UEFA EURO 2016

UEFA Euro 2016 Main Sponsors

Adidas, Calrsberg, Coca-cola, Continentals, Hisense, Hyundai/KIA, 

McDonalds, Orange, SOCAR, Turkish Airlines

MarketWatch

This is a List of Adidas current sponsorships. One of the first athletes to use Adidas shoes was ..... The company has supplied the ball for the UEFA European Championship ever since 1984, starting with the Tango Italia, and also produces the ...

McDonald's has extended its long-standing involvement with European football's flagship national team competition to cover both UEFA EURO 2012 and UEFA EURO 2016. MCD

UEFA and Hisense Group have announced that Chinese electronics giant Hisense has signed up as the tenth global partner for the UEFA EURO 2016 finals.
The Best Stocks to Buy for 2016

UEFA.com, UEFA.org, UEFA Foundation

Euro 2016 Preview

This One's is for You

Euro 2016:Violence mars England-Russia match

England fans have been embroiled in fresh clashes with police and rival supporters in Marseille on the day the team played its first Euro 2016 game. The latest violence followed two nights of trouble in the French port city.

French police used tear gas for a third day and a water cannon. They say one Briton was seriously hurt in clashes…

Euro 2016: FA has 'serious concerns' over Lille security

The FA has "serious concerns" about security in Lille, where England fans and Russian supporters are set to gather for this week's Euro 2016 matches, chairman Greg Dyke has said.

The Football Republic

Welcome to The Football Republic - the football channel by fans, for fans. With all the biggest debates and the latest reaction from the beautiful game, The ...

MarketWatch

Time of Our Lives

The Euro 2016: Opening Ceremony

David Guetta at the Opening Ceremony
David Guetta (Miami)

UEFA Euro 2016 / Pro Evolution Soccer 2016

UEFA Euro 2016 France Official Book 

UEFA EURO 2012 Official 3 DVD Set 

2016 Panini UEFA EURO France Special Sticker Collectors
Men's UEFA Euro 2016 France Official Logo Black T Shirt by Maven

UEFA EURO 2016

Scores and Schedule

Post Match Analysis
Ireland vs Italy, 1-0
Hungary vs Portugal, 3-3
Croatia vs Spain, 2-1
Germany vs North Ireland, 1-0
England vs Wales, 2-1
England vs Slovakia, 0-0

All Goals & Match Highlights 
TFR - Previews

England vs Russia, 1-1

Wales vs Slovakia, 2-1
France vs Romania, 2-1
Spain vs Czech Republic, 1-0
Belgium vs Italy, 0-2
Ireland and Sweden, 1-1
Portugal vs Iceland, 1-1
Slovakia vs England, 0-0
Wales vs Russia, 3-0
France vs Germany, 2-0

EURO and The Players
Top 10 Deadly Strikers
Top 10 Goalkeepers
Top 10 Young Players
Top 10 Famous Goals

EURO 2016: Free-kick

Eric Dier vs Russia

Gareth Bale vs Slovakia
(Gareth Bale - Perfection, Skills, Dribbling and Goal)

EURO (2016) Qualifying Round
Selcuk Inn (Turkey vs Iceland)

EURO 2016 Final

Portugal vs France, 1-0
Portugal Champions Trophy Celebration

With Portugal as champions of Europe, questions will now inevitably turn to the tournament as whole. I'm sure many of you will agree that it's been relatively underwhelming. The quality has been missing from a number of the big sides while the little teams have provided most of the tournament's excitement. There's been some special moments (Hal Robson-Kanu and Xherdan Shaqiri's goals spring to mind) but as a whole the tournament has been missing that x-factor. Portugal's victory embodies the tournament in many ways. Having qualified as one of the third-placed sides from the group stages, they churned their way to the final with some moments of magic making the difference in a series of forgettable performances. Not that they'll mind, of course…

Would you believe it, Portugal substitute Eder has put his side ahead and WHAT A STRIKE it is! The former Swansea striker, average during his time at the Liberty Stadium, has let fly from 25 yards out and found the bottom left-hand corner of Hugo Lloris' goal! The France keeper desperately dived to his right but he just couldn't get there and Eder wheels away in celebration. There are tears from the Portugal bench, most notably under the eyes of Ronaldo, and France are on the brink of defeat in the national stadium!

adidas outlet - Shop hundreds of styles now!

Nike.com - Great deals and discounts on popular styles

Shop Men's New Fitness Suits at Speedo.com
Shop PUMA - Forever Faster

EURO 2016

Wide Open Affair

Hard to predict the outcome of expanded Euros

THE European Championship (EURO) enters a new era with Spain seeking to reassert their old supremacy.

Invincible between 2008 and 2012 while claiming back-to-back European titles and finally tasting World Cup glory, the Spanish halo slipped two years ago with a humiliating blowout in Brazil.

How better to show that the first-round elimination in 2014 was just a blip than by completing a hat-trick of European titles in Paris today. It will be a tougher challenge than before, with the Euros growing by eight teams to 24 in France.

Although Spain’s national team have not collected a trophy since Euro 2012, domestic clubs have swept up continental trophies for three seasons.

The Champions League has been won by Real Madrid (twice) and Barcelona while Sevilla completed a hat-trick of Europa League titles in May.

The sternest challenges in France for Vicente del Bosque’s team are likely to come from World Cup holders Germany and the host nation, boasting a tal­ented young squad but whose plans have been derailed - as so often - by off-field controversy.

Then, there is the next rung of contenders yet to conquer the continent, just the type of teams Del Bosque fears.

A golden generation of Belgium players, embodied by Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard, has to live up to their promise and start delivering on the interna­tional stage for the world’s second-ranked team. England are defensively susceptible but have a pleth­ora of fresh attacking options, including Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford, capable of challenging if not emerging with winners’ medals.

“Ifs very difficult, very difficult because there are

other teams who have been far from big titles for the last few years and need to win this,” said the 65-year- old Del Bosque, who could be entering his last tourna­ment as Spain coach.

“We want to get rid of whatever happened in the past and face the future as a big challenge.”

Unlike at the World Cup, Spain’s title defence can surely not end at the first hurdle in France.

Croatia, the Czech Republic and Turkey await in Group D and even a third-place finish could be suffi­cient to advance in the reconfigured tournament’s new round of 16.

Germany are more anxious than Spain about the group stage following setbacks in qualifying and friendlies since lifting the World Cup and veterans like former captain Philipp Lahm retiring.

After games against Poland and Ukraine, Germany face Northern Ireland, a first-time Finalists who qual­ified as group winners.

“I’m a player who likes to play against big names, big opponents, because you always know who is approaching,” Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said.

“And so it is a little inconvenient. Most times you can only lose against such (smaller) teams.”

And underdogs can thrive at the Euros. Just look at Denmark winning in 1992 and Greece lifting the tro­phy 12 year later. Neither nation made it to France.

What chance another surprise champions 12 years on? Albania, Iceland, Slovakia and Wales joined Northern Ireland in qualifying for the first time.

Only Wales boast a true world-beater in their ranks. Ifs more than Gareth Bale’s goals that have powered the Welsh to their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup.

Ifs the dedication of the world’s most expensive player to commit to the national cause when Real Madrid provides the status, silverware and salary.

“He sets the level and the bar for everybody eke to try to aspire to,” Wales coach Chris Coleman. “Because his standard is so high, it brings the best out of the rest of us, me included.”

Just as Real team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo does for Portugal. For the 31-year-old Ballon d’Or holder, who has won every significant club and individual honour, a title with Portugal is all that is missing.

The French are seeking the support of a nation still reeling from a 2015 scarred by attacks on Paris where the Stade de France was targeted by suicide bombers as France played Germany in November.

Preparations for Didier Deschamps’ team have not been smooth. Striker Karim Benzema was cut due to his involvement in an alleged extortion scam over a sex tape.

France, however, can still deploy one of the most sought-after midfielders in Paul Pogba.

Deschamps, who captained France to glory at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, sees a need to build trust with his players.

“The new generation of players has flaws but also many good qualities,” the coach said.

“This French national team is rather young, but these young players play for the best clubs.”

Italy have a challenging first round, with Belgium and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden in Group E along­side Ireland.

“We are experiencing a time of transition, especial­ly regarding talented people in Italian football,” said Italy coach Antonio Conte, who moves to Chelsea after the Euros. — AP

About Soccer
UEFA Euro 2016
UEFA Euro 2012
UEFA Euro 2008
UEFA Euro 2004
2014 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup

Soccer and Young Talent

Elseid Hysaj (Albania/Napoli), Vladimir Weiss (Slovakia/ M.City)
and Aleksandr Golovin (Russian Ronaldo)

Antoine Griezmann (France/Atletico Madrid)

Antonie Greizmann (born 21 March 1991) is a French professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Atlético Madrid and the France national team as a forward. He began his career at Real Sociedad, making his debut in 2009 and winning Segunda División in his first season. Across five seasons there, he scored 52 goals in 201 official matches. In 2014, he transferred to Atlético Madrid for €30 million. Griezmann has scored over 75 La Liga goals in his career...

The Young Guns

Chance for youth to shine at the Euros
TFR - Previews

MANY nations are betting on youth at the Euro 2016, giving promising youngsters a chance to shine in France.

Some of the top nations have included up-and-coming players in their squads for this month’s tournament, with some giving up experience to make way for young talent.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque left out of his squad veteran forwards such as Fernando Torres and Diego Costa to open up space for the uncapped Lucas Vazquez.

Germany coach Joachim Loew named a few young midfielders as well as exciting attacking playmaker Leroy Sane.

England and Portugal are betting on a cou­ple of 18-year-old teenagers - Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford and newly signed Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches.

Some of the youngsters will be making the trip to France mainly to gain experience, but many will end up getting a chance to show off their talent and help their teams succeed.

Here are some of the promising stars to watch for at the Euro 2016:

LEROY SANE - Germany

THE 20-year-old attacking midfielder returns to the national team after making his debut last year.

The agile player had a breakthrough season with Schalke 04, impressing with his drib­bling, as well as his ability to work as a play­maker.

Sane attracted headlines when he debuted in the Champions League by scoring a goal against Real Madrid last year.

The youngster is the son of former Senegal star Souleyman Sane, who had a distinguished career in Germany, and Olympic rhythmic gymnastics medallist Regina Weber.

MARCUS RASHFQRD - England

AFTER a tremendously fast rise through United’s youth squads, the 18-year-old estab­lished himself as the team’s No. 1 striker, scor­ing eight goals in 17 appearances.

He scored for the club in his debut both in the English Premier League and in the Europa League, as well as in his England debut.

He made the England squad despite coach Roy Hodgson having plenty of options to choose from in attack being named the team’s fifth forward for the tournament in France.

RENATO SANCHES - Portugal

THE 18-year-old midfielder became Portugal’s youngest ever player to be called up for a major tournament with the senior squad, surpassing the mark previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo.

A product of Benfica’s youth teams, he made it to the top squad this season and earned a transfer to Bayern Munich for US$40mil (RM163mil).

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said the club had been following Sanches for a long time, calling him a “dynamic and techni­cally skilled midfielder who’ll add even more strength to our team”.

LUCAS VAZQUEZ - Spain

THE uncapped Vazquez was the surprise addition to Spain’s squad, making it to the team instead of veterans Costa and Torres.

The 24-year-old forward impressed with Real while replacing regular starters when they had to deal with injuries late in the sea­son. The speedy forward showed his cool when he scored one of the penalties in the shootout that gave Real the Champions League title against Atletico Madrid.

FEDERICO BERNARDESCHI - Italy

THE 22-year-old Bemardeschi had a strong season with Fiorentina, scoring important goals in the Europa League.

The playmaker is from Carrara in north­western Italy, the same hometown as Gianluigi Buffon, who talks highly of the playmaker.

The veteran goalkeeper recently said Bemardeschi is one of the “brightest talents” in Italian football.

The striker also has been complimented for playing well as a winger even though he is more used to playing behind the forwards and in front of midfield.

SAMUEL UMTITI - France

LYON central defender Umtiti made the team in part thanks to Raphael Varane’s absence because of a muscle injury.

The 22-year-old can also play as a leftback, and his versatility helped him earn a spot in the squad even though coach Didier Deschamps called up Sevilla defender Adil Rami to the list of reserves after Varane was injured.

The youngster has already been linked to transfers to teams such as Tottenham Hotspur, AS Roma and Barcelona.

DELE ALLI - England

VOTED as England’s Young Player of the Year, the 20-year-old Alii made an instant impact in the English Premier League, scoring 10 goals and earning 12 assists with Tottenham Hotspur after being picked up from Third-Division club MK Dons.

He got some unwanted rest at the end of the season after being banned for three matches for punching an opponent.

Touted as one of the best up-and-coming players England have seen in a long time, the quick attacking midfielder is expected to add some much-needed excitement to Hodgson’s squad. — AP

adidas outlet - Shop hundreds of styles now!

Nike.com - Great deals and discounts on popular styles
Shop Men's New Fitness Suits at Speedo.com

Shop PUMA - Forever Faster

FRANCE

FIFA ranking: 17

Appearance: 9

Winners: 2 (1984, 2000)

RATHER like 1998 World Cup-winning coach Aime Jacquet, Didier Deschamps is using a pragmatic, all-about-the-team approach to Euro 2016 as hosts France look to capture their first major title since Euro 2000.

Deschamps, who captained Les Bleus in 1998 and 2000, left out Karim Benzema after the Real Madrid striker was embroiled in an alleged blackmail scandal and did not even consider Franck Ribery after the Bayern Munich forward hinted he could be willing to come back.

Defender Mamadou Sakho 'was not considered, either, as Deschamps would not risk losing the Liverpool player to a suspension after he was provisionally banned for failing a dope test. France will kickoff the month-long tournament today with their Group A opener against Romania before taking on Albania and Switzerland.

“My aim was not to pick the best 23 players but to go for a group capable of going very far in the tournament together,” said Deschamps, who took France to the 2014 World Cup quarter­finals.

It was the same philosophy that guided Jacquet in the late 1990s, when he omitted Eric Cantona from his Euro 1996 squad before France reached the semi-finals and, with a similar group, won the following World Cup.

While France built their 1998 World Cup success on a rock-solid defence, notably 4S2 because they were lacking firepower at the other end, the current squad have a tendency to be shaky at the back.        

Fullbacks Patrice Evra and Bacary Sagna are no longer at their best while Real centreback Raphael Varane is out injured.

They will, however, be guarded by a formidable midfield in Blaise Matuidi, Lassana Diarra and Paul Pogba, with Deschamps hoping Pogba will have as much influence as he has had with Tuventus. — Reuters

Coach: Didier Deschamps

Player to watch

Paul Pogba

FRANCE built their greatest triumphs on midfield and in Paul Pogba they may have what it takes to win a third title on home soil.

Thejuventus midfielder has been a key element of Didier Deschamps' squad since winning the first of his 29 caps three years ago.

Nicknamed 'The Pickaxe", the 23-year-old, who has scored five goals with Les Bleus and was named the 2014 World Cup's best young player, left Manchester United forjuventus in 2012, feeling he had been snubbed by Alex Ferguson at the age of 19.

Withjuve, he matured into a versatile midfielder with an elegant way of shielding the ball, whose ability to score long-shot goals can prove devastating.

This season, he scored eight goals from 35 Serie A games as he inspired the club to a S* fourth successive Serie A title.

have played with some great young players but Pogba was the best young _s-player I have ever seen," said former team­mate and Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo.

"We saw from his first training session with Juventus that he was special. You can build a team around him."

Deschamps has perfectly understood that and has been doing his best both to protect Pogba and keep his feet on the ground.

"He's been doing very well but he can improve, like everyone. I can be tough on him if needed, that's for his own good," Deschamps said.

"I have great faith in him."

France prevailed at Euro 1984 at home with their "Carre Magique" (Magic Square) of Michel Platini, Alain Giresse, Luis

Fernandez and Jean Tigana. Thirty-two years on, Pogba could well lead Les Bleus to another European title. — Reuters

ROMANIA

FIFA ranking: 22

Appearance: 5

Quarter-final: 2000

VLAD CHIRICHES stands at the centre of Romania's impressive stonewall defence, a pentrehalf who proves the old adage that some players are more important to their countries than their clubs.

Great things were expected of the Romanian at Tottenham Hotspur when he arrived as part of the £86mil (RM517mil) they received from the sale of Gareth Bale.

However, after two forgettable seasons in which he was dismissed as too error-prone and sent off in his final game against Stoke,

Chiriches was offloaded in 2014 to Serie Aside Napoli.

Once again he has struggled to secure a first-team place, appearing fewer than 20 times in all competitions for the Italian club.

With three more years on his contract, Chiriches has time on his side. With Romania however, the 38-time capped totem is long established as the pivotal force in a defensive side whose strategy seldom varies from securing clean sheets at one end and hoping for luck at the other.

That combination was effective enough to see just two goals conceded in qualifying for Euro 2016, an achievement in no small part down to the 26-year-old.

Chiriches'game is based on speed but he is also an accomplished distributor of the ball from the back and his aerial dominance and an up-and-at- them attitude mark him out as one of the country's great defensive talents. Around him stand the experienced Razvan Rat, Dragos Grigore and Gabriel Tamas, a formidable foursome who will let little past them in France. — Reuters

Coach

Anghel lordanescu

Player to watch

Vlad Chiriches

WITH a team ethic built on discipline plus a strong defence, Romania bear more than a passing resemblance to the Greece team who sprang out of nowhere to win Euro 2004.

While few observers expect Anghel Iordanescu’s side to emulate that success, their ability to prevent other teams scoring ensures they will be one of the most difficult sides to- break down in France.

Undefeated in 15 matches since June 2014, they kept clean sheets in 12 of those games including a goalless friendly against Spain last March.

So Group A rivals France, Albania and Switzerland know that even scoring against them will be an achievement when the action kicks off today.

“We’re tactically astute at the back,” captain Razvan Rat said after the draw.

“The idea is to not concede and from there create our own chances and score. The most important thing is the defence, to work at the back together and then attack together. You could compare it to the (Afletico) side of (Diego) Simeone.

“The most important thing in football is not to concede.”

Critics accuse Romania of predictability, per­haps a byproduct of Iordanescu’s refusal to replace ageing players who have been margin­alised by their clubs.

He is at least trying to introduce new blood with highly promising players such as Nicolae Stanciu, Florin Tanase and Andrei Ivan being given a chance. — Reuters

Coach:

ENGLAND

FIFA ranking: 11

Appearance: 9

Semi-finals: 1968, 1996

WHEN England fans sang about “30 years of hurt” at Euro 1996 they had high hopes of ending the pain with a first trophy since the 1966 World Cup but 20 years on from that agonising near miss there is precious little optimism in the air.

To a buoyant chart-topping Three Lions soundtrack of “football’s coming home”, England came within the width of Paul Gascoigne’s boot­lace of securing a place in the Euro 1996 final on home soil.

The midfielder’s extra-time, open-goal miss against Germany led to penalties, which England lost, just as they did in their only other semi-final appearance since 1966 at the 1990 World Cup.

Since then England have been serially unsuc­cessful despite the virtually biennial routine of excitable build-up followed by dispiriting exit.

That see-saw frustration was summed up in the space of four days by England’s two most recent friendlies in March.

Having reached the Euro 2016 Finals by win­ning all 10 qualifiers, scoring 31 goals and con­ceding three, England put the icing on the cake with an uplifting 3-2 away win over world cham­pions Germany.

However a 2-1 Wembley defeat by a Dutch team who did not even make the Euros brought everyone down to earth. Since John Terry left the scene England have looked horribly vulnerable in the centre of defence and they were caught out in both friendlies in exactiy the same way.

Manager Roy Hodgson is taking John Stones, Chris Smalling and Gary Cahill to France and mobile opposition attackers must be licking their lips in anticipation.

Despite their defensive shortcomings, it would still be a monumental shock if England failed to advance from a group containing Russia, Wales and Slovakia, and should they top the standings to face a third-placed qualifier they would also expect to reach the quarter-finals. — Reuters

Coach: Roy Hodgson

Player to watch

Harry Kane

TOTTENHAM Hotspur fans love to serenade local lad Harry Kane with the chant "He's One of Our Own" but the whole of England will be singing his name if his rich scoring streak takes his country deep into Euro 2016.

Kane has emerged as his country's most natural goalscorer since Alan Shearer and scooped the English Premier League's Golden Boot prize this season with 25 goals, the first English striker to lead the charts for 16 years.

He scored one more than Leicester's Jamie Vardy and Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and while Vardy has bagged a Premier League winners' medal, Kane is most likely to lead

England's attack when they kick off against Russia tomorrow.

His rise has been meteoric.

Two years ago his future at Tottenham looked uncertain after a series of loan spells, including one at Leicester.

However, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino's faith was rewarded last season when Kane established himself in the first team and scored 21 league goals.

After a sluggish start to this season, he took his game to a new level, scoring 25. He now has 49 goals in 81 league games.

Kane marked his England debut last year with a goal 80 seconds after coming on against Lithuania and has five goals in 11 appearances for his country. — Reuters

RUSSIA

FIFA ranking: 29

Appearance: 11

Winners: 1 (1960)

RUSSIA travel to France with a line-up that has few world names but plenty of ambition and head coach Leonid Slutsky sees qualifying from the group stage as the bare minimum to expect.

Though they have made it to the Finals on four previous occasions, the only time Russia made it beyond the groups was in 2008 when, under Guus Hiddink, they reached the semi-finals where they lost to Spain.

Though a semi-final repeat might be beyond them, Russian football chief Vitaly Mutko expects them to emerge from a Group B that includes England, Wales and Slovakia.

Slutsky largely benefits from a clean bill of health - with the exception of Denis Cheryshev who has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury - as he

prepares his squad for their opening game against England tomorrow in Marseille.

Russia’s minimum task is to try to qualify from the group stages.

“If we don’t make the knockout stages, this will be failure,” Vitaly Mutko, the Sports Minister and Russian Football Union (RFU) president, said.

“I think that our team have the potential to have a good tournament,” he added.

Russia’s weak spot is a lack of pace in the centre of defence, with Sergei Ignashevich, who turns 37 during the summer and the 33-year-old Vasili Berezutski the first-choice pairing.

The Euros are likely to be their last tourna­ment at international level, with Russia looking to young players ahead of the 2018 World Cup, which they will host. — Reuters

Coach: Leonid Slutsky

Player to watch

Artem Dzyuba

A summer move to Zenit St Petersburg and a new national head coach transformed Artem Dzyuba from outspoken international outcast to the spearhead of Russia's Euro 2016 campaign.

The 27-year-old striker has long struggled to deliver on early promise amid suggestions of a difficult personality. Some took offence at his wit and former coach Fabio Capello ignored him altogether for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil even though he had scored 17 league goals for Rostov that season.

The arrival of Leonid Slutsky as the Italian's replacement changed Dzyuba's international fortunes and the player responded to being first choice by scoring eight goals as Russia booked their place in Euro 2016.

Part of the credit for Dzyuba's transformation must go to Andre Villas-Boas, who signed him for Zenit to end the cycle of what seemed like endless loan moves from Spartak Moscow.

Dzyuba clearly feels valued by his club and international managers and the goals have flowed. For someone so tall, at 1.96m, he has excellent technical ability and is a fine finisher.

There are still signs of his old cockiness, however, and Dzyuba celebrated his 100th career goal last month by taking off his shirt to reveal a T-shirt with the writing "Only 100".

In France he will hope to add to this tally.

"I hope I haven't lost all my bullets," he said. — Reuters

WALES

FIFA ranking: 26

First appearance

ON paper, and according to the FIFA ranking, Wales have a real chance of emerging out of Group B in their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup. The problem could be England’s presence in a group that includes Russia and Slovakia. Such are the headlines that will surround the fixture against Roy Hodgson’s side that one-eyed supporters might consider beating their neighbours as the main objective.

Manager Chris Coleman, who played all of his career in England, must ensure his players focus beyond the hoopla and score-settling in a match that pitches club mates against each other.

Coleman knows that in Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey he has fabulously gifted players whom the England boss would love to include in his squad. Coleman’s achievement has been to build around them a team of less-gifted, supporting cast.

Most apprehension surrounds Wales’ defence despite a superb qualifying record in which they conceded just four goals - only Romania, England and Spain let in fewer - in losing just once.

Captain Ashley Williams deserved much of the credit for that record but the powerful centre half showed signs of struggling for his club Swansea at the end of the English Premier League season.

The draw has fallen exactly as the manager would have wished, with Slovakia, seemingly the group's weakest team, first up and Russia at the end.

Coleman is adept at drawing up the right game-plan for so-called superior teams, as Wales’ 1-0 qualifying win over Belgium proved. They are not a team to be underestimated - Reuters

Coach: Chris Coleman

Player to watch

Gareth Bale

FEW players at Euro 2016 have had a bigger impact on their team than Gareth Bale who dragged Wales to their first major tournament since 1958 by scoring seven and setting up two of their 11 goals in qualifying.

Bale's three-year spell with Real Madrid's galacticos has done nothing to dampen his enthusiasm for playing for his country, however.

He said Wales reaching the European Championship in France was the finest moment of his career, quite a statement from a player who has scored in a Champions League final.

Bale has grown in confidence since leaving Tottenham Hotspur three years ago to join Real and has notched up 19 league goals this season, his best tally so far. He has also overtaken Gary Lineker as the top-scoring Briton to have played in Spain.

He has excelled in Real's so-called "BBC" attacking trident, with Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, and carried the Spanish team on his shoulders in their absence in the final stretch of this campaign, a role he is familiar with for Wales.

Playing in Spain has forced Bale to develop his tactical understanding of the game and he has made a concerted effort to improve in every aspect, demonstrated by his nine headed goals, more than any player in Europe. He has bulked up too.

The only negative note has been a recurrence of muscle injuries, limiting him to 27 starts out of a possible 49 games.

Bale's fitness will pre-occupy Wales manager Chris Coleman and his staff leading up to, and during, the tournament as it is difficult to see them getting out of a group containing England. Russia and Slovakia without their talisman. - Reuters

SLOVAKIA

FIFA ranking: 24

First appearance

IF Slovakia start the Finals the way they did the qualifiers the rest of Group B had better beware.

Six straight wins, including victory against champions Spain, set them on die way to qualify­ing in second place in their group for what will be their first Euro Finals since becoming an inde­pendent nation in 1993.

However, they face a tough task in France against group opponents England, Russia and fel­low Euro debutants Wales, all ranked higher than the Slovaks.

First up they must muzzle the rampaging threat of Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale, who netted seven of Wales’ 11 goals in qualifying, tomorrow. Bale has fond memories of Slovakia’s defence, hav­ing scored his first international goal against them in a Euro 2008 qualifier.

Although Slovakia have sometimes struggled to score, failing to find the net for three successive games midway through their qualifying campaign, they are not reliant on one source of goals with nine different scorers chipping in on the road to France.

Leading the way was Marek Hamsik, the 28-year- old Napoli midfielder, who finished top scorer with five goals. He will be relied upon to control the middle and get forward at every opportunity.

If Slovakia can get their attack firing, they may fancy their chances in their second game against a Russian side who conceded four goals to France in a recent friendly.

The final qualifier will bring a tougher foe in England, who won all 10 of their qualifiers and have beaten Slovakia in three previous meetings.

Slovakia are capable of a surprise, having knocked out Italy at the group stage in the 2010 World Cup - their only major tournament in the past quarter-century.

As part of the old Czechoslovakia they won the tournament in 1976 and had third-place finishes in 1980 and 1960. — Reuters

Coach: Jan Kozak

Player to watch

Marek Hamsik

WITH his jet black mohawk there is no missing Marek Hamsik and the 28-year-old will be a highly visible presence as Slovakia embark on their first Finals since becoming an independent nation in 1993.

Hamsik was Slovakia's top scorer with five goals in a lopsided qualifying campaign which began with six straight wins, including one over Spain, but became marked by a failure to find the net.

The Napoli midfielder was back on form for their final game against Luxembourg, scoring twice in the 4-2 win which clinched qualification.

Many hope Euro 2016 will mark a personal landmark for the four-time Slovakian Player of the Year who has previously faced criticism for underperforming on the international stage.

Hamsik, who has scored 17 times in 83 appearances for Slovakia, was already a key player in their 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa - their only other major tournament - and was vice-captain in the team who knocked Italy out of the group stage.

Slovakia's coach, Jan Kozak, believes his star man has matured, perhaps helped by his partnership with Vladimir Weiss who sets up many of his goals. Certainly, Hamsik's control has improved and his forceful runs from midfield will be a feature of Slovakia's attacks in France.

Euro 2016 represents a step up in class for the team and Slovakia will need more consistency in front of goal to make inroads in Group B, where they have been drawn with England, Russia and Wales.

Hamsik has said the most important game will be the team's opener against Wales, a game that could define the tournaments of both teams. — Reuters

TURKEY

FIFA ranking: 18

Appearance: 4

Best finish: Semi-final 2008

TURKISH fans worried that their side have been drawn in one of the toughest groups can take comfort from the events of 2008 when Turkey reached the semi-finals of the tournament.

Two of their Group D opponents this time, Czech Republic and Croatia, lost to Turkey in dra­matic fashion eight years ago.

First Turkey rallied from 2-0 down to beat the Czechs 3-2 and reach the quarter-finals, then they produced an even more stunning fightback against Croatia, k Having fallen behind in the penultimate  minute of extra time, Turkey levelled with the final kick of the game and went on to win a penalty shootout in Vienna.

If they are to reach the knockout stages this time - Spain are also in their group -they will need all that famed resilience, which they also showed in qualifying.

After taking only one point from their opening three games, the Turks got their campaign on track with a 3-1 home win over Kazakhstan and a 1-1 draw against Holland, the team at whose expense they eventually progressed.

Most of Turkey's squad play in the country’s 18-team First Division, with Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Galatasaray providing the core.

That makes for a compact and well-drilled unit whose midfield, also boasting Borussia Dortmund's Nuri Sahin and Galatasaray's Selcuk Inan, is their strongest suit.

Turkey will bank on the vast experience of their talismanic 62-year-old coach Fatih Terim, who was also at the helm in 2008 when their adventurous football won the hearts of many neutral fans at the tournament. — Reuters

Coach: Fatih Terim

Player to watch

Arda Turan

TURKEY'S ambitions of reaching the knockout stages will largely depend on the form of their inspirational captain Arda Turan, who has had a patchy season with his new club Barcelona.

The 29-year-old midfielder joined Barca from Atletico Madrid in July 2015 but was sidelined for six months by the club's transfer ban which meant he made his debut m only in January.

He has failed to establish himself as a regular in the wake of stiff competition and been used mainly as a substitute. 

For Turkey he remains the main  man and his array of skills, which made him one of Atletico's key players during his four-year spell with the club, will be their best hope of avoiding an early exit  in France.   

For inspiration, Arda will have his memories of Euro 2008 when he scored in comeback wins over Switzerland and the Czech Republic as Turkey reached the semi-finals.  More recently, Arda was also on target in a stunning 3-0 win over Holland which kept Turkey's Euro 2016 qualifying campaign alive before they completed their recovery from a poor start with wins over the Czech Republic and Iceland. — Reuters

CROATIA

FIFA ranking: 27

Appearance: 5

Best finish: Quarter-final 1996, 2008

THE ability of central midfielders Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic to recover from gruelling club seasons will be essential if Croatia are to make an impact at Euro 2016.

Modric has had another fine season at Real Madrid while Rakitic shone at arch-rivals Barcelona, proving an apt replacement for the club's playmaker Xavi.

The form of both will be crucial to Croatia's adventurous strategy which is based on their live­ly midfield setting up a potent three-pronged attack led by towering striker Mario Mandzukic.

Euro 2016 is the eighth time Croatia have qual­ified for a major tournament in 10 attempts as an independent nation. This will be their fourth European Championship and they will look to at least emulate quarter-final appearances in 1996 and 2008 when they were seconds away from advancing to the last four.

Croatia took a 1-0 lead against Turkey with one minute left in extra time but conceded an equalis­er with the last kick of the game and then lost the penalty shootout in an epic clash in Vienna.

The Turks again stand in their way in Euro 2016, with holders Spain and the Czech Republic completing argua­bly the toughest pool of the 24-nation event.

However, the tournament's expan­sion from 16 teams has given the Croatians a fair chance of progressing from Group D, with the top two from each section and the best four third- placed teams guaranteed knock- out-stage berths.

The team can be inconsistent, though, and past campaigns have been marred by dressing-room discontent and fan racism. — Reuters

Coach: Ante Cacic

Player to watch

Ivan Rakitic

ONCE a winger and now a versatile playmaker with an eye for goal, Ivan Rakitic will be Croatia's driving force after finally stepping out of Luka Modric's shadow.

The 28-year-old, Swiss-born player has flourished since joining Barcelona in 2014, quickly asserting himself as a regular starter for the Catalan giants.

He won a rare treble of the Spanish League and Cup and the Champions League in his first season with the club, scoring the opening goal in a 3-1 win over Juventus in the final of Europe's premier club competition.

This season Rakitic has proved a worthy replacement for Xavi as the man pulling the strings, blending seamlessly into Barcelona's midfield behind the world's deadliest three­pronged attack of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.

Rakitic's superb close control, outstanding vision and immaculate passing are complemented by darting runs into the penalty area and the ability to unleash thundering long-range shots.

These traits have allowed the soft-spoken Croatian to quietly establish himself as the country's pivotal player after years of playing second fiddle to Modric in midfield.

With the Real Madrid dynamo often deployed in a deeper role for both club and country these days, Rakitic has gravitated to a role that appears to suit him best.

Now Croatia's Footballer of the Year has a new challenge on an even bigger stage where he is unlikely to disappoint. — Reuters

BELGIUM

FIFA ranking: 2

Appearance: 5

Best finish: Final 1980

BRIMMING with talent and buoyed up by a I quarter-final place at the 2014 World Cup, "Belgium will be a popular choice as an out­side bet but need key players to be on form after they lost captain Vincent Kompany to injury.

The Red Devils return to the tournament for the first time since co-hosting the event with Holland in 2000 but an exciting generation of talent will be no demure debutants, having already had a taste of the big time in Brazil two years ago.

Their performance in reaching the quarter-fi- nals - they exited after a 1-0 loss to Argentina - plus a convincing qualifying campaign for Euro 2016 led to a five-month stint at the head of the FIFA world rankings.

Belgium would be the first to scoff at the idea that they are the world’s best team but they are strong in all departments. Coach Marc Wilmots has an abundance of talent, led by Kevin De Bruyne, Axel Witsel, Thibault Courtois and the mercurial Eden Hazard, who is set to become the new captain after a groin injury sidelined Kompany.

Belgium will need Hazard to emerge from the funk that has characterised his club season with Chelsea and show more than just the occasional moment of magic if they are to emerge from the opening-round group they share with Italy, Ireland and Sweden.

If Hazard is on song, and working well in tan­dem with De Bruyne, then Belgium will have two much-feared players, capable of dictating the out­come of most matches. Wilmots has sought to keep his side under the radar and away from the spot­light the traditional favourites will attract.

Only days ago he proclaimed his side were nowhere near favourites.

“We hope to do as well as we did at the World Cup and maybe a little better. A place in the last four would be fantastic,” he told Belgian media.

“France, Germany and Spain are the favourites for me.” — Reuters

Coach: Marc Wilmots

Player to watch

Kevin De Bruyne

THE playmaking abilities of a fit-again Kevin De Bruyne, who has made a strong recovery from a knee injury, will be key to Belgium's hopes of success.

De Bruyne, who will celebrate his 25th birthday during the tournament in France, has turned in a series of impressive performances for Manchester City since returning from injury at the start of April and, together with Eden Hazard, presents a dynamic attacking force for the Red Devils.

A teenager when he made his international debut, De Bruyne is delivering on the potential first spotted at Racing Genk, where he was a regular in the team that won the championship in 2011.

De Bruyne is approaching 40 caps, four of which came in the World Cup Finals in Brazil two years ago. His five goals for Belgium in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, as they finished top of Group B, were equalled only by Hazard.

In England his injury earlier this year led to him missing out on a medal as City won the League Cup but it has still been a satisfying season, if only for the way he proved Jose Mourinho wrong. His spell at Chelsea after signing from Genk in 2012 had been frustrating. He was immediately sent on loan to Werder Bremen for a season before incoming Chelsea manager Mourinho decided he was not part of his plans after just three appearances.

De Bruyne returned to the Bundesliga at Wolfsburg, where last year he was named German football's Player of the Year. City took De Bruyne back to England where his quality has been quickly evident - Reuters

ITALY

FIFA ranking: 12

Appearance 9

Winner: 1 (1968)

ITALY coach Antonio Conte goes into the Finals with questions hanging over his team after injuries disrupted his selection plans and a lack of punch was exposed up front.

Adding to the frustrations of only occasional get-togethers with his players has been the distrac­tion of his impending move back to club football with Chelsea.

The passionate Conte showed his frustration with managing a national team when he graphi­cally described his displeasure with the long spells “in the garage” and far from the track.

That will not lessen his desire to bow out in glory in France and he has the tactical nous and motivational powers to succeed.

“I’m very tired of spending so much time in the garage,” he said before two March friendlies in which Italy drew 1-1 with European Championship holders Spain and were beaten 4-1 by World Cup winners Germany.

“In the garage, I smelt the smell of the machine,

or rubber and motor oil, not the grass of the pitch.”

Injuries have disrupted Conte’s midfield plans with Paris St Germain’s Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio of Juventus both out of the tournament after injuries requiring surgery.

He is sure to turn to PSG’s Thiago Motta, whose only appearances under Conte were in the two March friendlies, to fill the breach.

Italy can field an impressive all-Juventus defence with Gianluigi Buffon in goal and Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and even 2006 World Cup veteran Andrea Barzagli in the back line.

Up front, Conte will be looking to talented little Napoli winger Lorenzo Insigne and striker Stephan El Shaarawy, who has spent the season at AS Roma on loan from AC Milan, for flair and goals.

Italy open their Group E campaign on June 13 in Lyon against second-ranked Belgium, who beat Conte’s team in a friendly last year, and also face Ireland and Sweden. — Reuters

Coach: Antonio Conte

Player to watch

Gianluigi Buffon

THERE is no stopping master goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon in his ambition to add more major titles to his collection of the 2006 World Cup and seven Serie A championships.

Buffon, who will lead Italy in France when they look to end a 48-year wait for their second European Championship crown, has extended his contract with Juventus beyond his 40th birthday as he also seeks the equally elusive Champions League.

He has been a runner-up in both, finishing on the losing side in the Euro 2012 final against Spain in Kiev.

The question is whether Antonio Conte's Italy will be good enough to go one better even with record holder Buffon, ripening with age like a vintage Chianti, between the posts. Buffon, Italy's most capped player with 156 appearances, set a Serie A record in March of 974 minutes without conceding a goal.

"I was born for this type of work and to be the exception," Buffon said.

"If it could happen that I’d be the first player to compete in six World Cups, it would certainly mean something because of its rarity," he added with the 2018 tournament in his sights. He has seen action at the last four tournaments after being an unused reserve at France 1998. Any goalkeeper keeping a string of clean sheets needs the help of a good defence and Buffon has that at Juventus with Italy team-mates Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli, but he also has to be a rounded performer.

Buffon is a remarkable shot stopper, commanding in the air, a fine reader of opposition attacks and organiser of the defence and a respected voice. — Reuters

ALBANIA

FIFA ranking: 42

First appearance

ALBANIA have already achieved their dream by simply qualifying for their first major tournament and they hope that the lack of psychological pressure in France might even take them beyond the group stage.

Seemingly the eternal also-rans, Albania had never previously reached the World Cup or European Championship and the 3-0 win over Armenia that clinched their place in Euro 2016 sparked wild scenes at home and among thousands of Albanians abroad.

Albania will play hosts France, Romania and Switzerland in Group A and, outgunned by rivals with more experience and international stars, no-one is setting their sights absurdly high.

All the same, Italian coach Gianni De Biasi and football federation chief Armando Duka harbour hopes of making it through the group stage.

“We’ll go to France to play football, not as tourists, n but we are not making plans... we have proved we B ran heat anvnnp ” sairl Duka

The Albanian diaspora in Europe, home to most of the team’s players from Kosovo and Macedonia, have already bought 26,000 tickets for the group matches.

However, it will be understandable in Albania’s first match against Switzerland if some supporters feel a clash of loyalties.

Almost half of Switzerland’s main line-up are of ethnic Albanian origin from Kosovo and Granit Xhaka, a pillar of the Swiss team, is likely to be play­ing against his own brother Taulant.

In his four years as coach, De Biasi has tried vari­ous players to find the perfect combination. Albania play a defensive game and their attack lacks punch.

With those limitations in mind, Astrit Hafizi, who coached the national side from 1996 to 1999, offered a more realistic appraisal of their prospects.

“If our rivals are at the top of their game, our weaknesses will be revealed,” said Hafizi.

“We tend to be very dangerous for those who underestimate us.” – Reuters

Coach: Glanni De Biasi

Player to watch

Etrit Berishsa

ALBANIA'S Italian coach Gianni De Biasi never tires of saying his star player is the team but goalkeeper Etrit Berisha stands out from those around him, not only because of his 1,94m height.

Berisha became a fan favourite from the moment a string of memorable saves in his first game earned him the jersey for the Euro qualifiers.

"We were really very lucky he played in all the games," said Astrit Hafizi, Albania's former coach.

"He is one of the stars, probably the star. I am fully convinced when I say that we would have had great difficulties if he had not played in any of the matches."

At club level, Berisha has also produced at the other end of the pitch and he was a regular penalty-taker for Swedish side Kalmar where he effectively began his career after moving from his native Kosovo.

In 2013 he signed for Italian club Lazio where he has faced a battle with Federico Marchetti for a starting spot.

In Albania, though, he has few peers and he is expected to provide a solid platform on which the side can build in France.

"He is excellent, the key, he provides security. I don't recall any of his mistakes; if there is someone in our team who does not make mistakes, Berisha is that player," said sports writer Denion Ndrenika.

"His own performance has been spotless but he should shout aggressively in managing the defenders. He often leaves that role to (captain Lorik) Cana but it is him who has the best view of the defence so the goalkeeper should show determination," Ndrenika added. — Reuters

SWITZERLAND

FIFA ranking: 15

Appearance: 4

Best finish: Group stage – 1996, 2004, 2008

SWITZERLAND’S young, multicultural team are often regarded as a success story both in sporting and political terms, yet a cloud has descended over them as they head to Fra­nce.

The future certainly looked bright for Switzerland two years ago when they beat Ecuador and Honduras at the World Cup and took Argentina to within a minute of a penalty shoot­out.

However, the Swiss seem to have lost their way since veteran coach Ottmar Hitzfeld retired and was replaced by Vladimir Petkovic.

Petkovic said when he took over that he want­ed Switzerland to dominate their matches against all opponents with an aggressive, attacking game, yet has struggled to impose that style.

Instead, Switzerland still look more comforta­ble when the opposition take the initiative.

The club form of many players, a perennial problem, has also dipped.

The qualifying campaign was patchy with Switzerland failing to put up much of a fight in two defeats to England.

In the end, it basically boiled down to the last 10 minutes of their tie at home to Slovenia when they hit back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

Had Slovenia won, Switzerland would have finished second and been forced into a playoff.

Even their reputation as a glowing example of integration suffered a setback when fullback Stephan Lichtsteiner suggested there were too many “Secondos” (second-generation Swiss with­out citizenship) in the squad.

Switzerland’s miserable performances in their friendlies suggested they could struggle to even make it beyond the first round in France. — Reuters.

Coach: Vladimir Petkovic

Player to watch

Granit Xhaka

SWISS midfielder Granit Xhaka stands out with his intelligence, technique and superb distribution, yet for such an elegant player he also has a surprising volatile streak.

Xhaka has been sent off three times for Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga this season, five times overall, and he is still only 23.

Critics say he is too easily provoked and he will clearly need to avoid trouble if Switzerland are to have any chance of making it past the first round of the European Championship. The player himself believes opponents are under orders from managers to deliberately provoke him.

Born in Kosovo to a family of ethnic Albanians, Xhaka was compared to Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger by previous Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld for the way in which he dictates the Swiss midfield. He remains their key player.

Nicknamed "Little Einstein" because of his interest in science, Xhaka initially considered playing for Albania but said he was shunned by that country's football federation.

Switzerland and Albania have been drawn in the same group and Xhaka is likely to line up against his brother Taulant in their opening match.

Xhaka has openly supported Kosovo's successful campaign to be allowed to play international matches and has said he would consider switching. — Reuters

IRELAND

FIFA ranking: 33

Appearance: 3

Best finish: Group stage 1988, 2012

A STUNNING home victory over world champions Germany in qualifying suggested a rejuvenated Ireland side could cause the sort of upset in France that would banish memories of their woeful Euro 2012 campaign.

Drawn with Sweden, Belgium and Italy in Group E this time, the Irish will be confident of containing Zlatan Ibrahimovic in their opening game and giving themselves a good shot at mak­ing the knockout stages.

A stuttering qualifying campaign exploded into life when striker Shane Long latched on to a long ball in the home game against Germany and smashed in an unstoppable swerving shot, reig- niting Irish hopes.

That goal went a long way to restoring the wounded pride of Irish football after a disastrous Euro 2012 in which Giovanni Trapattoni's team scored once and conceded nine goals as they were humiliated by Croatia, Spain and Italy.

In 2016 qualifying, Ireland took four points off the Germans but defeat by Poland in their final group game sent them to the playoffs, where they comfortably beat Bosnia 3-1 over two legs.

It was all so different from the failed 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign under Trapattoni which heralded the end of the Italian's reign.

He was replaced by Northern Irishman Martin O'Neill who, together with former Ireland inter­national Roy Keane, was brought in to breathe fire into the side.

The rediscovery of the fighting Irish spirit was epitomised by the energy of bustling forward Jonathan Walters but the duo also found room for the creative spark provided by Norwich midfield­er Wes Hoolahan.

Despite being some of the loudest, most pas­sionate fans in Poland in 2012 the Irish had little to cheer but Euro 2016 will give the side a chance to restore their reputation as a team full of strength, spirit and surprises. — Reuters

Coach: Martin O’Neill

Player to watch

Robbie Keane

ROBBIE Keane faces a race against time to prove his fitness as Ireland's record goalscorer eyes a glorious last hurrah at Euro 2016.

Keane missed Ireland's two friendlies against Switzerland and Slovakia in March after being forced to withdraw from the squad with a knee injury suffered while playing for LA Galaxy.

Ireland manager Martin O'Neill was initially uncertain how severe the problem was, but Keane eventually underwent orthoscopic surgery on his right knee in California at the start of April.

The 35-year-old forward was expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks, leaving him with precious little game-time.

However, Keane's value to Ireland remains immense even in the twilight of his career.

While Keane's lack of football in advance of the tournament may be a concern for O'Neill, there is little chance O'Neill will turn his back on a player with a record 143 caps and 67 goals for Ireland.

Keane is almost certain to retire from international duty after the Euros, and could even hang up his boots entirely after starting to study for his coaching badges, so O'Neill would even consider taking the much-travelled striker as a non-playing member to provide advice and encouragement to the squad.

Ideally, Keane will return to fitness in time for Ireland's Group E opener against Sweden at the Stade in France in Paris on Monday. — AFP

SWEDEN

FIFA ranking: 35

Appearance: 6

Best finish: Semi-final 1992

HAVING secured their spot by beating Scandinavian rivals Denmark in a thrill­ing two-leg playoff, Swedish fans hope Zlatan Ibrahimovic and company will hit the ground running in France.

The Swedes crashed out at the opening stage of Euro 2012 and, with Italy and Belgium in their group this time round, a victory in their opening Group E game against Ireland on June 13 would go a long way towards helping them to make the knockout stages.

“The team that wins that game has a good chance of advancing. A victory there might be enough to go through,” said Sweden coach Erik Hamren.

The Swedes struggle against higher-ranked teams and managed just two points from a possible 12 in qualification against group winners Austria and runners-up Russia to finish in third spot.

To make an impact at Euro 2016 they will need

captain and record international goalscorer Ibrahimovic to continue to find the net on French soil.

Virtually unstoppable in four seasons in Ligue 1, the 34-year-old Paris St Germain striker netted 11 of Sweden's 19 strikes in qualifying, including three of the four goals that downed Denmark 4-3 on aggregate.

However, Ibrahimovic's heroics in front of goal have been frequently wiped out by a soft-centred defence that struggles against pace and coun­ter-attacks.

Known for his loyalty, Hamren still includes ageing stalwarts such as Sebastian Larsson and Kim Kallstrom in his squad but he is gradually introducing new players. They also have plenty of cover on the wings and at fullback but it is choos­ing the best pairings at the centre of defence and in central midfield that will give Hamren his biggest headaches. — Reuters

Coach: Erik Hamren

Player to watch

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's

COACH Erik Hamren may scoff at the suggestion but if any side at Euro 2016 are a one-man team it is Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Sweden who at times seemed to be dragged through qualifying by the sheer force of the giant striker's will.

The 34-year-old with the spectacular skills and lethal finishing ability netted 11 of Sweden's 19 goals in qualifying, including three of their four in the playoff win over Denmark that booked their place in France.

His goalscoring prowess almost overshadowed his enormous defensive effort in the second leg in Copenhagen that set the tone for his side's success.

"I think he's a great player and a fantastic person," said Hamren. "I made him captain with a view to him taking a lot of responsibility for: the team and he has done that."

His country's all-time leading scorer, Ibrahimovic's importance for Swedish football is; not limited to his achievements on the pitch.

His participation in home games at the  Friends Arena has a huge effect on ticket sales and his influence on the country's youth is enormous, not least on the junior members of the Sweden squad.

"Many of the younger players listen to him very carefully and follow his example. He has done a great job there, an enormous  job," Hamren said.

"But he's also one of the lads, he gives a lot of himself and there's a lot of jokes and laughter." — Reuters

PORTUGAL

THEY may be over dependent on Cristiano Ronaldo and struggling to replace old faithfuls, yet under the wily leadership of Fernando Santos, Portugal can still be a threat.

Semi-finalists four years ago, Portugal suffered a miserable first-round exit at the World Cup in 2014 and followed that up by losing at home to Albania in their opening qualifier for Euro 2016.

Tempestuous coach Paulo Bento, who had steadfastly refused to replace Portugal's old guard, was sacked and replaced by Fernando Santos, who made an instant impact as Portugal reeled off seven successive wins in the Euro qualifiers, all by single-goal margins, to steer themselves safely to France.

Santos has found the rebuilding process as difficult as his predecessor and has also relied heavily on more experienced players, even recalling veteran central defender Ricardo gets under way in France.

At least there has been a willingness to give the new generation a chance.

More than 50 players have been called up under Santos who has given 17 their full interna­tional debuts and fielded 33 players in the qualifi­ers.

His boldness to experiment has paid off, unveil­ing highly promising players such as winger Bernardo Silva and midfielders William Carvalho and Joao Mario.

Possibly the most exciting of all is 18-year-old Renato Sanches, who has just signed for Bayern Munich from Benfica months after making his professional debut.

Portugal’s biggest failure is their inability to convert chances into goals with former Manchester United winger Nani, who remains a regular at international level, one of the main culprits. - Reuters

Coach:

Fernando Santos

Fernando Manuel Fernandes da Costa Santos (born 10 October 1954) is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defender, and the current manager of the Portugal national team. He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 161 games and two goals during eight seasons, almost always with Estoril. After retiring, he worked as a coach for several decades, starting out at his main club in 1988...

Player to watch

Cristiano Ronaldo

CRISTIANO Ronaldo owes most of his fame and fortune to his exploits with Real Madrid, yet he also remains a hugely influential figure when representing his country.

Portugal's results have improved enormously since Ronaldo made his international debut against Kazakhstan as an 18-year-old in 2003.

Their recent record at major tournaments is the envy of many bigger countries after they reached the Euro 2004 final, 2006 World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2012 semi-finals, where they lost to eventual winners Spain in a shootout.

Portugal have suffered when Ronaldo, who has captained them since he was 22, has been off-form such as at the last World Cup when he suffered a bout of tendinosis in his left knee in the run-up to the competition.

The Madeira-born forward, who makes a point of breaking records, is Portugal's all-time leading scorer with 56 goals in 125 appearances and needs three more caps to beat Luis Figo's record.

Nevertheless, the three-time World Player of the Year has not been above criticism, with most of his goals coming in qualifying matches against weaker opponents and many supporters wondering why he did not take a penalty in the 2012 shootcut against Spain. - Reuters

ICELAND

HAVING qualified for the Finals of a major tournament for the first time, Group F hopefuls Iceland will not be content to make up the numbers and sides who underesti­mate them could be in for a nasty surprise.

The tiny island nation of around 330,000 inhabitants dominated their Euro 2016 quali­fying group for much of the campaign, turn­ing their home ground Laugardalsvollur in Reykjavik into a fortress.

While many sides would be loath to meet Portugal and Austria, Iceland will be happy to concede possession for long periods with a view to hitting decisively on the break.

Iceland’s recent success is no flash in the pan. For many years the football association have invested in coaching and facilities to enable young play­ers to practise skills all year round.

Iceland are compact, disciplined and aggressive in defence, launching lightning-fast counter-at­tacks when they win the ball.

Despite the Cinderella nature of their qualifica­tion, they are physically tough and not averse to a cynical foul.

At the helm is wily Swedish coach Lars Lagerback, who will step down at the end of the Finals. His players are spread throughout Scandinavia and the lower reaches of some of Europe’s top leagues. Despite the small talent pool, there is plenty of competition for places.

One certain starter if fit is Swansea’s attacking midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, who will be the side’s fulcrum in France.

There is also room for record goalscorer Eidur Gudjohnsen in the squad. Helping to track a way out of a tough group could provide a fairytale ending to the 37-year-old’s international career. Reuters

Coach

Lars Lagerback

Player to watch

Gylfi Sigurdsson

GYLFI Sigurdsson's road to football success has been winding, with the latest twist taking the Swansea player to France where he will govern Iceland's midfield as they aim to make a mark.

Sigurdsson's six goals in qualifying proved instrumental in his side qualifying for a major tournament for the first time, but his impact is felt beyond the scoresheet.

In coach Lars Lagerback's team the collective is always more important than the individual but without Sigurdsson it is hard to imagine Iceland beating teams such as Turkey, Czech Republic and Holland, as they did in qualifying.

Now 26, Sigurdsson arrived at the academy of English club Reading as a teenager in 2005 and played for Shrewsbury and Crewe on loan before moving to 1899 Hoffenheim in Germany.

From there he was loaned to Swansea where his performances caught the eye of Tottenham Hotspur, whom he joined in July 2012 before returning to Swansea two years later.

A powerful runner with the ball, Sigurdsson is essential to Iceland's successful style of defensive containment and quick counter­attacking. With his strong engine, coolness from the penalty spot and power and accuracy from dead balls, Sigurdsson will be one of the first names on Lagerback's team sheet in France. — Reuters

AUSTRIA

FIFA ranking: 10

Appearance: 2

Best finish: Group stage 2008

When UEFA decided to expand the European Championship Finals from 16 to 24 teams, Austria were seen as one of the teams most likely to benefit.

By no means among Europe's weakest teams, Austria were never quite good enough to make the final 16 and their only appearance in the Finals came in 2008 when they co-hosted the event.

Such has been Austria's improvement that they would have qualified for France had it been a 16, or even eight-team, tournament.

After drawing at home to Sweden in their open­ing game, Austria stormed through their qualifi­ers as they won all their remaining games, beat­ing Russia at home and away and thrashing Sweden 4-1 to clinch their place in style.

Coach Marcel Roller, given a tepid reception when he was appointed in 2011, has received IPK most of the credit for lifting Austria from 70th in the world rankings to the top 10.

Roller has given the team a new tactical identi­ty and has also proved a master at getting the most out of his players, including temperamental forward Marko Amautovic.

He has also brought remarkable stability, field­ing an unchanged starting line-up in the last six qualifiers.

The turnaround had been in the making even before the low-profile Swiss, whose last club job ended with him being ignominiously sacked by German club VfL Bochum, took over.

The Austrian federation had already imple­mented a new youth development programme and, like neighbouring Switzerland, begun to tap into the country's large pool of immigrant talent, something they had previously failed to do.

Most of the players are based in the Bundesliga or the English Premier League, giving Austria plenty of top-level experience despite their past failures to qualify for major tournaments. Reuters

Coach: Marcel Koller

Player to watch

David Alaba

BORN to a Nigerian father and a Filipino mother, David Alaba is an unlikely poster boy for an Austrian national team soaring unprecedented heights.

Raised in Vienna, Alaba left his hometown just after turning 16 to join Bayern Munich's youth academy.

As a youngster he idolised Patrick Vieira and dreamed of playing for Arsenal, but Bayern's persistence lured him to Germany where Alaba has blossomed into a world-class talent Pep Guardiola has tipped him to become "a future all-time best in the club's history." Quick, versatile and deadly from set- pieces, he is also the undisputed star of an Austrian side that had until recently spent years languishing in the international wilderness.

"He's just incredible, he's just... wow. He can play absolutely everywhere," purred Guardiola.

A precocious talent, Alaba was also eligible to represent Nigeria, the Philippines and Germany but was thrust into the Austrian national team aged just 17 years and 112 days to become the youngest player to represent the country.

Far from a prolific scorer at club level, Alaba has proven much more of a threat for his country with 11 goals in 44 appearances, including four during Austria's impressive Euro 2016 campaign in which they reeled off nine straight wins after opening with a 1 -1 draw at home to Sweden. Not since the days of Toni Polster, the country's record goalscorer from the 1980s and 1990s, have Austria fielded talent quite like Alaba. He will shoulder a growing weight of expectation in France, but he says it will not be a strain.

"I'm living my dream. Every morning I wake up and think to myself, cool, it doesn't get better than this!" he said. — AFP

HUNGRY

FIFA ranking: 20

Appearance: 3

Best finish: Third place 1964

STORY always hangs heavy on the Hungarian national team, whose dec­ades of under-achievement are con­trasted with the sepia glory of the 1950s when ghttering talents such as Ferenc Puskas and Jeno Buzanszky reshaped football’s landscape.

Whatever else Bernd Storck’s team achieve - and nobody expects very much - they at least have the opportunity to bring the story up to date when they rejoin football’s elite in France.

“We want to play good football and to prove, that we are worthy members of the champion­ship. Making the second round is not an expec­tation, rather a dream,” said Storck in an assess­ment that few fans will disagree with.

Hungary have not appeared in a major tour­nament since the 1986 World Cup and their last

European Championship appearance was in 1972. So just being there in 2016 ranks as a major achievement for a team who finished only third in their group, eventually qualifying via a 2-1 aggregate playoff win over Norway.

Their campaign was troubled, with one coach sacked and another leaving for club football in Germany before Storck delivered unexpected qualification on an unforgettable night in Budapest.

Where Hungary may struggle is up front after managing just 11 goals in 10 qualifiers but the group draw in France has been kind to them and, Portugal apart, they will look to games against Austria and tournament debutants Iceland as offering the chance to sneak a result. Reuters

Coach: Bernd Storck

Player to watch

Balazs Dzsudzsak

ALTHOUGH he has probably passed his peak, Balazs Dzsudzsak is Hungary's undisputed leader and will be a danger from set-pieces with his free-kicks.

The 29-year-old winger has been the brightest star in Hungarian football for the last decade without living up to expectations at international level.

At Debrecan he was voted the best player of the 2006-2007 season before moving to PSV Eindhoven where he enjoyed three productive years that yielded 44 goals from 114 league . games.

I His deadly left foot and ability to create goalscoring chances with inch-perfect crosses made him one of the European game's hottest prospects with Liverpool and Inter Milan reportedly tracking his progress.

To the surprise of many, he instead opted for a move to Anzhi Makhachkala before joining another Russian team, Dynamo Moscow. However, Dzsudzsak failed to reproduce his Eindhoven form at either club and 2015 saw him move to Turkish side Bursaspor.

At international level Hungary's captain knows he must lead from the front in France to prove there is substance to all that early promise. After 76 caps and 18 goals, this could be his moment. — Reuters