Squads for the European championships this summer have begun to be announced, and the beginning of the tournament is on the horizon! So, looking into the tournament, who is going to be the favourite, the dark horse and the disappointment?
The favourites for the Euro’s will surely be France, especially with the recalling of Karim Benzema to the squad. The Real Madrid man has had a fantastic season, and alongside the firepower of Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe the French will have a dangerous attack. The squad depth for the national team is often talked about, with France being able to field two separate national sides who would most likely reach the semi-finals.
The other favourites are Belgium, Germany and England, but all these teams will rely on certain individuals turning up over summer. Belgium’s success will hinge on whether Eden Hazard can find his form, Germany will need Timo Werner to suddenly become a top finisher, and England will rely on Harry Kanes performances if they are to go far in the tournament.
The Disappointment is likely to be a large nation with a lot of footballing pedigree, but are unlikely to perform this year. Italy have an ageing squad, and my money would be on them to disappoint, especially after not being a top national side for a while now. Injuries won’t help the Italians either, with many of their young talents who could have a breakout tournament missing out.
A dark horse for the Euro’s could be Turkey, who have been brilliant in qualifying, thanks in part to Lille’s large Turkish contingent, who have all played a major role in their title charge this season, with veteran striker Burak Yilmaz having the season of his life, and Yusuf Yazici and Mehmet Çelik also being key players for a surprisingly successful Lille side.
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Sam Hutchison
