Euro 2008 Countdown – less than 2 weeks to go
With just 2 weeks to go now the cream of Europe’s footballing nations are gearing up for the European Championships in Austria and Switzerland.
The fact none of the Home Nations have managed to qualify has put a dampener on the tournament for the majority of the United Kingdom’s population, but let us not get away from the fact that true football fans will still be tuning in for a feast of great action between June 7-29.
Sixteen countries divided into four groups will go head-to-head to become the pride of Europe for another four years as Greece, who stunned the football betting world in 2004, return to defend their crown.
In the weeks ahead of the big kick-off on June 7 when co-hosts Switzerland face the Czech Republic at St Jakob Park in Basel, I have assessed the teams in each of the four groups and looked at their prospects of lifting a new version of the Henri Delaunay trophy which has been created for the Euro 2008 tournament (see links at the end of this article).
The Swiss have only qualified for the European Championships twice before, but could fancy their chances with home advantage. However they have a tough Group A to negotiate as a Czech Republic side with a host of Premier League stars such as Chelsea keeper Petr Cech, Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky, Reading defender Marek Matejovsky and Portsmouth hitman Milan Baros will look to go one better than the semi-finals last time out.
Euro 2004 finalists Portugal also line up in Group A with Cristiano Ronaldo aiming to inspire them to glory, while a decent Turkey outfit make up the quartet.
It is fellow hosts Austria’s first appearance in the European Championships since it started in 1960 and they will face three-times winners Germany in Group B, who will be skippered by Chelsea’s Michael Ballack.
Croatia, who qualified as winners of England’s group, will hope Slaven Bilic can guide them past the first round this time, although the loss of Arsenal’s Eduardo da Silva to a badly broken leg will be a huge blow to their aspirations. Poland, who won Portugal’s qualifying group, cannot be ruled out of the equation in Group B.
Every tournament has a ‘Group of Death’ and that sums up Group C in the Euro 2008 betting stakes.
Reigning world champions Italy, now led by Roberto Donandoni, will now aim to become kings of Europe with their hopes resting on the likes of captain Fabio Cannavaro and striker Luca Toni.
However they must get past 1998 world champions and Euro 2000 winners France, who boast a number of star names such as Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, David Trezeguet, Franck Ribery and Lilian Thuram, who already has a mammoth 137 caps to his name.The Netherlands have always threatened to emulate their Euro 88 success in recent years and they will be confident in Austria and Switzerland with prolific hitmen Ruud van Nistelrooy, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Celtic’s Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Arsenal’s Robin van Persie all available to coach Marco van Basten.
Euro 2000 quarter-finalists Romania make up Group C and they are more than capable of creating a problem for the three big guns up against them.
Reigning champions Greece will start in Group D and still have a number of players who guided them to glory in Portugal four years ago, including silver-haired goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis and skipper Angelos Basinas. They will be up against perennial under-achievers Spain, along with Sweden and Russia, who secured a place in the tournament courtesy of England succumbing 3-2 against Croatia at Wembley last November.
Let’s get the ball rolling on your thoughts of who will come out on top this summer. Will there be another Greece who came from nowhere to stun Europe four years ago or will one of the big guns come through and take the trophy?Will Cristiano Ronaldo follow up his amazing scoring feats in the Premier League and take the Golden Boot or will Luca Ton be top man?
Euro 2008 Previews
- Euro 2008 Countdown – Group A: Swiss to get rolled on home turf
- Euro 2008 Countdown: Group B – German efficiency to lead the way
- Euro 2008 Countdown: Group C – Dracula’s Boys to struggle in ‘Group of Death’
- Euro 2008 Countdown: Group D – Holders Greece won’t slip up in ’08
Also see:
- Euro 2008 Fantasy Football
- Euro 2008 Fixtures
- Euro 2008 Kits
- The All-Star Euro 2008 XI
- More Euro 2008 News
Written by Craig Smithson, a professional sports writer who blogs about football betting at Betfair.
Topics: Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, European Championships, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey
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portugal will win…they have great team play and ronaldo of course
April 22nd, 2008 @ 13:41I’m not looking forwards to these Euro finals due to no England or any obvious team I want to win. I’ll may be go for supporting whoever Germany and France are playing
May 27th, 2008 @ 14:13Portugal doesn’t have a left-back or a world class striker.
France, Italy, Germany and Netherlands are the best teams!
May 27th, 2008 @ 20:07David Trezeguet isn’t in the squad for gods sake!
May 27th, 2008 @ 20:24Fateh, no need to get stressed my good friend. The article above was initially put on Soccerlens long before Raymond Domenech dropped the bombshell of leaving Trezeguet out of the provisional 30-man squad. However keep an eye out for Saint-Etienne’s Bafetimbi Gomis who scored twice on his debut for France against Ecuador this week.
May 28th, 2008 @ 11:59I personally hope this tournament becomes an abject failure. Yes, bitter! and twisted! but proud of my country. The fundamental part of England not qualifying falls firmly at the players and McLaren, no doubt. I cannot bear to even talk about Euro 2008, for fear of erupting into a temper tantrum of massive proportions. Why oh why did they not qualify? TWICE they where actually in the finals, when 1-0 up against Russia and when 2-2 against Croatia. For a few years now we’ve just needed a bit of luck.
Now Sepp Blatter may have had his little weep and moan privately about lost sponsorship and revenue, but I urge him to do something about it. I have just read about the history of the tournament and found that it has humble beginnings, but it’s sole purpose now is to make money for Uefa, along with the Champs League.
Now England haven’t got a God given right to be in the finals, so the others say. But I’ll let you know my opinion, which is this. Take a leaf out of Cricket, both Rugby codes and many other sports. Tournaments have the ‘best’ (loose term) teams even if they are playing absolute pants, take England RFU last year, That tournament was a fantastic success all of the top teams playing at the sharp end, even though they were playing rubbish. Commercially succesful.
Uefa can not afford to ruin their potential reputation by not allowing the teams into the finals who commercially are the best, After all the hosts qualify automatically and everyone acccepts it as said. My proposal is Germany, France, England, Spain, Holland, Greece, Denmark and Italy all who have have won Major Tournaments should at least get a Bye, funny how they are all the major economies (Football is a business at top level, ask Chelsea & Man Utd) extend the size of the tourney to 24 teams (like the World Cup was) then create the same 16 teams 1 hosts and 15 qualifiers, Have a 24 team final like the old World Cup style 6 x 4 then quarters and semis, etc. Extends the Tournament to more minor nations, creates more revenue and keeps the super powers happy, plus more importantly the fans. I BELEIVE THIS WILL definatly have to HAPPEN ONE DAY, you heard it here first.
May 29th, 2008 @ 13:02