UEFA Euro Championship lineups through history (2012)

Tournament held in Poland and Ukraine in Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Poznan, Kiev (incl. the Final), Lviv, Donetsk, Kharkiv.

16 teams.

Winner, Spain (2nd consecutive title, a first) :

SPAIN 2012

Still a very compact team (like in 2008) even if Iniesta and Silva were maybe a bit more upfront this time (most of all Silva). They were still very close to their midfield, just like Fabregas who was not a true centre-forward but a false one.

Runner-up, Italy :

Italy 2012

With the entrance of Balzaretti (left back) to take the place of Chiellini (more known as a central defender), definitively injured after a few minutes of play in the Final, as it could be preditcted by the way.

Semi-finalists :

Portugal (eliminated by Spain) :

Portugal 2012

Postiga was the starting player at the centre of the attack instead of Almeida, expected to fill this role but who was injured and who finally played as the starting centre-forward in the...semi-finals after an entry in the competition in the quarter-finals as a substitution for Postiga since the 40th minute. Nélson Oliveira (not exactly a centre-forward regarding his primary position but very stirring in this competition) constantly replaced the starting centre-forward : he used to replace Postiga around the hour of play in the three group stage matches, did not play in the quarter-finals and appeared in the semis, instead of (the unfit and inefficient) Almeida, at 10 minutes of the regular time final whistle with extra-time to play (and a penalty shoot-out into which he did not take part).

Cristiano Ronaldo never filled that role of centre-forward and sticked to his left wing.

Germany (eliminated by Italy) :

Germany 2012

Thomas Müller was left out of the starting XI after the group stage. In the Final, Kroos played the first half-time and Reus the second. The eternal Klose was a solution of substitution for Gomez. He was even the starter in the quarter-finals against Greece - due to the specificities of his game, assuringly. He even replaced Gomez since the half-time in the semi-finals against Italy. But he brang no goals into this match contrarily to the one against Greece.