In less than a few days from now Europe will host its finest tournament, pitting sixteen of the very best European countries against each other. But just who are the contenders for the title? Euro 2008 winners Spain are favourites to win once again but following closely behind are Germany and the Netherlands.
Taking a look at the stars of the show, it will be up to one of them to make a real name for themselves on a global basis. Who will take home the crown? We take a country-by-country perspective, ending with Group D.
Ukraine – Andriy Shevchenko
Co-hosting the European tournament may be the reason Ukraine qualified for the competition but in their very first venture into the Euros, they will be hoping to prove to Europe just how good they are. Having appeared in just a single World Cup in 2006, it is up to them to ensure they can make a real impact this summer. One man in particular has the honour of leading his side to glory and Ukrainian fans all over the world will look forward to watching Andriy Shevchenko.
Making his full-time debut on the footballing stage at just the age of sixteen, Shevchenko appeared in one hundred and seventeen games and scored sixty goals at his time at Dynamo Kiev. Italian side AC Milan were more than interested in the Ukrainian and bid £18m to land the future star. Little did they know ‘Sheva’ would take Serie A by storm, netting twenty-four league goals in thirty-two appearances in his debut season. He proved his supreme finishing wasn’t simply luck as he repeatedly scored the following year, bagging yet another twenty-four league goals in thirty-four games. With his name now on top of many clubs’ wanted list, he made a move to Chelsea.
Unfortunately for the then 30-year-old, he couldn’t repeat his wonderful feat at Milan in England and finished his Chelsea career with nine league goals in forty-eight games. Travelling back to Milan for a season, the 6ft striker transferred back to his hometown, Dynamo Kiev. Hailed as a hero, it is up to Shevchenko to prove to the world he still has the ability to make the difference.
In what he claims will be his final games ever, the Ukrainian legend must step-up one final time to help his side to glory. The now thirty-five-year-old captain must rally his side in order to come out trumps in a tough group. With Bayern Munich’s Anatoliy Tymoshchuk in midfield and former Liverpool man Andriy Voronin up front with him; Shevchenko will be doing his best to lead Ukraine to the trophy in front of their home fans.
Sweden – Zlatan Ibrahimović
Qualifying was difficult enough but having to do it with the Netherlands in their group; Sweden had it a little more problematic. On the end of a 4-1 defeat to Holland, the reverse fixture saw the Swedes beat them 2-1 to end Bert van Marwijk’s men’s seventeen game winning streak. Now with confidence on their side, Blågult will be relying on main target man Zlatan Ibrahimović to lead them to their first ever major international trophy.
From one former Milan player to another, Ibrahimović made a real name for himself in Italy with seasons at Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan. But he didn’t really begin to make a career for himself until he joined Dutch side Ajax. Starting off in Sweden, Ibrahimović scored an impressive sixteen goals in forty games at the age of nineteen, earning himself a move to Holland. Even further displays of an incredible gift for goal-scoring; at Ajax he scored thirty-five goals in seventy-four games to really establish himself in Europe.
A move to Juventus was followed by one to Inter Milan where fans all over the world were beginning to stand up and take note of the Swedish man’s name. Under Roberto Mancini, Ibrahimović thrived and in the three years he was there, the 6ft 5in striker managed to help his side win the league every season. A transfer to Barcelona ensued where the then 28-year-old struggled to adapt to La Liga even with an impressive twenty-one goals in forty-five games. His credibility in Italy remained and when he pushed for a return, AC Milan were on hand to give the target man the perfect return to Serie A.
Forty-four goals in sixty-one games was the way Ibrahimović found his return to excellence and he helped his side finish second in the league. With a massive career under his belt, it will be the Swedish forward’s biggest tournament yet as he enters what will be his twilight years. With Sweden never having won a major trophy, can Ibrahimović finally end the drought and bring his club form onto the international stage?
Sweden may be one of the underdogs in the group but with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimović, Sunderland’s promising midfielder Sebastian Larsson and Lyon’s midfield dynamo Kim Källström in the centre of the park, Sweden can upset the odds if their players are on top form.
England – Wayne Rooney
Ranked sixth in FIFA’s World Rankings, many fans were left shocked by how poorly England had performed in the 2010 World Cup, having scored only three goals in five games and conceding five. The 0-0 draw with Algeria was dubbed the ‘most boring’ match in the tournament. With new manager, Roy Hodgson, can England finally put their demons to bed and perform on the big stage? One player the English will be hoping to see return to international form is Wayne Rooney.
The Liverpool-born striker began his career at Everton and scored fifteen league goals in sixty-seven games before making a high-profile move to English giants Manchester United for £30m. The money was well spent as Rooney has gone on to formulate himself into one of the world’s greatest strikers. Thirty-five goals in forty-four appearances in all competitions this season meant he helped the Red Devils to second place in the league, losing out only on goal-difference to fellow rivals Manchester City. Amidst the transfer request that he revoked in 2010, Rooney has had spells of indiscipline which have led to controversy and complications in his career. It was his red card against Montenegro that was his biggest downfall as it meant he will miss the first two games for England. Knowing his importance in the team, Hodgson must now find a replacement for the two games against France and Ukraine.
The 26-year-old will be vital to England’s cause this summer and even though he will play no part in most of the group stage, you can only admit if England were to go through to the next stage, he will definitely have a say in The Three Lions’ fortunes. Alongside his incredible finishing ability, the 5ft 9in striker has been known to have fantastic vision and immense work-rate which are factors feared by defenders.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s inclusion in the final 25-man-squad comes as a huge surprise and he will be an interesting player to watch, and with Steven Gerrard now a veteran, Rooney has enough to find his shooting boots in Poland and Ukraine. Putting the disappointment of the World Cup behind them and beginning a new era under Roy Hodgson, England will have to perform well to top the group, something they are fully capable of doing. But how many tournaments has this side gone into on a high, only to come out of it on an all-time low?
France – Franck Ribéry
Another country struggling to atone for their earlier World Cup campaign will be France, who having crashed out in the Group Stages only managed a solitary goal; a consolation against hosts South Africa. One of the favourites to win the competition, they struggled to perform and were even the subject of training boycotts as the team were split between players and manager. Laurent Blanc was appointed head coach and since then, France have found their feet again. Now with a real chance in Euro 2012, they can look to Franck Ribéry to inspire from midfield.
Franck Ribéry couldn’t end his season on a high as his club, Bayern Munich, failed to win the Champions League final, after losing out on penalties. Yet it is the Frenchman that will be hoping to put everything in the back of his mind as he focuses on reforming France back into their untouchable status. With shock group exits from their last two major tournaments, a renaissance is absolutely essential. Loyalty has never been an issue for the Frenchman as he transferred to five clubs in the space of seven seasons before moving to Marseille. After two highly successful seasons where he scored nineteen goals and assisted eighteen in ninety-one games, Ribéry moved one final time to Bayern Munich.
It is at the Allianz Arena that the 29-year-old began to settle into his footballing shoes. Scintillating performances season by season has earned the 5ft 7in midfielder a permanent starting eleven position but injuries have always plagued the winger’s career and whenever he just about seems to pick up form, an injury strikes to slow down his progress. However, in the last two seasons, Ribéry has played fifty-three league games, scored nineteen goals and claimed a majestic thirty-seven assists.
If Ribéry were to keep himself injury-free and retain his incredible talent for goal-scoring and assisting, France have a real chance this summer. With the impressive duo of Samir Nasri and Hatem Ben Arfa in midfield alongside the prospective Yann M’Vila and clinical Karim Benzema, Ribéry is part of an unbelievably gifted squad. If France were to find the form that won them Euro 2000 and made themselves the giants of Europe, they can once again be in the final stages in Poland and Ukraine.
The match up of Group D’s Ukraine, Sweden, England and France make for an interesting fixture list and with countries having to prove themselves on the European stage, matches could be tense and edgy. Top individual performances on the day could prove to be the difference and with each of these clubs containing one world-class striker, we could be looking at the winner of the Golden Shoe.
If you missed it, check out the breakdown of the players to watch in Poland and Ukraine this summer, starting with Group A.
If you missed this one too, check out the breakdown of the players to watch in Poland and Ukraine this summer, moving onto Group B.
If you really don’t know how this works, check out the breakdown of the players to watch in Poland and Ukraine this summer, continuing to Group C.
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