UEFA
EURO 2012 begins in little more than a week and all 16 finalists are
applying the finishing touches to their pre-tournament preparations.
UEFA.com has reporters assigned to every team involved who will provide
daily updates from the camp.
Germany (Steffen Potter, @UEFAcomSteffenP)Germany's
final friendly takes place against Israel in Leipzig on Thursday.
Joachim Löw has already confirmed he will field Philipp Lahm at
left-back, though insists this does not necessarily mean he will do
likewise in Germany's opener against Portugal. FC Bayern München's Lahm
played a key role in subduing Real Madrid CF's Cristiano Ronaldo in the
UEFA Champions League semi-finals but is not bound to be asked to
perform a similar role against Portugal.
"In Poland, I will decide
where Lahm plays," said Löw. "But I want a decision independent of
where he played for Bayern, and it makes no sense to put one player
against Ronaldo. Three or four players have to stop him. I don't want
one-on-ones with him." Should Lahm play right-back, Marcel Schmelzer is
likely to play on the left, while Jérôme Boateng or Benedikt Höwedes are
possible beneficiaries if Lahm is put on the opposite flank.
France (Matthew Spiro, @UEFAcomMattS)The
remaining 23 France players have been sparing their thoughts for Mapou
Yanga-Mbiwa and Yoann Gourcuff after the pair were cut from the
provisional UEFA EURO 2012 squad by Laurent Blanc on Tuesday. After
learning of their fate in the morning, both players remained behind to
eat lunch with the squad at their base in Le Touquet before going their
separate ways.
"I immediately went to see Mapou in his room when I
heard," said fellow Montpellier Hérault SC player Olivier Giroud. "He
was disappointed but he understood." Mathieu Debuchy was philosophical,
saying: "It's a shame we had to lose them but everybody knew the rules."
Les Bleus make the short trip to Reims tomorrow morning for their
second warm-up match against Serbia.
Russia (Richard Van Poortvliet, @UEFAcomRichVP)There
has been much soul searching in the camp after Tuesday's 0-0 draw with
Lithuania in Nyon. Despite enjoying the lion's share of possession,
Russia failed to create many opportunities. However, coach Dick Advocaat
is not reading too much into it. "This happens in friendlies," the
Dutchman said. "Last week the Netherlands struggled against Bulgaria."
Next
up is a final warm-up game against Italy on Friday. "The game with
Italy will be completely different and the players won't need motivating
when playing such opponents," he added. "The players understand that if
they don't give a 100% against Italy, we will lose." There was some
good news, though, with key midfielder Roman Shirokov expected to train
today despite being substituted following a slight knock.
Republic of Ireland (Garry Doyle, @UEFAcomGarryD)Shay
Given (knee) and John O'Shea (calf and ankle) have been told to play
against Hungary on Monday if they want to feature against Croatia in
Ireland's opening Group C game on 10 June. "We have to know they are
ready," said coach Giovanni Trapattoni.
One man who was set for a
holiday in Marbella but is now readying himself for the tournament is
Paul McShane. Omitted from the original 23-man squad, McShane's
promotion comes at the hands of the unfortunate Kevin Foley, who has
been relegated from certain traveller to the stand-by list and travels
home today. "It's hugely disappointing," said Foley, "and feels like a
kick in the stomach. But of course I wish the lads well." None more so
than the popular McShane, who said: "When your country comes calling,
you drop everything to come and play."
Greece (Vassiliki Papantonopoulou, @UEFAcomVassP)Greece
are getting ready for their friendly against Armenia in Kufstein on
Thursday – their final game before heading back home on Friday and then
to Warsaw on Sunday. Vassilis Torossidis (knee) will not be involved
against Armenia but Sotiris Ninis (shoulder) is expected to feature.
Torossidis's absence means Santos is likely to field Kyriakos and Avraam
Papadopoulos in central defence and Sokratis Papastathopoulos at
right-back.
Dimitris Salpingidis, meanwhile, already has his
sights set on Greece's opening match against Poland. "They have a good
team and quality players, but we don't need to be overwhelmed by them,
by the occasion, or by the fact they will have the crowd on their side,"
he said. "We must focus on our own performance, to play well and kick
off our tournament on the right foot."
Czech Republic (Ondřej Zlámal, @UEFAcomOndrejZ)Coverage continues to focus on the importance of playmaker Tomáš Rosický, who made
Tuesday's final 23-man squad
despite doubts over his fitness. With the Czechs' training sessions
closed to the media, the Arsenal FC man himself gave an update on his
recovery. "I joined the other boys in certain parts of the training
session and it looked good," he said. "Since my injury I have been able
to play with the ball and to kick it without problems."
Despite
that positive prognosis, though, the 32-year-old is unlikely to be
involved in the final friendly against Hungary on Friday. "I am not
afraid of the break in playing," he said. "On the contrary, it can help
me a bit as I played a lot this season. I believe everything will be
OK."
Denmark (Thomas Mark, @UEFAcomThomasM) Expectations
surrounding 20-year-old midfielder Christian Eriksen remain sky-high,
with the hope among fans that the AFC Ajax man can offer a different
dimension to Denmark's attacking play. This creates inevitable pressure
on Eriksen but the retired Jon Dahl Tomasson believes he can cope. "I
don't think he'll struggle with more responsibility," Tomasson told
newspaper BT. "He's as cold as ice. His mind is good and he's already
handling the pressure at Ajax." The youngest player at the 2010 FIFA
World Cup, Eriksen is certainly well versed in dealing with such a
burden.
Sweden (Sujay Dutt, @UEFAcomSujayD)Sweden
step up their preparations with another friendly this evening. The
Iceland team visiting Gothenburg will have a familiar face in the dugout
in the shape of long-time Sweden coach Lars Lagerbäck, who was asked in
advance of the game where he thinks the talismanic Zlatan Ibrahimović
is best deployed – as an out-an-out striker or as a playmaker. "I think
Sweden might do best with him in a free role," was Lagerbäck's advice.
Erik
Hamrén looks set to do just that, with Ibrahimović in behind lone
striker Markus Rosenberg. Four Sweden players with injuries of varying
severity – Anders Svensson, Johan Elmander, Mikael Lustig and Martin
Olsson – are likely to be rested this evening.
Soures: EUFA.COM