Back in 2002 Ireland and Scotland made a joint bid to host the 2008
European Championships. The bid, like both side’s subsequent
qualification campaigns, ended in failure, and over the past six years
Ireland’s absence from major competitions has become all too familiar.

Usually Irish fans compensate by watching England proclaim themselves as champions in waiting,
before they’re knocked out, usually in the quarter finals, and usually by Portugal.

However this summer English players and fans will be joining their
Irish and Scottish counterparts at home as they also failed to make it
to Austria and Switzerland.

But despite the absence of Ireland and England, most of Europe’s big
teams will be represented come June. Italy will be hoping to add to
their victory in the World Cup two years ago, while Portugal, Germany,
France and the Netherlands will feel positive about their chances of
winning the Henri Delaunay
Trophy. Meanwhile holders Greece will be trying to somehow repeat their shock triumph of four years ago.

When the draw was made last December one group clearly stood out, Group C, which contains Italy,
World Cup runners-up France, the Netherlands and Romania. Dubbed ‘The
Group of Death’ upon first glance each team seems too well matched to
tip who’ll progress into the quarter finals.

However the results from the qualifiers can be one way of indicating who’ll advance from this tight
group, as France topped the group containing themselves and Italy and
Romania finished first above the Netherlands.

Former Liverpool manager, and current French technical director, Gerard Houllier, seems upbeat
despite the difficult draw; ‘We’ll have to be very good from the first
game and it may all come down to the game against Italy