Coach: Raymond Domenech
Group C: Netherlands, FRANCE, Italy, Romania
Key Player: Thierry Henry
France have been drawn in the infamous ‘Group of Death’. They face 2006 World Cup winners Italy as well as Romania and Netherlands. France have qualified for the last five UEFA European Championship final tournaments having first qualified to host the inaugural four-team final round in 1960. They won the tournament in 2000 after winning the 1998 World Cup.
Coach: Victor Piturca
Group C: Netherlands, France, Italy, ROMANIA
Key Player: Cristian Chivu (Defender, Roma)
Up until the end of qualifying for UEFA EURO 2008, Romania had appeared in all 13 UEFA European Championship qualifying competitions, and had played 105 matches. In that time, they had won 52, drawn 27 and lost 26 with 191 goals scored and 104 conceded. Although Romania qualified for the 1984 and 1996 UEFA European Championship finals, they failed to win a match. Their first victory in the finals actually took place in their ninth match, defeating England 3-2 in the UEFA EURO 2000 finals, a result that provided them with a place in the knockout stages of the competition.
Coach: Roberto Donadoni
Group C: Netherlands, France, ITALY, Romania
Key Player: Luca Toni (Striker, Bayern Munich)
After winning to 2006 World Cup in Germnay, the Italians will fancy their chances and will be looking to make up for their loss in the Euro 2000 Final. Italy won the 1968 UEFA European Championship, defeating Yugoslavia 2-0 in a final replay after the two sides had shared a 1-1 draw at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. Italy have qualified for the last four UEFA European Championship final tournaments and will be one of the leading favorites come June.
Coach: Marco Van Basten
Group C: NETHERLANDS, France, Italy, Romania
Key Player: Wesley Sneijder (Midfield, Real Madrid)
The Dutch have qualified for the last five UEFA European Championship final tournaments. Up until the end of UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying, the Netherlands had played 117 matches in the UEFA European Championship. Their record read: 72 wins, 22 draws and 23 losses with 241 goals scored and 91 conceded. They have Dutch have also appeared in four additional semi-finals (2004, 2000, 1992 and 1976) and one additional quarter-final (1996).
