EURO 2012: 16 under a loupe: Czech Republic

Czech Republic

Factsheet: 

Euro 2012 Group A: 08-06-12: Russia – Czech Republic, 12-06-12: Greece – Czech Republic, 16-06-12: Czech Republic - Poland

FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking: 26

Previous European Championship Appearances: 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008

Qualifying record: 10+6=1-3 15-8

Interesting facts: Milan Baros was the top scorer at Euro 2004 with 5 goals in 5 matches.

The Czech Republic top scorer of the qualifying campaign is the defender Michal Kadlec with 4 goals.

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Another Euro and Czechs will again show up in the role of underdogs. They haven’t missed any European Championship since they evolved into Czech Republic from Czechoslovakia and have probably been the unluckiest participants since then, leaving the championships in dramatic circumstances all the time.

EURO 2012: 16 under a loupe: Sweden

Sweden

Factsheet: 

Euro 2012 Group D: 11-06-12: Ukraine – Sweden, 15-06-12: Sweden - England, 19-06-12: Sweden - France

FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking: 17

Previous European Championship Appearances: 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008

Qualifying record: 10+8=0-2 31-11

Interesting facts: Sweden is the 3^rd best scoring team of the Euro 2012 qualification. Only Netherlands and Germany have scored more.

14 different players managed to score goals for the Swedish team during the 10 qualification matches.  

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Sweden had the best result among the qualification runners-up, therefore they automatically qualified for the Euro, unlike the other runners-up, who had to fight in the play-offs. The qualifying campaign ended smoothly. The Swedes won 8 matches, ending the campaign in a great style, beating the Netherlands. This was the first qualifying tourney under Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s captaincy. How will the first major tournament end?

WELCOME TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, FC BARCELONA!

Guardiola's Barcelona era is over: that is the biggest headline of tonight.

And is John Terry worth to even be taken to Euro 2012 with the England national team?

Those are just a couple of thoughts one comes to after the most heroic of the performances ever shown in Champions League. Chelsea did it! A night to forget for Messi and Co, with Fernando Torres scoring the goal fully redeeming the 50 million pounds Abramovich paid for him. Unbelievable!

EURO 2012: 16 under a loupe: Russia

Russia

Factsheet: 

Euro 2012 Group A: 08-06-12: Russia – Czech Republic, 12-06-12: Poland – Russia, 16-06-12: Greece - Russia

FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking: 11

Previous European Championship Appearances: 1996, 2004, 2008

Qualifying record: 10+7=2-1 17-4

Interesting facts: Only Italy conceded fewer goals than Russia among the 51 nations competing for Euro 2012 participation.  

Only Pavel Pogrebnyak of Fulham does not represent a domestic club among all of the national team candidates.

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After being chosen to lead Russians when the Guus Hiddink era was over, Dick Advocaat, a usual substitute to Hiddink, shockingly gave away his job as Belgium coach and returned to Russia. Here he managed to qualify for a major competition on his first attempt. Something you can’t really satisfy the Russian fans with, but still, something that doesn’t happen every time. The team has been unbeaten in 11 matches now, conceding only 3 goals.

EURO 2012: 16 under a loupe: Greece

Greece

Factsheet: 

Euro 2012 Group A: 08-06-12: Poland - Greece, 12-06-12: Greece – Czech Republic, 16-06-12: Greece - Russia

FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking: 14

Previous European Championship Appearances: 1980, 2004, 2008

Qualifying record: 10+7=3-0 14-5

Interesting facts: Greece holds the record of the first team ever to beat both the hosts and defending champions in the same championship (2004).

Greece was the first defending European champion not to earn a single point in the next European Championship (2008).

Greece is the least scoring team that qualified for Euro 2012.

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For the first time since 1994 will the Greek team show up to a major competition without Otto Rehhagel in charge. Fernando Santos, as any of his successors, will constantly be compared with King Otto. The Portuguese started well: his side has only lost once in 19 games. Hellenic Football Federation has already offered a new contract to Santos, without waiting for the Euro 2012 outcome.

Piermario Morosini: The Unluckiest Man Ever

Only 25 years old was the talented Livorno and former Italy under 21 international Piermario Morosini.

He lost his mother, his father and his disabled brother, remaining alone with his disabled sister. Too much for a young heart to carry on. Rest In Peace, Piermario Morosini!

You fought until the end. Goodbye, Great "Moro"

EURO 2012: 16 under a loupe: Poland

Poland

Factsheet: 

Euro 2012 Group A: 08-06-12: Poland - Greece, 12-06-12: Poland - Russia, 16-06-12: Czech Republic - Poland

FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking: 65

Previous European Championship Appearances: 2008

Qualifying record: -

Interesting facts: 

Poland is the lowest ranked team participating in Euro 2012.

Poland has never won a single match at European Championships and scored only one goal.    

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The manager Franciszek Smuda, an influential representative of the local coaching elite of the last two decades, had to finally get this job. He declared to prepare a team targeted on the home Euro, though nothing can justify the catastrophic qualification for World Cup 2010, when his side finished the group in the 5^th place ahead of San Marino.

EURO 2012: 16 under a loupe: Croatia

Croatia

Factsheet:


Euro 2012 Group C: 10-06-12: Rep. of Ireland - Croatia, 14-06-12: Italy - Croatia, 18-06-12: Spain - Croatia

FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking: 10

Previous European Championship Appearances: 1996, 2004, 2008

Qualifying record: 12+8=2-2 21-7

Interesting facts: 

From 1993 to 1998 Croatia moved from 125th to 3^rd position in FIFA World Ranking, thus making the most volatile move in the Ranking history.

The manager Slaven Bilic plays in a local rock band.

Croatia did not lose a single game at the previous Euro, when they left the tournament after exceptionally bad after-match penalty shoot-outs in quarterfinals. This, as well as conceding only 2 goals in the tournament, is a European Championship all-time record.   

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This Balkan country succeeded to appear at six major tournaments out of eight attempts. Since representing an independent-from-Yugoslavia country Croatia has become an amazing part of any tournament. Always underestimated, they made it to quarterfinals twice and won the bronze once.

EURO 2012: 16 under a loupe: Denmark

Denmark

Factsheet:

Euro 2012 Group B: 09-06-12: Netherlands - Denmark, 13-06-12: Denmark - Portugal, 17-06-12: Denmark - Germany

FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking: 11

Previous European Championship Appearances: 1964, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004

Qualifying record: 8+6=1-1 15-6

Interesting facts: Denmark received a ticket to their golden European Championship in 1992 only 10 days before its kick-off, due to international sanctions against Yugoslavia.

Denmark is the least populated country to ever win the European Championship.

Christian Eriksen was the youngest player in the previous World Cup in South Africa.

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Comparisons with 1992 achievements are unavoidable every time Denmark earns the right to participate in a big tournament. Euro 2012 is not an exception. Can the Danish Dynamite explode again?

EURO 2012: 16 under a loupe: Ukraine

Ukraine

Factsheet:

Euro 2012 Group D: 11-06-12: Ukraine - Sweden, 15-06-12: Ukraine - France, 19-06-12: England - Ukraine

FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking: 49

Previous European Championship Appearances: -

Qualifying record: -

Interesting facts:With 603 700 sqkm Ukraine is the biggest country in Europe.

Ukraine has never won a single home match in the city of Donetsk, where France and England are going to meet the hosts.

Andriy Shevchenko holds the all-time record for the most scored goals for Ukraine. He has scored 46 times so far. Anatoliy Timoshchuk holds the all-time record for the most matches played for Ukraine. He has been a part of a match 114 times.

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After having trouble with finding a manager for the home Euro, the Ukrainian Football Federation decided to reappoint the World Cup 2006 manager Oleh Blokhin for the post. During three years of Blokhin’s absence the team saw three managers and, rumors say, almost signed Marcello Lippi. An absolute authority in the former Soviet Union football life, Blokhin is however not the fan-favorite. The dream of the Ukrainian province to take the Dynamo Kyiv shadow away from the national team does not seem realistic under the experienced coach. 8 out of 19 internationals called for the last friendly against Israel represented the Kyiv side, not talking about the Dynamo-related history of the managerial and administrative staff.