5 teams nobody expected to qualify for Euro 2016

It has been widely accepted in the past couple of decades that the standard of club football, the UEFA Champions League, in particular, has surpassed international football on offer. So much so, that it isn’t uncommon for clubs and football associations to lock horns on the availability of players (or the lack of it).However, international tournaments have their own charm, not merely because of the national pride at stake, but also to celebrate the rise of a giant-killer, or an unexpected success story. Colombia and Costa Rica were two such glaring examples in the 2014 FIFA World Cup at Brazil.Though the recent expansion of the number of countries participating at the 2016 European Championships to 24 teams was always going to bring in new faces, this piece profiles five teams who still defied expectations to qualify for the mega event to be held in France next summer.

#1 Albania

It will be the Albanians’ first appearance at a major international tournament

Better known as an Eastern European nation with a long history of ethnic strife, Albania surprised one and all with their qualification to next year’s showpiece event. Not only is it Albania’s first appearance in an international tournament thus far, it is also the first time they’ve finished higher than fourth in any World Cup or Euro qualifying campaign, finishing second behind Portugal in their group.

Admittedly, Albania got lucky with their abandoned game against Serbia, which was awarded 3-0 in their favour and condemned Denmark to the playoffs, but that doesn’t take any credit away from their defence, which conceded only five goals, fewer than heavyweights Italy (seven) or World Champions Germany (nine). A 1-0 win over France in a friendly in March, which followed a 1-1 draw earlier, goes a long way in proving their potential. However, struggles against Portugal and Serbia (1-0 and 2-0 defeats, respectively) would suggest that Albania would end up somewhere in the middle of the pack next year.

The presence of former Marseille stalwart Lorik Cana in defence and Lazio goalkeeper Etrit Berisha between the sticks should prove to be a testing proposition for opposition forwards, and understandably the hopes this young nation will ride on them.

#2 Iceland

Iceland upset far superior teams like Turkey and Netherlands on the way to qualification

The frigid Arctic nation, once Europe’s whipping boys alongside Luxembourg, have built on their success in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying, where they, unfortunately, lost in the playoffs. Like Albania, this will be their first appearance at a major international tournament (their entry in the 1954 World Cup was rejected by FIFA).

Handed a tough group in qualifying, the Icelanders surprised everyone by finishing second to the Czech Republic, finishing ahead of a superior Turkey and European powerhouse the Netherlands. In doing so, they conceded a mere six goals, a marked improvement on the fifteen they conceded on their way to the playoffs for the World Cup.

They also took their chances well on the offense, spearheaded by Swansea man Gyifi Sigurdsson, who scored six goals of their 17 in the qualifying campaign, including braces in a 3-0 demolition of Turkey and a 2-0 upset of the Netherlands. Consistency will be one area the Icelanders would be looking to work on, given that they dropped quite a few points in the second half of the campaign, losing to Turkey and drawing against Kazakhstan and Latvia.

It will undoubtedly be an emotional moment for former Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who gets a tournament appearance nineteen years into an illustrious career. At 37, he’ll be one of the stalwarts looking for a swansong, with Cardiff City midfielder Aron Gunnarsson expected to spearhead the challenge, along with scoring the occasional goals, and Sigurdsson providing the spark in attack yet again.

#3 Wales

Coleman’s Wales often referred to the late Gary Speed’s contribution upon qualification for France

Mark Hughes, Ian Rush, Gary Speed, Ryan Giggs, Gareth Bale. The presence of a nation behind these talents on this list may seem baffling, but it isn’t. For all their proximity to England and ability to produce talents, Wales were often guilty of failing to come together as a team when it mattered. Perceptions began to change around 2010, with the likes of Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and Ashley Williams heralding the call for a ‘golden generation’, sparking interest in the side’s fortunes.

Arguably being handed an easy group, Wales still went on to beat group rivals Belgium over the two legs, though Marc Wilmots’ side eventually topped the group. Goalless draws to sides like Bosnia-Herzegovina and Israel were indeed worrying signs which manager Chris Coleman will be keen to address.

Crucial to the success was Ashley Williams’ defensive leadership, which marshalled young talents like Jazz Richards and Ben Davies to give away a meagre four goals, including just one against an attack-heavy Belgian side over two legs. A shock 2-0 defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina towards the end of the campaign means that the Welsh may need to guard against lapses in concentration.

Much will hinge on Coleman’s ability to get Gareth Bale to replicate his club form in France, and to ensure Sam Vokes and other forwards share the load with Bale if Wales are to pull off a few shocks next year.

#4 Northern Ireland

Kyle Lafferty’s form and defensive discipline will be critical to the Northern Irish campaign in 2016

Debutants on the continental stage, Northern Ireland logged two quarterfinal appearances at World Cups in the past, before joining Wales in relative oblivion.

Michael O’ Neill’s side, mostly made up of experienced journeymen in the English and Scottish leagues, made the most of Greece’s shock implosion in their group to top with 21 points and qualify alongside Romania. Their campaign, though not short on goals, also exposed a wobbly defence which O’Neill will be looking to correct.

Northern Ireland were mostly carried through to an unlikely qualification by Norwich City forward Kyle Lafferty, who bagged an impressive seven goals in qualifying. Southampton’s unsung hero Steven Davis provided the creative spark while scoring a brace against Greece, with West Bromwich Albion’s Gareth McAuley and Jonny Evans providing defensive stability, eventually sealing the deal with a 1-1 draw to Finland.

Along with the Welsh, they’ll be keen to take the British challenge at the Euros beyond just England.

#5 Slovakia

The Slovaks will be eager to assert themselves on the big stage

Ever since the division of Czechoslovakia into independent nations, the footballing fortunes of a powerhouse forked into opposite directions. While the Czech Republic remained a force to reckon with through the likes of Pavel Nedved and Milan Baros, Slovakia’s fortunes slipped, managing only a Round of 16 appearance at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The highlight of the Slovaks’ qualifying campaign was undoubtedly the 2-1 win over Spain, followed up well with good football against challengers Ukraine. A defeat to Belarus came as a shock but it did not derail their campaign in any way. They usually strike early, within the first 20 minutes, and look to hold their lead in terms of style of play.

Much will depend on Liverpool stalwart Martin Skrtel at the back of the pack, and Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik to produce the goods, with striker Robert Vittek looking to build on a short, yet impressive showing at the 2010 WC.