UEFA Euro 2016 Groups & Teams: All confirmed 23-man squads for the tournament in France
The prestigious international tournament UEFA Euro 2016 kicks off on the 10th of June 2016. This version of the Euro will feature 24 teams, 8 more teams than the traditional 16 team affair. France the hosts of the tournament are considered as many as favorites for the tournament. Besides the hosts, there are the usual suspects like Spain and reigning world champion Germany. England has had an impeccable qualifying campaign and as always a lot is expected of them.
Most of the international managers have announced their provisional squads for the Tournament. Here is a list of the provisional and confirmed squads which have been announced so far.
Here are the Euro 2016 Groups,
Group A | Group B | Group C |
| Albania | Wales | Poland |
| Switzerland | Slovakia | Northern Ireland |
| France | Russia | Ukraine |
| Roamania | England | Germany |
Group D | Group E | Group F |
| Turkey | Republic of Ireland | Austria |
| Czech Republic | Sweden | Hungary |
| Spain | Belgium | Iceland |
| Croatia | Italy | Portugal |
Here are the squads
Group A
Albania
They are what they call ‘rank outsiders’. They came second behind Portugal in the qualifying campaign and this will be their first major international campaign, a lot will depend on Lorik Cana.
Goalkeepers: Etrit Berisha (Lazio), Alban Hoxha (Partizani), Orges Shehi (Skenderbeu).
Defenders: Elseid Hysaj (Napoli), Lorik Cana (Nantes), Arlind Ajeti (Frosinone), Mergim Mavraj (Koeln), Naser Aliji (Basel), Ansi Agolli (Karabag), Frederik Veseli (Lugano).
Midfielders: Ermir Lenjani (Nantes), Andi Lila (Giannina), Migjen Basha (Como), Ledian Memushaj (Pescara), Burim Kukeli (Zurich), Taulant Xhaka (Basel), Ergys Kace (Paok), Amir Abrashi (Freiburg), Odise Roshi (Rijeka).
Forwards: Bekim Balaj (Rijeka), Sokol Cikalleshi (Medipol Basaksehir), Armando Sadiku (Vaduz), Shkelzen Gashi (Colorado Rapids).
France
The french have a perfect mix of youth and experience in the team. An explosive midfield which includes Paul Pogba, and the attacking potential and pace of Martial, Coman, and Griezmann. Favorites for the tournament?
(23-man squad and Standby List)
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Benoit Costil (Rennes)
Defenders: Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City), Jeremy Mathieu (Barcelona), Patrice Evra (Juventus), Bacary Sagna (Manchester City), Christophe Jallet (Lyon), Lucas Digne (Roma)
Midfielders: Paul Pogba (Juventus), Blaise Matuidi (PSG), Lassana Diarra (Marseille), N'Golo Kante (Leicester), Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle)
Attackers: Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Dimitri Payet (West Ham), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Kingsley Coman (Bayer Munich), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Tigres)
Standby: Alphonse Areola (Villarreal), Hatem Ben Arfa (Nice), Kevin Gameiro (Sevilla), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon), Adrien Rabiot (PSG), Morgan Schneiderlin (Manchester United), Djibril Sidibe (Lille), Samuel Umtiti (Lyon)
Romania
A relatively aging team, Costel Pantilmon the Watford (reserve) goalkeeper, and Tottenham reject Vlad Chiriches are one of the few players with big five league experience.
Goalkeepers: Ciprian Tatarusanu (Fiorentina), Costel Pantilimon (Watford), Silviu Lung (Astra Giurgiu).
Defenders: Cristian Sapunaru (Pandurii Targu Jiu), Alexandru Matel (Dinamo Zagreb), Vlad Chiriches (Napoli), Valerica Gaman (Astra Giurgiu), Cosmin Moti (Ludogorets), Dragos Grigore (Al-Sailiya), Razvan Rat (Rayo Vallecano), Steliano Filip (Dinamo Bucharest).
Midfielders: Mihai Pintilii (Steaua Bucharest), Ovidiu Hoban (Hapoel Beer Sheva), Andrei Prepelita (Ludogorets), Adrian Popa (Steaua Bucharest), Gabriel Torje (Osmanlispor), Alexandru Chipciu (Steaua Bucharest), Nicolae Stanciu (Steaua Bucharest), Lucian Sanmartean (al-Ittihad).
Forwards: Claudiu Keseru (Ludogorets), Bogdan Stancu (Genclerbirligi), Florin Andone (Cordoba), Denis Alibec (Astra Giurgiu).
Switzerland
A very underrated squad, have a very organized defense and the likes of Shaqiri in the attaack. They also boast of Arsenal new boy Xhaka in midfield.
Goalkeepers: Roman Buerki (Borussia Dortmund), Marwin Hitz (Augsburg), Yann Sommer (Borussia Moenchengladbach).
Defenders: Johan Djourou (Hamburg SV), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Michael Lang (FC Basel), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Francois Moubandje (Toulouse), Ricardo Rodriguez (VfL Wolfsburg), Fabian Schaer (Hoffenheim), Steve Von Bergen (Young Boys)
Midfielders: Valon Behrami (Watford), Blerim Dzemaili (Genoa), Gelson Fernandes (Rennes), Fabian Frei (Mainz 05), Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City), Granit Xhaka (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Denis Zakaria (Young Boys)
Forwards: Eren Derdiyok (Kasimpasa), Breel Embolo (FC Basel), Admir Mehmedi (Bayer Leverkusen), Haris Seferovic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Shani Tarashaj (Grasshoppers)
Group B
England
England has had a great qualifying campaign, a relatively young team, though inexperience might hinder them if they go to later stages of the competition. Not to forget their affinity to choking in major competitions.
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Tom Heaton (Burnley)
Defenders: Ryan Betrand (Southampton), Danny Rose (Tottenham), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool).
Midfielders: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Dele Alli (Tottenham), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester)
Russia
They have qualified from a relatively tough group including the likes of Romania and Sweden. A good team mostly made from players plying their trade in the Russian League.
Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Guilherme (Lokomotiv Moscow), Yuri Lodygin (Zenit)
Defenders: Alexei Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Vasili Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Dimitri Kombarov (Spartak Moscow), Roman Neustadter (Schalke), Georgi Schennikov (CSKA Moscow), Roman Shishkin (Lokomotiv Moscow), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit)
Midfielders: Igor Denisov (Dynamo Moscow), Denis Glushakov (Spartak Moscow), Alexander Golovin (CSKA Moscow), Oleg Ivanov (Terek Grozny), Pavel Mamaev (Krasnodar), Alexander Samedov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Oleg Shatov (Zenit), Roman Shirokov (CSKA Moscow)
Forwards: Artem Dzyuba (Zenit), Alexander Kokorin (Zenit), Fedor Smolov (Krasnodar), Dimitri Torbinski (Krasnodar)
Slovakia
Similar to Russia in the way that most of their starting players play in their domestic league. Hamsik the Napoli Captian, will be key if they are to make a decent impression on the competition.
Goalkeepers: Matúš Kozácik (Viktoria Plzen), Ján Mucha (Slovan Bratislava), Ján Novota (Rapid Wien).
Defenders: Peter Pekarík (Hertha Berlin), Milan Škriniar (Sampdoria), Martin Škrtel (Liverpool), Norbert Gyömbér (Roma), Ján Murica (Lokomotiv Moskva), Kornel Saláta (Slovan Bratislava), Tomáš Hubocan (Dinamo Moskva), Dušan Švento (Köln).
Midfielders: Marek Hamšík (Napoli), Juraj Kucka (AC Milan), Miroslav Stoch (Bursaspor), Vladimír Weiss (Al-Gharafa), Róbert Mak (PAOK), Patrik Hrošovský (Viktoria Plzen), Ján Greguš (Jablonec), Viktor Pecovský (ilina), Stanislav Šesták (Ferencváros), Ondrej Duda (Legia Warszawa).
Forwards: Michal Duriš (Viktoria Plzen), Adam Nemec (Willem II).
Wales
A brilliant qualifying campaign saw them keep clean sheets against the likes of Belgium and Germany. Undoubtedly reliant on Bale, but if he delivers, be ready for fireworks.
Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Danny Ward (Liverpool), Owain Fon Williams (Inverness).
Defenders: Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Neil Taylor (Swansea City), Chris Gunter (Reading), Ashley Williams (Captain, Swansea), James Chester (West Brom), Ashley Richards (Fulham), James Collins (West Ham).
Midfielders: Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Joe Ledley (Crystal Palace), David Vaughan (Nottingham Forest), Joe Allen (Liverpool), Jonathan Williams (Crystal Palace), George Williams (Fulham), Andy King (Leicester), Dave Edwards (Wolves).
Forwards: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading), Sam Vokes (Burnley), Simon Church (MK Dons), David Cotterill (Birmingham City)