The world has witnessed the participation of a record number of
female Muslim
athletes since London 2012, and this number is set to
increase at the Rio Olympics.
BALANCE: There is nothing wrong with expressions of religiosity in sports, but
it's not right to have a blanket dress code.
Muslims and sports,
contrary to popular misconception, have generally had a mutually
beneficial coexistence over the years, without compromising principles.
Most Muslim sportswomen don't dress differently from non-Muslims.
THE 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro this week will not only be the first to be held in
Latin America or the first to field a group of refugee athletes competing under
the Olympic banner, Olympic Refugee Team (ORT), but will also see an
increasing number of Muslim sportswomen participating in a motley of events.
While Muslim men and women have regularly
participated in sports all over the world under the “usual” conditions, it is
the emergence of female athletes from ultra-conservative Muslim nations in the
Middle East that has steered attention to them, especially in what they wear
and with whom they mix at sports events.
Muslim men, to whom the sociocultural
rules of modesty equally apply, and which are often overlooked and ignored by
the self-styled gatekeepers of such mores, have progressed and proliferated
in sports unencumbered by such distractions as dress code.
Muslims and sports, contrary to popular
misconception, have generally had a mutually beneficial coexistence over the
years, without compromising principles. Take, for example, Muslim contribution
to the development of rugby in South Africa despite the huge adversity of
colonialism and racism over the centuries.
Historical evidence suggests that the Muslim
Cape Malays, descendant from the Malayan archipelago, especially Batavia, took
to rugby like fish to water. Rugby matches in those days were like social
events.
The Cape Malay culture is vibrant and
outgoing, and women have always participated fully in community life,
including rugby occasions such as the traditional Rag — the local derby between
Young Stars from the Bokaap (Upper Cape) and Caledonian Roses from District Six
— a history going back to 1936, and a rivalry at the time similar in local intensity
to that between Liverpool and Everton or Arsenal and Spurs in the English
Premier League.
In fact, it was the Cape Malays who
founded the Western Province Coloured Rugby Union (WPCRU) way back in 1886,
just three years after the Whites-only Western Province Rugby Union was established.
The clubs that founded the WPCRU included
such names as Arabian College, Roslyns, Hamadiahs, Violets and Good Hopes,
which in those days were largely formed from district enclaves or even streets
in the mainly Malay District Six and Bokaap areas of inner Cape Town.
Photographic evidence points to the fact that Arabian College was established
in 1883 and Roslyns as early as 1881. The Arabian College team photo of 1883
conjured up the vision of the team in its rugby togs, but with each member
wearing the Muslim fez, an essential accessory of the male Cape Malay.
The historical evidence also points to a
similar deep-rooted involvement of Muslim Indians and Cape Malays in the
development of cricket in South Africa with clubs such as the Ottomans showing
the way.
There are such historical gems involving
Muslim contribution to sport in several other countries. Incidentally,
according to Rugby Afrique, the international body responsible for the
promotion of rugby in Africa, rugby is the fastest growing sport in
non-traditional Africa among schoolgirls and women, with Tunisia and Morocco
leading the way.
In more recent times, however, the
relationship between religion and sports has also changed, evolving perhaps
with changes in society, politics, economic wealth and, crucially, governance,
and affecting not only Islam, but also other faiths, including Christianity,
Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.
In the case of Muslim countries, the
post-1973 oil wealth explosion, and the impact and seeming influence of two
ultra-conservative strands of Islam — Wahabism in Saudi Arabia and the
so-called Islamic Revolution in Iran — and their reach through money politics
in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq and Lebanon, have
introduced a new
stridency and confidence in pushing what
some have called a quasi- Salafist agenda in society, including sports.
Iran, for instance, banned women from
attending men’s football matches. Saudi Arabia recently had the audacity (and
some say the nerve) to suggest to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
that it would like to jointly bid to host the Olympics with neighbouring
vassal, Bahrain, on condition that the men’s events would be held in the
kingdom and the women’s events in Bahrain. In this way, it would institutionalise
gender apartheid in the modern Olympic movement for the first time. IOC, to its
credit, showed short thrift to such ideas.
Such a mindset is not the monopoly of
Muslims. Some Scottish Presbyterians still scoff at the idea of holding sports
events, such as football matches, rugby international and the Open Golf tournament,
on the Sabbath. Michael Jones, the New Zealand All Blacks rugby captain,
refused to don the famous black jersey on a Sunday for the same objection. Many
footballers openly apply the Holy Trinity crucifix sign as they enter the
field of play.
The trade mark of Mo (Mohammed) Farah,
the double and defending Olympic champion for the 5,000m and 10,000m, after
winning a race is to do the sujood,the ritual prostration of the prayers, on
the ground. There is nothing wrong with such expressions of religiosity in
sports. In fact, it can be performance and character enhancing. It does,
however, become an issue when it is arbitrarily imposed based on selective
interpretations of creed, culture and tribal conservatism.
To its credit, the IOC and Fifa, the world
governing body for football, have tried to negotiate sports issues relating to
cultural sensitivities with a fairly open mind. In early 2014, for
instance, Fifa approved the use of hijab in women’s football.
Female participation in public sports, let
alone international events, from ultra-conservative Muslim nations have, until
a few years ago, been virtually unheard of, This was primarily due to cultural
objections relating to socio-gender dynamics, very often erroneously couched in
the cloak of religious proscriptions.
Female Muslim athletes from countries such
as Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Central Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and even Iran
and Pakistan have, nevertheless, flourished over the years. Some of them have
excelled and gone on to become world and Olympic champions.
Since the 2012 London Olympics, the world
has witnessed the participation of a record number of female Muslim athletes,
and there is every sign that this number is set to increase at Rio 2016, but
with a difference. While in London it was the odd Saudi or Emirati or Iranian
athlete donning a hijab led by the likes of Saudi-American sprinter Sarah
Attar and Omani colleague, Shi- noona Salah Al-Habsi, in Rio more Muslim women
athletes are expected to compete in outfits complete with hijab, not only from
traditionally conservative nations from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
countries and Iran, but also from others, such as the United States.
In Rio, for instance, Ibtihaj Muhammad
will make history when she steps into Carioca Arena 3 for her first match in
the women’s sabre fencing competition, becoming the first US athlete to compete
in the Olympics wearing a hijab. Other athletes due to compete in Rio donning
the hijab include Iranian-Balarus shot-putter Leila Rajabi and UAE weightlifter
Aisha A1 Balushi.
The hijab issue is very sensitive in
secular countries such as France, the Benelux countries and Austria. When
French international footballer Jessica Houara-d’Hommeaux of Algerian descent
posed for a photo in the French magazine, Surface, wearing a hoodie
like a hijab headscarf and soccer netting over her face similar to a niqab,
which is banned in France, there was an outcry, suggesting that she was making a
political gesture.
Sports, however, can be a great equaliser
albeit very often steeped in irony and contradictions. Enter the brave new
world of the “sports hijab”. Countries in which the hijab is frowned upon and
the niqab banned — at least some of their companies and fashion designers — are
capitalising on a new business opportunity — the manufacturing of state-
of-the-art garments for hijabis using the latest breathe-easy and temperature-control fabrics. These are emerging in a motley of sports — athletics,
figure skating, triathlon, swimming and fencing.
Capsters in Holland, one of the most
Islamophobic countries in Europe, is one such company carving out a reputation
in designing and manufacturing sports hijab gear, and making a neat little profit
in the process.
Most Muslim sportswomen, however, do not dress differently from their
fellow non-Muslim competitors, ranging from
Tunisian Olympic 3,000m steeplechase gold medalist Habiba Ghribi to
Azeri Taekwondo champion Farida Azizova to hundreds of others from all over
the world.
They do not have personal and cultural
issues relating to a sports dress code. It is their personal choice as
self-respecting adults. It would be a great injustice and self-defeating if ultra-conservative
Muslim member countries tried to get IOC, Fifa and other world sporting bodies
to impose a blanket dress code on Muslim sportswomen. That in itself would
defeat the very http://mysportsgeneralknowledge.blogspot.my/2016/04/olympic-games.htmlOlympic ideal of achievement through hard work, and the spirit
of tolerance and understanding.
The writer is an independent London- based economist and writer Adapted from NST/Comment/Monday - 8 August, 2016/pg16
DESPITE all the problems in Brazil -
political instability, financial and economic woes and the Zika menace - the
2016 Rio Olympics has finally begun.
And tens of thousands of sports fans,
athletes and officials are assembled at Rio for the greatest sports spectacle
on planet earth.
Malaysians have a special reason to watch
the Rio Games because we are anxiously waiting to see which of the probable
sports - archery, badminton, cycling and diving (A,B,C or D) - will win the
first Olympic gold for our country, “Hunt for the elusive gold” (The Star,
Aug 5).
Of course, I pick B although the others
have the potential to be podium winners too.
Let us be realistic; diving is a
subjective sport. China is surely the undisputed and unchallenged powerhouse
for this event, and the judges as usual consciously or unconsciously appear to
have predetermined the results unless the divers mess up in their performances.
Archery is not only a sport of skill but
it is also, and more importantly, dependent on mental strength. Can our archers
match the competition in these two determining qualities?
No one should underestimate Azizulhasni Awang’s fighting spirit and determination to get a podium finish in cycling
because the keirin event is very unpredictable; with a bit of luck in his strategy
to outmanoeuvre his opponents, even a gold is possible.
As for the rest of the Malaysian athletes,
we expect them to go for the national records or at least improve their
performance by clocking better times and positions.
In short, all athletes should remember
that the authorities and taxpayers have invested huge sums of money, immense
time and effort on them so there is no option but to perform and give it their
best shot.
Malaysian sports fans, like their
counterparts across the globe, will be glued to their seats after waiting
patiently for four years to watch stars like Usain Bolt (two- time Olympic
record holder of the 100m and 200m events) and Michael Phelps (Olympic record
winner of 18 gold medals in swimming) to smash more Olympic and world records.
Besides watching the games on television,
computers, tablets and smartphones, the audience would also show an increased interest in sports
and being active before, during and after the Games.
In my view, there is a positive
correlation between extensive media coverage of major sports events such as the
Olympic Games, English Premier League and other tournaments and competitions
with people showing an interest in being more active and taking up sports. See also Hoang Xuan Vinh
Views/ Thomas Kok, Ipoh Adapted from The Star/Views/Monday, 8 August 2016
Volleyball
games provide
spirited fun and exercise for young people and adults. The players bat a ball
back and forth across a high net, and often leap high to spike a ball, or drive it downward.
Volleyball can be played on both indoor and outdoor courts and by mixed teams
of men and women. The diagram shows the positions for teams of six players.
Key dates: Group play begins
Aug. 6; gold-medal game is Aug. 18
Venue: Copacabana Stadium.
Big story: After getting silver
in 2012, will Brazil’s Alison Cerutti claim his first gold on home soil with
partner Bruno Schmidt, or can Brazil’s other top team, Pedro Solberg and
Evandro Goncalves, spoil the party?
Top U.S. prospects: Phil Dalhausser won a
gold medal with Todd Rogers in 2008. He and Nick Lucena are third in the FIVB
Olympic rankings. Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson are sixth.
Others to watch: Outside of the
Brazilians and Americans, the Netherlands has a pair of teams in the top five,
Alexander Brouwer-Robert Meeuwsen and Reinder Nummerdor-Christiaan Varenhorst.
Little-known fact: Schmidt’s
uncle Oscar is an accomplished international basketball player and
was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
Women
Key dates: Group play begins
Aug. 6; gold-medal game is Aug. 17.
Top U.S. prospects: Walsh is still
playing, this time with partner April Ross, and the duo is ranked No. 3 in the
FIVB Olympic rankings. The other American team, Lauren Fendrick and Brooke
Sweat, will be a long shot.
Volleyball is a game in which the players hit a ball back and forth across a net
with their hands or arms. It is one of the world's most popular team sports.
There are two main forms of volleyball. Indoor volleyballis played indoors on a court made of wood
or other indoor surface material. It has six players on a team. Outdoor volleyball,also called two-man volleyballor two-person volleyball,is played outdoors on a sand or grass
court. It may have two, three, four, or six players in a team. The two forms of
volleyball have similar rules. This article discusses indoor volleyball.
William G. Morgan, a physical-education
instructor in Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S.A., invented volleyball in 1895.
Today, the game is most popular in Asia and Europe. Indoor volleyball became
an official sport of the Olympic Games in 1964. More than 150 nations belong to
the International Volleyball Federation. This organization sponsors annual
tournaments.
The ball is round and has a cover made of leather. It measures about 20
centimetres in diameter and weighs about 270 grams.
The court. Indoor volleyball is played on a court that measures 18 metres long and
9 metres wide. A net suspended across the centre of the court divides it in
half. The top of the net is 2.43 metres high for men's games and 2.24 metres
high for women's competition.
There are six positions in indoor
volleyball—right back, centre back, left back, left forward, centre forward,
and right forward. Until the ball has been served to start each play, players
must assume a position on the court according to the order in which they serve.
Two referees and two linespersons serve as officials.
The game starts with a serve by the right back of the serving team. The ball is
served by hitting it with an arm or a hand. The serve must pass over the net
into the receiving team's court. The receiving players must return the serve
by cleanly hitting it with their hands. They cannot catch, lift, scoop, or
throw the ball. A team may hit the ball no more than three times before sending
it back over the net. If the ball is touched on a blocking attempt, that touch
does not count as one of the team's three hits.
The players on each team try to hit the
ball to the floor of the other team's court and to make it difficult for the
other team to return the ball. A player may attempt to spike(slam) the ball past the opposing players, who try to prevent it from
touching their floor. No player may touch the ball twice in a row unless the
first touch was made in blocking an opponent's spike.
Only the serving team can score. It scores
a point each time the ball touches the receiving team's floor or whenever that
team hits the ball more than three times. The serving team also scores a point
if a member of the receiving team hits the ball out of bounds or commits a
foul. The right back continues to serve after each point until a serve hits the
net, goes out of bounds, or is faulty in some other way. The serving team also
loses the serve if it fails to return the ball. A loss of serve is called a side out.
After each side out, the opposing team
serves the ball. But first, each of its players rotates clockwise one position.
The right forward moves to the right back position, the right back becomes the
centre back, and so on. The first team to score 15 points wins the game if it
is ahead by at least two points. No game may exceed 17 points. If the score is
tied at 16-16, the first team to score the next point wins. Volleyball competitions are played as
three-or five-game sets. In deciding games, the rally pointsystem is used. A point is awarded after
each serve. When the serving team commits a fault, the receiving team scores a
point and gains the serve.
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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…
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"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.
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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!
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.
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:
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.
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.
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”.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 withthe 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 exitin 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
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
