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A is for…
Albania and Austria : The side from the Balkans will be making their debut at the European Championships but the Austrians will finally be looking to deliver. David Alaba and his teammates picked up a remarkable 28 points from 30 in qualifying and they might be worth a sneaky €5 bet at odds of 40/1.
B is for…
Biere: There are 51 matches taking place during Euro 2016. We’re confident in saying that not all of them will be watched with just a café au lait in hand.
Have fun, enjoy the craic but be responsible.
C is for…
COYBIG!
The 23 man #EURO2016 squad that was named last night. #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/1aD5AoE1hR
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) June 1, 2016
D is for…
Group D: Irish supporters might be feeling that they were drawn in the group of death but things can always be worse. The meetings between Spain, Croatia, Turkey and the Czech Republic are bound to be tight.
E is for…
Expanded: This will be the first time that we see the expanded format of the European Championships. Detractors have said that the increase in teams will dilute the overall quality, but there’s only one way to find out.
Can any of the ‘smaller’ countries cause an upset?
F is for:
France : The hosts and clear pre-tournament favourites. The depth of their squad is immense and the French have won the last two major tournaments that they’ve hosted.
Will it be third time lucky for Les Bleus?
G is for:
Gareth Bale: Chris Coleman’s side were resolute in qualifying and picked up some impressive wins but we can’t help but feel that when it comes to the Real Madrid star, it’s a case of a rising tide lifting all boats. He’s their talisman, goalscorer and linchpin.
There have been matches when it seemed like Bale was taking on the opposition all by himself. He’s utterly remarkable in the red shirt.
H is for…
History: Can Spain lift the Henri Delaunay for a third time in successive tournaments? The reigning champions were atrocious in Brazil but they still boast a squad that’s good enough to send shivers down the spines of their opponents.
I is for…
Iceland: They share a similar sounding name to Ireland, but there’s another reason why they’re everyone’s favourite second team. With a population that’s just over 320,000, the debutantes will be the smallest country to ever compete at a European Championship and they’ll fancy their chances of progressing from a group that contains Portugal, Austria and Hungary.
Cristiano and co will have to be on their toes during the opening match.
J is for…
“Jon Walters est un dieu”. It translates as Jon Walters is a god.
A handy phrase to have when you’re engaged in some serious football chat with the French locals at 02:27 on the streets of Paris/Bordeaux/Lille.
K is for…
‘Keeper: Will it be Randolph, Given or Westwood that gets the nod to face Sweden?
L is for…
Lille: If Ireland can get a decent result against Sweden in their opening match, then it could all come down to the final meeting with the Italians in northern France.
M is for…
MonKeano: Even from the outside looking in, it was clear that the Irish camp was unhappy during Euro 2012. Trap’s stubborn tactics and refusal to drop his favourites created a negative atmosphere and it showed on the pitch.
Ireland were outclassed in every department in Poland, but what made things even worse was the manner of the defeats. Yet again, this summer sees us going into a major tournament as underdogs but despite the impressive pedigree of Sweden, Italy and Belgium, there are a few things that Irish fans should still be demanding of their team.
Below par performances shouldn’t be accepted – see Roy Keane’s views about Ireland’s defeat to Belarus to emphasise this point – but Ireland’s managerial team need to get their team selection, tactics and substitutions right.
N is for…
Northern Ireland: Norn Iron are at their first major tournament in thirty years and the IFA deserve massive credit for persisting with Michael O’Neill following a difficult start to his tenure.
There’s one question that the world needs answering, will we be seeing Will Grigg on fire?
O is for…
Old Lady – It’s very likely that Ireland will have to find a way past the Juventus quartet of Buffon, Barzagli, Bonucci and Cheillini when they meet Italy in Lille. The Azzurri may be devoid of explosive attacking talent, but they’re going to be formidable opposition to score against.
Nothing that Shane Long can’t manage though.
P is for…
Paris: The French capital will be the first destination for Irish fans but Parisians are going to be busy during June. There are 12 matches in total taking place in the city and fans at the Stade de France and the Parc des Princes will be seeing plenty of action.
Q is for…
Que: The French word that’s going to be a very popular prefix for Irish fans that are trying to use their very limited French vocabulary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZUKEVU-TwM
R is for…
Assistant referees: Irishmen Damien McGrath, Francis Connor and Douglas Ross will also be involved at Euro ’16. They’re part of Scottish referee Willie Collum’s team.
S is for…
Stuttgart: Ireland will be hoping to channel the spirit of their Euro ”88 opener when they take on Sweden in Paris.
T is for…
Tie breaker: The expanded format of the tournament now means that four of the best third-placed teams in the groups stages will also qualify for the last 16.
The four best third-placed teams are determined according to the following criteria:
- Higher number of points obtained;
- Superior goal difference;
- Higher number of goals scored;
- Fair play conduct;
- Position in the UEFA national team coefficient ranking system.
U is for…
Underachievers : England, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Russia and Portugal all had disastrous World Cup campaigns in Brazil. They’ll be eager to make amends in France but Roy Hodgson must be hoping that his side avoid another dreaded penalty shootout.
V is for…
Versailles: The training base for Ireland ahead of their opening match against the Swedes. Nothing of note has ever happened at an Irish training camp on the eve of a big tournament.
W is for…
Wilmots: The Belgian manager really has to deliver in this tournament because to many, this current crop of players represent their golden generation. With talent like Hazard, de Bruyne, Lukaku, Carrasco, Courtois and Vertonghen all at his disposal, the Red Devils have no excuses.
X is for…
Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri: Two wonderfully gifted players that will be asked to provide the flair for Switzerland. They’ll need to be at their best if Switzerland are to avenge the 5-2 drubbing that the French gave them in Brazil.
Will X hit the spot?
Y is for…
You: Enjoy the football but most importantly, get behind the boys in green!
Z is for…
Zlatan: Who else?
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