The team led by Laurent Blanc will start in the European Championship for the eighth time. The best results were two victories in this event in 1984 and 2000.
Les Bleus will face in their group with the teams of England, Sweden, and Ukraine, the tournament co-host. France can certainly be regarded as the favourites, not only of this group but also of the entire Championship especially since Les Bleus will want revenge for the last two major tournaments in which they had to say goodbye already in the group stage.
The French have great aspirations, quite a young team and a young trainer, who quickly ordered the team after the scandal with the former coach Raymond Domenech. The main players of the team will be Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery, Flaurent Malouda and Samir Nasri. The great strength of the team will certainly be young Yann M’Vila and Loic Remy, players who already now are worth several million euros.
The representation of France can be successful, if the major players in will go to the tournament in good shape and if none of the key players have an unexpected injury. We can expect to see the French in the quarterfinal and even semi-final games, what surely will be no sensation.
France Euro 2012 Squad
Goalkeepers: Cédric Carrasso (FC Girondins de Bordeaux), Hugo Lloris (Olympique Lyonnais), Steve Mandanda (Olympique de Marseille).
Defenders: Gaël Clichy (Manchester City FC), Mathieu Debuchy (LOSC Lille Métropole), Patrice Evra (Manchester United FC), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal FC), Philippe Mexès (AC Milan), Adil Rami (Valencia CF), Anthony Réveillère (Olympique Lyonnais).
Midfielders: Yohan Cabaye (Newcastle United FC), Alou Diarra (Olympique de Marseille), Florent Malouda (Chelsea FC), Marvin Martin (FC Sochaux-Montbéliard), Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint-Germain FC), Yann M’Vila (Stade Rennais FC), Samir Nasri (Manchester City FC).
Forwards: Hatem Ben Arfa (Newcastle United FC), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid CF), Olivier Giroud (Montpellier Hérault SC), Jérémy Menez (Paris Saint-Germain FC), Franck Ribéry (FC Bayern München), Mathieu Valbuena (Olympique de Marseille).
France Euro 2012 Group Matches
Monday, June 11, 2012 France v England (18:00 CET in Donetsk)
Friday, June 15, 2012 Ukraine v France (20:45 CET in Donetsk)
Tuesday, June 19, 2012 Sweden v France (20:45 CET in Kiev)
