Euro-2012 Football: Kick-Off This Friday, June 8

The top two from each group will go in the quarter-finals (June 21 to 24). The semifinals will be held on June 27 and 28, and the final on July 1. To mark this great event, lexpress.mu offers a series of articles that will help you, we hope to better track for Euro 2012. 

Poland in search of its former glory (1)

Group A consists of Poland, Greece, Russia and the Czech Republic. The dating pool stages will be held at the Warsaw National Stadium (50,000 seats) and Wroclaw City Stadium (western Poland, 350 km from Warsaw), with a capacity of 40,000 seats.

A presentation of this group:

Poland. Capital: Warsaw. Population: 38.2 million. Area: 312,680 km2.Elle faces in the opening game on Friday, Greece in Warsaw. Then, the Czech Republic in Wroclaw on June 12 and finally Russia, on June 16 in Warsaw.

Qualifies automatically as host nation (with Ukraine), Poland had never exceeded the group stage in the European tournament. World Cup, she moved up to 3rd place in 1974. First in its group ahead of Italy and Argentina, it fails 0-1 in the semifinals against the FRG (West Germany to épo1que). But it beats Brazil (1-0) to take third place. Then, in 1982, it will again in the semifinals, 2-0 and bows, this time against Italy, but is required against France (3-2) for third place. It will simply be eliminated in eighth-finals in 1986.Elle is absent at the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

Poland has also excelled in the Olympics: Gold Medal in 1972 and silver in 1976 and 1992.

Does it succeed to go further in her home this time? With no fewer than 18 players (23) playing abroad, especially in England, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Scotland, or in Turkey, the group is broken at high level.Enough to excel in this competition and return to its former glory? This is also the challenge that awaits Franciszek Smuda, who is leading the team since October 2009, after leading the most prestigious clubs in Poland. 

Greece, repeat the feat of 2004?

Greece. Capital: Athens. Population: 11.3 million. Area: 131,990 km2.Calendrier: Poland June 8 (Warsaw), Czech Republic June 12 (Wroclaw) and Russia, June 16 (Warsaw).

European champions in 2004, the Greeks had defeated Portugal in the opening match and final. They were then led by the rigorous Otto Rehhagel who was sacked after the disastrous performance at the World Cup in 2010.The new coach, the Portuguese Fernando Santos, has abandoned the hermetic defense that allowed Greece to conquer Europe in in 2004. It has injected new blood, and has also instill a spirit of attack to his team. "I want people to say that the national team of Santos is a compact group with its own identity. We want to dominate the game, he said, adding that he will not follow the tactics of his predecessor.

During the qualification phase, Greece finished in first place with 24 points (7 wins, 3 draws and 0 losses. 5 goals scored and 14 conceded), ahead of Croatia, Israel, Latvia, Georgia and Malta .

Only 7 of its 23 players play abroad, including Italy, Germany, France, Scotland and Turkey.