Group A - Turkey
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 10:30AM

Population: 70 million

Best performance: Quarter-finals in Euro 2000

Support them because: They have been managed by five Brits, the last being Jimmy McCormack who left the job in 1951 – admittedly some time before they started qualifying for the big tournaments

Manager: Known as “The Emperor” in his homeland, Fatih Terim transformed the 1980s whipping boys into a world force, leading them to their first-ever major finals at Euro 96. A coach very much in demand, he went on to manage Galatasaray, Fiorentina and AC Milan before returning to the national job in 2005.

Premier League star: After a slow start at Middlesbrough, striker Tuncay Sanli has begun to win over the Riverside crowd (when they bother to turn up) with his impressive hold-up play and eye for goal. An experienced international with almost 50 caps, his versatility will be vital to Terim’s plans.

Heading our way? Nihat Kahveci enjoyed a fruitful season in the Primera Liga with Villarreal having first come to attention at Besiktas and then Real Sociedad where he plundered 52 goals in 115 appearances. Primarily a striker, he can also attack from deep with great effect.

Team tactics: Averaging over two goals a game in qualifying, the current crop of Turkish stars have obviously been heavily influenced by coach Terim’s attacking philosophy. However, the coach needs to find a settled side before the tournament starts if they are to make an impression.

How they qualified: With great difficulty has to be the short answer. After cruising to three victories in their first three games without conceding a goal and then hammering bitter rivals Greece 4-1 in Athens, things started to go pear-shaped as they picked up only one win in their next six. But just as qualification looked beyond them, they scored a crucial 2-1 away win over rivals Norway and sealed qualification with a 1-0 home win over Bosnia.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Demirel (Fenerbahce), Recber (Besiktas), Zengin (Trabzonspor).

Defenders: Sarıoglu (Galatasaray), Zan (Besiktas), Asık (Galatasaray), Cetin (Galatasaray), Balta (Galatasaray), Boral (Fenerbahce), Gungor (Galatasaray).

Midfielders: Aurelio (Fenerbahce), Topal (Galatasaray), Emre (Newcastle United), Metin (Larissa), Altıntop (Bayern Munich), Akman (Galatasaray), Turan (Galatasaray), Tuncay (Middlesbrough), Kazım (Fenerbahce), Karadeniz (Rubin Kazan).

Forwards: Kahveci (Villarreal), Senturk (Fenerbahce), Erding (FC Sochaux-Montbeliard).

Odds: To win Group A 13-2; To win Euro 2008 28-1

Group A - Portugal
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 10:39AM

Population: 10.8 million

Best performance: Runners-up at Euro

Support them because: If you look in your history books, you will discover that the good people of Portugal are our oldest allies with the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance being signed in 1373.

Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari? Heard of him? The Gene Hackman lookalike could have been leading England in Austria and Switzerland if the FA had been a bit more subtle and the English media hadn’t parked their tanks on his Portuguese lawn. But strange as it may seem, his stock in Portugal is on the decline after his side failed to hit their peak in qualifying, leading to rumours that he could take over at Manchester City next season.

Premier League star: Bit of a no-brainer this one as it has to be Cristiano Ronaldo. The mercurial magician of Manchester is enjoying his best-ever season at Old Trafford, scoring goals for fun and scaring the life out of defenders. Now needs to stamp his authority on the international stage.

Heading our way? Hugo Almeida is as close as you will get to a traditional English-style centre-forward in the Portuguese side. Currently plying his trade with Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, at 6ft 3in he’s powerful in the air and surprises many defenders with his swift turn of foot.

Team tactics: Despite the presence of Ronaldo, Deco and a host of other attack-minded players at his disposal, Scolari has always been a defence-minded coach who prefers to play counter-attacking football. However, with Ronaldo at the peak of his powers, this could well change come the summer.

How they qualified: Beginning their campaign just months after reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup, the Portuguese were expected to cruise but it didn’t prove so easy as they scraped into second place behind Poland. Qualification was only achieved when they battled to a goalless draw against Roy Hodgson’s Finland in their final match.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Ricardo (Real Betis), Quim (Benfica), Patricio (Sporting Lisbon).

Defenders: Ferreira (Chelsea), Carvalho (Chelsea), Bosingwa (FC Porto), Alves (Porto), Ribeiro (Boavista), Miguel (Valencia), Meira (VfB Stuttgart), Pepe (Real Madrid).

Midfielders: Petit (Benfica), Deco (Barcelona), Meireles (Porto), Veloso (Sporting Lisbon), Moutinho (Lisbon).

Forwards: Gomes (Benfica), Sabrosa (Atletico Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Nani (Manchester United), Almeida (Werder Bremen), Quaresma (Porto), Postiga (Panathinaikos).

Odds: To win Group A 11-10; To win Euro 2008 15-2.

Group A - Czech Republic
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 10:37AM

Population: 10 million

Best performance: Runners-up at Euro 96 (Winners as part of Czechoslovakia in 1976).

Support them because: They beat Germany 3-0 in Munich during qualifying, rekindling memories of a certain 5-1 away win in the same stadium in 2001.

Manager: Despite leading his nation to the top of their qualifying group, these are tough times for 68-year-old Karel Bruckner. Criticised for sticking with the old guard and ignoring the bright young things of Czech football, rumours are former Germany captain Lothar Matthaus is already lined-up to take over no matter what happens in the summer.

Premier League star: Arsenal’s Tomas Rosicky is the current national skipper, but it’s Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech who is such a fine last line of defence for both club and country. A towering presence, he is an impressive shot stopper who also breeds confidence in the men in front of him.

Heading our way? Zdenek Grygera was linked with a move to Tottenham during the summer of 2007 before deciding his immediate future lay with Juventus. An attacking right-back who can also play in the centre, his aggressive style would be a sure-fire winner with Premier League fans.

Team tactics: Beware, this is not a vintage Czech team. The trickery of Pavel Nedved and Karel Poborsky are distant memories and the new breed of players are more Jermaine Jenas than Cristiano Ronaldo. However, with Milan Baros and Jan Koller (good touch for a big man) up front, they will always threaten goals.

How they qualified: Sealing top spot in a group which also contained Germany is no mean feat, but talk to those who know, and they’ll tell you the Czechs were far from impressive. Group rivals Ireland, Slovakia and Wales were teams in transition and the victory in Munich came against a German team who had already qualified and, if rumours are to be believed, wanted to finish in second place to avoid being seeded in the finals.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Cech (ChelseaC), Blazek (FC Nuremberg), Zítka (Anderlecht).

Defenders: Jankulovski (AC Milan), Rozehnal (Lazio), Ujfaluši (Fiorentina), Pospech (FC Copenhagen), Grygera (Juventus), Kadlec (Sparta Prague), Sivok (Sparta Prague), Kovac (Spartak Moscow).

Midfielders: Galásek (FC Nuremberg), Jarolím (Hamburg), Plasil (Osasuna), Polak (Anderlecht), Matejovsky (Reading), Sionko (FC Copenhagen), Skacel (Hertha Berlin), Vlcek (Anderlecht).

Forwards: Koller (FC Nuremberg), Baros (Porsmouth), Fenin (Eintracht Frankfurt), Sverkos (Banik Ostrava).

Odds: To win: Group A 9-4; To win Euro 2008 10-1

Andy Townsend’s view
Karel Bruckner is arguably the most experienced international boss anywhere. They’ve got Milan Baros, they’ve still got big Jan Koller and Tomas Galasek in midfield - they’ve got some talented boys in the middle of the park - but I just feel they lack a little bit this time around.

They’re a very capable team and could be there or thereabouts, but will be second favourites to qualify out of Group A behind Portugal, so I think they might have their work cut out. It won’t be straightforward for them to get out of that group.

While the Swiss aren’t any great shakes at all, the fact they’re on home soil will make it different. And the Turks being the Turks are always capable of producing a performance, I don’t think they’ll have it easy to get out of that group and I don’t see them going the distance.

Group A - Switzerland
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 10:42AM

Population: 7.5million

Best performance: The Swiss have never made it past the group stages in their two appearances (1996 and 2004)

Support them because: They were good enough to roll over and help usher in another new era for English football in Fabio Capello’s first game in charge.

Manager: He’s been described as grandfather figure and Kobi Kuhn is certainly loved by the Swiss people – or rather he was until he fell out with captain Johann Vogel and promptly dropped him. A legend in the Swiss game, he won 63 caps and as manager led them to Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup finals. Will be replaced by former Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld at the end of the tournament.

Premier League star: Regulars at The Emirates may scoff on their lattes, but defender Philippe Senderos is a key man for the co-hosts. Clearly more suited to the international game than the Premier League, he marshals the Swiss defence to great effect.

Heading our way? Four years ago Johan Vonlanthen became the youngest ever scorer at the Euro championships when he netted against France aged just 18. Fast forward to this summer and the now 22-year-old is plying his trade for Red Bull Salzburg and finally looking like he could fulfil his potential. Once linked with Arsenal, but then again aren’t all young foreign playes?

Team tactics: Kuhn preaches togetherness and team-work and it seems to have worked well over the past few years. As shown at Wembley, the Swiss are comfortable on the ball and will create enough chances to worry most teams.

How they qualified: By joining together with Austria and winning the bid to host the tournament – now why didn’t England think of that?

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Benaglio (VfL Wolfsburg), Jakupovic (Grasshoppers), Zuberbuhler (Neuchatel Xamax).

Defenders: Degen (Borussia Dortmund), Djourou (Arsenal), Senderos (Arsenal), Grichting (Auxerre), Lichtsteiner (Lille), Magnin (VfB Stuttgart), Muller (Lyon), Spycher (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Midfielders: Barnetta (Bayer Leverkusen), Cabanas (Grasshoppers), Fernandes (Manchester City), Gygax (Metz), Huggel (FC Basel), Inler (Udinese), Yakin (Young Boys), Vonlanthen (Salzburg), Behrami (Lazio).

Forwards: Derdiyok (Basel), Streller (Basel), Frei (Borussia Dortmund).

Odds: To win Group A 7-2; To win Euro 2008 18-1.

Andy Townsend’s view
The Swiss could get something against the Czechs in their first game. If they get off to a decent start, then they have a good chance in the second game against the Turks. Their toughest group game comes last against the Portuguese and I think having it structured like that that does them a huge favour.

If they don’t get beaten by the Czechs and find a performance against Turkey - and I don’t think they’re anything special this year - they could go into their last game only needing a point which could suit both teams. So the Swiss have more of an opportunity than the Austrians.

When I played in tournaments with Ireland over the years, we were never expected "to pull up any trees" - so when you start producing a few results early on, all of a sudden you start to feel that everything is building behind you, everything is gathering momentum, and you start to belief in yourself a lot more.

It could go that way for the Swiss. They’ve got Alexander Frei, who plays for Dortmund, and he should be good for a few goals.

Group B - Poland
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 10:46AM

Population: 38.5million

Best performance: This will be Poland’s first appearance in the finals

Support them because: You’re bound to have a cracking night watching their games in one of the many Polish bars now springing up around the country.

Manager: Been there, seen it, done it. That pretty much sums up Dutch master Leo Beenhakker who’s now in his 22nd managerial position. The manager who led Real Madrid to three league titles and also coached Holland, Saudi Arabia and Trinidad & Tobago at World Cup finals was far from universally welcomed when he was handed the job, but qualification quickly shut his critics up.

Premier League star: Change that to SPL star then look no further than Celtic keeper Artur Boruc who is keeping Manchester United’s Tomasz Kuszczak and Arsenal’s Lukasz Fabianski out of the side. His form has been key to Gordon Strachan’s side’s impressive Champions League form over recent seasons

Heading our way? Star striker Ebi Smolarek’s nine goals in qualifying played a big part in Poland’s progress through to the final. Nicknamed “The Hash Bomber” after he was suspended for two games after traces of cannabis were found on him, Smolarek grew up in Holland and came through the youth system at Feyenoord. At the start of the current season he moved to Spanish side Racing Santander for £2.9m.

Team tactics: He may have been schooled in the Dutch tradition of Total Football but Beenhakker’s globe-trotting career has made him more pragmatist than dreamer. A squad lacking any big stars, Poland are defensively solid, tactically aware and know how to grind out results.

How they qualified: It looked rocky at first as the Poles picked up just one point from their first two home matches, but a run of six straight wins, including victory over group favourites Portugal, put them back on track. A wobble in Armenia was soon forgotten as Beenhakker’s men went on to secure top spot in the group.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Boruc (Celtic), Kuszczak (Manchester United), Fabianski (Arsenal FC).

Defenders: Bak (Austria Vienna), Wasilewski (Anderlecht), Golanski (Steaua Bucharest), Jop (FC Moscow), Kokoszka (Wisla Krakow), Wawrzyniak (Legia Warsaw), Żewlakow (Olympiacos).

Midfielders: Dudka (Wisla Krakow), Blaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund), Lewandowski (Shakhtar Donetsk), Murawski (Lech Poznan), Gargula (GKS Belchatow), Krzynowek (VfL Wolfsburg), Pazdan (Gornik Zabrze), Guerreiro (Legia Warsaw).

Forwards: Smolarek (Racing Santander), Lobodziński (Wisla Krakow), Zurawski (Larissa), Zahorski (Gornik Zabrze), Saganowski (Southampton).

Odds: To win Group B 13-2; To win Euro 2008 33-1.

Group B - Germany
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 10:51AM

Population: 82 million

Best performance: Winners in 1972, 1980 (both as West Germany) and 1996.

Support them because: Isn’t it time you gave yourself a break and actually backed a team that can win penalty shootouts?

Manager: A man in the shadows during Jurgen Klinsmann short, but glorious, reign his former assistant Joachim Low is now very much in the limelight. Considered a great tactician and man manager, Low is a rare example of a number two stepping up and being a success – once again the Germans succeed where England fail.

Premier League star: Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack finally began to rediscover his real form towards the end of the season as the Blues challenged for trophies on two fronts. Likely to be fresh having missed the first part of the Premier League campaign, with his tackling, attacking flair, ability in the air and long-range shooting, he will be one of the stars of the tournament.

Coming our way? The success of the Bundesliga mean few big-name Germans make the move to England, but wouldn’t it be great to see striker Miroslav Klose ply his trade in the Premier League? The Bayern Munich star won the Golden Boot at the last World Cup and is a regular scorer in the Champions League.

Team tactics: Low sticks slavishly to a 4-4-2 formation and after the success it brought Klinsmann in 2006, there’s no real reason to change. He has a very settled and vastly experienced squad who the bookies make favourites to lift the trophy – and when have the bookies ever got it wrong?

How they qualified: Germany hardly broke sweat to make it to Austria and Switzerland, but with qualification secured and the deckchairs out they then somehow managed to finish second behind the Czech Republic. The highlight was a 13-0 thumping of San Mario, while Low would rather forget a 3-0 home defeat to the Czechs and a lacklustre 0-0 draw with Wales.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Lehmann (Arsenal), Enke (Hannover 96), Adler (Bayer Leverkusen).

Defenders: Metzelder (Real Madrid), Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Lahm (Bayern Munich), Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Jansen (Bayern Munich), Fritz (Werder Bremen), Westermann (Schalke).

Midfielders: Ballack (Chelsea), Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Frings (Werder Bremen), Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Trochowski (Hamburg), Borowski (Werder Bremen), Odonkor (Real Betis).

Forwards: Klose (Bayern Munich), Podolski (Bayern Munich), Gómez (VfB Stuttgart), Kuranyi (Schalke), Neuville (Borussia Mönchengladbach).

Odds: To win Group B 7-10; To win Euro 2008 9-2fav

Andy Townsend’s view
Germany are very hard to ignore. I hope they don’t win it only because I prefer watching the likes of Portugal or Italy. There are several teams that will produce the type of football that is easier on the eye than the Germans.

Since coach Joachim Low came in after the World Cup in 2006, he has tried to introduce a bit more of an attacking mentality. But it’s a bit like trying to ask a team like Chelsea break out of what they are and become something else. To a certain extent I think the Germans will always be what they are: very efficient, once they go ahead they’re very tough to break down, and they have big players.

Michael Ballack, Miroslav Klose, Philip Lahm, Torsten Frings, and Bastian Schweinsteiger are all top class. They have players who can turn games and I can see them being right there at the death but my own personal preference would be for someone else winning it. They’ll be the team to beat, though.

Group B - Croatia
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 10:49AM

Population: 4.4 million

Best performance: Quarter-finalists at Euro 96

Support them because: Obvious really. If Croatia go on to win, we won’t feel so bad that they were the ones who ultimately knocked England out.

Manager: Rock-singing, multi-lingual legal eagle Slaven Bilic has made the transition from player to manager look so easy. After retiring from a highly-successful playing career (just don’t mention the over-reaction which made Laurent Blanc miss the 1998 World Cup final), he managed hometown club Hajduk Split before moving on to the Croatian under-21 side and then the full national side while still under 40.

Premier League star: With Arsenal striker Eduardo spending the summer in rehab following his broken leg at the start of the year, all eyes will be on Portsmouth midfielder Niko Kranjcar. The ball-playing 23-year-old has that rare ability to pick out the killer pass that can open up the most stubborn of teams.

Heading our way? The destroyer of England at Wembley, midfielder Luka Modric didn’t even wait for the tournament to begin before sealing a big-money move to Tottenham. An all-round talent who is as happy making last-ditch tackles as he is breaking forward, the youngster has signed a six-year deal at White Hart Lane after the North London club agreed a fee of £15.5million with Dinamo Zagreb.

Team tactics: According to Michael Owen before that fateful game in September, no Croatian player would get into the England side – oh, how wrong he was proved. A team sprinkled with world-class talent, the Croatians are given free reign to express themselves by the impressive Bilic.

How they qualified: Are you kidding me? If we have to go over painful ground, the Croatians beat England home and away and suffered only one defeat in the whole group – a 2-0 reverse in Macedonia which came after the players were told at half-time that they had already qualified.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Pletikosa (Spartak Moscow), Runje (Lens), Galinovic (Panathinaikos).

Defenders: Simic (AC Milan), Kovac (Borussia Dortmund), Simunic (Hertha Berlin), Corluka (Manchester City), Knezevic (Livorno), Vejic (FC Tom Tomsk).

Midfielders: Kovac (Salzburg), Leko (Monaco), Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Kranjcar (Portsmouth), Modric (Tottenham Hotspur), Pranjic (Heerenveen), Rakitic (Schalke), Vukojevic (Dinamo Zagreb), Pokrivac (Monaco).

Forwards: Petric (Borussia Dortmund), Olic (Hamburg), Klasnic (Werder Bremen), Budan (Parma), Kalinic (Hajduk Split).

Odds: To win Group B 2-1; To win Euro 2008 10-1.

Townsend’s view
Croatia are my dark horse. In the middle of the park they have some outstanding quality: they’ve got Niko Kovac, Niko Kranjcar from Pompey, Luka Modric and Darijo Srna, they’ve got some brilliant individuals in the middle of the park and in terms of keeping the ball there might not be a better team in the competition.

It’s just whether they’ve got the guns up front: have they got the strike power to go the distance? You don’t always need a bunch of prolific goalscorers to win a competition like this. Look at France in 1998 and 2000 - certainly for the World Cup win in 1998 they didn’t have a recognised world class striker, but they had the brilliance of Zinedene Zidane, and I think Croatia are a bit like that.

They don’t have a Davor Suker like they used to have - they’ve got Mladen Petric and Ivan Klasnic up front, both of whom play in Germany, so they’re talented boys, but they won’t frighten the life out of anybody. Croatia’s strength will be in the way they keep the ball and engineer chances. If they can do that they will be a threat to anybody.

I was very impressed with the way they played at Wembley (against England in the qualifiers). A lot of people talked about the pitch but I didn’t see them struggling too much with it. And you have to remember that as a nation they’re only five minutes old. When they put that shirt on they really can take it to another level.

Group B - Austria
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 10:44AM

Population: 8.3million

Best performance: This will be Austria’s first appearance in the finals

Support them because: Frankly they’re rubbish and surely it’s more fun supporting a team expected to lose than one that wins all the time (Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal fans may not understand this principle).

Manager: Josef Hickersberger’s was the coach of the national team when they lost to the Faroe Islands in 1991 so it’s fair to say he’s tasted disappointment before. He’s had to put up with an online petition calling for the team to be thrown out of the tournament on the grounds that they are rubbish and general ridicule from pundits and public alike. A man who must be fearing the summer.

Premier League star: Middlesbrough defender Emmanuel Pogatetz quit the side in 2006 after a row with Hickersberger but the two patched up their differences late last year. It remains to be seen if they can make it through the summer without falling out again. Another row (see a pattern here?), this time between the manager and Paul Scharne,r will see the Wigan man miss out.

Heading our way? Tricky one this considering the paucity of talent in the squad, but keep an eye out for Andreas Ivanschitz – apparently the “Austrian Beckham”. Currently plays for Panathinaikos in Greece where he was recently named the best midfielder in the league.

Team tactics: Hickersberger is said to be close to former German coach Jurgen Klinsamann and wishes his team would play the same attacking blend of football the Germans did at the last World Cup – if only he had the same players…

How they qualified: Luckily they were chosen to co-host the tournament otherwise they would be spending the summer hiking round the Alps.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Manninger (Siena), Macho (AEK Athens), Oczan (TSG Hoffenheim).

Defenders: Garics (Napoli), Gercaliu (Austria Vienna), Hiden (Austria Karnten), Katzer (Rapid Vienna), Patocka (Rapid Vienna), Pogatetz (Middlesbrough), Prodl (Sturm Graz), Stranzl (Spartak Moscow).

Midfielders: Aufhauser (FC Salzburg), Fuchs (SV Mattersburg), Harnik (Werder Bremen), Ivanschitz (Panathinaikos), Korkmaz (Rapid Vienna), Leitgeb (FC Salzburg), Saumel (Sturm Graz), Standfest (Austria Vienna), Vastic (LASK Linz).

Forwards: Hoffer (SK Rapid Vienna), Kienast (Ham-Kam Fotball), Linz (Braga).

Odds: To win Group B 15-1; To win Euro 2008 80-1.

Group C - Romania
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 11:11AM

Population: 22.3 million

Best performance: Quarter-finals in Euro 2000 (Remember their last-gasp 3-2 win over England?)

Suport them because: You have to pity them. They struggle through qualification to qualify for a major tournament for the first time in eight years and then get drawn in this stinker of a group.

Manager: A member of the Steaua Bucharest side that famously upset Barcelona to win the 1986 European Cup, Victor Piturca has led his country to a major finals twice, but this will be the first time he’s actually managed in one – after being sacked in 1999 just after qualifying for Euro 2000.

Premier League star: None of the current Romanian squad are based in England, although Adrian Mutu still could be if he hadn’t been bombed out by Chelsea for testing positive for cocaine. He’s now banging in the goals on a consistent basis for Fiorentina.

Coming our way? This is the clichéd shop window for many in the Romanian side who are still playing at home. Goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont has experience of playing for both Ajax and Fiorentina, but returned to Dinamo Bucharest in 2007 to get regular football. Euro 2008 could provide an opportunity for another foreign adventure.

Tactics: Despite being one of his country’s most successful strikers, Piturca puts defence first and often plays two defensive midfielder to protect his back four. He can do this in the knowledge that he has a striker with the quality of Mutu up front to make the maximum use of any possession they have.

How they qualified: Despite having Holland in their group, Romania were already making plans for the summer with two qualifying matches still to go after a run of 10 matches unbeaten. They ended their campaign in style with a 6-1 hammering of Albania, who admittedly were down to nine men.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Lobont (Dinamo Bucharest), Popa (Politehnica Stiinta Timisoara), Stancioiu (CFR 1907 Cluj).

Defenders: Contra (Getafe), Rat (Shakhtar Donetsk), Tamas (AJ Auxerre), Chivu (Inter Milan), Sapunaru (Rapid Bucharest), Ghionea (Steaua Bucharest), Goian (Steaua Bucharest), Moti (Dinamo Bucharest), Radu (Lazio).

Midfielders: Radoi (Steaua Bucharest), Petre (CSKA Sofia), Codrea (Siena), Cocis (Lokomotiv Moscow), Nicolita (Steaua Bucharest), Cristea (Dinamo Bucharest), Dica (Steaua Bucharest).

Forwards: Marica (VfB Stuttgart), Mutu (Fiorentina), Niculae (Inverness Caledonian Thistle), Niculae (Auxerre).

Odds: To win Group C 12-1; To win Euro 2008 28-1

Group C - Italy
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 11:07AM

Population: 59.3 million

Best performance: Winners in 1968.

Support them because: They are the reigning world champions and so are clearly a very good team.

Manager: One of Italy’s most gifted players of recent years, Roberto Donadoni had a tough act to follow after taking over from World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi. A relatively inexperienced coach, he faced criticism early on in his reign after some insipid performances, but toughed it out and led the Azzurri to the top of their qualifying group.

Premier League star: When you can play in Serie A every week, why would you want to move to the Premier League? At the moment, none of the current Italian squad play for an English team, although Marco Materazzi was at Everton for a while and Christian Panucci played eight games while on loan at Chelsea.

Coming our way? It would take something special to tempt one of Italy’s top stars to the Premier League, but Gennaro Gattuso certainly has the skills which would make him a success. After spending the early part of his career at Rangers, which inevitably toughened him up, the defensive midfielder has become a stalwart of the AC Milan side. However his days at the San Siro look numbered and Manchester United are one of a number of Europe’s top clubs looking to sign him for next season.

Tactics: Despite his attacking flair as a player, Donadoni has been fare more conservative as a coach. The team switched to a 4-3-3 formation during qualifying which proved to be the final push they needed to qualify.

How they qualified: Look away Scotland fans now. As usual, the Italians started slowly and were playing catch-up for much of the campaign. It all came down to their match against Scotland at Hampden where, after Luca Toni’s goal was cancelled out by Barry Ferguson, Christian Panucci scored from a controversial free kick to send the Italians through and Alex McLeish to Birmingham.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Amelia (Livorno), Buffon (Juventus), De Sanctis (Sevilla).

Defenders: Barzagli (Palermo), Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Chiellini (Juventus), Grosso (Lyon), Materazzi (Inter Milan), Panucci (Roma), Zambrotta (Barcelona).

Midfielders: Ambrosini (AC Milan), Aquilani (Roma), Camoranesi (Juventus), De Rossi (Roma), Gattuso (AC Milan), Perrotta (AS Roma), Pirlo (AC Milan).

Forwards: Borriello (Genoa), Cassano (Sampdoria), Del Piero (Juventus), Di Natale (Udinese), Quagliarella (Udinese), Toni (Bayern Munich).

Odds: To win Group C 6-4; To win Euro 2008 6-1

Andy Townsend’s view
Losing skipper Fabio Cannavaro is a blow for Italy - but in some ways, it’s better that it happened before the tournament. If you get someone like Cannavaro in there and playing at the heart of the defence - and then all of a sudden you lose his influence - then it can be very hard for someone else to step in.

If you’re going to lose key players, I know it sounds crazy but if you lose them mid-tournament it can really rock the boat, but if you lose them beforehand, everybody knows he’s gone, and say "We’ve got to move on with it", and maybe they pull together a little bit. It leaves a bit of a hole at the back for Italy and one that someone’s got to fill but I don’t think they’ll be far away.

While they can be slow starters in big tournaments like this, and they’re in a very tough group, they do have a winning mentality - they have players that can affect the game at vital times, players who can nick you a goal in big moments. They know what it’s all about, they’ve been there before, and I think it will be tough to write them off.

Group C - Holland
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 11:05AM

Population: 16.4 million

Best performance: Winners in 1988.

Support them because: They gave the world Total Football, Johan Cruyff and the sight of thousands of fans covered head-to-toe in orange jumping up and down.

Manager: He may have fired his nation to European glory in 1988, but Marco Van Basten the manager is a far cry from the prolific striker who scored one of the competition’s most memorable goals. Handed the job without ever managing a club side, Van Basten’s inexperience showed during a qualifying, although this didn’t stop Ajax naming him as their new coach for the 2008-9 season.

Premiership star: He may be getting on a bit, but goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is just as important for Holland as he is for Manchester United. A towering presence at the back, Euro 2008 will mark the end of the 37-year-old’s international career and he will be looking to go out on a high note.

Coming our way? After injury blighted his World Cup hopes two years ago, Hamburg striker Rafael van der Vaart has something to prove in Austria and Switzerland. He has been linked with both Arsenal and Chelsea in the past, but will need some eye-catching performances this summer to remind the Premier League giants what they could be missing.

Team tactics: Some unkind Dutch souls would suggest that Van Basten doesn’t have any tactics, but of course that is unfair. Started with a 4-3-3 formation during qualifying but later switched to 4-2-4 – but even that failed to produce the kind of attacking football the Dutch fans craved.

How they qualified: The fact they were booed off the pitch in their penultimate game despite securing qualification suggests how far this Dutch team still has to travel. The table will show they cruised through an easy group with little trouble, but when you can only beat Luxembourg and Albania 1-0 and have been placed in a finals group alongside France and Italy, alarm bells should be ringing.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: van der Sar (Manchester United), Stekelenburg ( Ajax), Timmer (Feyenoord).

Defenders: Bouma (Aston Villa), de Cler (Feyenoord), van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Heitinga (Ajax), Mathijsen (Hamburg), Melchiot (Wigan Athletic), Ooijer (Blackburn Rovers), Boulahrouz (Chelsea).

Midfielders: Afellay (PSV Eindhoven), Engelaar (FC Twente), de Jong (Hamburg), Sneijder (Real Madrid), van der Vaart (Hamburge), de Zeeuw (AZ Alkmaar).

Forwards: Huntelaar (Ajax), Kuyt (Liverpool), van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid), van Persie (Arsenal), Robben (Real Madrid), Vennegoor of Hesselink (Celtic).

Odds: To win Group C 11-4; To win Euro 2008 7-1

Group C - France
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 11:02AM

Population: 64.5 million

Best performance: Winners in 1984 and 2000.

Support them because: The anthem! La Marseillaise knocks the socks off anything the British teams can offer so it would be great to hear it up to the final.

Manager: The wonderfully eccentric Raymond Domenech is respected if not loved by the French. A fan of astrology and amateur dramatics, his ability to hog the limelight with his quotes often mask a sharp tactical mind which led Les Bleus to the final of the last World Cup.

Premier League star: Take your pick from the plethora of French internationals currently in the top flight. Lassana Diarra may be a tad over-confident for a 23-year-old who has already gone through the exit door at Chelsea and Arsenal, but the midfielder has immense ability and once he matures could be the new Patrick Vieira.

Coming our way? Already firmly in the sights of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Euro 2008 could take Lyon striker Karim Benzema to the next level. Scoring for fun in the French league this season, the 20-year-old nay start the tournament on the bench, but he’s not a bad option to have if you’re looking for a goal.

Team tactics: The old Arsenal tactic of getting the ball to Thierry Henry as quick as possible is not quite copied by Les Bleus, but the Barcelona striker remains a potent goal threat. Lyon keeper Gregory Coupet has finally taken over from Fabien Barthez while a vastly experienced defence should keep things tight at the back.

How they qualified: Despite the best efforts of Scotland, who famously beat France both home and away, Domenech’s men had qualified before their final game against Ukraine. They also gained some revenge over Italy for their World Cup final defeat by beating them 3-1 in Paris, while the reverse fixture in Milan ended in a goalless draw.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Coupet (Lyon), Frey (Fiorentina), Mandanda (Marseille).

Defenders: Sagnol (Bayern Munich) Thuram (Barcelona), Gallas (Arsenal), Abidal (Barcelona), Evra (Manchester United), Boumsong Lyon), Clerc (Lyon), Squillaci (Lyon).

Midfielders: Vieira (Inter Milan), Makelele (Chelsea), Toulalan (Lyon), Diarra (Portsmouth), Ribery (Bayern Munich) Malouda (Chelsea), Nasri (Marseille).

Forwards: Govou (Lyon), Anelka (Chelsea), Henry (Barcelona), Benzema (Lyon), Gomis (Saint-Etienne).

Odds: To win Group C 7-4; To win Euro 2008 9-1

Group D - Russia
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 11:22AM

Population: 142.2million

Best performance: Group stages at Euro 2004 (The USSR won the tournament in 1960 and were runners-up in 1964, 1972 and 1988)

Support them because: After knocking England out, if they go on to win the competition we can pretend the Three Lions are the second best team in Europe.

Manager: For a man who, according to the FA, was behind Steve McClaren in their choice to be England manager, Guus Hiddink has a pretty good CV. A managerial club career which sprinkled with some of the game’s biggest names, he took Holland and South Korea to World Cup semi-finals and Australia to within minutes of a penalty shootout against Italy.

Premier League star: With big money flowing into domestic football, hardly any of the Russian squad play abroad, and none in England. Fulham’s Alexi Smertin has won 55 caps, but has recently been overlooked by Hiddink who has concentrated on building a young squad.

Coming our way? A man Steve McClaren will still have nightmares about, Roman Pavlyuchenko’s two goals against England in Moscow was the moment England’s Euro 2008 dreams died (only to be revived and then die again, see below). The Spartak Moscow forward was top scorer in the Russian League in 2007 and has been linked with Real Madrid, although if a certain Mr Abramovich came calling, he may think again.

Tactics: Hiddink started from scratch when he took over after Russia’s miserable showing at Euro 2004 and shipped out much of the dead wood, replacing it with young, eager players he could mould into a team. Hard to break down, they conceded just seven goals in qualifying, although they may lack goals, especially with star striker Andrei Arshavin suspended for the first two matches.

How they qualified: Do we need to go through this again? Russia were out, dead and buried, when they lost 3-0 to England at Wembley and were then 1-0 down midway through the second half in the return fixture. But Pavlyuchenko scored twice to secure victory. Then needing victory against Israel to secure qualification, the Russians blew their big chance only to see it handed back to them on a plate when England lost to Croatia in their final game at Wembley.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Gabulov (Amkar Perm), Malafeev (Zenit St. Petersburg).

Defenders: Anyukov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Kolodin (Dinamo Moscow), Shirokov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Yanbaev (Lokomotiv Moscow).

Midfielders: Bilyaletdinov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Torbinskiy (Lokomotiv Moscow), Bystrov (Spartak Moscow), Zhirkov (CSKA Moscow), Zyrianov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Semshov (Dinamo Moscow), Semak (Rubin Kazan).

Forwards: Adamov (FC Moscow), Pavlyuchenko (Spartak Moscow), Sychev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Pogrebnyak (Zenit St. Petersburg), Arshavin (Zenit St. Petersburg), Saenko (FC Nuremberg).

Odds: To win Group D 5-1; To win Euro 2008 25-1

Group D - Spain
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 11:20AM

Population: 45.2 million

Best performance: Winners in 1964

Support them because: They have to come good at some point, don’t they? I know we say it every two years but wouldn’t it be typical that the year you don’t support them they go and win it.

Manager: Cantankerous septegenerian Luis Aragones makes good copy for journalists but seems to be no closer to solving his country’s perennial search for a trophy – even a final would be nice. Appointed to the top job in Spanish football after 30 years as a club manager, his side won many friends for their style of play at the last World Cup before duly being dumped out by France in the last 16.

Premier League star: At just 21 Cesc Fabregas is already the lynchpin of the Arsenal midfield and now has the chance to shine on the international stage. Mature beyond his years, he is confident enough to control the pace of the game and is the starting point for many Arsenal attacks. However, the Spanish sharks have started circling and a few decent performances in Austria and Switzerland could produce an offer the Gunners may not be able to refuse.

Coming next year? A long-term transfer target for Chelsea , a goal-fest from striker David Villa this summer could finally persuade Roman Abramovich to part with more of his millions and make Valencia an offer they can’t refuse. He has a phenomenal scoring record throughout his career and with a weak group to start with could go on an impressive run.

Tactics: Aragones seems to have learnt his lesson from the last World Cup and has attempted to add some steel to and discipline to Spain’s play. However, with Villa and Liverpool’s Fernando Torres expected to lead the line they have one of the most exceptional front lines in world football.

How they qualified: Another side to suffer at the hands of David Healy (and the rest of the Northern Ireland side), Spain had just three points after their first three games and were in trouble. But eight wins in their next nine matches soon put things back on an even keel and successive wins against rivals Denmark and Sweden secured qualification.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Casillas (Real Madrid), Reina (Liverpool), Palop (Sevilla).

Defenders: Ramos (Real Madrid), Arbeloa (Liverpool), Puyol (Barcelona), Marchena (Valencia), Albiol (Valencia), Gutierrez (Real Betis), Capdevilla (Villarreal), Navarro (Mallorca).

Midfielders: Senna (Villarreal), Alonso (Liverpool), Hernandez (Barcelona), Fabregas (Arsenal ), Iniesta (Barcelona), De la Red (Getafe), Silva (Valencia), Cazorla (Villarreal).

Forwards: Villa (Valencia), Guiza (Mallorca), Garcia (Real Zaragoza), Torres (Liverpool).

Odds: To win Group D 4-5; To win Euro 2008 6-1

Andy Townsend’s view
This time around they genuinely feel that they have a huge opportunity: and I’m sure the Spanish public feel that too. Up front and in midfield there are no concerns at all: they’ve got Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez - with players of that quality, you know you’ve got plenty of options.

Fernando Torres and David Villa up front are pretty useful too. My only concern is that Carles Puyol didn’t have a very good season at Barcelona - I think he was actually quite poor - and I’m not 100 per cent convinced about them at the back. They have Sergio Ramos, Carlos Marchena the centre-half from Valencia is a good player, Joan Capdevila from Villarreal is a decent left-back, but I just feel you can get at the Spanish, you can get in behind them.

It’s what they are: they’re going to be a rollercoaster to watch, because they’ll have 20 minutes of brilliance, and then ten minutes where they look like they’re going to go under. The Germans and the Italians don’t ever look like that when they get in front - they always look like they’re going to hang on - with the Spanish you wonder will they creak at the back, when you put them under pressure will they fold?

If they win their group they play the runners-up of Group C, which will be France, Holland or Italy. They’re going to have a tough task at that point to get to the semi-finals - so I think it’s going to be a tough ride for the Spanish.

Also there’s the weight of expectation. It will be huge on them this time round - and can they handle it? It’s like England, so often they’ve gone into big tournaments with all the ingredients for success, and the expectation has proved too much. In the end it can drag you down and it could be a bit like that for the Spanish.

Group D - Greece
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 11:17AM

Population: 9.2 million

Best performance: Winners in Euro 2004 – you may not remember it as they may have sent you to sleep before their victory over Portugal

Support them because: They shook world football to its core with their victory in 2004, proving big titles don’t only go to big nations.

Manager: Otto Rehhagel would still be considered a modern-day Greek god even if he picked 11 pensioners for their opening Euro 2008 clash against Sweden. A hugely successful club manager in Germany, Rehhagel took over as Greek national boss in 2001 and led his 100-1 outsiders to victory. Failure to qualify for the 2006 World Cup failed to shake the nation’s faith in the manager and he duly came up trumps again with qualification for this summer’s jamboree.

Premier League star: Success in Portugal didn’t lead to an exodus of Greek players from their national league. Bolton winger Stelios is the only current squad member plying his trade in England, but these days he’s more likely to be seen modelling tracksuits and woolly hats on the sidelines than actually taking part in matches.

Coming our way? Greece’s top scorer in qualifying Theofanis Gekas was a prolific marksman for Panathinaikos before making a switch to Bayer Leverkusen where he scored seven goals in a 15-1 pre-season victory. It’s not gone so swimmingly since, but a few goals in Austria and Switzerland will have the scouts circling.

Tactics: The set-piece specialists of Euro 2004 have attempted to expand their game in the last four years and Rehhagel often went into qualifiers with three up-front. However, with the quality of opposition improving, it’s likely he will choose to go defensive again and rely on the counter-attack.

How they qualified: Despite a humiliating 4-1 home defeat by bitter rivals Turkey, Greece finished top of their group with more points than any other side across the whole qualifying competition. A run of one defeat in eight after the Athens horror show put their campaign back on track and Greece duly qualified with a game to spare.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Nikopolidis (Olympiacos), Chalkias (Aris Thessaloniki), Tzorvas (OFI Crete).

Defenders: Kyrgiakos (Eintracht Frankfurt), Seitaridis (Atletico Madrid), Dellas (AEK Athens), Vintra (Panathinaikos), Spiropoulos (Panathinaikos), Goumas (Panathinaikos), Torosidis (Olympiacos), Patsatzoglou (Olympiacos), Antzas (Olympiacos).

Midfielders: Basinas (Mallorca), Stelios (Bolton Wanderers), Karagounis (Panathinaikos), Tziolis (Panathinaikos), Katsouranis (Benfica).

Forwards: Salpingidis (Panathinaikos), Liberopoulos (AEK Athens), Gekas (Bayer Leverkusen), Samaras (Celtic), Amanatidis (Eintracht Frankfurt), Charisteas (FC Nuremberg).

Odds: To win Group D 4-1; To win Euro 2008 20-1

Group D - Sweden
Published: Wednesday, 7 May 2008, 11:14AM

Population: 9.2 million

Best performance: Semi-finals in Euro 98

Support them because: Their strong connections with English football. Englishman George Raynor led Sweden to Olympic gold in 1948 and to the World Cup final in 1958, while Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson led England to quarter-final after quarter-final after quarter-final.

Manager: Lars Lagerback has led Sweden to the last five major finals, but still the footballing public are not satisfied. In fact, they’re one bad result from being livid. Criticised for keeping faith with stars who are past their prime and not blooding exciting youngster, he’s also accused of not being flexible enough to change tactics during a game – is this a trait with all Swedish managers at international level?

Premier League star: He may be on his way to Juventus, but Olof Mellberg has been a rock at the back for Aston Villa for the past six seasons. The rugged Scandinavian’s no nonsense approach to defending has suited him perfectly in England, but one wonders who he will cope in the cultural surroundings of Serie A.

Coming our way? In a solid, if uninspiring side, Lyon midfielder Kim Kallstrom is the one man you’d pay to watch. Happy to get stuck in when needed, he can open up opposition defences with just one pass. He also has one of the fiercest shots in football, famously knocking out team-mate Andreas Isaksson during a practice session.

Tactics: The nub of the problem for Sweden fans as Lagerback has built his team to work for each other and stay solid. Wingers Freddie Ljungberg and Christian Wilhelmsson are supposed to provide attacking flair down the wings, but Ljungberg’s star is fading, while, as Bolton fans know, Wilhelmsson’s never shone. Up front, Inter Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic needs to finally come to the party.

How they qualified: Pushed all the way by David Healy (and the rest of the Northern Ireland team), qualification was only secured when the Irish lost in Spain and Sweden beat Latvia in the final round of matches. Their most controversial clash came in neighbouring Denmark when, with the score at 3-3, the Swedes were awarded a late penalty. A scuffle between players, was soon followed by a pitch invasion by Danish fans leading to the match being abandoned and Sweden being awarded the game 3-0.

Squad:
Goalkeepers: Isaksson (Manchester City), Shaaban (Hammarby), Wiland (IF Elfsborg).

Defenders: Dorsin (CFR 1907 Cluj), Hansson (Stade Rennes), Majstorovic (Basel), Mellberg (Aston Villa), Nilsson (Panathinaikos), Granqvist (Wigan Athletic), Stoor (Rosenborg).

Midfielders: Alexandersson (Gothenburg), Andersson (Malmo), Kallstrom (Lyon), Larsson (Birmingham City), Ljungberg (West Ham United), Linderoth (Galatasaray), Wilhelmsson (Deportivo La Coruna), Svensson (IF Elfsborg).

Forwards: Allback (FC Copenhagen), Larsson (Helsingborgs), Elmander (Toulouse), Ibrahimović (Inter Milan), Rosenberg (Werder Bremen).

Odds: To win Group D 4-1; To win Euro 2008 28-1