Welcome to ExpertFootball.co.uk The online football comparison site for Euro 2008
Players To Watch
We at expertfootball.co.uk have studied the squads that will be taking part in Euro 2008 this summer, and have identified one player from each of the featuring teams as a player to watch out for... These players will hopefully light up the tournament and maybe even sway your vote as to whom you think will be lifting the European championship this summer in Austria/Switzerland.
Austria
I’m sure very few of our users are accustomed to the Austrian national team but they do have a few players that can cause an upset during Euro 2008 for example Andreas Ivanschitz who at 24 is their brightest young talent. He plays his club football with the Greek outfit Panathinaikos; he plays in an attacking midfield role and is known for his exceptional passing of the ball as well as a having a terrific vision. If any of Austria’s players were to alert and interest bigger clubs in Europe it will be Ivanschitz.
Croatia
Every football fan in England has heard of Eduardo Da silva, Niko Kranjcar and maybe even Vedran Corluka. But their main attacking threat is Luka Modric who operates in the whole just behind the strikers. On his day he is capable of unlocking any defence with his dribbling and sublime passing skills. Additional attributes Modric possesses are that he is just as comfortable on his left foot as he is with his right, he has natural vision and creativity and is one of the best strikers of a ball I have come across in a long time. With a player like that in your team its breed’s confidence which reflects the way the whole team performs on the pitch.
Czech Republic
We all know about the likes Rosicky, Baros and Koller but the Czechs do have another wild card up their sleeve in Tomáš Ujfaluši who is little known to British football fans but is widely regarded as one of the best centre backs in Serie A playing for Fiorentina. His contract ends this summer so he will be playing his heart out during euro 2008 to hopefully interest one of the leading clubs in European football to snatch him up on a free transfer.
View the Czech Republic team review
France
The French national football team is brimming with world class talent that I’m sure you’ve all heard of, but one player that has really come on leaps and bounds in the close season is Karim Benzema who has gone form being virtually unknown to being Frances Player of the year in 2008. he has scored a magnificent 24 goals in 37 games this season, which has drawn in comparisons to the great Zinedine Zidane in the way he makes everything seem so effortless. He will be pushing Henry and Anelka very hard for a place in the starting line up, and I don’t think with the way he has been playing, it will be long till he takes the place of one of them once the tournament starts.
Germany
Germany’s team has always been full of household names and this tournament is no different with the likes of Ballack, Lehmann and Klose in their ranks. they do however possess a player that has been lighting up the Bundesliga this season with his eye for goal. His name is Mario Gomez and he is unheard of outside his native Germany, but with Klose and Podolski not in great form going into this tournament its is up to Gomez to make a name for himself on the international stage and score goals like he has been doing all season for VfB Stuttgart.
Greece
The Greeks took the whole world be surprise by lifting the trophy four years ago however it will doubly as hard to retain it this summer with their ageing side. Their best hope of progressing past the group stages is if Theofanis Gekas has his scoring boots on as, even last time around they had trouble scoring goals but this time I think they could just scrape through if he is on his game as he has been for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
Italy
Italy are the current world cup champions so as you can imagine their team is world class through out. Most of their players play for the biggest team in Europe so you will undoubtedly heard of them, but a player in my eyes that could offer Italy something different that isn’t a household name already is Daniele de Rossi. Daniele de Rossi is a combative central midfielder and a strong tackler with an eye for goal plus he can also cause problems with his defence splitting passing ability. So if he gets an opportunity I’m sure he will be one of their star players during Euro 2008.
Netherlands
Rafael Van Der Vaart has long been the poster child of Dutch football but has yet to impose himself on the international stage due to untimely injuries which forced him to miss out the last few tournaments. This summer is different as he is fighting fit an in the form of his life with almost all of Europe’s top clubs interested in his services. Van Basten knows it is he, who holds the key to helping Holland reach the final this summer as he as seen as the catalyst of Holland’s attacking threat with his range of passing, creativity and eye for goal. He is definitely one to watch as he will be keen to impress his potential suitors as he wants to wangle a transfer to one of Europe’s elite and compete for the champion’s league.
View the Netherlands team review
Poland
Poland have got a good squad going into Euro 2008 but one thing they been missing in yesteryear is a proven goal scorer within their ranks. That’s one thing they do have this time around, going into this tournament, in Euzebiusz Smolarek. Who has been terrorising defences in La Liga all season for Racing Santander. His international scoring record is nearly 1 every 2 games which is a great return for a player who came through the ranks at Feyenoord.
Portugal
Everyone knows about Cristiano Ronaldo but a few of you out there might not have heard about their other precocious talent who goes by the name of Quaresma. Ricardo Quaresma is just as technically gifted as Ronaldo and was regarded as Portugal’s brightest hope a few years back but he made an ill fated move to Barcelona when he wasn’t ready which halted his development a little but he has been re-vitalised playing with Porto and has now fully regained the form that once made him the hottest young talent on the planet! Quaresma has a never ending range of skills which has earned him the nickname ‘Harry Potter’ in his native country which is quite a statement considering the level of skill possessed by other players from Portugal. Hopefully this summer he lives up to his name and produces some of his magical talent and shows the world what he can do.
Romania
Romania have probably the hardest task of all the teams playing at this years tournament in trying to progress from the ‘group o f death’ but if they do manage to pull of a miracle I’m sure it will have some thing to do with Banel Nicolita who is a darting, skilful runner on the right hand side of midfield and has been in great from leading up to this tournament for Steaua Bucharest.
Russia
Russia are underdogs going into this tournament but they do have players that can cause mayhem if given the time on the ball, for example, Kerzhakov, Arshavin and Sychev. But one to look out for at this tournament that has just burst onto the international scene and has made the number one goal keeping spot his own since his debut, his name is Igor Akinfeev and is one of the best young goalkeepers in the world and may well make a name for himself this summer.
Spain
Spain have undoubtedly got one of the strongest squads in the tournament and are one of my favourites to go home champions this summer. All of their players have brilliant technical ability but one that stands out above the rest in terms of individual skill is David Silva. I know what your thinking, what about Torres, villa or fabregas, but in my view Silva surpasses them with his lightning feet and low centre of gravity. He also has shone this season for Valencia who have had one of their worst seasons in the last decade so that shows how good he really is, shining in a team that has been a shambles all season.
Switzerland
The newest and by far the best talent to arise from Switzerland in time for Euro 2008 is the ever maturing Tranquillo Barnetta. He did feature sparingly during the 2006 world cup and that experience will have stood him in good stead for this summer, as he is considered one of their main hopes of qualification as he can provide moments of magic that will prove vital if they are to progress.
View the Switzerland team review
Sweden
Sweden go into Euro 2008 looking as strong as I have ever seen them. Admittedly all the hype has been surrounding Ibrahimovic and the return of their talisman Larsson but a key player in their squad that really holds the team together is Kim Kallstrom. He does the ugly side of football brilliantly and is my other player to watch as he quietly goes about the game controlling what’s going on in the middle of the park which without a doubt has an impact on the overall outcome of the game.
Turkey
Colin Kazim-Richards or ‘Kazim-Kazim’ as he is known in Turkey is relatively new to the international stage earning his first cap during Turkeys qualifying campaign since then he has gone from strength to strength. His exciting bursts of pace and trickery alerted Fenerbahce to his undoubted talent and made them shell out for his services form then premier league side Sheffield United. What they didn’t know was that he was able to qualify for Turkish citizenship as his mother is of Turkish Cypriot origin so his move opened up doors for him in the sense that he could now embark on an international career with his adopted nation. He has been causing a stir in the Turkish league with his guile and flair which has warranted a starting place in Fatih Terim’s side. If Kazim-Kazim can emulate his recent form with his club side, who knows how far Turkey could this summer as they possess quite a few wild cards in their squad.
