• Xavi (Spain):
What can you say about Xavi? How many times have we seen him misplace a pass? Xavi is the pass master of his side and the under-appreciated mastermind behind Barcelona’s success on the field. Xavi mysteriously has not been awarded the accolade for best player. Lionel Messi does score the goals, but without Xavi, even he fails to produce for Barca.
Barcelona has not had a great season by their lofty standards. Xavi however was highly consistent. Expect him to be up for the Euros to wrap up the campaign with a major trophy. This could after all be his last international tournament in a Spanish shirt.
• Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands):
Wesley Sneijder, once the darling of the blue side of Milan, has seemingly lost his touch. Sneijder is of-course a treble winner and played an absolutely crucial role in getting the Dutch to the World Cup Final in 2010. His and his side Inter’s season went downhill from Match-day One in Serie A. Inter finished outside the Champions League spots.
This tournament means a lot to the player once thought of as Europe’s best if not the world’s. This is first of all a chance for him to show on the biggest stage that he is not done yet and still has a lot to offer to the game. It will also be a chance for him to win a big tournament on the international stage for the first time. Sneijder needs to be firing on all cylinders if the Oranje are to win.
• Luka Modric (Croatia):
Ivica Olic’s injury will certainly leave Slaven Bilic’s team in a bit of a hole. It will be up to the likes of Luka Modric, Niko Kranjcar and Ivan Perisic to dig the team out of it. Modric is Tottenham’s heart and soul. He is a crafty player and he rose to prominence in 2008 when he helped Croatia defeat Germany.
Croatia surprised everyone in 2008 but was unfortunately knocked out on penalties in the quarter finals. Slaven Bilic is a smart coach and he has a player of Modric’s unquestionable talent to depend on to run his midfield. If Modric shines, Croatia could possibly go one step better this time around.
• Franck Ribery (France): 
Ribery is coming into the Euros on the back of his best season for Bayern. Ribery was absolutely ferocious and he tore apart the best defences this season. The Real Madrid defence was given a hard time while the Basel and Marseille defences were torn apart in Champions League play. Bayern fared poorly whenever the French man was absent.
Ribery, despite not showing any signs, is coming on in years. He has lost two Champions League finals, one of which he was suspended for of course and a World Cup Final. This win would really not change much for Ribery. It could however spur him on to finally break the duck at club level and bring home a major European trophy for Bayern to crown his absolutely brilliant career.
• Arjen Robben (Netherlands):
He is truly the ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ of Bayern. On his best days, the Bayern crowd has cheered for him more than they have cheered for their very own home grown players. His failure to produce in two Champions League finals, having been handed a gift in the second of the two has seen the Munich faithful lose their belief in him.
In order for Robben to show the world that he is not a ‘choker’ he has to produce in all stages of this tournament. Robben’s talent is beyond question. He is perhaps in the final years of his career. At 28, the injury prone star does not seem to have too many years left in him. This could be his last chance to shine on the big stage. After all, the only thing Robben lacks is ‘character’ on the biggest of all stages.
• Santi Cazorla (Spain):
When Cazorla departed for Malaga from Villarreal, Villarreal fans were sad. They had little idea as to just how much Cazorla’s departure would affect their side though. The fact that the team got relegated without him shows just how influential a player he is. Considering the injuries for Vicente Caldero
n’s side, Cazorla could turn out to be the player who wins them the Cup this time around.
Cazorla is coming into the Euros on the back of a fantastic season with Malaga. He will want to lead his side to a second consecutive Euro. With a second Euro, his side’s total will come to third, matching that of the greatest team in the competition’s history Germany.
• Andrea Pirlo (Italy):
The evergreen Andrea Pirlo is coming off the back of a Scudetto win with Juventus. Pirlo recently said that AC Milan felt he was finished. Pirlo is of-course a World Cup winner. He won in 2006. Pirlo is under-rated really considering what hoffers. He again was a nominee for the Golden e Ball award in 2010 but was out-done by Zinedine Zidane.
Pirlo is ageless; he has to help a team which is in caught in the middle of another match-fixing scandal through the tournament. There were even talks of withdrawal. Italy won in the midst of such a scandal in 2006; don’t be surprised if they repeat the feat this time around.
• Samir Nasri (France):
Many questioned his move from Arsenal to City. He really carried Arsenal last season. In Man City, he worked his way into the starting line-up gradually and scored some good goals. Nasri again doesn’t have much to show for his wonderful years at Arsenal and now in City.
He will be hoping that under Laurent Blanc, he and his co-stars can battle out of what is a tough group and make their way deeper into the tournament. If the Spaniards and Germans slip up, the French could really win this ahead of their home tournament in 2016.
• Andrei Arshavin (Russia):
In 2008, he took Russia to the semis of the Euros. Arshavin has endured a miserable time in the last
two years. He won the UEFA Cup in 2008 and obliterated Bayern in the semis 4-0 with Zenit that year. Arshavin is said to possess magic in his boots. However, after a brilliant season and a half at Arsenal, his magic almost fizzled out.
He was miserable at Arsenal this season and Arsene Wenger decided to put the diminutive Russian out of his misery and sent him on loan to Russia. If any tournament is synonymous with the Russian’s magic, it is the Euros. This tournament might help the Russian to revive his career which has stagnated in recent seasons.
• Jakub Blaszczykowski (Poland):
The Polish captain has spent most of his best years playing for German double winners Borussia Dortmund. The man nicknamed ‘Kuba’ in order to ensure his name fit at the back of his jersey is by and far the most talented Polish midfielder in the camp. The Pole was part of Dortmund long before the team were double winners and has grown into one of the most integral members of Dortmund’s midfield.
He usually plays on the wing and is physically well built. He has a great shot on him too even though he missed with the empty net at his mercy for Dortmund last season in what was a hilarious moment. Kuba must find a way to help one of the two host nations into the next round. He almost has to carry an average midfield on his shoulders. Making the quarter-finals would turn out to be one of the best moments of the Pole’s career.
• Tomas Rosicky (Czech Republic):
The Czech has come through a lot of troubles since his move to Arsenal from Dortmund. Despite missing out action for months due to injuries, Arsene Wenger kept his faith in the midfielder. Rosicky played an extremely important part in his club’s third place finish in the Premier League this season.
A bonus for his team will be the fact that Rosicky’s form simply shot up in the last four months of the season. The midfielder, reaching the twilight of his career will want one final hurrah on the international stage by providing some wonderful performances in Poland and Ukraine.
• Joao Moutinho (Portugal):
Moutinho was going to be a star; everyone knew that when they watched him at Sporting’s youth academy. The midfielder now plies his trade at Porto and is just brilliant; his ball control is second to no other midfielder. His vision is wonderful. Portugal was missing a midfielder of his calibre in their World Cup campaign.
Since all eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo, this versatile midfielder will be under little pressure to produce. Expect him to come up with some great performances if Portugal is to get out of the toughest group in the competition unscathed.
• Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany):
This player really has suffered heart-break beyond belief this season. He is literally the heart-beat of the German national side and is referred to as the ‘emotional captain’ of Germany.
He is of course the vice-captain. Schweinsteiger was absolutely brilliant in the 2010 World Cup but his performances off late after coming back from injury haven’t been great. He will try to lead a nation which has been labeled a ‘bridesmaid’ of late to glory.
Schweinsteiger gives Germany added steel in midfield. He connects the back-line and the attackers. He has been within inches of gripping a trophy but has suffered failure at the final stage. One of the lasting images of Euro 2008 is Schweinsteiger lying on the ground demoralized after the final. This trophy could mean everything to one of the greatest midfielders of this generation.
• Mesut Oezil (Germany):
The German who came through the Schalke youth academy had another great season for Real Madrid. He came to prominence at the World Cup in 2010 and almost has a telepathic understanding with Miroslav Klose and Thomas Mueller. Oezil is seemingly fit to last ninety minutes nowadays as well.
The German plays with plenty of flair. He can pass the ball through the tiniest of gaps. He has to come through if Germany is to survive Group B and move on to the latter stages of the tournament.
• Christian Eriksen (Denmark):
The Danish youngster is said to be the most talented midfielder in the side. The Danes are known for their work rate rather than for sheer talent really. They are an organized unit whose players simply refuse to be bullied off of the ball. Eriksen provides the finesse in the side.
Eriksen had a cameo appearance in the 2010 World Cup. He is absolutely adored by Johan Cryuff and has been compared to the Laudrup brothers. He is fleet-footed like both Mario Goetze and Mesut Oezil. Eriksen now has a chance to showcase his talents on the biggest stage of European football.
