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Since my country strangely doesn't participate in years, I vote for our neighbours: Belgium <3

Germany will roll over anyone, as usual

DEUTSCHLAND ÜBER ALLES!

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I think Spain's team isn't great anymore nowadays, and I don't actually like Germany's squad as much. Especially spain's results have seemed unimpressive to me, not sure about Germany's results as I haven't checked those. Those would have been favorites to me but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't place them as favorites anymore.

France's attack is pretty great, I'm a fan of Griezman and Martial, and Pogba is great too. Together with the home advantage they seem to be the top favorite. England's team is nothing bad anyways, many great players in that squad, but the question is how much their generally lengthy season (the english competition seems very tiring) will break their mostly premier league squad up. If they're still fit, then England might be my number two. Belgium's team is amazing, with the likes of de Bruyne, Hazard, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Lukaku, Courtois, Carasco, and many others, but apperantly their manager is supposedly retarded or at least can't glue the team together. I think they might, on paper, have the best squad though. Italy is always a contender. They just know how to win games, and apperantly their defense is amazing (all juventus), probably the best defense of all teams.

Then there is two outsiders that I consider capable of actually doing well: Portugal and Croatia. Portugal of course has Cristiano Ronaldo, but apperantly they also for once have an actually good team surrounding him (excuse me for not knowing their names well, but I read this somewhere). I also read someone tipping Croatia (I think it was Wenger himself): Kovacic, Rakitic, Modric, Srna, Mandzukic. Those are good enough to potentially carry the team.

Overall, its of course impossible to call but I'd like to rank them as follows:
1. France
2. England
3. Germany
4. Italy
5. Belgium
6. Spain
7. Croatia
8. Portugal

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Germany is top civ so it should win.

iNcog wrote:hoyl shit people actually care about football lol

I follow a football forum/newssite when there's no interesting esoc things to read since a year. It started out as having fun watching the retarded average football fans try to have thoughts and post them, but I actually quite like the news. Sports get fun when you try to follow them.

How about the outsiders, guys ?
Mine are Croatia, Poland and Turkey. Poland is overall a very good team and a safe bet. Croatia and Turkey have both insane midfielders. These 3 do always well in Euro.

iNcog wrote:hoyl shit people actually care about football lol

What a stupid thing to say

Mimsy for President wrote:How about the outsiders, guys ?
Mine are Croatia, Poland and Turkey. Poland is overall a very good team and a safe bet. Croatia and Turkey have both insane midfielders. These 3 do always well in Euro.

I did list mine already. Poland lost to the Netherlands, the Netherlands is a shitty squad at the moment and they, as a team, didn't impress. I don't think they have a realistic shot, although if I had to list one after croatia and portugal (and maybe belgium and italy are semi outsiders to some) then maybe Poland. Not Turkey, turkey didn't do well in qualifications at all (same pool as NL, both finished after Czech and Iceland). Maybe Sweden with Zlatan? Dont know the rest of their squad.

I guess Poland, Switzerland, Wales, Iceland would be some of my outsiders (Croatia still the main one to me). Sweden (italy, belgium) and Turkey (Spain, Croatia, Czech) have pools that might be too rough for them to advance. Only one here is Croatia that could legitemately win, imo.

albania gonna take this

@Jerom

Jerom wrote:notification

Poland and Germany were in the same group and the latter was only 1 point ahead (22 pts vs. 21 pts). Turkey didn't do so bad in qualifications but yeah, it's in the group of death.
Wales and Iceland did very well in qualifications but something tells me they won''t do sh!t in Euro.

What? Turkey did shit in qualifications.

1st 22 pts, 2nd 20 pts, 3rd (Turkey) 18 pts. It's similar to Sweden. They don't have Zlatan, but they have Turan, Sahin and the guy with a weird name who's also the best free kick taker in Europe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUoTLBWnzQE

Jerom wrote:France's attack is pretty great, I'm a fan of Griezman and Martial, and Pogba is great too. Together with the home advantage they seem to be the top favorite.

France lacks Benzema :O

Jerom wrote:England's team is nothing bad anyways, many great players in that squad, but the question is how much their generally lengthy season (the english competition seems very tiring) will break their mostly premier league squad up. If they're still fit, then England might be my number two.

I think it's just a myth, every pro football league is tiring, and if you look at Spain for example, you'll see they played Copa del Rey final not so long ago and the CL final consisted of two Spanish teams, as well as Europa League's of one.

Jerom wrote:Belgium's team is amazing, with the likes of de Bruyne, Hazard, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Lukaku, Courtois, Carasco, and many others, but apperantly their manager is supposedly retarded or at least can't glue the team together. I think they might, on paper, have the best squad though.

Yeah, well, they were supposed to be dark horses during the WC 2014, but then they didn't live up to people's expectations.

Jerom wrote:Portugal of course has Cristiano Ronaldo, but apperantly they also for once have an actually good team surrounding him (excuse me for not knowing their names well, but I read this somewhere).

QUARESMA

Jerom wrote:I also read someone tipping Croatia (I think it was Wenger himself)

Yes, it was him.

Jerom wrote:Overall, its of course impossible to call

2

iNcog wrote:hoyl shit people actually care about football lol

yes, you ignorant prick!!!!

Mimsy for President wrote:How about the outsiders, guys ?
Mine are Croatia, Poland and Turkey. Poland is overall a very good team and a safe bet. Croatia and Turkey have both insane midfielders. These 3 do always well in Euro.

xDxDxD Poland didn't win a single match during EURO tournaments. Their first appearance was in 2008: 0—2 to Gemrnay, 1—1 with Austria, 0—1 to Croatia, and then they qualified automatically to EURO 2012 as hosts, and they drew 1—1 with Greece, 1—1 with Russia and lost 0—1 to Czech Republic.
Although generally, indeed Poland has the strongest teams since many years, with the likes of Lewandowski, Krychowiak, Piszczek and some others (like a strong GK trio: Szczęsny, Fabiański, Boruc). They did pretty well in the elimination stage, beating Germany for the first time in their history, and the team itself looks convincing. Nevertheless, their latest friendlies don't seem promising to be honest.

Mimsy for President wrote:the guy with a weird name who's also the best free kick taker in Europe.

Hakan Calhanoglu: [chalanoglue]


In my opinion Germany stand the biggest chance, as the current Weltmaisters. It's pretty easy to say so, but that's what I believe. Their squad has proven to be great during several occasions, and I don't think there's a contender big enough for them. Of course France, Spain and England have some amazing individuals, but their squads don't always perform well — it's hard to judge, frankly.

Mimsy for President wrote:1st 22 pts, 2nd 20 pts, 3rd (Turkey) 18 pts. It's similar to Sweden. They don't have Zlatan, but they have Turan, Sahin and the guy with a weird name who's also the best free kick taker in Europe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUoTLBWnzQE

I wouldn't agree turkey did well. The only really good opponent in their group was Netherlands and we suffered from some brain tumor or sth. I think many other countries did better in qualifications, like North Ireland for example.

@pecelot

pecelot wrote:notification

I think the English competition is remarkably tough with almost only great opponents (unlike for example, spain), 20 teams and 2 cups. But yeah, having two teams in the CL finals can't be good for the spanish team.

Follow a real sport

This championship might see some surprises, it's not like the World cup or something like that. It's possible there will be surprises.

France has some good players, but most of them have been playing until recently for teams involved in the final stages of the two European cups, so they're coming to play here after a long period of sustained effort. Meantime, some other players weren't playing in the European cups, they might be in better shape and have more motivation to perform. Also, when you've been playing in the European cups, you're not going to have much motivation to play well at the Euro championship, because there's not much you can win as a player. The money is in the clubs competition mostly. Here they're just playing mostly out of duty, to represent their country. For the lesser known players, the national team is an opportunity for them to showcase their skills and get some well-paid contracts.

So, I expect some of those players who were in great shape in the European cups to not perform so well here (Griezmann, Coman). On the other hand, some unknown players might be highly motivated to put up a great performance.

There's a lot of pressure on France to win it and last time this happened (they hosted the world cup) they won it. But that was when Zidane was still playing, I think. So, we'll see if this pressure is going to motivate them for the bad or for the good. Depends on also if any terroristic event happens too.

Anyway, I'm hoping to see some ggs.

@Jerom

Jerom wrote:notification

, I used to think so, like PL being the toughest out there, Stoke players being the most hard-working and only long-ball playing and such, but actually, if you compare it to the others, the English highest division is less equal than for instance French, German and such. You can argue that Leicester won the PL this year, but bear in mind the Big Four from like 2004/05 to 2009/10 season.
And by the way, Premier League is full of foreigners, so other national teams suffer, too, if that's really a case.

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