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. ous-looking Belgium squad, ises to elevate the game above port of Marseille. France, winners in 1984 Ireland and Sweden who in the corruption scandals and Unfamiliar qualifiers and 2000, will carry the Zlatan Ibrahimovic have one security fears that have over- will be hoping to show they hopes of a nation still coming of the tournament’s A-listers. shadowed its build-up. belong and vindicate Plati- to terms with last year’s mil- Others vying for the All eyes will be on hosts ni’s brainchild, criticised by itant attacks. Manager Didier limelight include Portu- France when they get the ball some as substituting quality Deschamps has some enviable gal’s Cristiano Ronaldo who rolling against Romania in for quantity. quality at his disposal in Juven- endured a disappointing the Stade de France on June The establishment should tus midfielder Paul Pogba and World Cup and is running out 10 -- 210 days after suicide prove again, however, that the forwards Kingsley Coman and of time to claim a first title for bombers at the same venue cream inevitably rises to the Antoine Griezmann. his country. Of the debutants, triggered a night of horror top and that Greece’s surprise World champions Germany Iceland’s appearance will add across the capital which killed triumph in 2004 was an anom- will be targeting a first Euro novelty value although having 130 people. aly. Spain retained the title title in 20 years while England finished above the Nether- It should have been a four years ago in Poland and seek their first international lands in qualifying they will proud moment for former UEFA Ukraine, a tournament com- success since the World Cup of need to be taken seriously by president Michel Platini. prising only 16 nations, and 1966. Roy Hodgson’s youthful group rivals Portugal, Austria The France great, who will be among the favourites side went through qualifying and Hungary. Wales, too, will inspired his country’s 1984 title to make it a hat-trick, although with a 100 percent record and not just be making up the num- on home soil, achieved his wish three-times champions Ger- have real goal threat in the bers if talisman Gareth Bale, of expanding the tournament many, 2012 runners-up Italy, form of Jamie Vardy, one of the who has led them to their first to a record 24 nations. But a France and a resurgent England stars for unlikely champions finals since the 1958 World Cup, four-year ban, handed down will all fancy their chances. Leicester City, and Tottenham is fit and firing. VENUE GUIDE CHAIRMAN ACTING MANAGING EDITOR SPORTS TEAM DESIGN IMAGE PROCESSING Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani Mohammed Salim Mohamed Rizwan Rehmat Abraham Augusthy Mohd Sajad Sahir (HEAD OF SPORTS SECTION) Armstrong Vas EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ADVERTISING MANAGER M Fawad Hussain PRODUCTION Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi Ali Wahba Chinthana Priyankara Viswanath Sharma 02 THURSDAY 9 JUNE 2016 The complete guide to every GROUP A ALBANIA Goalkeepers: Etrit Berisha (Lazio), Alban Hoxha (Partizani Tirana), Orges Shehi (Skenderbeu Korce) Defenders: Arlind Ajeti (Frosi- none), Naser Aliji (Basel), Mergim Mavraj (Cologne), Lorik Cana (Nantes), Elseid Hysaj (Napoli), Ansi Agolli (Qarabag), Frederic Veseli (Lugano) Midfielders: Ledian Memushaj (Pescara), Ergys Kace (PAOK), Andi Lila (PAS Giannina), Migjen Basha (Como), Odise Roshi (Rijeka), Burim Kukeli (FC Zurich), Ermir Lenjani (Nantes), Taulant Xhaka (Basel), Amir Abrashi (Freiburg) Forwards: Bekim Bala (Rijeka), Sokol Cikalleshi (Istanbul BB), Armando Sadiku (Vaduz), Shkelzen Gashi (Colorado Rapids) FRANCE Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Benoit Costil (Stade Rennais) Defenders: Samuel Umtiti (Lyon), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Eli- aquim Mangala (Manchester City), Adil Rami (Sevilla), Patrice Evra (Juventus), Bacary Sagna (Man- chester City), Lucas Digne (AS Roma), Christophe Jallet (Lyon) Midfielders: Paul Pogba (Juven- tus), Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint-Germain), Morgan Schnei- derlin (Manchester United), N’Golo Kante (Leicester), Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle) Forwards: Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Dimitri Payet (Ludogorets Razgrad), Bogdan St Petersburg), Alexander Koko- (West Ham), Anthony Martial Stancu (Genclerbirligi), Florin GROUP B RUSSIA rin (Zenit St Petersburg), Fedor WALES (Manchester United), Kingsley Andone (Cordoba), Denis Alibec Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Smolov (Krasnodar) Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennes- Coman (Bayern Munich), Olivier (Astra Giurgiu) Moscow), Guilherme (Lokomotiv sey (Crystal Palace), Daniel Ward Giroud (Arsenal), Andre-Pierre Moscow), Yuri Lodygin (Zenit St (Liverpool), Owain Fon Williams Gignac (UANL Tigres) SWITZERLAND Petersburg). (Inverness Caledonian Thistle) Goalkeepers: Yann Sommer (Borussia Monchengladbach), Defenders: Alexei Berezut- Defenders: Ashley Williams Roman Burki (Borussia Dortmund), ski (CSKA Moscow), Vasili (Swansea), James Chester (West Marwin Hitz (Augsburg) Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Ser- Brom), Ben Davies (Tottenham), gei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), James Collins (West Ham), Chris Defenders: Stephan Lichtsteiner Dmitri Kombarov (Spartak Mos- Gunter (Reading), Neil Taylor (Juventus), Nico Elvedi (Borus- cow), Roman Neustadter (Schalke (Swansea), Jazz Richards (Fulham) sia Monchengladbach), Michael 04), Georgi Schennikov (CSKA Lang (Basel), Johan Djourou (Ham- Moscow), Roman Shishkin (Loko- Midfielders: Joe Ledley (Crys- burg), Steve von Bergen (Young motiv Moscow), Igor Smolnikov tal Palace), Joe Allen (Liverpool), Boys), Fabian Schar (Hoffenheim), (Zenit) David Vaughan (Nottingham For- ROMANIA Francois Moubandje (Toulouse), SLOVAKIA est), Jonathan Williams (Crystal Goalkeepers: Ciprian Tatarusanu Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg) ENGLAND Midfielders: Igor Denisov Goalkeepers: Jan Mucha (Slovan Palace), David Edwards (Wolves), (Fiorentina), Costel Pantilimon Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Dynamo Moscow), Alan Dzagoev Bratislava), Matus Kozacik (Vikto- George Williams (Fulham), Aaron (Watford), Silviu Lung (Astra Midfielders: Valon Behrami (Wat- (Southampton), Joe Hart (Man- (CSKA Moscow), Denis Glusha- ria Plzen), Jan Novota (Rapid Wien) Ramsey (Arsenal), Andy King Giurgiu) ford), Blerim Dzemaili (Genoa), chester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley) kov (Spartak Moscow), Alexander (Leicester) Gelson Fernandes (Rennes), Fabian Golovin (CSKA Moscow), Oleg Defenders: Martin Skrtel (Liv- Defenders: Cristian Sapunaru Frei (Mainz), Granit Xhaka (Arse- Defenders: Ryan Betrand (South- Ivanov (Terek Grozny), Pavel erpool), Jan Durica (Lokomotiv Forwards: Gareth Bale (Real (Pandurii Targu Jiu), Alexandru nal), Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City), ampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Mamaev (Krasnodar), Alexander Moscow), Peter Pekarik (Hertha Madrid), David Cotterill (Bir- Matel (Dinamo Zagreb), Vlad Renato Steffen (Basel), Denis Zaka- Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Samedov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Berlin), Tomas Hubocan (Dynamo mingham City), Hal Robson-Kanu Chiriches (Napoli), Valerica Gaman ria (Young Boys) Danny Rose (Tottenham), Chris Oleg Shatov (Zenit St Petersburg), Moscow), Kornel Salata (Sloven (Reading), Simon Church (Aber- (Astra Giurgiu), Dragos Grigore (Al- Smalling (Manchester United), Roman Shirokov (CSKA Moscow) Bratislava), Dusan Svento (FC deen, on loan from Milton Keynes Sailiya), Cosmin Moti (Ludogorets Forwards: Breel Embolo (Basel), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker Forwards: Artem Dzyuba (Zenit Koln), Norbert Gyomber (Roma), Dons), Sam Vokes (Burnley) Razgrad), Razvan Rat (Rayo Val- Haris Seferovic (Eintracht Frank- (Tottenham) Milan Skriniar (Sampdoria). lecano), Steliano Filip (Dinamo furt), Admir Mehmedi (Bayer Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham), Bucharest) Leverkusen), Eren Derdiyok Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier Midfielders: Marek Hamsik (Kasimpasa), Shani Tarashaj (Tottenham), Jordan Henderson (Napoli), Stanislav Sestak (Ferenc- Midfielders: