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Poland Euro 2012 profile: Review of Poland’s team, coach and more
How Poland qualified for Euro 2012
Back on 18 April 2007, history was made when UEFA’s Executive Committee chose Poland as co-hosts of Euro 2012. The meeting took place in Cardiff. Poland’s joint bid with Ukraine received favour while competitors Croatia and Hungary suffered disappointment.
This summer’s event will mark Poland’s first ever hosting of the European Championship.
Spain Euro 2012 profile: Review of Spain’s team, coach and more
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How Spain qualified for Euro 2012
Giants Spain had to play against Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Scotland and the Czech Republic in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers. The Spaniards enjoyed positive run which included 4-0 and 6-0 wins against Liechtenstein.
With 24 points from 8 games, Spain secured automatic tickets to this summer’s competition. However, the road was not as smooth as numbers may suggest.
Scotland threatened Spain’s perfect record when both teams met in Glasgow in October 2010. A 58th minute strike from Naismith and a 67th minute own goal from Gerard Pique cancelled Spain’s 2-0 lead. However, Fernando Llorente rescued his side with a winner 11 minutes from time.
Netherlands Euro 2012 profile: Review of the Netherlands’ team, coach and more
How the Netherlands qualified for Euro 2012
The Oranje lived up to expectations as they dominated a 6-team table containing teams like Finland, Hungary and Sweden. Exhibiting their total football, the Netherlands scored a total of 37 goals and conceded only 8 in the qualifiers.
Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie each finished the campaign with a 6-goal tally. UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers top scorer Klaas-Jan Huntelaar netted 12 times.
The striker’s prolific run started with a hat-trick away to San Marino on the very first day of the qualification campaign. The Netherlands went on to win the match 5-0. Huntelaar played his part in the next match as his brace secured a 2-1 victory for Finland in Rotterdam. He punished Moldova with a lone goal at the Zimbru Stadium on Matchday 3.
Italy Euro 2012 profile: Review of Italy’s team, coach and more
How Italy qualified for Euro 2012
The Azzurri went through the qualifiers under a lot of pressure following the country’s poor showing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Prandelli took matters in his own hands and led Italy to Euro 2012 without experiencing defeat.
Remarkably, the Azzurri conceded only 2 goals in over 900 minutes of Euro 2012 qualification football. Their campaign was marked by ugly scenes when Italy hosted Serbia in Genoa on October 12. Crowd violence from a minor group of hooligans saw the match abandoned. The UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body handed an automatic 3-0 win forfeit win to the Italians.
England Euro 2012 Profile: Review of England's team, coach and more
How England qualified for Euro 2012
The Three Lions went through the Euro Cup qualifiers unbeaten under the guidance of Fabio Capello. They netted 17 goals and conceded just 5 in their 8 matches. Montenegro and Switzerland gave them the biggest scare. The former stole 4 points away from England through a goalless encounter at Wembley and a 2-2 draw in Podgorica.
That game in Montenegro saw Wayne Rooney get in serious trouble. The Manchester United striker lost his mind and got sent off with a rash retaliation on a Montengran opponent. His direct red card offense means that England will have to do without his services on the first 2 Matchdays of the competition.
Denmark Euro 2012 Profile: Review of Denmark's team, coach and more
How Denmark qualified for Euro 2012
It must be noted that the Danes qualified for Euro 2012 as winners of their table, Group H. The competition at the top was extremely tight with Norway and Portugal both fighting for automatic tickets. Iceland and Cyprus did not cause much threat and Denmark made the most of these minnows by securing maximum points against them.
During the 2012 UEFA European Championship qualifiers, the Danes lost 3-1 away to Portugal. However, they triumphed when it mattered most. It was a sweet relief for the home crowd when Denmark defeated the Portuguese 2-1 in October last year.
Czech Republic Euro 2012 Profile: Review of Czech Republic's team, coach and more
How the Czech Republic qualified for Euro 2012
The Czechs will felicitate themselves for reaching Poland-Ukraine as they successfully overcame firm competition from Scotland in a qualifying group which also contained the likes of titleholders Spain. A 1-0 defeat to Lithuania got the Czech Republic on a bad start to their Euro 2012 qualification campaign.
However, wins at home to Scotland and away to Liechtenstein gave them 6 points after the 3rd round of matches. The Czechs lost both of their fixtures against the Spanish but did just enough to finish above third-placed Scotland in Group I.
Greece Euro 2012 profile: Review of Greece’s team, coach and more
How Greece qualified for Euro 2012
Match by match, Greece played to prove that they deserve a spot in this year’s UEFA European Championship in Poland and Ukraine. They are one of the few teams to have qualified with an unbeaten record.
Group F runners-up Croatia pushed the Greeks to the wall. In 10 matches, the latter snatched 7 victories and drew thrice. With this formidable record during the qualifiers, Greece cruised to a top spot finish.
Croatia Euro 2012 Profile: Review of Croatia's team, coach and more
How Croatia qualified for Euro 2012
Croatia occupied Pot 1 ahead of the group stages draw for the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers. They fell in a section containing minnows like Malta, Georgia and Latvia. Israel and Greece completed the 6-team table.
Euro 2008 quarter-finalists Croatia started off their qualification campaign on a high. They produced a convincing performance and triumphed 3-0 in Latvia. The Blazers’ two defeats in the 2012 European Championship qualifiers came away to Georgia and at home to Greece.
"The players are the ones that play, Bielsa and I are on the outside" - Atletico coach Simeone
Diego Simeone recognized that although Marcelo Bielsa is an important figure for Athletic Bilbao, it will be the players who decide the outcome of the final of the Europa League on Wednesday."The players are the ones that play and we are only on the outside. Like I have always said, I have great admiration for Bielsa, and great memories. He is a great professional," Simeone declared to the press.
The Argentine coach, who lifted the UEFA Cup as a player with Inter Milan, is conscious that in order to win matches of this nature, experience is very important, because the players who are more accustomed to fighting for big things know how to deal with the added pressure and the nervousness better than those who lack experience.
"We will have to do something extraordinary to win the Scudetto" - Milan coach Allegri
Italian champions AC Milan confront Sunday's Serie A clash with Siena knowing that they are in a must-win situation, because anything less than the three points would practically hand the Scudetto to league leaders Juventus.Milan trail their rivals by just three points, but with only a handful of games left to play this season, the Rossoneri can't afford any more slip-ups.
Massimiliano Allegri, the coach of Milan, understands that the title isn't in his team's hands any longer, but as a mathematical possibility still exists he has no plans of relinquishing the title.
"We certainly won't underestimate Cesena" - Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni
Andrea Stramaccioni is more than aware that Inter Milan face a depleted Cesena, but won't be taking any chances, especially because Cesena had Juventus deadlocked for a good eighty minutes before the league leaders finally edged them 1-0 in an evenly-balanced clash midweek."The team we'll be up against tomorrow are clearly having a difficult time of things because they've just been relegated but if we look at their recent performances they've only lost to Juventus, and that was 10 minutes from the end after playing the whole game at high tempo," affirmed Stramaccioni during a pre-match press conference.
"We certainly won't underestimate Cesena: Inter will have to be very good tomorrow. We've got ourselves in a position where this is an important match and we want to do well in front of our fans. We're fired up and, as I said, we're not underestimating Cesena but tomorrow I want to see a top performance from Inter."
Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri expects an "extremely difficult" Derby of the Sun
Napoli travel to the Stadio Olimpico to take on Roma in a match which they must win in order to move within touching distance of a place in the UEFA Champions League.Walter Mazzarri's side have been in sensational form in recent games, and against Roma they will rate their chances of returning home with the three points, even if the hosts also find themselves in a must-win situation in order to keep their Champions League dream alive.
"Tomorrow's match counts more than the others because it is the one that comes first. We know the extreme difficulties that await us at the Olimpico, and we will prepare for them in the best possible manner," said Mazzarri.
"We come from two consecutive wins, the team are steady and compact, but today soccer doesn't ever allow you to feel comfortable. Each event is a match aside."
El Clasico has no extra importance – Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka
The assistant manager insists that El Clasico on April 21 is like any other fixture in La Liga. Real Madrid possess a 4-point advantage over second-placed Barcelona. Exploring the various score line possibiliite, Karanka told the press conference:“I believe the three points at stake are important because there fewer games left in the competition. Whatever the score, four games will remain and we'll continue to work as naturally as we've been doing so far.”
Real Madrid will fight to beat the odds at the Camp Nou stadium where coach Jose Mourinho has never clinched victory. Defeat to Barcelona would create an ever tight finish in the league title race. Aitor Karanka continued:
"I'm not trying to play like Guardiola or Barca" insists Roma coach Luis Enrique
Luis Enrique affirmed to the press that it is impossible to make his current side play like European champions Barcelona.Enrique, who coached Barcelona "B" before joining Roma, insisted that he is not trying to replicate Josep Guardiola's widely acclaimed model, ahead of his side's crucial clash with lowly Novara on Sunday.
"I am not trying to play like Guardiola or Barca," declared Luis Enrique. "Repeating that model with those players, with that culture, is impossible."
The former Barcelona midfielder also took pressure off himself and off his players when asked whether Roma could finish the season in third place, despite their evident lack of goals.
FC Porto v Olhanense: A tale of two coaches
A successful, exciting but temperamental player for FC Porto and Lazio, among others, Conceição has lost none of his fire. Over-exuberant touchline activity has landed him in trouble with the Portuguese football authorities, and already earned him lengthy suspensions from the dugout. But he has done a good job at transmitting his infectious enthusiasm into the team. The modest Algarve club are currently comfortably placed in seventh in the table, are unbeaten in six games and come into the match on the back of an impressive draw at home to Benfica last week.
“We’re in good form, so with all respect and humility, we will be going to the Estádio do Dragão to earn points,” said Conceição, as he prepared to take his charges to his former club.
Internazionale sack Claudio Ranieri and appoint youth team coach Stramaccioni
Last Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Juventus in the Serie A was apparently too much to take. On Monday evening, a statement from the club read:“President Moratti and all of Inter would like to thank Claudio Ranieri and his staff for the professionalism and the commitment shown in these months.
“Inter would also like to announce that it has entrusted the team to Primavera coach Andrea Stramaccioni, who won the first edition of the Next Generation Series.”
Inter are in danger of missing out on European qualification. They are 10 points behind third-placed Lazio.
Milan coach Allegri urges his players to focus on Roma and not on Barcelona
Massimiliano Allegri, the coach of AC Milan, affirmed that his team shouldn't think about next week's Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona, but concentrate on Saturday's league clash with Roma.The Italian champions will be hoping to edge closer towards back-to-back Scudettos when they welcome Roma to the San Siro stadium, in what is expected to be a hotly-contested encounter.
"We will play against Barca, but right now we have to think about Roma, who are a very tough team to beat," Allegri declared to reporters during a press conference.
"Reaching the Coppa Italia final would be a great achievement" - Napoli coach Mazzarri
Walter Mazzarri, the coach of Napoli, is looking forward to his team's much-awaited Coppa Italia semi-final return leg against Siena at the Stadio San Paolo on Wednesday.Napoli will be hoping to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg in Siena, in order to advance to the final of the competition, where they will face the victor of the other semi-final between Italian giants Juventus and AC Milan.
"We will play a difficult match, particularly from a tactical point of view. In the first leg in Siena we were not in good form and now we have no choice but to overturn the result," Mazzarri declared to Napoli's official website.
"I'm sure we can beat Genoa" - Roma coach Luis Enrique
Luis Enrique, the coach of AS Roma, is confident that his side will obtain maximum points when they welcome Genoa to the Stadio Olimpico on Monday.Roma, who have won their last four games against Genoa in the Italian capital, have been rather inconsistent this season, and Enrique will be hoping that his team correct the situation.
"I don't know what sort of game it will be on Monday evening. We've been inconsistent recently. The reason for our performances always depends on the opponents and the form of our team," Enrique explained to Roma's official website.