CROATIA
Croatia’s reputation as a football power is growing, with the team having qualified for the European Championship for the fourth consecutive time. The reputation of its fans, though, is only getting worse. Croatia was docked one point in qualifying and ordered to play two matches in an empty stadium after a swastika was painted on the field before a match against Italy this year.
Key Player
lUKA MODRIC: The Real Madrid playmaker is Croatia’s leader in midfield, where he can play in almost any position. He can score as well as set up goals, or help the defense. His time in Madrid has taught him how to win major titles and perform in big games. In his eight appearances in Euro 2016 qualifying, Modric has scored two goals.
Coach ante
CACIC: The 62-year-old coach was hastily hired in September after his predecessor Niko Kovac was fired following two disappointing results threatened Croatia’s aspirations to qualify for France. Cacic lived up to expectations as Croatia won the remaining two qualifiers to advance.
CZECH REPUBlIC
Boosted by new coach Pavel Vrba, who took over after the failure to advance to the 2014 World Cup, the Czech Republic is back on a winning track. The team won its qualifying group — helping eliminate the Netherlands along the way — to maintain a record of reaching every European Championship since Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.
Key Player
PETR CECH: In Cech, the Czechs have one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Rejuvenated after his transfer from Chelsea to Arsenal ahead of the Premier league season, Cech equaled the national-team record when he made his 118th international appearance in a friendly against Poland in November.
Coach
PAVEl VRBA: Vrba took over the national team on Jan. 1, 2014, with fans desperate for a more attack-minded style of play after a series of uninspiring performances. So far, Vrba has lived up to his reputation of being a supporter of attractive football.
SPAIN
There will be more than another title at stake for Spain at the Euro 2016. The two-time defending champion will be playing to re-establish itself as a dominant force in the game. Spain was the team to beat after winning consecutive European Championships in 2008 and 2012, along with the WC in 2010.
Key Player
ANDRES INIESTA: One of the pillars of Spain’s dominant squad in recent years - and not just for scoring the only goal of the 2010 WC final with The Netherlands — Iniesta will be carrying most of the load in the midfield area. The Barcelona star will be key.
Coach
VICENTE DEl BOSQUE: The coach who led Spain to its first WC title in 2010 still hasn’t officially announced what he will do after Euro 2016. But he has hinted that it could be his last tournament.
TURKEY
Turkey has a point to prove in Euro 2016. The country reached the semifinals of the World Cup in 2002, finishing third, and again made it to the last four in Euro 2008, thanks to a string of last-gasp wins that became the signature style of the hard-fighting Turks. But it took them another eight years to get back to a major tournament, and only after a new round of drama. Selcuk Inan scored a free kick in the 89th minute for Turkey, beating Iceland 1-0 in their final match to advance as best third-placed team and push the Dutch into shock elimination.
Key Player
ARDA TURAN: Turkey’s captain and energizer-in-chief, Turan started his international career as a senior at age 19 and has been the key figure in the team’s transition back to success.
Coach
FATIH TERIM: Turks calls him “The Emperor.” Plain spoken and intense, Fatih Terim is currently on his third spell as coach, credited as a team-builder who can take on opponents with a higher individual market value. The former Galatasaray player and coach missed qualification for World Cup in Brazil in 2014. He publicly demanded more from his players after disappointing early results in the Euro qualifiers.