It’s only a matter of days before the 16th edition of the UEFA European Championship kicks off, EURO 2020.
For the very first time in the competition’s history, there will be host cities across 11 different countries where the matches will take place.
This summer’s edition promises to be a memorable one with some really, really good teams participating.
The likes of France, Belgium, England, and Portugal seem the favorites but there are other nations who on their day, can stand just as good a chance – these include Italy and Germany.
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There are some very interesting groups in the Euros this summer with Group F being considered the Group of Death and comprising France, Germany and reigning champions Portugal.
However, Group A promises to be just as tricky with Italy, Switzerland, Turkey and Wales.
This group will witness the 300th match in Euro history played between the Azzurri and the Swiss in Rome on June 16.
Italy on paper seem the favorites to take top spot but the other three on their day can give them a run for their money, particularly Turkey who have an exciting crop of players.
So without any further ado, let’s talk in detail about the teams in Group A.
GROUP A – ITALY
The Azzurri won all of their qualifying matches to make it to their 10th European Championship.
One of the elite powerhouses in world football, Italy, unfortunately, haven’t had the kind of success in the Euros as they’ve had in World Cups.
Their only triumph came in 1968 where they beat Yugoslavia in the only final in the competition’s history that had to be replayed.
Italy also had a chance of winning Euro 2000 but a late equalizer from France’s Sylvain Wiltord and a David Trezeguet golden goal prevented that from happening.
ITALY TEAM INFO
- Manager – Roberto Mancini
- Captain – Giorgio Chiellini
- Key Players – Ciro Immobile, Marco Verratti, Gianluigi Donnarumma
- FIFA Ranking – 7th
- Prediction – Quarter-finals at least
- First match of the tournament – vs Turkey on June 11
Italy’s 26-man squad for the tournament
Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino), Alex Meret (Napoli),
Giovanni di Lorenzo (Napoli), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Emerson (Chelsea), Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Alessandro Florenzi (PSG), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta)
Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Marco Verratti (PSG), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Jorginho (Chelsea), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus)
Andrea Belotti (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo)
GROUP A – TURKEY
The Eastern Europeans will be competing in their 5th European Championship courtesy of a fairly impressive qualifying campaign in which they attained four out of a maximum six points against world champions France.
Turkey’s best display in the Euros came in 2008 when they reached the semi-finals before being beaten 3-2 by Germany in a thrilling contest.
TURKEY TEAM INFO
- Manager – Senol Gunes
- Captain – Burak Yilmaz
- Key players – Burak Yilmaz, Hakan Calhanoglu, Caglar Soyuncu
- FIFA Ranking – 29th
- Prediction – Quarter-finals
- First match of the tournament – vs Italy on June 11
Turkey’s 26-man squad for the tournament
Mert Gunok (Istanbul Basaksehir), Ugurkan Cakir (Trabzonspor), Altay Bayindir (Fenerbahce)
Zeki Celik (Lille), Merih Demiral (Juventus), Caglar Soyuncu (Leicester City), Umut Meras (Le Havre), Ozan Kabak (Schalke), Ridvan Yilmaz (Besiktas) Kaan Ayhan (Sassuolo), Mert Muldur (Sassuolo)
Okay Yokuslu (West Bromwich Albion), Ozan Tufan (Fenerbahce), Dorukhan Tokoz (Besiktas), Hakan Calhanoglu (AC Milan), Taylan Antalyali (Galatasaray), Orkun Kokcu (Feyenoord), Abdulkadir Omur (Trabzonspor), Irfan Kahveci (Fenerbahce), M. Kerem Akturkoglu (Galatasaray), Halil Dervisoglu (Brentford)
Cengiz Under (Leicester City), Kenan Karaman (Fortuna Dervisoglu), Yusuf Uazici (Lille), Enes Unal (Getafe), Burak Yilmaz (Lille)
GROUP A – SWITZERLAND
Switzerland topped their qualifying group ahead of Denmark and the Republic of Ireland to reach their 5th European Championship.
The Nati had their best Euro performance in 2016, making it out of their group for the first time. They were eliminated in the last 16 by Poland on penalties.
SWITZERLAND TEAM INFO
- Manager – Vladimir Petkovic
- Captain – Granit Xhaka
- Key Players – Xherdan Shaqiri, Haris Seferovic, Denis Zakaria
- FIFA Ranking – 13
- Prediction – Last 16
- First match of the tournament- vs Wales on June 12
Switzerland’s Squad for the tournament
Yann Sommer (Borussia Monchengladbach), Yvon Mvogo (PSV), Jonas Omlin (Montpellier)
Kevin Mbabu (Wolfsburg), Silvan Widmer (Basel), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Monchengladbach), Manuel Akanji (Borussia Dortmund), Ricardo Rodriguez (Torino), Loris Benito (Bordeaux), Fabian Schar (Newcastle), Becir Omeragic (Zurich), Eray Comert (Basel), Jordan Lotomba (Nice)
Denis Zakaria (Borussia Monchengladbach), Remo Freuler (Atalanta), Granit Xhaka (Arsenal), Ruben Vargas (Augsburg), Steven Zuber (Eintracht Frankfurt), Djibril Sow (Eintracht Frankfurt), Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys), Edmilson Fernandes (Mainz), Xherdan Shaqiri (Liverpool)
Breel Embolo (Borussia Monchengladbach), Haris Seferovic (Benfica), Admir Mehmedi (Wolfsburg), Mario Gavranovic (Dinamo Zagreb)
GROUP A – WALES
Wales qualified for their second successive Euro by finishing second in their qualifying group just ahead of Slovakia and Hungary.
Y Dreigiau were one of the surprises of 2016 by reaching the semifinals of their first major tournament since 1958.
WALES TEAM INFO
- Manager- Rob Page
- Captain- Gareth Bale
- Key Players- Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen
- FIFA Ranking- 17th
- Prediction- Group stage
- First match of the tournament- vs Switzerland on June 12
Wales 26-man squad for the tournament
Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Danny Ward (Leicester City), Adam Davies (Stoke City)
Chris Gunter (Charlton Athletic), Neco Williams (Liverpool), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Tom Lockyer (Luton Town), Joe Rodon (Tottenham Hotspur), Connor Roberts (Swansea City), Ethan Ampadu (Sheffield United), Rhys Norrington-Davies (Stoke City), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), Ben Cabango (Swansea City)
Joe Allen (Stoke City), Harry Wilson (Cardiff City), Aaron Ramsey (Juventus), Joe Morrell (Luton Town), Jonny Williams (Cardiff City), David Brooks (Bournemouth), Daniel James (Manchester United), Dylan Levitt (Istra 1961), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City), Matthew Smith (Doncaster Rovers)
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur), Keiffer Moore (Cardiff City), Tyler Roberts (Leeds United)