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The 2008 UEFA European Championships are getting ready to kick off on June 7th, and it will take place in Austria and Switzerland. European giants Germany and Spain have been slated as the favorites for this prestigious competition, while Portugal, Italy and France are not far behind. Greece is the defending champion at this event, as they pulled off a huge upset over hosts Portugal in Euro 2004.
Germany, who are favored at 400, have won the European Championships three times, with the most recent coming in 1996. Captain and midfielder Michael Ballack will be the key man for the Germans, after coming on over the second half of the season for his club team, Chelsea. 23-year-old striker Lukas Podolski also will be one to watch after scoring nine goals in eight qualifying games for Germany.
Spain, rated at 500, have chronically underachieved on this stage, with only one win in 1964 when they hosted the tournament. While much fuss was made about the non-selection of longtime Spanish stalwart Raul of Real Madrid, the forward position is in good hands with Liverpool's Fernando Torres, who lit up the English Premiership in his first season for 24 goals.
World Cup champions Italy come in at 700, and they have been put in the “Group of Death” with France and the Netherlands, which is Group C. The Italians have not won this tournament since 1968, and were dealt a massive blow when it was announced that captain and defender Fabio Cannavaro would miss the tournament with an ankle injury. This means goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon may face added pressure to try and live up to his billing as the world's top netminder.
Portugal joins Italy at 700, and they have never won this tournament. However, they have the man who is widely regarded as currently the best player in the world, midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 42 goals in all competitions for Manchester United this season. Fellow midfielder Deco will also have a hand in orchestrating the team.
1984 and 2000 winners France round out the list of top contenders at 800, but they first have to navigate through the “Group of Death” along with Italy. All eyes will be on striker Theirry Henry, who had a tough season after moving from England's Arsenal to Spain's Barcelona.
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