As the countdown of the UEFA EURO 2012 reaches it final hours, everyone across the globe will be busy predicting it all – from the group matches to the quarter-finals and the semi-finals to the finals itself.
Today, we predict first two games of the tournament, that are, co-hosts Poland taking on UEFA EURO 2004 winners Greece in the opening game at the National Stadium in Warsaw, followed by the match between Russia and Czech Republic at Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw.
Date & Time – 8th June 2011; 19:00 GMT
Stadium – National Stadium, Warsaw
Prediction – In the opening match of the tournament, the co-hosts, Poland – with the home support behind them – will begin the match full of passion and energy. The Red and Whites will go all guns blazing with Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski as the main threat in front of goal. On the other hand, the Greeks – who have conceded the least number of goals during qualification – will defend for most of the game and try and hit the co-hosts on the breaks. Poland will eventually take the lead in the second half, thanks to the inform Dortmund striker and will go on to win the game 1-0. A perfect start for the co-hosts.
Predicted Final Score – Poland 1-0 Greece (Lewandowski)
Date & Time – 8th June 2011; 21:45 GMT
Stadium – Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw
Prediction – Russia are the favourites to progress from this group and today will take a step closer to that after winning their first game against the Czech Republic. The Russians will dominate the game and the young CSKA Moscow playmaker, Alan Dzagoev will impress everyone with his skills and passing. Andrey Arshavin – who has been out of form for Arsenal this season – will open the scoring in the first half and then the former Spurs striker Roman Pavlyuchenko will wrap up all the three points in the second half. Chelsea’s Champions League hero and the Czech keeper – Petr Cech will have a busy evening in goal.
Predicted Final Score – Russia 2-0 Czech Republic (Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko)
As we continue our build-up for the upcoming UEFA EURO 2012 finals in Poland & Ukraine, we take a break from previewing the teams taking part in the competition and at the top ten best players never to play at the European Championships.
10. Paolo Rossi (Italy)
The widely publicised Totenero match-fixing scandal of 1980 meant Rossi was hit with a two-year (down from three) suspension in the prime of his career. He made a resounding comeback, leading Italy to World Cup glory in 1982, but the Azzurri’s failure to qualify for France 1984 meant Rossi never graced a European Championship.
9. Matt Le Tissier (England)
Le Tiss’s pitifully low count of eight international caps is considered by many as one of the gravest injustices in England football. One of the most entertaining and naturally talented players of his generation, his absence from the national setup was especially foolish considering his incredible penalty taking ability, converting 47 of 48 career attempts.
8. Jari Litmanen (Finland)
The first Finnish footballing superstar, Jari Litmanen still plays club football at 40, for Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (or HJK Helsinki), remains vice-captain of his country and is the only footballer to have played international matches in four different decades. He will be 45 by the time UEFA EURO 2016 rolls around.
7. Zbigniew Boniek (Poland)
A Polish footballing maestro known for electric pace and deft technique, Boneik guided his national team to a staggeringly impressive third place in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. But he and his talented ‘white and red’ teammates could not repeat the same level of success at European Championships. Poland first qualified for the tournament in 2008.
6. George Best (Northern Ireland)
An automatic international choice when fit, Best was capped 37 times for Northern Ireland, scoring nine goals from 1964 to 1977. The Irish Football Association recently described him as the “greatest player to ever pull on the green shirt of Northern Ireland”, but his trailblazing displays were never enough to secure major-tournament football.
5. Ian Rush (Wales)
One of the greatest strikers of the ’80s and ’90s, Wales inability to qualify for the a major tournament meant Rush never showcased his prolific goalscoring ability or his moustache on the biggest international stage. He did score the winner in a memorbale UEFA EURO 1992 qualifying victory over Germany and is Wales’s record goal-getter, with 28 in 73 games.
4. Alfredo Di Stéfano (Spain)
Despite being regarded as one of the greats, Di Stéfano’s international career makes for distressing reading. Unluckily missing out on World Cups for Argentina, Di Stéfano gained citizenship for Spain, hoping for a chance in fortune. But when Spain failed to qualify for UEFA EURO 1968 and injury kept him out of the subsequent World Cup, he hung up his underused international boots.
3. Eusébio (Portugal)
He almost single-handedly took Portuguese national team to the World Cup semi-finals in 1966 (and won the Golden Bott while he was at it), but the great Eusébio could never replicate the same success in Europe, despite many worthy qualifying attempts between 1962 and 1972. Scored 41 goals in 64 international matches.
2. David Ginola (France)
As common a feature of football as any is that of the French national side squabbling. Unfortunately, as in Ginola’s case, these fractions all too often result in the omission of some of their finest talent. After a falling out Gerard Houllier over France’s failure to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the French wizard saw his international career come to a premature end.
1. Ryan Giggs (Wales)
Captain of England schoolboys, Giggs didn’t qualify for the full team because of Welsh grandparents and the fact he was born in Cardiff. Though still an inspirational fugue on the pitch for one of the world’s leading clubs, it’s unrealistic, to say the least, that English football’s most decorated player will reverse his international retirement for UEFA EURO 2016.
Population 10.5 million Area 78,866km2 Capital Prague Currency Czech koruna Official Language Czech
FOOTBALL FACTFILE
Football Asocciation Fotbalová asociace České republiky (FAČR) Official Site Nv.fotbal.cz Year of formation 1901 Euro Ranking 19 World Ranking 26 National Stadium Mostly Generali Arena, Prague Well-known club sides Slavia Prague, Sparta Prague, Slovan Liberec Leading goalscorer Jan Koller (55), Milan Baroš (41) Most capped player Karel Poborský (118), Jane Koller and Pavel Nedvěd (91) European Championship finals attended as Czech Republic 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 Best European Championship performance Runners-Up 1996 Playing Record in European Championship P67 W46 D9 L12 Odds of winning UEFA EURO 2012 50/1
JOURNEY TO POLAND/UKRAINE
Being 1-0 up against reigning world champions Spain for 69 minutes in Granada was the Czech Republic’s greatest achievement during the qualification. They eventually lost, conceding a David Villa brace, but will take heart from a performance that genuinely tested the La Furia Roja.
Otherwise, the Czechs were unremarkable. An opening defeat at home to Lithuania had Michal Bilek’s men on the back foot from the off, but a 4-1 win in Kaunas – and two solid performances against the Scots – made sure of a place in the play-offs, where slightly more accomplished opposition awaited.
Strength and experience told against the plucky Montenegrins, a 2-0 first-leg victory in Prague providing the foundation for an eventual 3-0 aggregate win. The Czech Republuc had graced every European Championship final tournament since the break-up of Czechoslovakia in 1993 and 2012 would not break the tradition.
In terms of playing staff, big names of the past – such as Pavel Nedved, karel Poborsky and parik Berger – have never been replaced adequately, the current crop of talent simply not being good. But Tomáš Rosický, Petr Čech and Milan Baroš provide an interesting spine and Michal Kadlec is an emerging force.
HOW THEY GOT THERE
07/09/2010 – Group I – Czech Republic 0-1 Lithunia
08/10/2010 – Group I – Czech Republic 1-0 Scotland
12/10/2010 – Group I – Liechtenstein 0-2 Czech Republic
25/03/2011 – Group I – Spain 2-1 Czech Republic
29/03/2011 – Group I – Czech Republic 2-0 Liechtenstein
03/06/2011 – Group I – Scotland 2-2 Czech Republic
07/09/2011 – Group I – Czech Republic 0-2 Spain
11/10/2011 – Group I – Lithunia 1-4 Czech Republic
11/11/2011 – Play-Off – Czech Republic 2-0 Montenegro
15/11/2011 – Play-Off – Montenegro 0-1 Czech Republic
HOME AND AWAY KITS
GROUP FIXTURES – GROUP A
Friday, 08/06 – Russia v Czech Republic (Wroclaw, 19:45)
Tuesday, 12/06 – Greece v Czech Republic (Wroclaw, 17:00)
Saturday, 16/06 – Czech Republic v Poland (Wroclaw, 19:45)
FINAL SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Petr Čech (Chelsea FC), Jaroslav Drobný (Hamburger SV) , Jan Laštůvka (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk).
Defenders: Theodor Gebre Selassie (FC Slovan Liberec), Roman Hubník (Hertha BSC Berlin), Michal Kadlec (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), David Limberský (FC Viktoria Plzeň), Tomáš Sivok (Beşiktaş JK), Marek Suchý (FC Spartak Moskva).
Midfielders: Vladimír Darida (FC Viktoria Plzeň), Tomáš Hübschman (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Petr Jiráček (VfL Wolfsburg), Daniel Kolář (FC Viktoria Plzeň), Milan Petržela (FC Viktoria Plzeň), Václav Pilař (VfL Wolfsburg), Jaroslav Plašil (FC Girondins de Bordeaux), František Rajtoral (FC Viktoria Plzeň), Tomáš Rosický (Arsenal FC).
Forwards: Milan Baroš (Galatasaray AŞ), David Lafata (FK Jablonec), Tomáš Necid (PFC CSKA Moskva), Tomáš Pekhart (1. FC Nürnberg), Jan Rezek (Anorthosis Famagusta FC).
THE CAPTAIN – TOMAS ROSICKY
‘The Little Mozart’ has been out of both rhythm and sorts since the hamstring-tendon injury that ruled him out of the entire 2008-09 season. An acknowledged world-class playmaker before this setback, Tomáš Rosický retains an accomplished passing range, though his ability to get around the pitch has deteriorated. Pivotal to his country if not club, UEFA EURO 2012 is huge for Rosický
THE KEEPER – PETR CECH
Despite suffering a depressed skull fracture after an accidental collision with Reading’s Stephen Hunt in October 2006, and being blamed for his country’s exit from UEFA EURO 2008, Petr Čech has made a remarkable comeback. Rugby-style headgear in place, he remains one of the continent’s most consistent goalkeepers. Will need to be at his best for this Czech side to see any success.
STAR MAN – MILAN BAROS
Despite scoring only once for his country in two years, you feel, for the Czechs to have any chance of being noticed in Poland/Ukraine, Milan Baroš has to rediscover some sort of scoring rhythm. He is more than capable at major tournaments, as he proved by top-scoring, with five goals, at UEFA EURO 2004. But his confidence has since dimmed. He passed penalty duties to Michal Kadlec after missing one in the opening defeat by Lithuania and he’s hardly been on sparkling form since. He remains a big-game player, though, and may debunk the form guide this summer.
THE MANAGER – MICHAL BILEK
A stalwart of the Czech side that travelled to the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Michal Bílek showed calmness under pressure bu scoring from the spot against the United States and Austria. Enjoyed a successful period at Sparta Prague, winning the domestic double in his first season, and took over as national coach from Ivan Hasek after he returned to his role as association president. Large percentages of home support are allegedly asking for his head, but he has the unanswerable support of the players and he will need it.
TOURNAMENT PREDICTION
Group Stages – This is not the Czech Republic of the old. As said before the star names have gone and have not been replaced at all. They eased past Montenegro in the play-offs but this is little more than a competent side which lack creativity. They find themselves in the easiest group of all, alongside Poland, Greece and Russia. The latter are the favourites to win the group and it will be a real dogfight as to who joins them in the 2nd Round. The passionate home support may just be enough for Poland to join Russia in the next round.
Population 143 million Area 17,075,400km2 Capital Moscow Currency Ruble Official Language Russian
FOOTBALL FACTFILE
Football Asocciation Российский Футбольный Союз Official Sitehttp://www.rfs.ruYear of formation 1912 Euro Ranking 9 World Ranking 13 National Stadium Luzhniki Stadium and Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow & Petrovsky Stadium, St Petersburg Well-known club sides Zenit St Petersburg, CSKA Moscow Leading goalscorer Vladimir Beschastnykh (26), Roman Pavlyuchenko (20) Most capped player Viktor Onopko (109), Valeri Karpin (72) European Championship finals attended as Russia 1996, 2004, 2008 Best European Championship performance Semi-Finals 2008 Playing Record in European Championship P63 W37 D12 L14 Odds of winning UEFA EURO2012 20/1
JOURNEY TO POLAND/UKRAINE
After a stuttering start to qualifying, sluggishly bettering Andorra 2-0 and then losing 1-0 to Slovakia in Moscow, Dick Advocaat’s men steadily improved and sealed passage to Poland & Ukraine as group winners. They exacted revenge over Slovakia in Zlina, with 1-0 win that not only guaranteed them top spot if they gained a point more against Andorra, but also condemned Slovakia to third place.
While Andrey Arshavin’s form at Arsenal could be generously described as erratic, his playmaking performances for his country have been marginally better and it will be through him, in his more central role, that the Russian play will be directed. As well as their captain’s contributions, Roman Pavlyuchenko will powerfully lead the line, Yuri Zhirkov will penetrate the left side and 21-year-old midfielder Alan Dzagoev, named Best Young Player in the Russian League in 2008-09, will dictate the game from the deep.
Aside from a hard-fought semi-final exit to eventual winners Spain for years ago, Russia have disappointed in recent decades. As part of the Soviet Union, they powered their way to the inaugural trophy in 1960 and were runners-up in 1964, 1972 and 1988. Making the latter stages here depends on the influence of Arshavin and who they get in the quarter-finals after negotiating undoubtedly the weakest group in this year’s tournament.
HOW THEY GOT THERE
03/09/2010 – Group B – Andorra 0-2 Russia
07/09/2010 – Group B – Russia 0-1 Slovakia
08/10/2010 – Group B – Republic of Ireland 2-3 Russia
12/10/2010 – Group B – Macedonia 0-1 Russia
26/03/2011 – Group B – Armenia 0-0 Russia
04/06/2011 – Group B – Russia 3-1 Armenia
02/09/2011 – Group B – Russia 1-0 Macedonia
06/09/2011 – Group B – Russia 0-0 Republic of Ireland
07/10/2011 – Group B – Slovakia 0-1 Russia
11/10/2011 – Group B – Russia 6-0 Andorra
HOME AND AWAY KITS
GROUP FIXTURES – GROUP A
Friday, 08/06 – Russia v Czech Republic (Wroclaw, 19:45)
Tuesday, 12/06 – Poland v Russia (Warsaw, 19:45)
Saturday, 16/06 – Greece v Russia (Warsaw, 19:45)
FINAL SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (PFC CSKA Moskva), Vyacheslav Malafeev (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Anton Shunin (FC Dinamo Moskva).
Defenders: Aleksandr Anyukov (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksei Berezutski (PFC CSKA Moskva), Sergei Ignashevich (PFC CSKA Moskva), Vladimir Granat (FC Dinamo Moskva), Yuri Zhirkov (FC Anzhi Makhachkala), Dmitri Kombarov (FC Spartak Moskva), Roman Sharonov (FC Rubin Kazan), Kirill Nababkin (PFC CSKA Moskva).
Midfielders: Igor Denisov (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Konstantin Zyryanov (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Shirokov (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Denis Glushakov (FC Lokomotiv Moskva), Igor Semshov (FC Dinamo Moskva), Marat Izmailov (Sporting Clube de Portugal), Alan Dzagoev (PFC CSKA Moskva).
Forwards: Andrey Arshavin (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksandr Kerzhakov (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksandr Kokorin (FC Dinamo Moskva), Roman Pavlyuchenko (FC Lokomotiv Moskva), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Fulham FC).
THE CAPTAIN – ANDREY ARSHAVIN
Won almost evert possible with Zenit St Petersburg (Russian Premier League, Russian Premier League Cup, Russian Super Cup, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup) before moving to Arsenal in 2009. Enjoyed an auspicious start, scoring more than half of his appearances and providing nine assists, but this form has dipped badly and he had returned to Zenit on loan for the second half of last season.
THE KEEPER – IGOR AKINFEEV
One of Europe’s most-scouted goalkeepers, Igor Akinfeev broke into the CSKA Moscow first team at the age of 17 and has not been forced out since. Along with winning the UEFA Cup and three national championships, he has been awarded the Zvezda trophy, given to the best football player from the former Soviet Union. Shaping up to be the world’s best goalkeeper.
STAR MAN – ROMAN PAVLYUCHENKO
By no means he was first choice at Harry Redknapp’s rejuvenated Tottenham Hotspur team, but the current Lokomotiv Moscow hitman remains the number one striker for his country. He scored both the goals in Russia’s crucial 2-1 victory over England during UEFA EURO 2008 qualification, scored the first goal for Russia in the 3-1 win over Holland in the quarter-finals of that tournament and was named in the 23-man Squad of the Tournament. In short, Pavlyuchenko is a big-game player of some esteem and, in what appears to be the flimsiest group of the tournament, could be an early contender for the Golden Boot award.
THE MANAGER – DICK ADVOCAAT
Despite the ‘Little General’ taking Holland to the last eight of the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the semi-finals of the UEFA EURO 2004, a public failing out with Ruud Gullit in 1993 curtailed any support Dick Advocaat had in his homeland. He has since managed South Korea, the UAE, Belgium and now Russia, after winning 2998 UEFA Cup with Zenit St Petersburg. Enjoys an excellent relationship with his captain and has reproduced a strong mentality in the squad who may feel more at home in Poland & Ukraine than the most.
TOURNAMENT PREDICTION
Quarter-Finals – Russia, with almost the same players they had for the qualification to these finals, will be confident of making it through the group stages and to the 2nd Round or the quarter-finals. They are the favourites to top and the group and they should try and win the group because a second place finish in the group is likely to mean a 2nd round clash with European and World Champions Spain. The other likely 2nd round opponent would be Italy unless we see some major upsets from Republic of Ireland or Croatia.
Population 10.7 million Area 131,990km2 Capital Athens Currency Euro Official Language Greek
FOOTBALL FACTFILE
Football Asocciation Ελληνική Ποδοσφαιρική Ομοσπονδία (EPO) Official Sitehttp://www.epo.grYear of formation 1926 Euro Ranking 10 World Ranking 14 National Stadium Athens Olympic Stadium, Athens Well-known club sides Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, PAOK Leading goalscorer Nikos Anastoppious (29) Most capped player Theodoros Zagorakis (120) European Championship finals attended 1980, 2004, 2008 Best European Championship performance Winners 2004 Playing Record in European Championship P114 W55 D22 L37 Odds of winning UEFA EURO 2012 66/1
JOURNEY TO POLAND/UKRAINE
Given the lack of attacking talent at Greece’s disposal it’s dismissive, but not entirely dangerous to say it would be a miracle for them to repeat their achievements of 2004 in Poland & Ukraine. While our hats remain firmly tipped at the most awesome of achievements, we are quite sure that for Greece at least lighting will not be striking twice.
Goals are simply too hard to come by for this team at the moment. They were the lowest scoring of all the UEFA EURO 2012 qualified countries, finding the net an impoverished 14 times in their 10 games and even recalling 32-year-old Angelos Charisteas from the international wilderness.
The good news for Greece fans is that they were resilient defensively. Under Otto Rehhagel, they were miserly in gifting opportunities and remain as unyielding now, conceding just five goals in qualifying.
Unfortunately for the neutral then, it would appear Greece will sit tight, defend as a unit with 10 mean behind the ball, and look to benefit from the minimal opportunities they create. they were the kings of narrow wins in qualifying, so why commit sporting suicide at the main event?
We’re forgetting one thing in all this negative points though: they were undefeated in their group and forced Croatia into a play-off dogfight. While being no pushovers, they will hold little feat going into the finals.
HOW THEY GOT THERE
03/09/2010 – Group F – Greece 1-1 Georgia
07/09/2010 – Group F – Coratia 0-0 Greece
08/10/2010 – Group F – Greece 1-0 Latvia
12/10/2010 – Group F – Greece 2-1 Israel
26/03/2011 – Group F – Malta 0-1 Greece
04/06/2011 – Group F – Greece 3-1 Malta
02/09/2011 – Group F – Israel 0-1 Greece
06/09/2011 – Group F – Latvia 1-1 Greece
02/10/2011 – Group F – Greece 2-0 Croatia
11/10/2011 – Group F – Georgia 1-2 Greece
HOME AND AWAY KITS
GROUP FIXTURES – GROUP A
Friday, 08/06 – Poland v Greece (Warsaw, 17:00)
Tuesday, 12/06 – Greece v Czech Republic (Wroclaw, 17:00)
Saturday, 16/06 – Greece v Russia (Warsaw, 19:45)
FINAL SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Kostas Chalkias (PAOK FC), Michalis Sifakis (Aris Thessaloniki FC), Alexandros Tzorvas (US Città di Palermo).
Karagounis scored the opening goal in the opening game of UEFA EURO 2004 against hosts Portugal, and, to the football world’s shock, lifted the trophy 22 days later in Lisbon. He embodies the battling spirit of the side, which sometimes gets him on the wrong side of the referees. Karagounis holds the record for the most yellow cards in the European Championship. A tough player indeed.
THE KEEPER – ALEXANDROS TZORVAS
Moved to Italy and the Sicilian capital of Palermo for the start of the 2011/12 season and has received a mixed reception after some patchy performances. he remains the first choice for his country though, and has earned consistently good reviews after Greece’s fine defensive performances during the qualification period. Will be a much busier man at this tournament.
STAR MAN – SORITIS NINIS
Born in Albania to Greek parents, Sotiris Ninis is Fernando Santos’ trump card, his diamond in the rough if you like that. In a side somewhat weighed down by seniority and dogged experience Ninis, who plays in the hole behind the strikers, provides the spark, the enthusiasm and the guile that can lift this Gree team to better things. He possesses great vision, the ability to pick the right pass and a fearsome shot. He won the Greek Young Footballer of the Year in 2007 and 2010, and will be looking turn some heads this summer.
THE MANAGER – FERNANDO SANTOS
The task of replacing Otto Rehhagel was never going to be an easy one. Fernando Santos’ predecessor delivered the most unlikely trophy in football history to Athens in 2004 – but to his credit, Santos has made an immediate impact. He has led Greece to UEFA EURO 2012 as group winners, brusing aside Slaven Bilic’s Croatia in the process. His approach bears similarities with Rehhagel’s – physical teams that are tough to break down – and steering Greece through Group A will probably be limit of his ambitions here.
TOURNAMENT PREDICTION
Group Stage – It won’t be easy for the Blue-Whites to get out of their group. They will not have passionate home support of co-hosts Poland, lack the flair of Russia and the attacking threat of Czech Republic. Even though Greece will be hard to break down, but their lack of creative midfielders and quality strikers will be the main reason behind their failure to get out of the easiest looking group at the tournament. A solid defence and team spirit are unlikely to be enough.
Population 38.5 million Area 312,685km2 Capital Warsaw Currency Zloty Official Language Polish
FOOTBALL FACTFILE
Football Asocciation Polski Związek Piłki Nożnej (PZPN) Official Sitehttp://www.pzpn.plYear of formation 1919 Euro Ranking 39 World Ranking 65 National Stadium National Stadium, Warsaw Well-known club sides Wisla Krakow, Lech Poznan, Legia Warsaw Leading goalscorers Wlodzimierz Lubanski (48), Gregorz Lato (45), Kazimierz Deyna (41) Most capped players Michal Zewlakow (102), Grzegorz Lato (100), Kazimierz Deyna (97) European Championship finals attended 2008 Best European Championship performance Group Stage 2008 Playing Record in European Championship P93 W38 D25 L30 Odds of winning UEFA EURO 2012 66/1
JOURNEY TO POLAND/UKRAINE
On June 8 2012, Poland will open the 14th European Championship in the Warsaw National Stadium against Greece, in front of nearly 60,000 fervent home supporters. The lowest-ranked team in the tournament – 33rd in Europe and 68th in the world, behind Panama and the Cape Verde islands and Uzbekistan – Polland will desperately want to give a good account of themselves against the 2004 champions, who will also find it difficult to advance from Group A.
Naturally, being the co-hosts, Poland have not had to qualify and thus have not experienced a competitive match for some time. Various friendlies against opposition from all over the globe paint a pretty scattered picture: they have beaten Ivory Coast and Argentina, held Germany to a draw, but lost to Lithunia and Italy.
“We have made mistakes,” said head coach Franciszek Smuda during a recent rallying call, “but that happenings in friendlies – we will only be 100% ready in May 2012. We’ve met big team and, in most cases we didnt feel inferior. The players gained belief that they can perform during the finals. We are heading in the right direction.”
Poland were not always the relative football minnows that they are today. They reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 1974 and 1982 thanks to the exploitds of Grzegorz Lato and Zbigniew Boniek. Howerer, Austria/Switzerland in 2008 was their first appearance at a European Championship finals and they finished bottom of their group.
The current Polish team’s main strength is that they are young full of beans and very eager to impress. They style of counter-attacking football may leave the more ageing teams flat-footed and in Robert Lewandowski they have a genuine goal-scoring threat. A win UEFA EURO 2012’s opening match may see them through to the quater-finals, any further, though, and things are likely to become unstuck.
HOW THEY GOT THERE
Qualified as hosts.
HOME AND AWAY KITS
GROUP FIXTURES – GROUP A
Friday, 08/06 – Poland v Greece (Warsaw, 17:00)
Tuesday, 12/06 – Poland v Russia (Warsaw, 19:45)
Saturday, 16/06 – Czech Republic v Poland (Wroclaw, 19:45)
FINAL SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Wojciech Szczęsny (Arsenal FC), Przemysław Tytoń (PSV Eindhoven), Grzegorz Sandomierski (KRC Genk).
Defenders: Sebastian Boenisch (SV Werder Bremen), Marcin Kamiński (KKS Lech Poznań), Damien Perquis (FC Sochaux-Montbéliard), Łukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund), Marcin Wasilewski (RSC Anderlecht), Jakub Wawrzyniak (Legia Warszawa), Grzegorz Wojtkowiak (KKS Lech Poznań).
Midfielders: Jakub Błaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund), Dariusz Dudka (AJ Auxerre), Kamil Grosicki (Sivasspor), Adam Matuszczyk (Fortuna Düsseldorf 1895), Adrian Mierzejewski (Trabzonspor AŞ), Rafal Murawski (KKS Lech Poznań), Eugen Polanski (1. FSV Mainz), Ludovic Obraniak (FC Girondins de Bordeaux), Maciej Rybus (FC Terek Grozny), Rafał Wolski (Legia Warszawa).
Forwards: Paweł Brożek (Celtic FC), Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund), Artur Sobiech (Hannover 96).
THE CAPTAIN – JAKUB BLASZCZYKOWSKI
Jakub Blaszczykowski or ‘Kuba’ as he is referred in the Bundesliga, is a fairly young national team captain at 26, but he is a commanding presence in the middle of the park nevertheless. He was voted Polish Football of the Year in 2008 and 20120, and was also voted the Borussia Dortmund Player of the Year by the fans in 2008, ahead of Neven Subotic and Alexander Frei.
THE KEEPER – WOJCIECH SZCZENSY
Wojciech Szczesny has gently ousted his countryman Lukasz Fabianski from the number one jersey at Arsenal and a series of steady performances have solidified his stats as the Gunners’ main man between the sticks. He is only 22, has tremendous agility and awereness, and a brutish command of his area for someone so young. You just hope his lack of experience doesn’t cost him this summer.
STAR MAN – ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI
After craving out a regular starting place alongside his captain, Jakub Blaszczykowski, in the title-winning Borussia Dortmund side of 2010-11, Robert Lewandowski is the ner darling of Polish football. A 23-year-old forward with genuine eye for chance, Lewandowski represents Poland’s chief goal threat on home soil this summer. In the 2-2 friendly draw with Germany in September last year his instinctive, 55th-minute opener gave an indication of his predatory potential. His current international scoring record is very decent, goal every three games, but he’ll need to better that for success in the finals.
THE MANAGER – FRANCISZEK SMUDA
Franciszek Smuda spent most of his playing career in the MLS, but returned to his home country after a 16-year hiatus in 1993 to coach Stal Mielec. He then led Widzew Lodz to two consecutive domestic titles and into the Champions League, and also win the title with Wisla Krakow and the Polish Cup with Lech Poznan. Was asked to take the reins of the national team after their faliure to qualify for the World Cup 2010 and has bravelu put his faith in the young Borussia Dortmund contingent.
TOURNAMENT PREDICTION
Quarter-Finals – The White Eagles will hope that home advantage will drive them on, and as we have seen with previous hosts, support can act as the clichéd 12th man. If Lewandowski can keep up his fine form and others step up to the plate, a second round finish is not beyond them.
It doesn’t seem possible that almost four years have passed since Iker Casillas and Spain lifted the Henri Delaunay Cup in Vienna. But with the qualifying campagin completed, the draw for the finals made and most of squad being announced, the countdown to UEFA EURO 2012 has begun.
Since its inception in 2960, the UEFA European Championship has gone from strength to strength with every tournament. Only four nations competed at the first finals in France, but in 2016 the number of participating teams will have expanded to 24. UEFA EURO 2012, though, will have the same format we have become used to since Euro 96 with 16 nations fighting it out for the trophy.
UEFA EURO 2008 in Austria & Switzerland was a resounding success. Spain were worthy champions and the brand of football they played gave fans across the world great pleasure. It was also the second time the tournamnet had been successfully staged across two joint host countries, and Poland and Ukraine will provide another exciting dimension as the finals head east. Millions of football fans will be present in Poland and Ukraine this summer to watch the action unfold, and soak up the unique atmosphere. Billions more will be glued to television sets, cheering their countried on from homes, offices, and pubs throught Europe and the world.
With just 10 days remaining for the first match to kickoff in Warsaw, the anticipation for the finals is getting bigger and bigger day by day. Here we provide you with a complete guide to get you in the mood for the finals. I hope you enjoy the tournament and the complete guide.
Overview
The final tournament of the 14th UEFA European Football Championship will be held in Poland and Ukraine from 8 June to 1 July 2012. It will be the third time that the final tournament is jointly hosted by two countries (after Belgium/Netherlands in 2000 and Austria/Switzerland in 2008).
Sixteen national teams will compete in a total of 31 matches to be crowned European champions. The format of four groups of four teams will be used for the last time in this tournament. The competition format will change for the next edition in 2016 as the lineup of participants competing in the final tournament will be increased to 24.
The UEFA EURO 2012 matches will be played in eight stadiums, four in Poland – Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw, Wroclaw – and four in Ukraine – Donetsk, Lviv, Kharkiv and Kyiv. The opening match will take place in Warsaw on 8 June and the final on 1 July in Kyiv. No fewer than 1.4 million fans will be expected at the stadiums and the matches will be broadcast live in more than 200 territories around the world.
MATCH SCHEDULE
VENUES & STADIUMS
Eight cities have been selected by UEFA as host venues. In a return to the format used at Euro 1992, Euro 1996 and Euro 2008, each of the four groups will be based around two stadiums each. The host cities Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Poznan, Kiev, Lviv are all popular tourist destinations, unlike Donetsk and Kharkiv (the latter having replaced Dnipropetrovsk as a host city in 2009). The obligatory improvement of the football infrastructure includes the building of new stadiums: Six of the eight venues are brand new stadiums just built for the tournament, while the remaining two (in Poznan and Kharkiv) have undergone major renovations to improve them. Three of the stadiums will fulfill the criteria of UEFA’s highest category stadiums.
POLAND
National Stadium, Warsaw Capacity 50,000 Club to be confirmed
Built on the site of the old Tenth Anniversary Stadium on the eastern bank of the Vistula, the facade of the new National Stadium Warsaw resembles a waving Polish flag. It will host the opening match of UEFA EURO 2012 on 8 June and is expected to become the new home of the Poland national team.
Games Poland v Greece (8/6), Poland v Russia (12/6), Greece v Russia (16/6), 1 x QF (21/6), 1 x SF (28/6).
Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw Capacity 40,000 Club WKS Slask Wroclaw
Designed in the shape of a Chinese lantern, the newly built Municipal Stadium Wroclaw was official openined with a Geroge Michael concert on 17 September 2011. Two months later Italy’s Mario Balotelli scored the first international goal at the new ground in the 2-0 win against Poland.
Games Russia v Czech Republic (8/6), Greece v Czech Republic (12/6), Czech Republic (16/6)
Municipal Stadium, Poznan Capacity 40,000 Club KKS Lech Poznan
Renowned for its excellent atmosphere, the original stadium was inagurated in 1980 and has undergone major renovation work to bring it up to standard for UEFA EURO 2012. The new Municipal Stadium Poznan opened its door for the first for a Sting concert on 20 September 2010.
Games Republic of Ireland v Croatia (10/6), Italy v Croatia (14/6), Italy v Republic Ireland (18/6)
PGE Arena, Gdansk Capacity 40,000 Club KKS Lech Poznan
Located in Gdnask’s Letnica neighbourhood, construction of the PGE Arena began in 2008 and was completed in 2011. The exterior is designed to resemble amber, which has long been extracted along the Baltic coast. Poland’s 2-2 draw with Germany on 6 September 2011 was the first ever match played in the new stadium. The stadium will host three group C games and one quarter final.
Games Spain v Italy (10/6), Spain v Republic of Ireland (14/6), Croatia v Spain (18/6), 1 x QF (22/6)
UKRAINE
Olympic Stadium, Kyiv Capacity 60,000 Club Ukrainian national team
With a 60,000 capacity and a striking new transparent roof, the new-look Olympic Stadium is UEFA EURO 2012’s largest venue and will host the final on 1 July. Ukraine’s first match at the renovated groud was a thrilling 3-3 draw against Germany on 11 November 2011.
Games Ukraine v Sweden (11/6), Sweden v England (15/6), Sweden v France (19/6), 1 x QF (24/6), Final (1/7)
Donbass Arena, Donetsk Capacity 50,000 Club FC Shakhtar Donetsk
The Donbass Arena was opened in August 2009 and boasts UEFA elite status, qualifying it to the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League finals. Home to UEFA Champions League regulars FC Shakhtar Donetsk, it will stage five matches during UEFA EURO 2012, including a semi-final.
Games France v England (11/6), Ukraine v France (15/6), England v Ukraine (19/6), 1 x OF (23/6), 1 x SF (27/6)
Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv Capacity 35,000 Club FC Metalist Kharkiv
First build in 1926, the stadium has undergone several facelifts down the years, none more striking that its current guise. Known locally as the Spider Arene because of its roof supports resemble an arachnid’s legs, it was first known as the Traktor Stadium, named after a local tractor production plant.
Games Holland v Denmark (9/6), Holland v Germany (13/6), Portugal v Holland (17/6)
Arena Lviv, Lviv Capacity 30,000 Club to be confirmed
Constructed specifically for the finals, this two-tired stadium offers fans perfect slightlines, while a walkway at the back of the lower tier provides a sense of space. The Arena Lviv, which opened on 29 October 2011, will host three Group B matches.
Games Germany v Portugal (9/6), Denmark v Portugal (13/6), Denmark v Germany (17/6)
LOGO & SLOGAN
The purpose of the logo and slogan is to give UEFA EURO 2012 its own personality, to help promote the tournament and to enhance the prestige of one of the world’s biggest sporting events by providing an easily recognisable identity, while at the same time bringing in a distinctive flavour of the host countries. The official logo and slogan for UEFA EURO 2012 were launched at a special event in Kyiv’s Mykhailivska Square on 14 December 2009.
The logo
The logo takes its visual lead from wycinanka art, a traditional form of paper cutting practised in rural areas of Poland and Ukraine. The wycinanka art form symbolises the fauna and flora of the local regions in a tribute to mother nature, representing the worship of the land and true respect for continuous growth, prosperity and fertility.
The slogan – Creating History Together
UEFA EURO 2012 is the next chapter in a story that started back in 1960 with the first edition of the UEFA European Football Championship. The staging of the final tournament in Poland and Ukraine, the first in central and eastern Europe, will definitely have a prominent place in history books.
Everyone involved in UEFA EURO 2012 including organisers, host countries, host cities, players, travelling supporters and fans at home are all contributing to another chapter of European and football history.
MASCOT
Following the footsteps of Trix and Flix at UEFA EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, Slavek and Slavko are dterminded to prove once more that two are better than one. A mascot introduced for the first time in a UEFA European Championship in 1980 when Pinocchio took to the pitch for Italy and they have been mainstay ever since. Slavek and Slavko have alreadt made their mark with nearly 40,000 people voting in a poll to choose their names. UEFA EURO 2012 ambassador Zbigniew Boniek believes Slavek, wearing the white of Poland in a No20 shirt, could be something of a luck charm for his nation. “This number was good for the national team, it brought me a lot of luck,” he said. “As No20 I scored three famours goals against Belgium at the 1982 World Cup while Grzegorz Lato had this number too.” His Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Shevchenko added: “I have seen that the mascots can play good football too and that is good sign for the tournament.”
AMBASSADORS
Some of the biggest names in Polish and Ukrainian football are helping to promote the tournament as UEFA EURO 2012 ambassadors. Former internationals Zbigniew Boniek and Andrzej Szarmach are flying the flag for Poland, while FC Dynamo Kyiv and Ukraine greats Oleh Blokhin and Andriy Shevchenko are doing everything they can in Ukraine, both on and off the pitch, to help ensure the championship’s success. “It is very important for Ukraine, not only in terms of football development but also for the development of the country and its poeple,” said Shevchenko, who will captain Blokhin’s national side next summer. Boneik, capped 80 times by his country and a member of the Poland team that finished third at the 1982 FIFA World Cup, is looking forward to showing his native land in the best possible light. “It is a fantastic opportunity to show the world what a great country we are,” he said. “I would say to all the fans: come to Poland and see what we have to offer – amazing historical sities and extraordinary countryside and cities.”
VOLUNTEERS
A competition record 23,965 people from across the world have applied to work as volunteers during the tournament from which number 5,500 have been selected to provide support for UEFA’s staff at the event. Volunteering is vital to ensure the smooth running of a successful EURO, and all positions had been made available in 20 different areas of operations from ticketing to transport and accommodation. Former Poland and world heavyweight boxing champions Vitaliy Klitschko both gave their backing to the recruitment drive, with the latter declaring: “I know how many people expect a miracle from EURO 2012, but it will not happen unless each of us contributes to the success of the football festival.”
MATCH BALL
The official match ball for UEFA Euro 2012 is the Adidas Tango 12, which is designed to be easier to dribble and control than the reportedly unpredictable Adidas Jabulani used at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Complete detailed information about the ball over here.
MUSIC
The official UEFA EURO 2012 song is “Endless Summer” by the German singer Oceana – whose 2009 hit Cry Cry topped the charts in Poland and Ukraine as well as other European countries, and featured a video shot in Kyiv. In addition, UEFA has retained the melody that was composed by Rollo Armstrong of Faithless on its behalf for the 2008 tournament. The official Polish song for the tournament is “Koko Euro Spoko” by the folk band Jarzebina. The Republic of Ireland has also produced an official song: “The Rocky Road to Poland” recorded by a collaboration of Irish performers has already reached number 1 in Ireland.
TICKETS
Tickets were sold directly by UEFA via its website, or are to be distributed by the football associations of the 16 finalists. Applications had to be made during March 2011 for the 1.4 million tickets available for the 31 tournament matches. Over 12 million applications were received, which represented a 17% increase on the 2008 finals, and an all-time record for the UEFA European Championship. Owing to this over-subscription for the matches, lotteries were carried out to allocate tickets. Prices varied from €30 (£25) (for a seat behind the goals at a group match) to €600 (£513) (for a seat in the main stand at the final). In addition to individual match tickets, fans could buy packages to see either all matches played by one team, or all matches at one specific venue. In May 2012 UEFA will start sending tickets to fans which bought tickets also immediately UEFA will start selling additional tickets on ticketing website.
TROPHY
Spain’s Iker Casillas had the pleasure of becoming the first captain to lift the updated version of the Henri Delaunay Cup in June 2008, with the new trophy a fitting replacement for the prize that has been synonymous with the UEFA European Championship. The second version of the trophy is based on the original designed by Arthus-Bertrand in 1960 and named after Henri Delaunay, the former president of the French Football Federation and UEFA’s first general secretary, from the body’s founding on 15 June 1954 to 9 November 1955. It is 18cm higher and 2kg heavier than the original, made of sterling silver, and has retained its historical name. The trophy was reincarnated to reflect the scale and size of Europe’s most prestigious international tournament.
The responsibility for creating the original went to Pierre Delaunay, son of Henri, the visionary behind the competition. Henri Delaunay died in 1955 before seeing his idea come to fruition, but the updated prize is testament to his enduring legacy, maintaining its classic style. Minor differences between the original and updated version include the silver base being enlarged to make it stable. In addition, the names of the winning countries that had appeared on the plinth have been engraved on the back of the trophy, which weighs 8kg and is 60cm tall. Unlike the original, which was the work of the Chobillon goldsmith and was later bought by Arthus-Bertrand in Paris, the making of the modern equivalent was entrusted to Asprey London. Asprey, renowned silversmiths, jewellers and goldsmiths, have a long history of trophy-making stretching back to the America’s Cup, which their sister company Garrard produced in 1848. UEFA wanted to improve on the quality but also the scale of the trophy, and have a focal point for the event – it was felt that the original trophy was too small to do this.
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