EURO 2012: 16 under a loupe: Germany

Germany

Factsheet: 

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

FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking: 2

Previous European Championship Appearances: 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008

Qualifying record: 10+10=0-0 34-7

Interesting facts:  (West) Germany, three-time champions and three-time runners-up, is the most successful team in the European Championships history.

Germany, along with Spain, won all of the matches during the Euro 2012 qualification. 

Germany is the youngest team at Euro 2012.

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In 6 out of 10 participations Germany played in the tournament last match, thus registering an unprecedented record of European Championships. 1972, 1980 and 1996 have become golden years for them. Traditional favorites of any major tournament, Germans have the strongest team in history, as legendary Franz Beckenbauer claims.

EURO 2012: 16 under a loupe: Portugal

Portugal

Factsheet: 

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

FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking: 5

Previous European Championship Appearances: 1984, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008

Qualifying record: 10+6=2-2 27-14

Interesting facts: Paulo Bento, 42, is the youngest coach at Euro 2012.  

Despite their decent scoring record, Portugal is the team that conceded most goals on their road to Euro 2012.

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Portugal has been a major candidate to take the trophy in any of big tournaments for the last decade. They even reached the final once, but every time they had to leave the tournament without the Cup. They have collected another ambitious team to conquer the European Championship. If asked, the official statistics doesn’t mind the Portuguese to win this time: they are ranked as the 4^th best European team in FIFA Ranking. The problem is that the 2^nd and 3^rd best teams are their contestants in Euro 2012 Group B.

EURO 2012: 16 under a loupe: France

France

Factsheet: 

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

FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking: 16

Previous European Championship Appearances: 1960, 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008

Qualifying record: 10+6=3-1 15-4

Interesting facts: France is the only reigning World Cup winner (1998) to win a European Championship (2000).

After Euro 2016 France will become the country hosting the European Championship the most times: 3 out of 13 tournaments.

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The shameful World Cup 2010 campaign led to thorough reconstruction in the whole French Football Federation. One of the “golden generation” heroes, Laurent Blanc, was appointed as national team head coach, after spending a couple of great seasons in charge of Bordeaux.  

EURO 2012: 16 under a loupe: the Netherlands

Netherlands

Factsheet: 

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

FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking: 4

Previous European Championship Appearances: 1976, 1980, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008

Qualifying record: 10+9=0-1 37-8

Interesting facts: Netherlands was the team to score most goals on their way to qualify to Euro 2012, 37 goals in 10 games.

Klaas Jan Huntelaar was the top scorer in the Euro 2012 qualification round with 12 goals.

Netherlands is the only national team to top the FIFA World Ranking (August-September), without actually having won it.

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They say that 31 teams come to win the World Cup and only the Dutch come to teach the others play. This saying has always been actual and the current team is not an exception. Their scoring average was 3,7 per game during the qualification, where the Netherlands registered the biggest ever win in their history; 11-0 against San Marino.