Euro 2008 Star Players

Possible stars of Euro 2008

Euro 2008 in Austria & Switzerland promises to be a superb tournament. We look at the players who are likely to star for all of the 16 teams.

Czech Republic: Petr Cech & Pavel Nedved

The Czechs have a whole host of stars to call upon but the Chelsea goalkeeper is the rock at the back. The giant goalie hasn't been quite as invincible in the 2007-08 Premier League season as he has been in the past but he is still the best goalkeeper in Europe. If Cech recaptures the form of old then any striker is going to have problems this summer. Born in 1982, Cech has represented FK Chmel Blsany, Sparta Praha, Rennes and Chelsea.

Could the veteran Pavel Nedved be ready for a third international comeback? This is what he said in March 2008: "I don't know whether I should return now. It is hard to say. I have not been there for a long time and I don't know if I could be of any use and if I could help the team." With his experience, know-how, all-round skills and presence, he probably could help the team quite a bit. The most famous player to come out of the Czech Republic in recent times, Pavel Nedved began his career with Sparta Praha before moving to Serie A with Lazio and Juventus. He has 91 international caps and 18 goals.

Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo & Miguel Veloso

The incredible ascension of the golden boy of Portuguese football shows no sign of abating. Indeed, the consistent brilliance of Ronaldo's play have led many to suggest his career will eclipse that of the great Luis Figo and may even topple the legendary Eusebio off his perch as the greatest Portuguese footballer of all time. A phenomenal record of 20 goals and 53 appearances for his country at just 22 years of age tells its own story. Ronaldo has had a terrific 2007-08 season for his club Manchester United and is the Red Devils' highest goal scorer this term by a distance.

Touted as the next big money export set to leave Portugal, Miguel Veloso, the Sporting youngster who is equally proficient as a defensive midfielder, in central defence or at left-back, has aroused the interest of many of Europe's biggest clubs, with Real Madrid and Manchester United said to be front-runners for his signature. With Petit, Maniche and Deco all into their thirties, the youthful fizz and high energy levels provided by Veloso could prove invaluable for the Portuguese midfield.

Switzerland: Alexander Frei & Eren Derdiyok

Injury-prone Borussia Dortmund striker Alexander Frei has been the mainstay of the Swiss attack for years, and the newly-appointed captain needs just three more goals to become his nation's all-time top scorer. The Basel-native began with his home-town club and has also played in France with Rennes (for whom he top the scoring charts with 20 goals in the 2004-5 season) before moving to the Bundesliga with Borussia.

English fans will know all about Eren Derdiyok, after the 19-year-old FC Basel striker came off the bench to stun the Wembley faithful with an equaliser in Switzerland's recent friendly defeat to England. The 1.90m tall striker also holds Turkish citizenship.

Switzerland: Alexander Frei & Eren Derdiyok

Injury-prone Borussia Dortmund striker Alexander Frei has been the mainstay of the Swiss attack for years, and the newly-appointed captain needs just three more goals to become his nation's all-time top scorer. The Basel-native began with his home-town club and has also played in France with Rennes (for whom he top the scoring charts with 20 goals in the 2004-5 season) before moving to the Bundesliga with Borussia.

English fans will know all about Eren Derdiyok, after the 19-year-old FC Basel striker came off the bench to stun the Wembley faithful with an equaliser in Switzerland's recent friendly defeat to England. The 1.90m tall striker also holds Turkish citizenship.

Turkey: Nihat Kahveci & Gokdeniz Karadeniz

The Villareal striker is as technical as they come and is looking to make his name on the continental stage. Just before the 2002 World Cup, the diminutive player joined Real Sociedad and was soon in action in the Champions League. He's prolific in Spain and while he hasn't quite hit the same heights for the national team, that could change this summer. The 29-year-old Istanbul native scored a remarkable 86 goals in 114 games for Besiktas before his move to the Primera Liga and is the Turkish national team's most likely source of goals at Euro 2008.

At 28, playmaker Gokdeniz Karadeniz is just starting to establish himself as one of his country's brightest talents and is looking forward to a shot at his first major tournament. After spending the best part of a decade by the Black Sea with Trabzonspor, Gokdeniz recently made a big-money move to ambitious Russian club Rubin Kazan. Has recovered his form and his place in the national team after a betting scandal in 2005.

Austria: Emanuel Pogatetz & Martin Harnik

Long gone are the days when Austria could rely on a playmaker of the caliber of Andreas Herzog. These days Austria rely more on graft than guile, and despite his outburst against coach Hickersberger, Middlesbrough defender Emanuel Pogatetz is one of the few Austrians to possess genuine big-match experience. The Graz-native has played in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen and spent time on loan with Spartak Moscow.

The Hamburg-born Werder Bremen striker Martin Harnik qualifies for the national team thanks to an Austrian father, and the 20-year-old scored just six minutes into his Austria debut after coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic in August 2007. Harnik also scored on his Bundesliga debut after also coming on as a substitute.

Croatia: Luka Modric & Niko Kranjcar

The creative midfielder Luka Modric has suffered a slump since Dinamo denied him a transfer abroad during the January window. The Zagreb club's power broker, vice-president Zdravko Mamic, allegedly negotiated with Chelsea in late December, but could not achieve the desired price of 25 million euros. Then the club decided Modric would stay until the summer, which demoralized the youngster. Modric offers great skill and dribbling ability in midfield and will be one of main attacking weapons Croatia have at their disposal in Austria & Switzerland.

At 17 Niko Kranjcar was hailed as the country's greatest talent since Boban, Suker, Prosinecki or Boksic. Four years later, after an acrimonious transfer from Dinamo to arch rivals Hajduk, voices were heard that the son of the former Croatia coach, Zlatko, was on the verge of failure: fat, slow, inert. Still, the transfer to Portsmouth in the Premier League did him plenty of good. More agile and alert than ever, he managed to add running to his undeniable skills. Initially formed as the supporting striker, Kranjcar is currently capable of operating anywhere in the midfield, the left side being his own in coach Bilic's 4-4-2 scheme.

Germany: Michael Ballack & Mario Gomes

Despite enduring a torrid time at English Premier League club Chelsea, Michael Ballack remains the driving force in the German midfield. The talismanic captain has won 78 caps and chimed in with an impressive 35 international goals, and he'll have a point to prove after Germany's disappointing first round exits at the past two European Championships. Previously a star in the Bundesliga at Leverkusen & Bayern Munich, Ballack moved to London in 2006.

Mario Gomes, the powerful VfB Stuttgart striker has endured an injury-plagued season, but a fully fit Gomez could wreak havoc on unsuspecting defences. The 1.89m striker was named German Footballer of the Year in 2007 after powering his side to the Bundesliga title, while the 22-year-old scored also scored on his international debut against Switzerland.

Poland: Ebi Smolarek & Jakub Blaszczykowski

Ebi Smolarek has always been earmarked as a high achiever in his homeland with the qualifying campaign in many ways his coming of age. The Spanish-based forward - he joined Racing Santander midway through the preliminaries from Borussia Dortmund - found the target nine times in the group phase but it was the 27-year-old's reliability against the big guns which ultimately propelled the Poles into their maiden European Championships.

The nippy striker scored a brace in the vital 2-1 win over Portugal but also struck both goals in a 2-0 home win over Belgium and snared a hat-trick against Kazakhstan. The son of Polish international player Wodzimierz Smolarek, Ebi was named Poland's player-of-the-year in 2007 for the third succession occasion.

Pacy winger Jakub Blaszczykowski thrives in Leo Beenhakker's straightforward system while also offers cover on the right side of defence if required. The 22-year-old, one season through a lucrative four-year contract with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, is the nephew of Jerzy Brzeczek, a former national team captain.

France: Franck Ribery & Karim Benzema

The 24-year-old Franck Ribery has already played at his seventh club (including spells at Metz, Galatasaray & Marseille) and he has shone in the Bundesliga since joining Bayern Munich. It is more of a measure of the player's talent that the decline in the Bundesliga stature when it is said that he will surely soon be playing on an even bigger stage though his value rises all the time.

Ribery makes things happen and France will always be dangerous when he is on the pitch.

The powerful and skillful Karim Benzema is desired by Manchester United and a host of other big clubs, the 20-year-old of algerian descent has signed a new contract at Lyon and has promised to stay at least another season for his home-town club. The pacy forward with an exquisite touch is good enough already to suggest that Thierry Henry will not be missed when he retires from the international stage.

Italy: Andrea Pirlo & Luca Toni

While Fabio Cannavaro remains the sturdy backbone of the side and Gennaro Gattuso its beating heart, Andrea Pirlo is the ticking brain.

The Milan midfielder is the lynchpin of the Azzurri in every sense. He is the man to position himself ahead of the defense to stop raiders and launch counter-attacks from deep, applying his skill to pick out teammates from open play, split defences with expertly-timed through-balls and threaten the goal from set pieces.

Midfield partner Gennaro Gattuso's aggression complements Pirlo's invention in one of the world's sweetest midfield pairings for club and country.

At 28, Pirlo is at the peak of his profession and keen to add the European Championship to his World Cup, Champions League and Serie A winners' medals.

At 6'4", Luca Toni is unusually tall for an Italian striker but is so much more than a target man.
A reassuring example of how persistence pays off, the towering Toni made his Serie A debut at the age of 27.
Now aged 30, the man from near Modena is one of Europe's most feared strikers after bagging the Golden Boot with 31 goals for Fiorentina and a World Cup winner's medal in 2006.

He has carried on his prolific goalscoring form in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, whom he joined last summer, and with Italy, for whom he has netted 15 times in 32 games.
His killer strike two minutes into an intimidating qualifier with Scotland in Hampden Park in November was the mark of a great player who knows how to score at just the right time.

Holland: Joris Mathijsen & Wesley Sneijder

Attentions will be focused on the well-known forwards and midfielders, but The Netherlands will not progress with a leaky backline. For this reason, one of the team's unsung heroes, Hamburger SV defensive anchor Joris Mathijsen, an ever-present in the qualifiers, could hold the key to success or failure. Mathijsen is strong but not quite in the class of Jaap Stam, which makes his performances for his country in Switzerland that bit more crucial.

Holland's traditional strength lies in their fluid, skilful teamwork, and as the least likely team to bypass the midfield, the Dutch will need to find sparks from the centre.
Robin Van Persie and Rafael Van der Vaart will do much of the running, but the stage is there for Real Madrid's Wesley Sneijder to stamp his mark on the tournament. The former Ajax man is blessed with a deftness of vision and can pull the strings, though he can be frustratingly inconsistent or snuffed out by aggressive marking.

Romania: Adrian Mutu & Banel Nicolita

Romania's best-known player has turned 29, and playing some of the best football of his career for current club Fiorentina. Still one of the continent's best strikers, Mutu's ability in front of goal is priceless for Romania, who are expected to concede at the other end with the talents of France, Italy and Holland up against them.

Fleet of foot and a dead ball specialist, Mutu is lethal in the box and devours what scraps are thrown his way. The former Chelsea man is playing at his fifth Italian club in Fiorentina, for whom he has netted 30 times in 53 attempts, earning him the nickname 'The Phenomenon.'
Mutu will spearhead the Romanian attack in the Alps, though can if needed drop back into midfield, where Fabio Capello used him at Juventus.

Banel Nicolita, a right midifielder has been one of the brighter young lights in the Romanian team. A busy bee in the middle with an eye for goal, Nicolita exploded onto the stage when he won the title and reached the UEFA Cup semi-final with Steaua in 2005.

In their European adventure, Nicolita scored two crucial goals to help his club beat Real Betis to reach the last eight, and another goal in the quarter final against local rivals Rapid.
Aged 23, the Steaua Bucharest midfielder has the opportunity this summer to step up and join the short list of Romanian players coveted by Europe's big clubs.

Greece: Sotirios Kyrgiakos & Sokratis Papastathopoulos

Rated by some as Europe's premier defender this season, Sotirios Kyrgiakos played in all 1,080 minutes of Greece's 12-game qualifying campaign, scoring three times from central defence. The 28-year-old stopper, another testing his mettle in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt, missed Greece's 2004 success through injury and will be keen to make amends this time.

Another imposing central defender, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, was a shining light for Greece as the teenager and skippered his national team to the under-19 World Cup final last year. Tall and dominant in the air, the AEK Athens centre half is comfortable on the ground too despite his tender years. Papastathopoulos, who turns 20 on the eve of Greece's opener against Sweden in Innsbruck, made his senior debut in February's 1-0 friendly victory over the Czech Republic.

Russia: Andrei Arshavin & Roman Pavlyuchenko

Andrei Arshavin from reigning champions Zenit St. Petersburg is the star, playing as a withdrawn striker, or "in the hole" as the position is known in England. Arshavin is a decisive player, packing a good shot in both feet and very skillful in one-on-one situations, even though he has problems with tougher defences.

The hero and the scorer of both goals in the big game for Russia against England in Moscow. Stravropol-born Roman Pavlyuchenko topped the Russian scoring charts the past two seasons for Spartak and is rumoured to be in the sights of Real Madrid, who see in him a possible replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Spain: Francesc "Cesc" Fabregás & Fernando Torres

Fabregás' maturity utterly belies his age. He will be only 21 at the start of the Championship when Spain face Russia in Salzburg and he will already have completed four full seasons in Arsenal's first team (actually he joined the Gunners midway through the 2003/04 season after beginning his career with the youth team at Barcelona. After Patrick Vieira left for Juve, Fabregas has established himself as an Arsenal regular and one of the best midfielders in Europe.

The Anfield favourite, Fernando Torres could also fit the description of the key player in the Spanish national side but it is not clear whether he will be the starter in Aragonés's single striker formation. This shows how much firepower Spain have upfront. Torres starred for Athletico Madrid from 2001-06 netting 82 goals in 214 appearances. his strike rate for Liverpool in Europe and the Premier League is equally impressive.

Sweden: Zlatan Ibrahimovic & Marcus Berg

Zlatan Ibrahimovic can be impulsive and temperamental at times, but his unique influence in the forward line is crucial for Sweden to unlock Europe's best defences. Sweden's reigning player-of-the-year is amazingly still just 26 and even though he went goalless in qualifying, his pedigree as both a creator and ace goalscorer mark him down as an automatic selection. Born in Malmo in 1981, Ibrahimovic has represented his home-town club, Ajax, Juventus and now Inter.

Dutch-based hotshot Marcus Berg looks set to earn a Euro 2008 call-up after making his senior debut in February's tepid draw with Turkey. The 21-year-old certainly has a taste for scoring goals at club level. Berg left Gothenburg for FC Groningen midway through the 2007 Swedish season but still finished as the league leading marksman with 14 goals. He has since rattled off 15 more for his new employers to put him in the top four strikers in Holland.

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