UEFA Euro 2016: Top 5 contenders to win the tournament
The Euro 2016 Championships are about to begin in a short span of time, with each team having an objective of their own. Some nations would be hoping to win the title, while some teams would be hoping to get through the group stages and reach the knockout stages at least.
It’s that time again when top teams all over Europe go head-to-head again to claim the title of the Euro Champions, with this year being particularly special due to the fact that there will now be 24 teams. That’s an increase of eight new teams, showing the demand for this premier competition.
Euros are the second most watched football competition in the world after the FIFA World Cup. This year has already had a few surprises like the Netherlands failing to qualify for the tournament. So let’s take a look at the contenders for this year’s edition of the UEFA Euro 2016 Championships:
1) Italy
Italy, having finished the 2012 Euro Championships as runners-up would be looking to make amends and deliver a killing blow to all their rivals. Italy have not had a great qualifier as the only half-decent team they managed to beat since their early exit from the 2014 World Cup is Holland, who didn’t even manage to qualify for the Euros.
While they have had problems scoring goals, they have a good defensive lineup, with them having an undefeated run at the Euro qualifiers. With a few shocking exclusions from the team including Mario Balotelli and Andrea Pirlo, it looks like future Chelsea boss Antonio Conte means business by removing all the deadwood from the team.
The tactical prowess of the Italians can prove to be the difference in their campaign for the Euros. Italy should also have the hunger to win the competition having been humiliated in the finals of the Euro 2012.