010 only by Thierry Henry's handball for France in the playoffs. Thankfully, there was no controversy in the playoffs this time, as Robbie Keane scored twice in a 4-0 thumping of Estonia away to set up a 5-1 aggregate victory. Despite playing in the relatively sedentary MLS, 31-year-old Keane - the record British and Irish international goalscorer with 53 goals - remains Ireland's biggest threat, with much of the rest of Giovanni Trapattoni's team focused on stopping the other team. Unfortunately, that puts a lot of pressure on the opening game against Croatia as, with Spain up next, it could easily be that Ireland's adventure is over after just two games.
CROATIA
FIFA ranking: 8
Coach: Slaven Bilic (since July 2006)
Best performance: 1996, 2008 - Quarter finalists
Last appearance: 2008 - Quarter finalists
Qualification:
Runners-up in Group F (W7 D1 L2 F18 A7 Pts 22)
03.09.2010 v Latvia (A) W3-0
07.09.2010 v Greece (H) D0-0
09.10.2010 v Israel (A) W2-1
17.11.2010 v Malta (H) W3-0
26.03.2011 v Georgia (A) L0-1
03.06.2011 v Georgia (H) W2-1
02.09.2011 v Malta (A) W3-1
06.09.2011 v Israel (H) W3-1
07.10.2011 v Greece (A) L0-2
11.10.2011 v Latvia (H) W2-0
Playoff matches (won 3-0 on aggregate)
11.11.2011 v Turkey (A) W3-0
15.11.2011 v Turkey (H) D0-0
Warm-up matches:
25.05.2012 v Estonia (H) W3-1
02.06.2012 v Norway (A) D1-1
Prediction: Quarter finals
Slaven Bilic will say goodbye to the Croatia job after this tournament, bringing the curtain down on six topsy-turvy years. Bilic's reign started well when a famous 3-2 victory over England at Wembley helped Croatia qualify for Euro 2008. However, it is almost as if the Croatians have never recovered from the incredible last-minute defeat to Turkey in the quarter finals of that tournament. Bilic's men failed to qualify for World Cup 2010 and were generally unconvincing in qualifying for Euro 2012. Still, they did make it after an impressive revenge win in Turkey and, with Ireland unfancied and Italy having problems of their own, it could yet mean coach Bilic bows out on a relative high.
GROUP D
| TV | Date/time (BST) | Venue | |
| ITV | Mon 11 June, 17:00 | FRANCE v ENGLAND | Donetsk |
| BBC | Mon 11 June, 19:45 | UKRAINE v SWEDEN | Kiev |
| ITV | Fri 15 June, 17:00 | UKRAINE v FRANCE | Donetsk |
| BBC | Fri 15 June, 19:45 | SWEDEN v ENGLAND | Kiev |
| ITV | Tue 19 June, 19:45 | ENGLAND v UKRAINE | Donetsk |
| ITV | Tue 19 June, 19:45 | SWEDEN v FRANCE | Kiev |
UKRAINE
FIFA ranking: 52
Coach: Oleg Blokhin (since April 2011)
Best performance: n/a. Ukraine make their European Championship debut at Euro 2012.
Last appearance: n/a
Qualification:
Automatic as host nation of Euro 2012
Warm-up matches:
28.05.2012 v Estonia (N) W4-0
01.06.2012 v Austria (A) L2-3
05.06.2012 v Turkey (N) L0-2
Prediction: Group stage
Ukraine could not have asked for a much worse build-up to their home international tournament than has happened. Successive defeats to Austria and Turkey have raised doubts over whether the hosts can compete at Europe's top table, and the mood in the squad was further damaged by a bout of food poisoning which affected 10 of the players during the second of those losses. Still, the likes of Andriy Shevchenko and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk are expected to make a full recovery for Ukraine's vital opener against Sweden. With group favourites France as the second game, it seems imperative that the hosts get off to a good start before then trying to come out on top in a winner-takes-all final group match against England. Ukraine had a remarkable run to the quarter finals of World Cup 2006 in Oleg Blokhin's previous spell in charge but, despite home advantage, he will do well to repeat that feat this time.
SWEDEN
Coach: Oleg Blokhin (since April 2011)
Best performance: n/a. Ukraine make their European Championship debut at Euro 2012.
Last appearance: n/a
Qualification:
Automatic as host nation of Euro 2012
Warm-up matches:
28.05.2012 v Estonia (N) W4-0
01.06.2012 v Austria (A) L2-3
05.06.2012 v Turkey (N) L0-2
Prediction: Group stage
Ukraine could not have asked for a much worse build-up to their home international tournament than has happened. Successive defeats to Austria and Turkey have raised doubts over whether the hosts can compete at Europe's top table, and the mood in the squad was further damaged by a bout of food poisoning which affected 10 of the players during the second of those losses. Still, the likes of Andriy Shevchenko and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk are expected to make a full recovery for Ukraine's vital opener against Sweden. With group favourites France as the second game, it seems imperative that the hosts get off to a good start before then trying to come out on top in a winner-takes-all final group match against England. Ukraine had a remarkable run to the quarter finals of World Cup 2006 in Oleg Blokhin's previous spell in charge but, despite home advantage, he will do well to repeat that feat this time.
SWEDEN
FIFA ranking: 17
Coach: Erik Hamren (since November 2009)
Best performance: 1992 - Semi finalists
Last appearance: 2008 - Group stage
Qualification:
Best runners-up in Group E (W8 D0 L2 F31 A11 Pts 24)
03.09.2010 v Hungary (H) W2-0
07.09.2010 v San Marino (H) W6-0
12.10.2010 v Netherlands (A) L1-4
29.03.2011 v Moldova (H) W2-1
03.06.2011 v Moldova (A) W4-1
07.06.2011 v Finland (H) W5-0
02.09.2011 v Hungary (A) L1-2
06.09.2011 v San Marino (A) W5-0
07.10.2011 v Finland (A) W2-1
11.10.2011 v Netherlands (H) W3-2
Warm-up matches:
30.05.2012 v Iceland (H) W3-2
05.06.2012 v Serbia (H) W2-1
Prediction: Group stages
Sweden's new coach Erik Hamren has tried to cast off his country's doughty reputation by setting his team up with a more attacking formation in the qualifiers. It seemed to have worked with 31 goals plundered meaning that, although the Swedes did not win their group, they avoided having to go through the dreaded playoffs. In Johan Elmander, Sweden have finally found a player with which to partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic who himself can be a world-beater on his day. However, like Ibrahimovic, Hamren's Sweden can be infuriatingly inconsistent and, in the 1-0 defeat to England last autumn, the Swedes showed none of this apparent attacking threat. Meanwhile, a couple of other defeats under Hamren - to Denmark and Hungary - suggest it is doubtful that Sweden will improve on their group stage exit from four years ago.
FRANCE
FIFA ranking: 14
Coach: Laurent Blanc (since July 2010)
Best performance: 1984, 2000 - Winners
Last appearance: 2008 - Group stage
Qualification:
Winners of Group D (W6 D3 L1 F15 A4 Pts 21)
03.09.2010 v Belarus (H) L0-1
07.09.2010 v Bosnia-Herzegovina (A) W2-0
09.10.2010 v Romania (H) W2-0
12.10.2010 v Luxembourg (H) W2-0
25.03.2011 v Luxembourg (A) W2-0
03.06.2011 v Belarus (A) D1-1
02.09.2011 v Albania (A) W2-1
06.09.2011 v Romania (A) D0-0
07.10.2011 v Albania (H) W3-0
11.10.2011 v Bosnia-Herzegovina (H) D1-1
Warm-up matches:
27.05.2012 v Iceland (H) W3-2
31.05.2012 v Serbia (H) W2-0
05.06.2012 v Estonia (H) W4-0
Prediction: Semi finals
Two years ago, France had reached an incredible nadir. Player strikes and poor performances saw Les Bleus bow out of a major tournament at the group stages for a second tournament in a row. That was the only similarity, though - World Cup 2010 was much, much worse than Euro 2008. For a start, in the Euros, France had been drawn into a tough group anyway featuring Italy and Netherlands; in the World Cup, they failed to get past Mexico and South Africa. More worrying was the prevalance of older players in the squad who were well-past their prime. It was quite audacious then that, when new coach Laurent Blanc selected his first squad after the World Cup, he chose none of the players who had gone to South Africa. Blanc, a legend after the 1998 World Cup win, actually came under pressure early in his reign with the French beaten 1-0 at home by Belarus in the qualifiers. But, from then on, France have played with great assurance to rack up the longest current unbeaten streak in international football. Following the three warm-up matches, featuring nine goals, the run now stands at 21 games, and the likes of Karim Benzema, Samir Nasri and Hatem Ben Arfa look ready to explode on the international stage. That leaves just concerns at the back where neither Philippe Mexes nor Adil Rami convince in the middle. Patrice Evra, who is no spring chicken aged 31, has also shown signs of being exposed at left-back for Manchester United this season.
ENGLAND
FIFA ranking: 6
Coach: Roy Hodgson (since May 2012)
Best performance: 1968, 1996 - Semi finalists
Last appearance: 2004 - Quarter finalists
Qualification:
Winners of Group G (W5 D3 L0 F17 A5 Pts 18)
03.09.2010 v Bulgaria (H) W4-0
07.09.2010 v Switzerland (A) W3-1
12.10.2010 v Montenegro (H) D0-0
26.03.2011 v Wales (A) W2-0
04.06.2011 v Switzerland (H) D2-2
02.09.2011 v Bulgaria (A) W3-0
06.09.2011 v Wales (H) W1-0
07.10.2011 v Montenegro (A) D2-2
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Norway (A) W1-0
02.06.2012 v Belgium (H) W1-0
Prediction: Quarter finals
England's campaign came off the rails before it had even started when Fabio Capello made an abrupt departure in February following a disagreement over the FA's decision to strip John Terry of the captaincy for a second time after he had allegedly racially abused Anton Ferdinand. The fact that Terry has still made new manager Roy Hodgson's squad - while Anton's brother Rio remains unpicked, despite a spate of injuries - has become a talking point in itself with Rio's representatives suggesting he has been shown "a total lack of respect". A bigger issue is England's lack of goal threat in the absence of suspended talisman Wayne Rooney who idiotically got himself sent off in the final qualifier against Montenegro. Andy Carroll is favourite to be played up front on his own despite just four league goals last season - and even Rooney has not scored at a tournament finals since Euro 2004. Perhaps, it will be the pace of Manchester United pair Ashley Young and Danny Welbeck which will get England out of trouble, especially if - as expected - they set up with the aim of containing the opposition. This certainly looked to be the case in the recent 1-0 wins over Norway and Belgium in the warm-up matches - but, even with defensive tactics, England's ball retention must improve if they are ever to compete with the likes of Spain in the latter stages.
Coach: Erik Hamren (since November 2009)
Best performance: 1992 - Semi finalists
Last appearance: 2008 - Group stage
Qualification:
Best runners-up in Group E (W8 D0 L2 F31 A11 Pts 24)
03.09.2010 v Hungary (H) W2-0
07.09.2010 v San Marino (H) W6-0
12.10.2010 v Netherlands (A) L1-4
29.03.2011 v Moldova (H) W2-1
03.06.2011 v Moldova (A) W4-1
07.06.2011 v Finland (H) W5-0
02.09.2011 v Hungary (A) L1-2
06.09.2011 v San Marino (A) W5-0
07.10.2011 v Finland (A) W2-1
11.10.2011 v Netherlands (H) W3-2
Warm-up matches:
30.05.2012 v Iceland (H) W3-2
05.06.2012 v Serbia (H) W2-1
Prediction: Group stages
Sweden's new coach Erik Hamren has tried to cast off his country's doughty reputation by setting his team up with a more attacking formation in the qualifiers. It seemed to have worked with 31 goals plundered meaning that, although the Swedes did not win their group, they avoided having to go through the dreaded playoffs. In Johan Elmander, Sweden have finally found a player with which to partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic who himself can be a world-beater on his day. However, like Ibrahimovic, Hamren's Sweden can be infuriatingly inconsistent and, in the 1-0 defeat to England last autumn, the Swedes showed none of this apparent attacking threat. Meanwhile, a couple of other defeats under Hamren - to Denmark and Hungary - suggest it is doubtful that Sweden will improve on their group stage exit from four years ago.
FRANCE
FIFA ranking: 14
Coach: Laurent Blanc (since July 2010)
Best performance: 1984, 2000 - Winners
Last appearance: 2008 - Group stage
Qualification:
Winners of Group D (W6 D3 L1 F15 A4 Pts 21)
03.09.2010 v Belarus (H) L0-1
07.09.2010 v Bosnia-Herzegovina (A) W2-0
09.10.2010 v Romania (H) W2-0
12.10.2010 v Luxembourg (H) W2-0
25.03.2011 v Luxembourg (A) W2-0
03.06.2011 v Belarus (A) D1-1
02.09.2011 v Albania (A) W2-1
06.09.2011 v Romania (A) D0-0
07.10.2011 v Albania (H) W3-0
11.10.2011 v Bosnia-Herzegovina (H) D1-1
Warm-up matches:
27.05.2012 v Iceland (H) W3-2
31.05.2012 v Serbia (H) W2-0
05.06.2012 v Estonia (H) W4-0
Prediction: Semi finals
Two years ago, France had reached an incredible nadir. Player strikes and poor performances saw Les Bleus bow out of a major tournament at the group stages for a second tournament in a row. That was the only similarity, though - World Cup 2010 was much, much worse than Euro 2008. For a start, in the Euros, France had been drawn into a tough group anyway featuring Italy and Netherlands; in the World Cup, they failed to get past Mexico and South Africa. More worrying was the prevalance of older players in the squad who were well-past their prime. It was quite audacious then that, when new coach Laurent Blanc selected his first squad after the World Cup, he chose none of the players who had gone to South Africa. Blanc, a legend after the 1998 World Cup win, actually came under pressure early in his reign with the French beaten 1-0 at home by Belarus in the qualifiers. But, from then on, France have played with great assurance to rack up the longest current unbeaten streak in international football. Following the three warm-up matches, featuring nine goals, the run now stands at 21 games, and the likes of Karim Benzema, Samir Nasri and Hatem Ben Arfa look ready to explode on the international stage. That leaves just concerns at the back where neither Philippe Mexes nor Adil Rami convince in the middle. Patrice Evra, who is no spring chicken aged 31, has also shown signs of being exposed at left-back for Manchester United this season.
ENGLAND
FIFA ranking: 6
Coach: Roy Hodgson (since May 2012)
Best performance: 1968, 1996 - Semi finalists
Last appearance: 2004 - Quarter finalists
Qualification:
Winners of Group G (W5 D3 L0 F17 A5 Pts 18)
03.09.2010 v Bulgaria (H) W4-0
07.09.2010 v Switzerland (A) W3-1
12.10.2010 v Montenegro (H) D0-0
26.03.2011 v Wales (A) W2-0
04.06.2011 v Switzerland (H) D2-2
02.09.2011 v Bulgaria (A) W3-0
06.09.2011 v Wales (H) W1-0
07.10.2011 v Montenegro (A) D2-2
Warm-up matches:
26.05.2012 v Norway (A) W1-0
02.06.2012 v Belgium (H) W1-0
Prediction: Quarter finals
England's campaign came off the rails before it had even started when Fabio Capello made an abrupt departure in February following a disagreement over the FA's decision to strip John Terry of the captaincy for a second time after he had allegedly racially abused Anton Ferdinand. The fact that Terry has still made new manager Roy Hodgson's squad - while Anton's brother Rio remains unpicked, despite a spate of injuries - has become a talking point in itself with Rio's representatives suggesting he has been shown "a total lack of respect". A bigger issue is England's lack of goal threat in the absence of suspended talisman Wayne Rooney who idiotically got himself sent off in the final qualifier against Montenegro. Andy Carroll is favourite to be played up front on his own despite just four league goals last season - and even Rooney has not scored at a tournament finals since Euro 2004. Perhaps, it will be the pace of Manchester United pair Ashley Young and Danny Welbeck which will get England out of trouble, especially if - as expected - they set up with the aim of containing the opposition. This certainly looked to be the case in the recent 1-0 wins over Norway and Belgium in the warm-up matches - but, even with defensive tactics, England's ball retention must improve if they are ever to compete with the likes of Spain in the latter stages.
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