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SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT THURSDAY 9 JUNE 2016 Europe’s best under spotlight after becoming engulfed by the Northern Ireland, Albania, Ice- Hotspur’s Harry Kane. FIFA corruption scandal that land, Slovakia and Wales are all One consequence of the All eyes on hosts France as a has rocked the sport, means appearing for the first time in fatter format means only eight record 24 nations begin quest he will be a notable absentee. the tournament which is sec- teams will be eliminated from Against such a backdrop ond only to the World Cup in the six initial groups of four, for supremacy it can only be hoped that the terms of prestige and not too with even third place likely to tournament, the first since the far behind in quality. seal a last-16 spot. sleaze hit the fan last summer For Spain’s old guard, play- Spain’s group looks the and the last with a single host ers such as Andres Iniesta, toughest on paper, with the Reuters before it goes continent-wide in Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique Czech Republic, Turkey and 2020, can deliver some memo- and Sergio Ramos, Euro 2016 Croatia, while France should rable moments on the pitch. It could be their last hurrah after comfortably top a section certainly has the potential to do the disappointment of the Bra- including Albania, Romania LONDON: Bigger than ever, the so with 51 matches in 31 days zil World Cup two years ago, and Switzerland. European Championship kicks spread across France from the and with old sage Vicente del Italy will also have to be on off in Paris with a four-week coal-mining country of Lens in Bosque at the helm, they will their guard against a danger- feast of football that prom- the north to the Mediterranean take some stopping.
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