UEFA.com's team of reporters and correspondents provide you with build-up to Wednesday's international friendlies involving UEFA EURO 2012 finalists. All times are CET.
Wednesday 16.59, Alex O'Henley in Dublin
Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni wants Robbie Keane to reprise the role perfected by Italy's golden boy Francesco Totti for UEFA EURO 2012. "Two years ago, I said that Robbie can be like Totti for Ireland," said the coach and, according to Keane, it's a role he's already familiar with. "That is my best position to be honest – a sort of No10 if you like, playing between the striker and midfield," said Keane.
"It's a little bit different from what I'm used to with Ireland. I've normally played a bit higher up the pitch, chasing flick-ons, which has in fairness been very successful for me over the years." Indeed, an international record of 53 goals in 114 appearances attests to that; you would not bet against him adding to that tally when Ireland host the Czech Republic this evening.
Wednesday 16.52, Richard Aikman in Genoa
After two days of glorious sunshine, bad weather is closing in. Genoa is cloaked in grey skies and the springtime warmth has given way to chillier climes. It's all big jackets and neck scarves on the narrow cobbled streets of the old town, where, unlike yesterday, the locals are in a hurry to get indoors. The Americans I bumped into were in no rush to go anywhere, however, apart from the stadium; they were confident of seeing their side ruffle a few feathers later this evening.
"It's a shame there's no Landon Donovan [because of injury]," said Mikey, from Denver, "but he didn't play when we beat Slovenia in November and against a new-look team we can kick on. Clint Dempsey is going great, Jozy Altidore can be the man and we're ready to roll." The hosts have been warned – about what exactly, I'm still not sure.
Wednesday 16.38, Piotr Koźmiński in Warsaw
Four hours to go and Poland captain Jakub Błaszczykowski will be counting down the minutes until he can lead his side out at the National Stadium Warsaw, venue for the UEFA EURO 2012 opener. "As a Borussia Dortmund player I have played many matches in the Bundesliga, all at very nice stadiums, but as a Pole I am proud of what we now have in my homeland," said the 26-year-old.
"This new stadium in Warsaw is amazing, and the other EURO venues in Wroclaw, Poznan and Gdansk are not bad either. To play first game here in Warsaw against a big team like Portugal is really a double bonus. We know what we are up against, but we stood up well against Germany [2-2], France [0-1] and Italy [0-2] so we have some experience. I hope we can bring the Polish fans real joy."
Wednesday 16.20, Alex O'Henley in Dublin
The Republic of Ireland are also unveiling a new strip – their away kit gets its first outing when Giovanni Trapattoni's side host the Czech Republic this evening. According to my taxi driver, the mere memory of the garish orange away strip of the late 90s is enough to trigger a sense of foreboding among Irish fans whenever they hear talk of a new away jersey.
"Criminal, dreadful," was how former boss Mick McCarthy described a 3-2 FIFA World Cup qualifying defeat at the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 15 years ago; he could just as easily have been talking about the shirt his players wore that day. Thankfully, the 2012 version is a more sedate affair, predominantly white with a vertical green stripe which the less fashion conscious have unflatteringly compared to half a set of braces.
It looks remarkably like the strip worn by Pelé, Bobby Moore, Ossie Ardiles et al in Escape to Victory. The superstitious among the Irish support will be hoping that is a good omen for the European Championships. How did that film end again? Oh yes, a battling 4-4 draw and then they were free. Trapattoni would gladly settle for that if it meant he could escape Group C.
Wednesday 16.05, Vassiliki Papantonopoulou in Heraklion
The Netherlands are not the only side unveiling new kits this evening (see 15.07). Greece will line up against Belgium sporting their latest home shirt – white with dark blue details – while the away shirt is dark blue, with flashes of sky blue and white. The most distinctive element is the cross, inspired by the cross on the Greek flag, that passes over the crest. Emblazoned on the collar is 'UEFA EURO Champions 2004', a constant reminder of Greece's inspirational feat eight years ago.
Wednesday 15.57, Steffen Potter in Frankfurt
It is a little known fact, but FC Bayern München's team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt has been performing the same role for Germany. He can therefore take ample credit for helping France's Franck Ribéry regain fitness after his classy performance in Sunday's 2-0 league win against FC Schalke 04. His loyalties may be divided in Bremen this evening, though Ribéry has promised that if he scores against he will celebrate with the man who made his presence possible.
Wednesday 15.48, Martyn Hindley in Zagreb
Slaven Bilić met Croatia supporters in the capital on Monday. The fans thanked him for his continued commitment and presented a gift to entice him to stay for much longer: a guide book to Brazil, host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals. Bilić is content to focus on more immediate hurdles, starting with Sweden this evening. "Maybe Sweden aren't Spain but they defeated the Netherlands," he said. "That means they can beat anyone."
Wednesday 15.38, Richard Aikman in Genoa
Jürgen Klinsmann is aiming to right a wrong when he leads out the United States against Italy this evening. "It's true that I've never won against Italy," said the former FC Internazionale Milano and Germany striker. "I've lost in both matches as coach and that makes you understand that to beat the Azzurri you need to give more than 100%.
"I particularly remember the [2006 FIFA] World Cup semi-final. Losing that game was really hard to get over. We were playing at home dreaming of winning the World Cup. To beat Italy you need to score first or else they'll kill you, you can't stay calm against them." The US go into the game on a three-match winning run.
Wednesday 15.30, Vassiliki Papantonopoulou in Heraklion
Fans in Crete had the opportunity to meet the Greece squad at lunchtime. Fernando Santos's players signed autographs and thanked the gathered crowd for their support, before underlining that tonight's match is a friendly only on paper. "It's a very important game for us," said Avraam Papadopoulos, while Lazaros Christodoulopoulos added: "Tonight, against Belgium, we have to prove that we deserve our place in the UEFA EURO 2012 finals."
Wednesday 15.20, Paul Bryan in Madrid
Athletic Club attacker Iker Muniain's staggering rise could reach new heights in Malaga this evening as the 19-year-old is in line for his senior debut for Spain. Known as Bart Simpson among his team-mates, the Liga's youngest goalscorer said he had been warmly welcomed into Vicente del Bosque's squad for the encounter against Venezuela, led by the skipper.
"Iker Casillas told me he was delighted to have a namesake in the national team," Muniain said. "Ever since the first moment I got here, everyone has taken me in. They are all great guys and the atmosphere within the group is fantastic. I'm just trying to remain calm. I'm still very young and all I want to do is to play. It's important to know that the coach likes to take a chance on youth; that's something we've seen for a while now."
Wednesday 15.07, Andy James in London
It may be overcast in north London but the arriving Oranje fans are sure to splatter some colour on the grey as the day progresses. Conversely, the Dutch players will not be wearing their famous orange strip against England this evening. Instead, Bert van Marwijk's charges will take to the field in their new away kit, an all-black number made entirely from recycled polyester.
Wednesday 14.49, Evgeni Polyakov in Copenhagen
Despite the friendly status of today's game against Denmark, Russia are all set to show their best. "This is the last match before the warm-up games before EURO and we haven't seen each other for three months; this game is a crucial part of preparation for the European Championship," said midfielder Igor Semshov.
With the Russian Premier-Liga still coming to the end of its winter break, nobody will chastise Dick Advocaat's men too heavily for any slip-up. Except, that is, the players themselves; despite being shorn of the ill Roman Pavlychenko, they won't settle for anything less than a win. "Russia are always playing for victory. Positive results always inspire; they add wings," added Semshov.
Wednesday 14.29, Richard Aikman in Genoa
One surprise member of Italy's party at last night's training session was Antonio Cassano. The AC Milan striker, who has been out since November following heart surgery, was laughing and joking in the stands as he encouraged his Italy team-mates. "We have missed his lively presence in the camp, so it is great to see him," said Gianluigi Buffon. "His self-deprecation is seeing him through and we hope he can be fit for EURO." Azzurri coach Cesare Prandelli told Cassano, "I will wait for you until the very last minute." The striker replied, "I'm trying my best."
Wednesday 14.21, Sujay Dutt in Zagreb
After spending long hours reporting on professional athletes, it's good for a reporter to get some exercise. So I started this matchday by hitting the treadmill at the hotel gym. A few minutes later, Sweden coach Erik Hamrén came in and started walking on the treadmill next to mine. "It's difficult to find the time," Hamrén told me, and I have no doubt that he's right.
The two of us managed about half an hour – Hamrén walking briskly; myself trying to make my running look as effortless as possible. I think I succeeded as when we had finished our sessions the coach told me: "You look to be in good shape." Mission accomplished. Maybe there's time for me to force myself into the squad; it's a good job he didn't see my collapse with exhaustion as soon as he had left.
Wednesday 14.16, Hugo Pietra in Warsaw
SL Benfica forward Nélson Oliveira is the only uncapped member of Portugal's squad in Poland and could be another 'bolter' (see 10.46, 11.14). He is no stranger to big competitions, either, having scored four goals as Portugal reached the FIFA U-20 World Cup final last summer.
Wednesday 14.09, Graham Hunter in Malaga
Venezuela striker Miku, a star for Getafe CF, says his team-mates should "fear" Spanish opponents pushing hard to convince Vicente del Bosque to select them for UEFA EURO 2012. He praises Spain's adoption of the FC Barcelona playing style, making it tough for opponents who give them possession cheaply. The visiting side, known as La Vinotinto (the Burgundy), trained for three hours on Monday night and carry a reputation for being a young, fast opponents full of intensity – Málaga CF's La Rosaleda stadium should host cracking match this evening.
Wednesday 14.03, Berend Scholten in London
Dirk Kuyt, Nigel de Jong and Robin van Persie have all experienced the new Wembley with their club sides, and the rest of the squad are eager to savour the atmosphere this evening. Coach Bert van Marwijk summed up the mood on Tuesday, saying: "Everybody loves playing against such good opponents, steeped in tradition. That is why you become a player, and why I became Oranje trainer."
The Telegraaf says that in training yesterday, "the new English football temple made a huge impression on the Oranje squad as they ran onto the pitch." They continued: "They looked around attentively, with mouths agape not only because of the super modern venue, but by the size and scale."
Wednesday 13.48, Matthew Spiro in Bremen
Just had a stroll through the old town and a chance to admire some of the medieval architecture. The town hall and cathedral are particularly striking, while the nearby Marktplatz is bustling with shoppers and hungry workers picking up lunch. One sports shop is trying to take advantage of tonight's match by putting the new white France jersey on display in the window, but the rows of Werder Bremen and Germany shirts seem to be attracting far more interest!
There is certainly a vibrant feel about the city and I'm sure that will be reflected at the Weserstadion tonight, where a capacity crowd is anticipated. Most locals expect a comfortable home victory against Les Bleus. My taxi driver nodded in agreement with me yesterday when I predicted (in extremely rudimentary German) a 3-1 win for the Mannschaft. 'Drei' and 'eins' were the simply first figures that came in to my head – I cannot say much thought went in to it. But if Laurent Blanc's men aren't careful it might not be so far off the mark.
Wednesday 13.36, Piotr Koźmiński in Warsaw
Polish president Bronisław Komorowski will be among the 55,000 spectators at the National Stadium Warsaw, hoping that a recent test of the scoreboard at the venue is portentous: Poland 3-0 Portugal, it read. "The testers obviously have a sense of humour," said Jakub Błaszczykowski, "though I would not mind a result like that to really lift the Polish fans.
Sports daily Przegląd Sportowy also stresses the big test awaiting LOSC Lille Métropole's Ireneusz Jeleń, expected to start in attack in place of the injured Robert Lewandowski. "It would be great to enter the Polish history books by scoring the first goal at the stadium," Jeleń told me earlier this week.
Wednesday 13.25, Alex O'Henley en route to Dublin
Uncapped Portsmouth FC goalkeeper Stephen Henderson has spoken of his delight at being called up for tonight's friendly against the Czech Republic as cover for the injured Kieren Westwood. "It has been an amazing experience to train with the lads," said the 23-year-old. "I'm so proud to have been given the chance to show Mr Trapattoni what I can do and I will continue to give everything I have in the hope of getting on that plane to Poland. It is everybody's dream to be called up to represent their country and hopefully I will earn more chances to do so again in the future."
Wednesday 13.15, Thomas Mark in Copenhagen
Contingency planning is the name of the game in Denmark. Ekstra Bladet asks "What will happen if Nicklas Bendtner suffers an injury?" Assistant coach Peter Bonde admitted there was no like-for-like replacement, that if the Sunderland AFC striker was ruled out it would force a tactical rethink. The solution, says the tabloid, could be to put Christian Eriksen up top. "I've played there for a couple of minutes at Ajax," said Eriksen, suggesting it might not be the best idea. He may get a few minutes more tonight.
Wednesday 13.02, Andy James in London
Scott Parker has been named England captain for tonight's friendly against the Netherlands at Wembley by caretaker boss Stuart Pearce. The news marks another positive development in the career of the Tottenham Hostpur FC man, who received the England player of the year 2011 award, voted for by fans, on Monday.
Parker, 31, made his Three Lions debut in a 3-2 defeat to Denmark in 2003 but only won a further two caps, each whilst with different clubs, over the next eight years. However, the tough-tackling midfielder reignited his international career under Fabio Capello and looks set to feature heavily in England's UEFA EURO 2012 campaign this summer.
Wednesday 12.52, Steffen Potter in Frankfurt
German tabloid Bild is perhaps not giving France the credit they deserve by paring down tonight's match to 'Germany versus Ribéry'. They explain: "[Joachim] Löw shivers thinking of Franck Ribéry. Of all people, Ribéry's Bayern pals are supposed to thwart him! In Thomas Müller, Toni Kroos and Holger Badstuber, Löw will play three Bayern players who will meet Ribéry in different situations." As if it needs emphasising, Ribéry's name appears four times bigger than any other French player in the likely lineups.
The Frankfurter Rundschau focuses closer to home, and the different roles Mesut Özil plays for club and country. He has scored eight goals in 30 caps for Germany compared to one in 22 Liga matches for Real Madrid CF, though he has also weighed in with a creditable 14 assists in the Spanish top flight.
Wednesday 12.35, José Nuno Pimentel in Lisbon
Portuguese daily O Jogo says Paulo Bento is determined his players pick up where they left off with their 6-2 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in November's play-offs. "Despite it being a friendly, the coach demands his team to achieve a good result and put on a good display in order to arrive at the European Championship with morale high. It's the players' last chance to impress before the 23-man squad is announced for EURO 2012."
The Record says that the sense of occasion is not lost on Portugal, either, as their meeting with Poland will inaugurate the new National Stadium Warsaw, adding: "We want to see what it is like before we come back here at the end of June, during the EURO. If that happens, it will mean the team is at least through the group phase; maybe even further."
Wednesday 12.17, Berend Scholten en route to Wembley
De Telegraaf focuses on the dilemma over how to accommodate two of Europe's in-form strikers into an established 4-2-3-1 formation. "The choice between Robin van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has the potential to grow into a national discussion ahead of EURO. For the first time in a long time, Bert van Marwijk has a difficult choice to make again."
They expect Van Persie to get the nod, despite a knock, while Ola John and Luciano Narsingh will have to be patient for their debuts as the Netherlands look to build momentum. "What the Oranje do at Wembley tonight will determine the mood ahead of EURO 2012. Either it will be frustrating or it will be the familiar story of the whole of the Netherlands going so mad that we are hailed European champions before our first group match against Denmark on 9 June."
Wednesday 12.04, Vassiliki Papantonopoulou in Heraklion
The sun came out this morning in Crete, but the cold wind persists, making it impossible to predict a full house tonight at Pankritio Stadium for Greece's match against Belgium. The front pages of the local newspapers all have a distinctive blue colour, a reminder that this is the national squad's last match on Greek soil before UEFA Euro 2012. Cretan daily Patris leads with the headline, 'Let's go like we did in 2004', reminds readers that the squad's last match in Greece eight years ago – a 1-0 victory over Switzerland before going on to win UEFA Euro 2004 – was at this same venue.
SportDay focuses on Fernando Santos's uncertainty over his best goalkeeper. Orestis Karnezis will make his international debut tonight, becoming the seventh keeper to play under the Portuguese since his appointment in August 2010. That doubt, they say, has persisted since Antonis Nikopolidis's international retirement after UEFA EURO 2008. It seems certain that Santos will wait until the end of the domestic season before judging the form of the six or seven candidates for the three spots at UEFA EURO 2012.
Wednesday 11.55, Paul Bryan in Madrid
El País opens its coverage of tonight's friendly encounter between Spain and Venezuela in Malaga by stating: "Great teams are those capable of negotiating every type of game." The Spanish daily goes on to say that Vicente del Bosque's main worry going into the encounter at La Rosaleda, "the last test before he decides on his final squad for next summer's showpiece", is "who will score Spain's goals in Poland and Ukraine?"
"The absence of [Fernando] Torres and injuries to David Villa and Álvaro Negredo puts the focus on who will play as the No9 tonight. [Del Bosque] will focus on his resources, the players at his disposal and also seek to find possible solutions to whatever problems might occur for La Roja in their attempts to retain the European title."
Wednesday 11.42, Richard Aikman in Genoa
Gazzetta dello Sport runs with the headline: 'Italy, the final tests', focusing on Cesare Prandelli's call to arms not just to his players but also to the Italian press and public at large, as well as the "interesting" strike force of Alessandro Matri and Sebastian Giovinco.
Turin-based Tuttosport leads with: 'Gioa Torino, l'Angelo e Azzurro' (Torino joy, the Angel is Blue), a headline that plays on both the name of Angelo Ogbonna, the Torino FC defender who will make his first start for Italy, and the nickname of the Italian national team, the Azzurri. "It is a very proud moment for me," said Ogbonna, who was born in Cassino, south of Rome, to Nigerian parents. "I could have chosen Nigeria, but there was never in any doubt. I feel Italian, even though I respect my African origins and the character my parents gave me."
'It's a Matri-Giovinco Italy' says the Corriere dello Sport. "The coach has made it clear the pair are playing for a large slice of their Azzurri futures," writes Andrea Santoni. "It is no coincidence that the two already played together a year ago in Kyiv [Ukraine 0-2 Italy], when they came on in the second half. It was a back-heel by the Atomic Ant that allowed the then newly signed Juve striker to register his first and, so far, only international goal."
Wednesday 11.34, Elvir Islamović in Zagreb
Sports daily Sportske Novosti has reiterated Croatia coach Slaven Bilić's belief that tonight's game with Sweden presents a real acid test. "Home advantage makes Croatia favourites, as does three victories in three matches against them, but make no mistake: Croatia are up against a serious opponent tonight.
"Sweden are stronger than any team Croatia faced in qualifying. It won't be easy to keep a clean sheet as Zlatan [Ibrahimović] has scored 22 goals in 27 matches this season. Croatia have a nice tradition, conceding just once in three matches against Sweden, but this will be a real test."
Wednesday 11.26, Matthew Spiro in Bremen
France's preparations for UEFA EURO 2012 begin in earnest with the friendly against Germany tonight, and the front page of sports daily L'Equipe gets everyone in the mood with its headline 'In the Euro zone' accompanied by a photo of newly-appointed skipper Hugo Lloris.
Laurent Blanc already has a good idea of his starting XI for this summer's tournament and the Germany match gives him the chance to rubber-stamp it. Right-backs Anthony Réveillere and Mathieu Debuchy are perhaps competing for one spot in the squad, assuming Bacary Sagna is selected, and both could get an opportunity to play at the Weserstadion.
In midfield, Marvin Martin, Mathieu Valbuena and Florent Malouda can cement their places in the squad, while Samir Nasri and Franck Ribéry – both almost certain to be included in the 23 – need to show they are worth starting places. Morgan Amalfitano, meanwhile, has little to lose and will look to stake his claim on the right side if handed his debut.
Most eyes, though, will be on striker Olivier Giroud, who is tipped to start ahead of Kévin Gameiro and Louis Saha. Blanc was full of praise for the Montpellier Hérault SC forward last night, but also tried to keep expectations in check. "Olivier still has room for improvement," Blanc said of the Ligue 1 top scorer. "He has been getting better year upon year but he needs to be aware that international football is another step up. We hope he is capable of raising his game to a higher level still."
Wednesday 11.14, Ondřej Zlámal in Prague
The Czech Republic will be wearing new kits in Dublin this evening, though fans in Prague got a sneak preview on Monday when Tomáš Pekhart and Václav Pilař modelled them on the famous Charles Bridge. Amid handing out autographs, Pilař said: "The shirts suit us, I hope I get to play in them at the EUROs; at least for a few minutes."
He will not be in the starting XI tonight, though, after Michal Bílek surprisingly named his team on Tuesday after hearing Ireland counterpart Giovanni Trapattoni had done so. The team will be Čech; Gebreselassie, Sivok, Kadlec, Limberský; Plašil, Jiráček; Petržela, Štajner, Rezek; Baroš. Note the inclusion of Jiří Štajner, another 'bolter' (see 10.46), perhaps, at 35.
Wednesday 11.02, Hugo Pietra in Warsaw
After a snowy Tuesday, where the Portugal squad paid tribute to Jaime Graça's passing at the age of 70 after a long illness with a group hug before training at the National Stadium Warsaw, everything is set for the venue's grand opening later today. The sun has broken through and a crowd of 53,000 are expected to cheer on the co-hosts this evening.
Wednesday 10.46, UEFA.com newsdesk
The Guardian has also been scouring the squads for the "bolters, the players who emerge at the last to stake a claim for tournament inclusion." Their tip is Republic of Ireland winger James McClean, a 22-year-old who has made a huge impression in the Premier League since finally making his debut for Sunderland AFC in December after a €500,000 switch from Derry City FC last summer.
Much of the media spotlight on England's preparations for their meeting with the Netherlands has focused on the choice of captain. The BBC says that, with a host of withdrawals, the field has apparently been narrowed to four – Liverpool FC skipper Steven Gerrard, Tottenham Hotspur FC's Scott Parker, Manchester City FC goalkeeper Joe Hart and his team-mate James Milner.
Wednesday 10.31, Evgeni Polyakov in Copenhagen
Russian daily Sport-Express is looking forward to a game against Denmark that should "reveal this team's real potential". They also warn that despite coach Dick Advocaat saying he already knew as many as 20 of his 23-man squad, "even core players can't feel relieved and relax". They added: "One hundred days [until the start of EURO] is a long time if someone is waiting to get a breath of liberation after a long season and a short period if you want to prepare yourself to climb up the ladder."
Wednesday 10.00, UEFA.com newsdesk
It is exactly 100 days to go before UEFA EURO 2012 kicks off in Warsaw on 8 June and all 16 contenders are in action tonight as they step up preparations. Of the ten matches involving EURO sides, six are direct meetings of countries who will be present in Poland and Ukraine.
Israel v Ukraine
Greece v Belgium
Denmark v Russia
Croatia v Sweden
Italy v United States
Germany v France
Poland v Portugal
Republic of Ireland v Czech Republic
England v Netherlands
Spain v Venezuela
Read our international friendly preview.
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