They are difficult times in Ukraine with political upheaval disrupting both the domestic league and the preparations of the national team. Ukraine qualified in 2012 as joint host along with Poland but has no other history in the tournament to speak of since separating from the USSR. Notable Ukrainian exports include Andriy Shevchenko but since his retirement they have been dark times for Ukrainian football both on and off the pitch in comparison to the heady Lobanovsky days.
The country that provides the headquarters for both FIFA and UEFA have never made it past the group stages. This time they are looking to make it one better after gaining a reputation as a serious football nation since the 90s. A solid back line once saw them boast one of the cleanest defensive records in world football. With the help of their more creative player spathere is definitely the potential for them to progress to the knockouts at Euro 2016.
Euro 2016 is the first time Slovakia has qualified for the tournament as an independent nation after spitting from Czechoslovakia. It was a matter of fifth time lucky for a squad that contains reputable names such as Marek Hamsik of Napoli and Martin Skrtel of Liverpool.
Despite being knocked out of the World Cup in the Quarter-final at the hands of Argentina, Belgium are still ranked number 2 in the FIFA World Rankings, yeah, go figure. Still, they are good value for having a right old stab at the European Championship as they harbor what is being heralded as their golden generation. Cynics might point to the declining form of Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku’s failure to score on the international stage for over 250 minutes but despite that there is still plenty for Belgium to be positive about.
The majority of the Hungary squad will know each other quite well as 9 of them all play for Videoton, the reigning Hungarian League champions who were knocked out of the Champions League in the third-round qualifying phase by BATE Borisov. As a nation on the rise in the international scene, it may still be a little too soon for The Magyars to surprise us all at the tournament in France.
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Have Italy ever been able to enter a major tournament without some sort of off-field interruption? If it’s not corruption you can bet it’s something else. This year is no different, as it has been revealed that coach Antonio Conte will be leaving his post with Italy to join Chelsea after this summer’s European Championships. Europe’s most successful nation may well sneak under the radar in many prediction polls with a strong youthful presence under their fiery coach.
In the final installment of the series The Panenka looks at the coaches of Group F containing Austria, Hungary, Iceland and Portugal. This crop of managers contains a footballing visionary who is literally writing the book for the future of football in his country.
The Czech Republic’s pedigree in the European Championships is unquestionable. Despite only competing as an independent national for a little over two decades they have managed to qualify for every single tournament. The former Czechoslovakia lifted the European title in 1976 after defeating West Germany on penalties in the famous game that spawned The Panenka.
The Panenka has reached Group E in it’s fact finding mission on France Euro 2016’s coaches. This competitions group of death contains a crime expert and a controversial senator among Belgium, Italy, Republic of Ireland and Sweden.
Despite making three appearances at the World Cup, Northern Ireland have never sent a team to a European Championship. All-time top marksman David Healy and one of the greatest ever players ever, George Best, sadly never graced a major tournament either. The current crop though, under manager Michael O’Neill, will get that opportunity to shine on the big stage in France. Expectations might be none existent so, whatever happens, happens. The boys from the Northern part of The Emerald Isle will no doubt be hungry to spring an upset.
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