Euro 2004 Teams : Group C

Sweden*

Sweden have gone with experience in defence, apart from a young goalie. Up front, Henrik Larsson is back. He will be joining Ajax's awkward-looking forward Ibrahimovic who will prove just that - awkward for opposing defences if the wings are used to full effect. The team will have a characteristic solidity about it. Remember Sweden v England in the World Cup in Saitama? A draw on that occasion, but the Swedes might well have claimed the three points had the match gone on a little longer.
Anyone who likes to bet on football may be interested in the 25 to 1 odds being offered on Sweden to win the championships – a team that gave up only three goals in qualifying for Portugal.

Fixtures

Sweden v Bulgaria 14 June 19:45 KO; Estádio da Luz, Lisbon
Sweden v Italy 18 June 19:45 KO; Estádio do Dragão, Porto
Sweden v Denmark 22 June 19:45 KO; Estàdio do Bessa, Porto

Coaches: Tommy Söderberg & Lars Lagerbäck.

Record: Qualified 1964, 1992, 2000; Semi-finalists 1992

FIFA Ranking

Men to watch: Henrik Larsson and Ajax's Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Predictions & Latest Odds: Neck and neck with Denmark to escape the group. We think they won't. 25/1 Betting

Qualifying Results

On the sidelines: Sweden staged Euro 92 reaching the semi-finals before losing out to Germany.

The Squad (Official Squad List)

Goalkeepers
Magnus Hedman (Ancona)
Andreas Isaksson (Djurgarden)
Magnus Kihlstedt (FC Kobenhavn)
Defenders
Erik Edman (Heerenveen)
Petter Hansson (Heerenveen)
Andreas Jakobsson (Brondby)
Teddy Lucic (Bayer Leverkusen)
Olof Mellberg (Aston Villa)
Johan Mjällby (Glasgow Celtic)
Alexander Ostlund (Hammarby)
Erik Wahlstedt (Helsingborg)
Midfielders
Anders Andersson (Belenenses)
Pontus Farnerud (Strasbourg)
Kim Källström (Rennes)
Fredrik Ljungberg (Arsenal)
Tobias Linderoth (Everton)
Mikael Nilsson (Halmstad)
Anders Svensson (Southampton)
Christian Wilhelmsson (Anderlecht)
Forwards
Marcus Allbäck (Aston Villa)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Ajax)
Mattias Jonson (Brondby)
Henrik Larsson (Glasgow Celtic)

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Bulgaria

Bulgarian football can be neatly divided into two eras: Stoichkov and post-Stoichkov. With the volatile and gifted man on the field in 1994 at the USA World Cup, they were the fourth best side in the world. When Hristo Stoichkov retired (along with the lesser light Trifon Ivanov), taking with him his golden left foot, the national side fell into disrepair. After his departure came the dismantling of communism and lucrative offers to play abroad. Today any young Bulgarian of any age and level will take an offer to play anywhere abroad. This has depleted talent at home, made the Bulgarian league a joke, and sent the national team in a downward spiral in FIFA’s world rankings.
In spite of all of that, Bulgaria won Group 8 to automatically qualify for Euro 2004. It did so by beating out higher-ranked Croatia and Belgium, both solid sides who made the 2002 World Cup. Bulgaria lost only one of its 8 qualifying matches, scoring 13 times while conceding just 4 goals. A familar name to UK fans may be Stilian Petrov at Celtic.

Fixtures

Bulgaria v Sweden 14 June 19:45 KO; Estádio da Luz, Lisbon
Bulgaria v Denmark 18 June 17:00 KO; Estádio Municipal, Braga
Bulgaria v Italy 22 June 9:45 KO; Estàdio Dom Afonso Henriques, Guimarães

Coach: Plamen Markov

Record: Lost in quarterfinals to France (1964) & Italy (1968) .

FIFA Ranking

Men to watch: Wolfsburg's Martin Petrov, Leverkusen's Dimitar Berbatov and Celtic's Stilian Petrov.

Predictions & Latest Odds: First round victims. 40/1 Betting

Qualifying Results

On the sidelines: Portsmouth striker Svetoslav Todorov is recovering from a long-term injury and may be forced to miss the tournament. Charlton's Radostin Kishishev walked out on the squad after not being made captain. Stilian Petrov has that role.

The Squad (0fficial Squad List)

Goalkeepers
Dimitar Ivankov (Levski Sofia)
Stoyan Kolev (CSKA Sofia)
Zdravko Zdravkov (Litex Lovech)
Defenders
Vladimir Ivanov (Lokomotiv Plovdiv)
Rosen Kirilov (Litex Lovech)
Kiril Kotev (Lokomotiv Plovdiv)
Predrag Pazin (Shakhter Donetsk)
Ivaylo Petkov (Fenerbahce)
Iliyan Stoyanov (Levski Sofia)
Zlatomir Zagorcic (Litex Lovech)
Midfielders
Velizar Dimitrov (CSKA Sofia)
Marian Hristov (Kaiserslautern)
Georgi Peev (Dynamo Kiev)
Milen Petkov (AEK Athens)
Stilyan Petrov (Celtic)
Forwards
Dimitar Berbatov (Bayer Leverkusen)
Valeri Bojinov (Lecce)
Daniel Borimirov (Levski Sofia)
Georgi Chilikov (Levski Sofia)
Zdravko Lazarov (Gaziantepspor)
Vladimir Manchev (Lille)
Martin Petrov (Wolfsburg)
Zoran Yankovic (Litex Lovech)

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Denmark

The Danes are hoping to avenge a disastrous showing at Euro 2000, in which they were knocked out after three losses in as many matches. Having won it all in 1992, the Danes are no strangers to success at the highest level; a difficult path, however, lies before them in Portugal. The better players on the Danish squad earn their living in England, Italy, and Germany. In spite of increased commercialization, the local Superliga still only attracts local talent—mainly Danes who are not good enough to play elsewhere.
Denmark was grouped with Norway, Romania, and Bosnia-Herzegovina in its qualifiers, and was able to just come through this tough Group. In Portugal, however, things will much harder for Danish Dynamite. Short of the coming of another Michael Laudrup, the quarterfinal is about as much as Danish supporters can realistically hope for.

Fixtures

Denmark v Italy 14 June 17:00 KO; Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques, Guimarães
Denmark v Bulgaria 18 June 17:00 KO; Estádio Municipal, Braga
Denmark v Sweden 22 June 19:45 KO; Estádio do Bessa, Porto

Coach: Morten Olsen.

Record: Champions in 1992 defeating Germany 2-0, only entering the tournament as last-minute replacements for Yugoslavia.

FIFA Ranking

Men to watch: Udinese's Martin Jorgensen is a class act and Jon Dahl Tomasson has never looked back after leaving England.

Predictions & Latest Odds: Will edge out Sweden in the group then goodbye as at World Cup 2002. 33/1 Betting

Qualifying Results

On the sidelines: Former national team hard-man and ex-con Stig Tofting is rumored to be in training.

The Squad (Official Squad List)

Goalkeepers
Peter Skov-Jensen (FC Midtjylland)
Thomas Sorensen (Aston Villa)
Stephan Andersen (AB Copenhagen)
Defenders
Thomas Helveg (Internazionale)
Rene Henriksen (Panathinaikos FC)
Per Kroldrup (Udinese)
Niclas Jensen (BV Borussia 09 Dortmund)
Martin Laursen (AC Milan)
Brian Priske (K.R.C. Genk)
Midfielders
Thomas Gravesen (Everton FC)
Claus Jensen (Charlton Athletic)
Daniel Jensen (Real Murcia)
Christian Poulsen (Schalke 04)
Morten Wieghorst (Brondby IF)
Jesper Gronkjaer (Chelsea FC)
Martin Jorgensen (Udinese)
Forwards
Jesper Gronkjaer (Chelsea FC)
Martin Jorgensen (Udinese)
Peter Madsen (VfL Bochum)
Kenneth Perez (AZ 67 Alkmaar)
Dennis Rommedahl (PSV Eindhoven)
Ebbe Sand (FC Schalke 04)
Jon Dahl Tomasson (AC Milan)

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Italy

Calls from Livorno fans, among others, for more experimentation in the national team by the powers-that-be were partially answered in the new faces introduced by 'Trap' for the Poland game. Oh, Poland won 3-1. That's the end of that then.
Cannavaro and Nesta should show themselves to be Europe's best center-back pairing once more. Totti will be driving forward from midfield and Vieri putting himself about up front. But unless some new element is introduced, and the Italians start believing less in 'victimism' and more in wing play, the same fate could befall them as happened in Korea.

Fixtures

Italy v Denmark 14 June 17:00 KO; Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques, Guimarães
Italy v Sweden 18 June 19:45 KO; Estádio do Dragão, Porto
Italy v Bulgaria 22 June 19:45 KO; Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques, Guimarães

Coach: Giovanni Trappatoni.

Record: Champions 1968; Runners-up 2000.

FIFA Ranking

Men to watch: Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti spring to mind.

Predictions & Latest Odds: Have a great chance to win but we think they won't. Last eight.
5/1 Betting

Qualifying Results

On the sidelines: Giovanni Trappatoni surprising rode out the criticism back home after Italy's early exit in Korea/Japan and kept his job.

Italy Team Euro 2004 In-depth Profile

The Squad (Official Squad List)

Goalkeepers
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
Angelo Peruzzi (Lazio)
Francesco Toldo (Internazionale)
Defenders
Fabio Cannavaro (Inter Milan)
Giuseppe Favalli (Lazio)
Matteo Ferrari (Parma)
Marco Materazzi (Inter Milan)
Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan)
Massimo Oddo (Lazio)
Christian Panucci (AS Roma)
Gianluca Zambrotta (Juventus)
Midfielders
Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus)
Stefano Fiore (Lazio)
Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan)
Simone Perrotta (Chievo)
Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)
Cristiano Zanetti (Inter Milan)
Forwards
Antonio Cassano (AS Roma)
Bernardo Corradi (Lazio)
Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus)
Marco Di Vaio (Juventus)
Francesco Totti (AS Roma)
Christian Vieri (Internazionale)

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