Official Euro 2008 thread

[Harv]

I know it was only a poor Welsh side but Holland played some beautiful football. They were printing money at 4/5 on the handicap (-1).

Sneijder super impressive and Dirk had an excellent 2nd half.

you said it sister

They will always play some beautiful football. Its a pity that their defense is rubbish though.

Against Italy, France and Romania they wont get much joy.

I wouldnt be surprised to see them not win a game actually. It would be quite a shock, but its possible.

Sneijder Van Persie and Ruud are the keys. If those three play well they will do alright.

[Nic83]

I know it was only a poor Welsh side but Holland played some beautiful football. They were printing money at 4/5 on the handicap (-1).

Sneijder super impressive and Dirk had an excellent 2nd half.

Sneijder is full of confidence and is the man who keeps the dutch ticking over. If Holland do well you can be sure he will be in with a great shout for player of the tourney. Brilliant bet at massive odds for a small flutter.

[Nic83]

so Shaggy, only England left for the acca? Maybe it might be worthwhile looking into some laying. Surely England are very short odds so it won't be cutting into your winnings too much if they do win

[Shaggy]

so Shaggy, only England left for the acca? Maybe it might be worthwhile looking into some laying. Surely England are very short odds so it won't be cutting into your winnings too much if they do win

Yep, not sure I'm gonna lay 'em though. Undecided at the mo but I can't see them slipping up.

This is the run I'm on at the mo:

Starting in midweek:

1. France U19s (v Switzerland) - 5/6 WIN
2. Italy U19s (v Sweden) - 4/7 WIN
3. Phil Taylor (v Adrian Lewis) - 1/3 WIN

1. Croatia U19s (v Albania) - 1/2 WIN
2. Spain U19s (v Armenia) - 1/3 WIN
3. France (v Ecuador) - 1/4 WIN
4. Czech Rep (v Lithuania) - 2/9 WIN

1. Turkey (v Finland) - 4/6 WIN
2. Czech Rep (v Scotland) - 4/7 WIN
3. Italy (v Belgium) - 1/3 WIN
4. Austria (v Malta) - 2/9 WIN

1. Italy U20s (v Chile) - 5/4 WIN
2. Italy (v Belgium) - 1/3 WIN
3. Holland -1 (v Wales) - 4/5 WIN

1. Romania (v Montenegro) - 1/3 WIN
2. Italy (v Belgium) - 1/3 WIN
3. Austria (v Malta) - 2/9 WIN
4. Spain (v Peru) - 1/4 WIN
5. Portugal (v Georgia) - 1/7 WIN
6. Brazil (v Canada) - 2/7 WIN
7. Holland -1 (v Wales) - 4/5 WIN
8. Czech Rep (v Scotland) - 4/7 WIN
9. England (v Trinidad & Tobago) - 2/7 OPEN

[Harv]

Kenwyn Jones is going to **** your bet up

[Shaggy]

Kenwyn Jones is going to **** your bet up

It's written in the stars!

[Shaggy]

The Observer's guide to the Euros...

Group A:

CZECH REP
ODDS TO WIN: 18-1
EURO 2004: Lost to Greece in semis, aet

HOW THEY RATE: Losing Arsenal's Tomas Rosicky to injury is a big blow: without him it's difficult to see where the creative spark is going to come from. But the squad have shown resilience and togetherness on and off the pitch, last year paying a joint fine of £30,000 after five players and six prostitutes were discovered 'drunk and hugging' in a team hotel. On the pitch, the defence is impressive: they've only conceded five goals in 12 qualifiers (yes, that was with Newcastle's David Rozehnal at the back...). And up front, Big Jan Koller is still going strong. They may opt for a cautious 4-5-1 in the Alps.

STAR MAN: Petr Cech. He will be absolutely crucial to the Czechs' chances of progressing.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Martin Fenin. The 21-year-old took the Czechs to the final last year's Under-20 World Cup and scored a hat-trick on his Bundesliga debut after joining Eintracht Frankfurt in January. 'I play for the people, for the fans,' he says.

WILD CARD: Milan Baros - last year at Lyon he clashed repeatedly with opponent Stéphane M'Bia. Baros was seen pinching his nose and waving his hand at the Rennes player as if to waft away a smell. His actions were interpreted as racist, despite his denials, and he was suspended for the rest of the season.

WAG TO WATCH: Hedvika Koller used to go out with midfielder Pavel Horvath, but soon switched allegiance to Big Jan, whom she married in 2003. Has posed for Playboy.

THE FANS: Lively group who get going with the chant: 'If you're not jumping, you're not Czech.'

PREDICTION: Third in the group.

Keepers: 1 Cech (Chelsea), 16 Blazek (Nürnberg), 23 Zitka (Anderlecht). Defenders: 2 Grygera (Juventus), 6 Jankulovski (Milan), 12 Pospech (Copenhagen), 13 Kadlec (Sparta), 21 Ujfalusi (Fiorentina), 22 Rozehnal (Lazio, loan from Newcastle). Midfield: 3 Polak (Anderlecht), 4 Galasek (Nürnberg), 5 Kovac (S Moscow), 14 Jarolim (Hamburg), 17 Matejovsky (Reading), 18 Sivok (Sparta), 19 Skacel (H Berlin), 20 Plasil (Osasuna). Forwards: 7 Sionko (Copenhagen), 8 Fenin (E Frankfurt), 9 Koller (Nürnberg), 10 Sverkos (Ostrava), 11 Vlcek (Anderlecht), 15 Baros (Portsmouth).



PORTUGAL

ODDS TO WIN: 7-1
EURO 2004: Lost to Greece in the final

HOW THEY RATE: Portugal have a World Cup-winning coach in Luiz Felipe Scolari and the world's best player in Cristiano Ronaldo - but the feeling is still that they will fall short. The 4-2-3-1 system screams out for a world-class forward, but Werder Bremen's Hugo Almeida (the Portuguese Paul Stewart), Nuno Gomes (think Milan Baros) and Helder Postiga (ex-Spurs) just aren't good enough. Another problem is that playmaker Deco has had a poor season and while keeper Ricardo is good at saving English penalties, he's generally deemed a liability.

STAR MAN: Cristiano Ronaldo. Eight goals in 13 qualifiers. But can he do it on his own?

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Ricardo Quaresma. Porto's 24-year-old winger was, at one stage, considered a better talent than Ronaldo. Liverpool nearly signed him last year and Rafael Benítez may try again.

WILD CARD: The gaffer: Big Phil Scolari. Bonkers. Punched a Serbia player during a qualifying game and once stormed out of a press conference ranting: 'I am a donkey? I am a bad coach?' Always great value - would be a huge boost to the Premier League if he ends up at Chelsea next season.

WAG TO WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo's girlfriend Nereida Gallardo recently appeared in topless photos in the British press and says she plans to marry him.

THE FANS: Better than the Spanish, but not great travellers. Could let the side down.

PREDICTION: Win Group A, then lose in the semis to Germany.

Keepers: 1 Ricardo (R Betis), 12 Quim (Benfica), 22 Rui Patricio (Sporting). Defenders: 2 Ferreira (Chelsea), 3 Alves (Porto), 4 Bosingwa (Chelsea), 5 Meira (Stuttgart), 13 Miguel (Valencia), 14 Ribeiro (Boavista), 15 Pepe (R Madrid), 16 Carvalho (Chelsea). Midfielders: 6 Meireles (Porto), 8 Petit (Benfica), 10 Moutinho (Sporting), 18 Veloso (Sporting), 20 Deco (Barcelona). Forwards: 7 Ronaldo (Man United), 9 Almeida (W Bremen), 11 Simão (A Madrid), 17 Quaresma (FC Porto), 19 Nani (Man United), 21 Nuno Gomes (Benfica), 23 Postiga (Panathinaikos).




SWITZERLAND

ODDS TO WIN: 25-1
EURO 2004L Finished bottom of their group

HOW THEY RATE: The quality in the squad is far from breathtaking and three players (Blaise N'Kufo, Steve von Bergen and Fabio Coltorti) had to leave the pre-tournament training camp because of injuries. The centre-back pairing of Philippe Senderos and Johan Djourou isn't good enough for Arsenal, so how they will cope against Europe's best forwards? Coach Jakob 'Köbi' Kuhn will be replaced by Ottmar Hitzfeld after the tournament, but many feel he should have gone already. However, they may still edge out the Czechs for second place in the group.

STAR MAN: Alexander Frei: the only reliable source of goals. Without him, they're nothing.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: 19-year-old Eren Derdiyok: scored seven in five games for the under-21s before a goal against England on his senior debut in February. Says he would love to play alongside Michael Owen.

WILD CARD: Frei can be unpredictable: he spat at Steven Gerrard, but was so contrite afterwards that he adopted a llama at the zoo in Basle: 'I became the godfather of this animal to remind players that they don't have to spit.' But the winner in this category is Benjamin Huggel, who was once banned for six games for kicking a Turkish coach.

WAG TO WATCH: Valon Behrami's Italian girlfriend Elena Bonzanni - a model with aspirations of 'going into cinema'.

THE FANS: 20 per cent of the population said last week that they are not looking forward to the tournament 'one bit'.

PREDICTION: Second in the group, then losers in the quarter-finals to Germany.

Keepers: 1 Benaglio (Wolfsburg), 18 Zuberbühler (Xamax Neuchatel), 21 Jakupovic (Grasshoppers). Defenders: 2 Djourou (Arsenal), 3 Magnin (Stuttgart), 4 Senderos (Arsenal), 5 Lichtsteiner (Lille), 13 Grichting (Auxerre), 17 Spycher (E Frankfurt), 20 Müller (Lyon), 23 Degen (B Dortmund). Midfielders: 6 Huggel (Basel), 7 Cabanas (Grasshopper), 8 Inler (Udinese), 10 H Yakin (Young Boys), 14 Gygax (Metz), 15 Fernandes (Man City), 16 Barnetta (B Leverkusen), 19 Behrami (Lazio), 22 Vonlanthen (Salzburg). Forwards: 9 Frei (B Dortmund), 11 Streller (Basel), 12 Derdiyok (Basel).




TURKEY

ODDS TO WIN: 40-1
EURO 2004: Failed to qualify

HOW THEY RATE: There's a distinct lack of experience after the revolutionary exclusion of Hakan Sukur. Coach Fatih Terim is struggling to make his side work together as a unit and he hasn't been helped by an injury to Gokhan Gonul, dubbed 'Fenerbahce's Cafu'. He could have been one of the stars of the tournament. The centre of the defence is very suspect, with Servet Cetin and Gokhan Zan both very slow. The midfield is creative, but the absence of a powerful front man to support Nihat Kahveci, who's had a great season at Villarreal, is grim news.

STAR MAN: Marco 'Mehmet' Aurelio, a skinny boy from Rio who's now a naturalised citizen and has become the backbone of Turkey's midfield. Nihat is also key.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Galatasaray's £4m-rated Arda Turan, 21, will impress on the left wing if he keeps his discipline. An irrepressible dribbler in the Nani mould.

WILD CARD: Emre Belozoglu. Last year had to apologise after making an offensive gesture towards the VIP box during a qualifying game. He was captain at the time.

WAG TO WATCH: Wait and see. In 2005, coach Fatih Terim hired eight security guards to stop players leaving their team hotel in Switzerland after discovering it was next to a nightclub full of 'loose women'.

THE FANS: Big following, mainly from people living in the host countries and Germany. Fans who won tickets in a high-profile text-messaging competition won't be there, though: organisers forgot to book hotels and flights.

PREDICTION: Bottom of the group.

Keepers: 1 Recber (Besiktas), 12 Zengin (Trabzonspor), 23 Demirel (Fenerbahce). Defenders: 2 Cetin (Galatasaray), 4 Zan (Besiktas), 13 Gungor (Galatasaray), 15 Asik (Ankaraspor), 20 Sarioglu (Galatasaray), 22 Hamit Altintop (B Munich). Midfielders: 3 Balta (Galatasaray), 5 Belozoglu (Newcastle), 6 Topal (Galatasaray), 7 Aurelio (Fenerbahce), 10 Karadeniz (R Kazan), 11 Metin (Larissa), 14 Turan (Galatasaray), 16 Boral (Fenerbahce), 17 Tuncay (M'bro), 19 Akman (Galatasaray). Forwards: 8 Nihat (Villarreal), 9 Senturk (Fenerbahce), 18 Kazim (Fenerbahce), 21 Erdinc (Sochaux).





Group B:

AUSTRIA
ODDS TO WIN: 100-1
EURO 2004: Failed to qualify.

HOW THEY RATE: Everyone's still dreaming of a repeat of 'the miracle in Cordoba' when Austria knocked Germany out of the 1978 World Cup. It's a national obsession: everyone connected with that tournament is still a national hero and they're still getting jobs on the back of it. Current coach Josef 'Pepi' Hickersberger is one example: he's in his second spell in charge, despite the first one ending in humiliating defeat to the Faroe Islands. The truth is that Austria are rubbish. Very few players make it outside their Bundesliga these days and one of them, Wigan's Paul Scharner, isn't even in the squad after falling out with Hickersberger (left). It could be a horrible few weeks for the hosts.

STAR MAN: Defender Martin Stranzl, the Spartak defender who everyone looks up to.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Werder Bremen's impressive young defender Sebastian Prödl

WILD CARD: Boro's Emanuel Pogatetz. Nicknamed 'Mad Dog' after breaking an opponent's leg while playing for Spartak, he has accused Hickersberger of being 'tactically inept'. Amazingly, he's still in the squad.

WAG TO WATCH: Mrs Pogatetz, Mirjam. Last year she finished a half marathon.

THE FANS: Optimism is in short supply, but this week Austrian TV is showing a fake documentary called The Miracle of Vienna to raise spirits. It features made-up striker Peter Hurska, who sensationally scores against Germany and Holland as Austria win the tournament. It's Billy's Boots meets Roy of the Rovers - and it'll be as close to glory as they get.

PREDICTION: Third in the group.

Keepers: 1 Manninger (Siena), 21 Macho (AEK Athens), 23 Ozcan (Hoffenheim). Defenders: 2 Standfest (A Vienna), 3 Stranzl (S Moscow), 4 Pogatetz (Middlesbrough), 12 Gercaliu (A Vienna), 13 Katzer (R Vienna), 15 Prödl (S Graz), 16 Patocka (R Vienna), 17 Hiden (A Carinthia). Midfielders: 5 Fuchs (Mattersburg), 6 Aufhauser (Salzburg), 8 Leitgeb (Salzburg), 10 Ivanschitz (Panathinaikos), 11 Korkmaz (R Vienna), 14 Garics (Napoli), 19 Säumel (S Graz), 20 Harnik (W Bremen). Forwards: 7 Vastic (Linz), 9 Linz (Braga), 18 Kienast (Ham-Kam), 22 Hoffer (R Vienna).





CROATIA

ODDS TO WIN: 12-1
EURO 2004: Finished third in their group

HOW THEY RATE: Topped England's group and should do well, but losing Arsenal's striker Eduardo Da Silva to injury was a big, big blow. Eduardo scored 10 goals - more than a third of Croatia's tally - in qualifying. Now Slaven Bilic has to rely on Ivan Klasnic (back after two kidney transplants) and/or the erratic Mladen Petric (Borussia Dortmund) and Igor Budan (Parma) up front. Bad news.

STAR MAN: Luka Modric, Spurs' new playmaker, is the heartbeat of the team and England couldn't handle him in qualifying. 'Only Kaká is better,' Bilic says.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Ivan Rakitic, a tremendous talent who, at 20, seems to have grown up a lot after his club Schalke suspended him for 'nightclub reasons'. Would be perfect for West Ham or Everton, but Schalke are likely to want at least £12m.

WILD CARD: Josip Simunic, who was booked three times in one 2006 World Cup game by Graham Poll, has admitted seeking 'professional help' after six red cards in 18 months. 'I never mean to hurt an opponent, but it still happens. That has to stop.'

WAG TO WATCH: Robert Kovac is married to former Miss World runner-up Anica (maiden name Martinovic). They've known each other since they were kids and attend kick-boxing fights in their spare time.

THE FANS: Favourite song: 'We're not many, but it doesn't matter/We're capable of destroying anybody's dreams.'

PREDICTION: Second in the group, but they'll lose to Portugal in the quarter-finals.

Keepers: 1 Pletikosa (S Moscow), 12 Galinovic (Panathinaikos), 23 Runje (Lens). Defenders: 2 Simic (Milan), 3 Simunic (H Berlin), 4 R Kovac (B Dortmund), 5 Corluka (Man City), 6 Vejic (Tom Tomsk), 13 Pokrivac (Monaco), 15 Knezevic (Livorno). Midfielders: 7 Rakitic (Schalke), 8 Vukojevic (D Zagreb), 10 N Kovac (Salzburg), 11 Srna (S Donetsk), 14 Modric (Spurs), 16 Leko (Monaco), 19 Kranjcar (Portsmouth), 22 Pranjic (Heerenveen). Forwards: 9 Kalinic (H Split), 17 Klasnic (W Bremen), 18 Olic (Hamburg SV), 20 Budan (Parma), 21 Petric (B Dortmund).





GERMANY

ODDS TO WIN: 4-1

EURO 2004: Finished third in their group

HOW THEY RATE: The euphoria from the 2006 World Cup, when Germany suddenly emerged as an attack-minded, free-scoring, unit, has survived. They may not have won a single game at the Euros since 1996, but with experienced players such as Michael Ballack, Torsten Frings and Christoph Metzelder (the last two just back from injury), as well as new talent such as Mario Gómez, Simon Rolfes and Piotr Trochowski, they have a real chance of going all the way. Plenty of goals up front with Gómez, Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Kevin Kuranyi. They look strong.

STAR MAN: Michael Ballack - desperate to win something after recent disappointments.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Stuttgart's Mario Gómez, 22. Arguably the most talented German striker since Rudi Völler. Tall and strong, he'd only look to move to one of the top four clubs in England and comes with a £20m price tag. But he has a Spanish father and Barcelona have already expressed an interest.

WILD CARD: Plenty to choose from. Jens Lehmann obviously, Mario Gómez once fractured his hand punching the physio's suitcase, while Torsten Frings once lived with a racoon.

WAG TO WATCH: Bastian Schweinsteiger has had five girlfriends in 18 months, but really loves the latest, Sarah Brandner. She's a blonde model who 'has played a big part in my performances lately', says Schweini.

THE FANS: Will be there in force: no distance to travel and will hope for support almost as good as at their own World Cup two years ago.

PREDICTION: Group and tournament winners.

Keepers: 1 Lehmann (Arsenal), 12 Enke (Hannover), 23 Adler (B Leverkusen). Defenders: 2 Jansen (Bayern), 3 Friedrich (H Berlin), 4 Fritz (W Bremen), 5 Westermann (Schalke) 16 Lahm (Bayern), 17 Mertesacker (W Bremen), 21 Metzelder (R Madrid). Midfielders: 6 Rolfes (B Leverkusen), 7 Schweinsteiger (Bayern), 8 Frings (W Bremen), 13 Ballack (Chelsea), 14 Trochowski (Hamburg), 15 Hitzlsperger (Stuttgart), 18 Borowski (W Bremen). Forwards: 9 Gómez (Stuttgart), 10 Neuville (B M'gladbach), 11 Klose (Bayern), 19 Odonkor (R Betis), 20 Podolski (B Munich), 22 Kuranyi (Schalke).





POLAND

ODDS TO WIN: 50-1

EURO 2004: Failed to qualify

HOW THEY RATE: For a country in the middle of a morale-sapping match-fixing and corruption scandal, the national team are seen as the only and last hope to bring some pride to Polish football. Coach Leo Beenhakker, who took Trinidad & Tobago to the World Cup finals in 2006, has again performed miracles and his 4-2-3-1 is difficult to break down. Dariusz Dudka and Mariusz Lewandowski, the two defensive midfielders, will play an important role, so don't expect fireworks, but the fact that Poland topped a qualifying group including Portugal, Serbia and Belgium shows they shouldn't be underestimated.

STAR MAN: Racing Santander's Ebi Smolarek, son of the legendary Wlodzimierz Smolarek, scored nine goals in qualifying.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Jakub Blaszczykowski, a wing-wizard who has taken the Bundesliga by storm at the age of 22. Borussia Dortmund would want more than £5m.

WILD CARD: Celtic keeper Artur Boruc. Happy to chase after robbers in the streets of Glasgow and says he doesn't like football - but wants to travel to away games with Legia Warsaw when he hangs up his gloves.

WAG TO WATCH: Boruc and his glamorous blonde wife, Katarzyna, have been dubbed 'Polish football's Becks and Posh'.

THE FANS: Poland were one of the better supported teams during the qualifiers, taking 15,000 to Brussels and 7,000 to Lisbon. A lot of them had travelled from the UK. There is, though, anger that not enough tickets have been released to 'genuine fans' by the FA.

PREDICTION: Bottom of the group.

Keepers: 1 Boruc (Celtic), 12 Kuszczak (Man Utd), 22 Fabianski (Arsenal). Defenders: 2 Jop (FC Moscow),3 Wawrzyniak (L Warsaw), 4 Golanski (S Bucharest), 6 Bak (A Vienna), 13 Wasilewski (Anderlecht), 14 Zewlakow (Olympiakos), 15 Pazdan (G Zabrze), 23 Kokoszka (W Krakow). Midfielders: 5 Dudka (W Krakow), 7 Smolarek (R Santander), 8 Krzynowek (Wolfsburg), 10 Gargula (GKS Belchatow), 16 Blaszczykowski (B Dortmund), 17 Lobodzinski (W Krakow), 18 Lewandowski (S Donetsk), 19 Murawski (L Poznan), 20 Roger (L Warsaw). Forwards: 9 Zurawski (Larissa), 11 Saganowski (Soton), 21 Zahorski (Zabrze).




Group C:

FRANCE

ODDS TO WIN: 15-2
EURO 2004: Lost to Greece in quarter-final

HOW THEY RATE: Raymond Domenech has an outrageously talented squad at his disposal and any team who can afford to leave out David Trezeguet, Mathieu Flamini, Djibril Cissé and Gaël Clichy have to be in good shape. Domenech is likely to start with Nicolas Anelka or Karim Benzema partnering Thierry Henry up front in a 4-4-2. One of the few question marks is whether the creaking bodies of Lilian Thuram, Claude Makelele and Patrick Vieira - all expected to start - will survive a whole tournament. Back-up in midfield may be good, but in defence? Sébastien Squillaci and, yes, he's still there, the unique Jean-Alain Boumsong.

STAR MAN: Franck Ribéry. Domenech will give the Bayern playmaker a free role on the right.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Bafétimbi Gomis, a powerful St-Etienne striker dubbed the new Didier Drogba. Newcastle are pondering a £9m bid. Arsenal target Samir Nasri is also in the squad.

WILD CARD: Goalkeeper Grégory Coupet fell out with Domenech before the 2006 World Cup. 'Apparently Domenech wanted to cut my balls off to calm me down.'

WAG TO WATCH: Claude Makelele's wife, Noémie Lenoir, is a model and actress who recently featured in a Marks & Spencer ad campaign in the UK. Also appeared in such movie hits as After the Sunset and, er, Rush Hour 3.

THE FANS: Allez Les Bleus, Allez Les Bleus, Allez Les Bleus... Annoying.

PREDICTION: Second in the group, but they'll lose to Spain in the quarter-finals.

Keepers: 1 Mandanda (Marseille), 16 Frey (Fiorentina), 23 Coupet (Lyon). Defenders: 2 Boumsong (Lyon), 3 Abidal (Barcelona), 5 Gallas (Arsenal), 13 Evra (Man Utd), 14 Clerc (Lyon), 15 Thuram (Barcelona), 17 Squillaci (Lyon), 19 Sagnol (B Munich). Midfielders: 4 Vieira (Inter), 6 Makelele (Chelsea), 7 Malouda (Chelsea), 11 Nasri (Marseille), 20 Toulalan (Lyon), 21 Diarra (Portsmouth), 22 Ribéry (B Munich). Forwards: 8 Anelka (Chelsea), 9 Benzema (Lyon), 10 Govou (Lyon), 12 Henry (Barcelona), 18 Gomis (St-Etienne).


ITALY

ODDS TO WIN: 7-1
EURO 2004 Finished third in their group

HOW THEY RATE: After a dodgy start to his tenure - including a home draw against Lithuania in qualifying - Roberto Donadoni has built an impressive team playing some neat, attractive football. He has lost Francesco Totti and Alessandro Nesta on the way (both retired from international football), but there's still more than enough quality to proceed from the group of death. Alessandro Del Piero, now 33, is back in the squad after a super season with Juventus.

STAR MAN: Luca Toni, a goal machine who scored 39 for Bayern Munich this season.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Alberto Aquilani. Complete midfielder who could become 'one of the best players in the world' according to Gianluigi Buffon. Under contract with Roma until 2010, but has admitted he could leave his hometown club. Arsenal head the queue.

WILD CARD: Antonio Cassano. Fined £80,000 and suspended for five games this season for offering 'to take the referee outside and fight him'. Recently broke down and cried on the pitch and sprayed journalists with a water hose. Natural entertainer.

WAG TO WATCH: Gianluigi Buffon's model girlfriend Alena Seredova: often poses in football underwear. And Marco Borriello's Belen Rodriguez shot to fame last year when she took the blame for his failed doping test. 'It must have been the ointment I rubbed on his genitals before we had sex.'

THE FANS: Will be there in volume: a lot of Azzurri immigrants live in Switzerland.

PREDICTION: Group winners, but will lose to Russia in the quarter-finals.

Keepers: 1 Buffon (Juventus), 14 Amelia (Livorno), 17 De Sanctis (Sevilla). Defenders: 2 Panucci (Roma), 3 Grosso (Lyon), 4 Chiellini (Juventus), 5 Cannavaro (R Madrid), 6 Barzagli (Palermo), 19 Zambrotta (Barcelona), 23 Materazzi (Inter). Midfielders: 8 Gattuso (Milan), 10 De Rossi (Roma), 13 Ambrosini (Milan), 16 Camoranesi (Juve), 20 Perrotta (Roma), 21 Pirlo (Milan), 22 Aquilani (Roma). Forwards: 9 Toni (Bayern), 7 Del Piero (Juve), 11 Di Natale (Udinese), 12 Borriello (Genoa), 15 Quagliarella (Udinese), 18 Cassano (Sampdoria, loan from R Madrid).



HOLLAND

ODDS TO WIN: 12-1

EURO 2004 Lost to Portugal in semi-final

HOW THEY RATE: The Dutch have a bleak, but entertaining track record for in-fighting and self-destruction, but the good news for them this time is that they may have got it all over with before the tournament. Clarence Seedorf pulled out few weeks ago, saying: 'Marco van Basten once called me a "Hollywood star". I cannot work under these circumstances.' Mark van Bommel has also said he will never play for the coach again. But Ruud van Nistelrooy is back, while the attacking midfield with Robin van Persie (if fit), Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder is arguably Europe's best.

STAR MAN: Rafael van der Vaart. His big chance to dominate a major tournament.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Ibrahim Afellay. Will start on the bench, but the PSV midfielder is arguably the biggest talent in the country. Middlesbrough are keen.

WILD CARD: Robin van Persie - unpredictable. Plans to play a lot of table tennis between games. 'Last summer in Marbella, the neighbours had a table. You could hear it. Tok-tok-tok. We had to play! But they were English and the English are no good. When they play it's: Tok... Tok... Tok.... When we play it goes: toktoktoktoktok.'

WAG TO WATCH: Sylvie van der Vaart - model, actress and presenter. But husband Rafael refuses to sleep in the same bed as her. 'It's just as well,' she says. 'His legs are heavy. If I get under them I can't get out.'

THE FANS: Thousands in the famous 'Oranje-campings', all singing 'Hup Holland Hup'.

PREDICTION: Bottom of the group.

Keepers: 1 Van der Sar (Man Utd), 13 Timmer (Feyenoord), 16 Stekelenburg (Ajax). Defenders: 2 Ooijer (Blackburn), 3 Heitinga (Ajax), 4 Mathijsen (Hamburg), 5 Van Bronckhorst (F'noord), 12 Melchiot (Wigan), 14 Bouma (A Villa), 15 De Cler (F'noord). Midfielders: 6 De Zeeuw (Alkmaar), 7 Van Persie (Arsenal), 8 Engelaar (Twente), 10 Sneijder (R Madrid), 11 Robben (R Madrid), 17 De Jong (Hamburg), 20 Afellay (PSV), 23 Van der Vaart (Hamburg). Forwards: 9 Van Nistelrooy (R Madrid), 18 Kuyt (L'pool), 19 Huntelaar (Ajax), 21 Babel (L'pool), 22 V of Hesselink (Celtic).



ROMANIA

ODDS TO WIN: 40-1
EURO 2004: Failed to qualify

HOW THEY RATE: This is Romania's first major tournament for eight years and boy are they up for it. It's just sad they should be drawn in the group of death. But star striker Adrian Mutu prefers it that way: 'This is the time when the truth needs to come out and if we are better than these teams then we will go through, it is as simple as that.' The onus will be on defence, with three defensive midfielders - Cristian Chivu, Paul Codrea and Mirel Radoi - and coach Victor Piturca will need to work out how to get the ball to Mutu and Ciprian Marica up front. Piturca (left) always dresses in black, has a number plate that says '666' and has acquired the nickname 'Satan'. Italy, France and Holland, you have been warned.

STAR MAN: Adrian Mutu. Has recovered from the cocaine scandal at Chelsea and now leads a settled married life in Florence. No, really.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Commanding Steaua Bucharest centre-back Dorin Goian could be the snip of the summer at £3m. Midfielder Razvan Cocis would be another good buy.

WILD CARD: Cosmin Contra. Anyone who challenges Edgar Davids to a fight on the pitch and then wants to carry on the fight in the tunnel is at best reckless, at worst crazy.

WAG TO WATCH: Take your pick between Mutu's Consuelo Matos, who is a model from the Dominican Republic, and Cristian Chivu's partner Adelina Elisei, a glamour-heavy former sports-news presenter.

THE FANS: Should draw a decent crowd from fans living all over Europe.

PREDICTION: Third in the group.

Keepers: 1 Lobont (D Bucharest), 12 Popa (PS Timisoara), 23 Stancioiu (CFR Cluj). Defenders: 2 Contra (Getafe), 3 Rat (S Donetsk), 4 Tamas (Auxerre), 5 Chivu (Inter), 6 Radoi (S Bucharest), 13 Sapunaru (R Bucharest), 14 Ghionea (S Bucharest), 15 Goian (S Bucharest), 17 Moti (D Bucharest), 22 Radu (Lazio). Midfielders: 7 Petre (CSKA Sofia), 8 Codrea (Siena), 11 Cocis (L Moscow), 16 Nicolita (S Bucharest), 19 Cristea (D Bucharest), 20 Dica (S Bucharest). Forwards: 9 Marica (Stuttgart), 10 Mutu (Fiorentina), 18 M Niculae (Inverness CT), 21 D Niculae (Auxerre).



Group D:


GREECE
ODDS TO WIN: 22-1
EURO 2004 Beat Portugal in the final

HOW THEY RATE: The reigning champions and looked doomed after an early 4-1 setback in qualifying at home to arch-rivals Turkey, but Otto Rehhagel's side bounced back and dropped only two more points, scoring an average of two goals per game. This is a similar team to the one that defended its way to the title four years ago, though. The spine of the team is pretty much the same with Antonis Nikopolidis in goal, Traianos Dellas at centre-back and Angelos Basinas and Kostas Katsouranis in midfield.

STAR MAN: Georgios Samaras. Only joking (although the Man City/Celtic striker will play a part). Fanis Gekas is the man. Four years ago he was at lowly Kallithea, but then moved on to Panathinaikos and Bochum, where he won the Bundesliga golden boot in 2006-07. Now with Leverkusen.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Vasilis Torosidis can play in any position in defence and midfield. Monaco and Juventus are watching him closely.

WILD CARD: Kostas Katsouranis, who once picked a fight with his giant team...#8209;mate Luisão during a Benfica game. The pair were immediately substituted and then suspended. Stelios Giannakopoulos is the practical joker in the squad.

WAG TO WATCH: Gogo Mastrokosta. Dellas's girlfriend is a model and television presenter whose sexiness, according to one journalist, can 'drive a man crazy'.

THE FANS: Tens of thousands of Greek fans are expected to descend on the Alps.

PREDICTION: To finish bottom of Group D.

Keepers: 1 Nikopolidis (Olympiakos), 12 Chalkias (Aris Salonika), 13 Tzorvas (OFI Crete). Defenders: 2 Seitaridis (At Madrid), 3 Patsatzoglou (Olympiakos), 4 Spiropoulos (Panathinaikos), 5 Dellas (AEK), 11 Vintra (Pana), 15 Vassilis Torosidis (Olympiakos), 16 Kyrgiakos (E Frankfurt), 18 Goumas (Pana), 19 Antzas (Olympiakos). Midfield: 6 Basinas (R Mallorca), 8 Giannakopoulos (Bolton), 10 Karagounis (Pana), 21 Katsouranis (Benfica), 22 Tziolis. Forwards: 7 Samaras (Man City, loaned at Celtic), 9 Charisteas (Nürnberg), 14 Salpingidis (Pana), 17 Gekas (Leverkusen), 20 Amanatidis (E Frankfurt), 23 Liberopoulos (AEK).



RUSSIA

ODDS TO WIN: 28-1
EURO 2004 Finished bottom of their group

HOW THEY RATE: Guus Hiddink almost always exceeds expectations, so Russia could be this summer's big surprise. Hiddink is likely to play a 4-5-1 formation, but that does not mean the football will be dull. Wingers Vladimir Bystrov and Yuri Zhirkov (or Dmitri Torbinski if Zhirkov plays at left-back) make Russia a threat on both flanks, while the mighty Pavel Pogrebnyak in attack is very unpleasant to play against. The defence, however, may cause Hiddink a headache, with the twins Vasili and Aleksei Berezutski probably a tad too slow at this level. The goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, however, is superb.

STAR MAN: Andrei Arshavin, the brilliant Zenit St Petersburg playmaker. Suspended for the first two games, though.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Pavel Pogrebnyak is a tall, commanding striker who could work wonders at Portsmouth or, why not, Fulham. If his knee injury proves too troublesome, have a look at Zhirkov, who is unlikely to cost more than £7m, or the 22-year-old Akinfeev.

WILD CARD: Andrei Arshavin is a member of St Petersburg council for Vladimir Putin's party, he has written two books and just released a song. How does he find time to play football?

WAG TO WATCH: Inna Zhirkov. Men all over Russia sobbed as she abandoned her modelling career after the couple's wedding.

THE FANS: No mass of travelling fans in the English mould, but plenty of businessmen eating prawn sandwiches in the VIP seats.

PREDICTION: To finish second in Group D and then lose to Spain in the semi-finals.

Keepers: 1 Akinfeev (CSKA Mosc), 12 Gabulov (Amkar Perm), 16 Malafeev (Zenit St P). Defenders: 2 V Berezutski (CSKA), 4 Ignashevich (CSKA), 5 A Berezutski (CSKA), 8 Kolodin (Dynamo Mosc), 14 Shirokov (Zenit St P), 22 Anyukov (Zenit St P). Midfield: 3 Yanbaev (Lokomotiv Mosc), 7 Torbinski (Lokomotiv), 11 Semak (Rubin Kazan), 15 Bilyaletdinov (Lokomotiv ), 17 Zyrianov (Zenit St P), 18 Zhirkov (CSKA), 20 Semshov (Dynamo), 23 Bystrov (Spartak Mosc). Forwards: 6 Adamov (FK Mosc), 9 Saenko (Nürnberg), 10 Arshavin (Zenit St P), 13 Pogrebnyak (Zenit St P), 19 Pavlyuchenko (Spartak), 21 Sychev (Lokomotiv).



SPAIN

ODDS TO WIN: 5-1
EURO 2004 Finished third in their group

HOW THEY RATE: Spain have a huge amount of talent in players such as Cesc Fábregas, Iker Casillas and Fernando Torres, but can they cope with the weight of history? They're used to painful defeats (Italy in 1994, South Korea in 2002, France in 1984, 2000 and 2006) and there appears to be a mental block preventing the players from going all the way. But a midfield with Fábregas, Xavi, Iniesta and Xabi Alonso will make any neutral fan drool - and then there's Torres, David Villa and Daniel Güiza up front.

STAR MAN: Iker Casillas. Surely the best goalkeeper in the world.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Güiza scored 27 for Real Mallorca this season, but the real gems may be Rubén de la Red, a 22-year-old midfield maestro who took Getafe to the Uefa Cup semis, and Villarreal's Santiago Cazorla

WILD CARD: Coach Luis Aragonés. Once called Thierry Henry 'a black ****', and this year called a radio presenter a 'coward' and a 'liar' when asked why he did not pick Raúl.

WAG TO WATCH: Nuria Bermúdez. A football agent, she used to brag about having sex six times a night with a married bullfighter and 'wanting to bed Beckham'. Is now content with taking off her top every now and then, and being the partner of Güiza.

THE FANS: Will be there to grunt to the national anthem (which has no words) and will carry four-kilo pigs on their shoulders. If they lose, they'll drink vats of Tinto de Verano or a Spanish classic: whisky and coke.

PREDICTION: Group winners, but they'll lose in the final to Germany.

Keepers: 1 Casillas (Real Madrid), 13 Palop (Sevilla), 23 Reina (Liverpool). Defenders: 2 Albiol (Valencia), 3 Navarro (Real Mallorca), 4 Marchena (Valencia), 5 Puyol (Barcelona), 11 Capdevila (Villarreal), 15 Ramos (Real Madrid), 18 Arbeloa (Liverpool), 20 Juanito (Real Betis). Midfielders: 6 Iniesta (Barcelona), 8 Xavi (Barcelona), 10 Fábregas (Arsenal), 12 Cazorla (Villarreal), 14 Alonso (Liverpool), 19 Senna (Villarreal), 22 De la Red (Getafe). Forwards: 7 Villa (Valencia), 9 Torres (Liverpool), 16 García (Real Zaragoza), 17 Güiza (Real Mallorca), 21 Silva (Valencia).



SWEDEN

ODDS TO WIN: 33-1
EURO 2004 Lost a quarter-final to Holland on pens

HOW THEY RATE: This team probably peaked at Euro 2004, but the news of Henrik Larsson's surprise comeback has lifted spirits: coach Lars Lagerback has never smiled as much as when he dropped the Henrik-bomb at a press conference last month. But the news that he also approached 34-year-old Teddy Lucic - who had a bleak loan spell at Elland Road in 2002-03 - is less encouraging. Freddie Ljungberg should be fit to captain the team and Sweden have, for once, plenty of in-form strikers: Larsson, Ibrahimovic, Elmander (Toulouse), Marcus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen) and ex-Villa striker Marcus Allback, still going strong at 34.

STAR MAN: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Likened to Marco van Basten by his Inter coach Roberto Mancini: it's time to live up to the hype.

ONE FOR THE SCOUTS: Johan Elmander. Big forward with elk-like strides and quality technique. Certain to leave Toulouse in the summer.

WILD CARD: Olof Mellberg. The seemingly gentle, bearded giant has clashed with Ljungberg at two tournaments. Lively.

WAG TO WATCH: Christian Wilhelmsson's Oksana Andersson - slightly madcap model. Recently wrote on her blog: 'I am addicted to sunflower seeds. C gets really mad at me so I sit in a corner and chew. There is a sea of shells around me. But it tastes so nice. Ha Ha Ha. X'

THE FANS: Mor than 30,000 expected in the Alps. Expect lots of attractive blonde women in skimpy blue-and-yellow outfits and lots of unattractive sweaty men in Viking gear.

PREDICTION: Third in the group.

Keepers: 1 Isaksson (Man C), 12 Shaaban (Hammarby), 13 Wiland (Elfsborg). Defenders: 3 Mellberg (A Villa), 4 Hansson (S Rennes), 5 Stoor (R Trondheim), 14 Majstorovic (Basel), 15 Granqvist (Helsingborg), 23 Dorsin (CFR Cluj). Midfielders: 2 Nilsson (Panathinaikos), 6 Linderoth (Galatasaray), 7 Alexandersson (IFK), 8 Svensson (Elfsborg), 9 Ljungberg (W Ham), 16 Kallstrom ( Lyon), 18 S Larsson (B'ham), 19 Andersson (Malmo), 21 Wilhelmsson (D La Coruña). Forwards: 10 Ibrahimovic (Inter), 11 Elmander (Toulouse), 17 H Larsson (Helsingborg), 20 Allback (FC Copenhagen), 22 Rosenberg (W Bremen).

[EST_1892]

I'm not much of a betting man myself Shaggy, but how much do you stand to win if a dodgy, out of form, untested England 'B' team win away against a disciplined, hard working, determined Trinidad & Tobago?

[Shaggy]

I'm not much of a betting man myself Shaggy, but how much do you stand to win if a dodgy, out of form, untested England 'B' team win away against a disciplined, hard working, determined Trinidad & Tobago?

Nothing to get too excited about. About 10/1 though - nice price.

With all those successful (and successive) bets (posted above), typically I kept stakes fairly low as I'd built up a nice pot to play with for the Euros and didn't want to spunk it away before the tournament began.

[EST_1892]

I must have missed how much your initial stake was. So I take it will be more 10's than hundreds of pounds?

Although you listed loads of short odd's, it was still an impressive run to get right. Usually someone causes an upset. If anyone is gonna fcuk it up for you though, you can count on England!

[Shaggy]

I must have missed how much your initial stake was. So I take it will be more 10's than hundreds of pounds?

Although you listed loads of short odd's, it was still an impressive run to get right. Usually someone causes an upset. If anyone is gonna fcuk it up for you though, you can count on England!

Yeah not mega-bucks I'm afraid - they were fiver and tenner accas

I tried to find the upsets and leave them out, and for once it worked. I left France alone (v Paraguay) and Germany in midweek against Belarus. I also left England (v USA) alone but with the benefit of hindsight that was a waste.

[Nic83]

Yep, not sure I'm gonna lay 'em though. Undecided at the mo but I can't see them slipping up.

This is the run I'm on at the mo:

Starting in midweek:

1. France U19s (v Switzerland) - 5/6 WIN
2. Italy U19s (v Sweden) - 4/7 WIN
3. Phil Taylor (v Adrian Lewis) - 1/3 WIN

1. Croatia U19s (v Albania) - 1/2 WIN
2. Spain U19s (v Armenia) - 1/3 WIN
3. France (v Ecuador) - 1/4 WIN
4. Czech Rep (v Lithuania) - 2/9 WIN

1. Turkey (v Finland) - 4/6 WIN
2. Czech Rep (v Scotland) - 4/7 WIN
3. Italy (v Belgium) - 1/3 WIN
4. Austria (v Malta) - 2/9 WIN

1. Italy U20s (v Chile) - 5/4 WIN
2. Italy (v Belgium) - 1/3 WIN
3. Holland -1 (v Wales) - 4/5 WIN

1. Romania (v Montenegro) - 1/3 WIN
2. Italy (v Belgium) - 1/3 WIN
3. Austria (v Malta) - 2/9 WIN
4. Spain (v Peru) - 1/4 WIN
5. Portugal (v Georgia) - 1/7 WIN
6. Brazil (v Canada) - 2/7 WIN
7. Holland -1 (v Wales) - 4/5 WIN
8. Czech Rep (v Scotland) - 4/7 WIN
9. England (v Trinidad & Tobago) - 2/7 OPEN

sweet, nothing like a good run to get you back into it I havn't been doing much myself since the season close, just betting on the golf reallly which was a tad dry until yesterday when MR. Perry came in for me at £15 EW 28/1

[Shaggy]

Former Arsenal midfielder Matthieu Flamini has been called into France's Euro 2008 squad following concerns over the fitness of captain Patrick Vieira.

Vieira, who has missed the last two warm-up games, sat out training on Friday with a suspected thigh injury.

Flamini, who will play for AC Milan next season, had been included in an initial provisional 30-man squad but did not make the final cut of 23.

France have until 8 June to make any changes to the squad in case of injury.

"Flamini is arriving today at Clairefontaine (France's training camp) and is added to the 23-man squad," team spokesman Yann Le Guillard said.

Le Guillard added that no French player had pulled out of the squad to make way for Flamini, who will join AC Milan on 1 July from Arsenal, and he will fly with the squad to Switzerland on Wednesday.

[Harv]

he deserves it TBH.

[Shaggy]

Cannavaro out of the Euros.