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With Pavel Nedved spurning an invitation to return and Tomas Rosicky ruled out through injury, the Czechs are robbed of the creative forces which have been to the forefront of their success over the past five or six years. Still ranked in the top six by Fifa, but the signs during qualifying - when they struggled to stamp their authority on Steve Staunton's hapless Ireland - were that Karel Bruckner's side were firmly on the downgrade. If they get anything out of Saturday's opener against co-hosts Switzerland, the prospect of a place in the knock-outs is alive and well but the Czechs could find it difficult.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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The Golden Generation of Luis Figo, Rui Costa & Co has been consigned to the past but it’s a case of the King is dead, long live the King... Cristiano Ronaldo has assumed the mantle, with Nani, Raul Meireles and Miguel Veloso showing signs of forging hugely successful careers of their own. And then they still have survivors of their Euro 2004 campaign in every sector, including goalkeeper Ricardo, the wily and brilliant Chelsea centre half Ricardo Carvalho and midfield schemer Deco. Portugal have long battled gamely without a real marksman but if Hugo Almeida, the Werder Bremen centre forward, becomes the final piece in the jigsaw, they could be real contenders for outright glory.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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Only one previous European Championship host has failed to advance to the knock-out stages and Switzerland will be anxious to avoid the fate of Belgium eight years ago. They have several talented young players, such as playmaker Tranquillo Barnetta, Arsenal defender Johan Djourou and forward Eren Derdiyok. With the Czech Republic missing key players and possibly on the downgrade in any case and Turkey unpredictable, there is every chance that Kobi Kuhn's side can take advantage of the fanaticism of the Stadion St Jakob in Basel and secure one of the two qualification spots alongside group favourites Portugal.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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Memories of a last four appearance at the World Cup of 2002 are now little more than just that, with goalkeeper Rustu Recber, defender Emre Asik, midfielder Emre Belezoglu and forward Nihat Kahveci the only survivors six years on. The Turks finished seven points behind group winners Greece in qualifying, just edging out Norway in one of the weakest of the preliminary sections. If they can engender some of the famous national spirit, they could surprise - but the Swiss on home soil and section favourites Portugal could be too hot to handle.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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Much has been made of the fact that a group of fans attempted to persuade the national federation to withdraw from the tournament last year, such has been the depth of Austrian difficulties over the past number of years. In the latest Fifa rankings list announced this week, co-hosts Austria leapt back into the world’s top 100 but even at that they lie below Mozambique, Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago. It will take more than a 12th man from the home crowd in Vienna over the next fortnight if Josef Hickersberger’s side are to advance from a group including tournament favourites Germany as well as Poland and Croatia, both of whom qualified in impressive style.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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The choice of many neutral fans - and there are hundreds of thousands of those in these islands this month - Croatia caught the eye with fine performances in two wins over England in qualifying. Midfielders Niko Kranjcar and Luka Modric look capable of becoming the heirs to the golden mid-90s generation of Boban and Prosinecki, while Kovac brothers Niko and Robert offer invaluable experience. However, the absence of injured Eduardo, who scored 10 goals in 12 games in the preliminaries, is a massive blow. Filling the breach vacated by the Arsenal striker is the key to Croatian hopes.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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Surprised many with the verve and vivacity of their play on home soil in the World Cup of 2006, although their status as bookmakers’ favourites for this tournament owes as much to their presence in by some margin the weakest of the four groups in terms of official rankings. Six years after bursting on the scene at the 2002 World Cup, Miroslav Klose is still their chief forward threat, although much is expected of Mario Gomez, who has caught the attentions of Arsene Wenger, this summer. A midfield of Michael Ballack and Torsten Frings has few equals in this tournament, and a place in the last four will be the minimum requirement for Joachim Loew’s side. Even that may not be seen as sufficient.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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Topped one of the tightest qualification groups, when they took four points off one of the Euro 2008 favourites Portugal, to reach the European finals for the first time in their history. Goalkeeper Artur Boruc is one of the best in Europe and Racing Santander forward Ebi Smolarek, who scored nine goals in qualifying, will carry the burden in attack. However, have disappointed in the group phase of the last two World Cups and anything more than that this summer will be seen as progress - and another feather in the cap of nomadic and mystical coach, veteran Dutchman Leo Beenhakker.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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The great imponderable of world football - a piece of career-defining genius one minute, a career-ending headbutt the next. But enough of Zinedine Zidae, Raymond Domenech's current collective is battling valiantly to shake off the tag of the great one. There are plenty of younger players capable of consigning Zizou to glorious memory, chief among them Franck Ribery, Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema. If Thierry Henry can put a lukewarm season at Barcelona behind him and rediscover his best form, France have a chance. Perhaps, though, Les Bleus could be best served with Henry on the sidelines and players such as the aforementioned trio given the leeway to carve out their own dynasty. Strong contenders.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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The Dutch have won the last two Uefa Under-21 Championships and they will hope that the younger brigade can make the biggest stage their own this summer. Wesley Sneijder has been handed the key 10 shirt ahead of his playmaking rival Rafael van der Vaart, and the Real Madrid midfielder could be key to their hopes. Madrid teammate Arjen Robben finished the season at the top of his form, while Klaas-Jan Huntelaar looks a good outside bet for top scorer honours. However, the threat of trouble is never far away, and much will depend on coach Marco van Basten's ability to keep everyone happy for the next three weeks. Already Clarence Seedorf has rebuffed an invitation to join the squad, although perhaps his absence merely takes one dangerously disruptive element out of the picture. Contenders or first round elimination? Flip a coin.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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Glance through the Italy squad and the striking thing is the age of Roberto Donadoni's travelling party. At 30, goalkeeper Gigi Buffon is just approaching his peak despite years at the top of the world game, but elsewhere the date of birth statistics are more concerning: 11 outfield players are the wrong side of the 30-year milestone. Add in the absence of the World Cup-winning central defence of Alessandro Nesta (retired) and Fabio Cannavaro (injured), and faced with the youthful vigour of Holland and France, it is not difficult to see an early exit for the Azzurri.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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Victor Piturca's players must have killed a dozen black cats after walking under a row of ladders before last December's draw. Despite being in the top 12 of Fifa's latest rankings, Romanians find themselves the lowliest in their four-team sector. Will probably not fear the Dutch, having held them scoreless twice en route to finishing three points clear at the top of their qualifying group, but the prospect of vengeance is a real one. Capable of rattling a few cages, with defender Christian Chivu and forward Adrian Mutu key, but difficult to see them eliminating two of the big three in Group C.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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The shock winners of four years ago surely couldn't repeat the trick here, could they? Could they? No-one qualified with Greece's ease, when they won 10 of their 12 games to finish seven points clear at the top of their group. Theofanis Gekas has emerged as a goalscorer of note to join the surviving members of the successful team of '04, of which there are many. Defenders Dellas and Goumas and midfielders Karagounis and Basinas are now the wrong side of 30, and it is to be hoped - for the beauty of the game - that there are forwards out there quick and quick-witted enough to expose them for the spirited but limited team they are.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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Guus Hiddink's current crop is as close to a golden generation of Russian footballers as there has ever been, at least since the break-up of the Soviet Union two decades ago. Uefa Cup wins for CSKA Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg in the last four years have been founded largely on homegrown talent. The rest of the continent now awaits, but defence looks a little fragile and the absence of chief creator Andrei Arshavin from the first two games through suspension is a major blow. Nevertheless, it is to be hoped that the talents of full back Anyukov, winger Bystrov and forwards Pavlyuchenko and Pogrebnyak shine through.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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With an exceptional collection of young players competing at the top of the European club game, and a draw which looks largely favourable, Spain really should emerge as strong contenders for outright glory this month. But, but, but... they always promise much but fail to deliver, don't they? Maybe, but there's another but (if that's not too many buts (Stop it - Ed.)). Rarely have the Spanish approached a tournament with quite such an array of midfield and forward talent: Iniesta, Fabregas, Torres and Villa, all in their early- to mid-20s, all obscenely gifted. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas is up there with the best in the world and defender Sergio Ramos is as versatile as he is dazzlingly brilliant - amazing to think he only turned 22 in March. So where could it go wrong? Ramos apart, a dodgy defence - check. Fragile Latin temperament - check. Likely to come up against one of Group C's giants in the quarter-finals, and that could be a bridge too far.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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Growing old together, the Sweden squad's average age took another hit with the return of Henrik Larsson from retirement. Anders Svensson, Niclas Alexandersson, Olof Mellberg, Freddie Ljungberg and Tobias Linderoth are all veterans of the Premiership, and many of them have been on the downgrade for at least a couple of years by now. Lyon midfielder Kim Kallstrom and the unpredictable genius of Inter, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, routinely mix it with the best, but the end of the road, and an era, must surely be in sight for this team.
Link: News, Squad list and Key Player
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