Over the decades, the European Championships has traditionally been an exclusive football party bringing together Europe’s greatest teams in a fight to be crowned kings of the continent.

But now that the number of finalists has increased from 16 to 24 and the number of games shot up from 31 to 51, it not so much an exclusive event as an all-you-can-eat football orgy.

I have to confess that the idea of watching 51 football matches in just 30 days is actually quite daunting. It is going to take willpower, stamina, a considerable amount of schedule juggling and enough beer to fill a decent-sized swimming pool.

Nevertheless I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I am, like tens of thousands of other fans on the island, desperately looking forward to this football feast. My wife, and tens of thousands of other wives, slightly less so.

The downside to this expanded version of the finals is, of course, that it is now virtually impossible for a half-decent team not to make it through qualifying. A total of 53 countries entered the contest two years ago and nearly half of those won a place at France 2016.

When you look it in that way, it makes Holland’s achievement in failing to qualify that much more heroic; a failure that even the English would be proud of; Steve McClaren doubly so.

But enough about the journey, let’s talk about destination: France ’16.

Obviously this is a country that knows a thing or two about staging a football event of this size and complexity and has the perfect infrastructure for doing just that. Most of the ten stadia being used this summer are delightful.

This is, in fact, the fifth time France has hosted a major tournament (compared to England’s two, not that there is any favouritism from Uefa or Fifa, of course) and they have a great track record when it comes to organising finals.

Sadly, however, this summer’s competition will be a slightly nervy event coming so soon after the terror attacks in Paris and Brussels. Understandably, the finals, which attract hundreds of thousands of fans, are being seen as a potential target for extremists.

With the country on its highest possible alert, security at the grounds and in the fan zones is going to be immense. We will probably see as many armed police and soldiers in the streets as face-painted, flag-waving fans. Will that be enough to stop any attacks? We can only hope and pray it is, and the only thing we are talking about for the next few weeks is football. And maybe the occasional WAG.

Talking of the football, what about those 24 teams then?

Well, the expansion of the tournament means five nations are making their tournament debuts – Iceland, Albania, Northern Ireland, Slovakia and Wales.

Of those, Wales and Iceland are the ones to watch, the former having arguably one of the world’s best players in their ranks in Gareth Bale, while the latter were instrumental in ensuring Robin van Persie and his team-mates get more quality time with their families this summer.

Although I am not entirely convinced that having 50 per cent more teams than usual at the finals is a great idea, I do like the fact that smaller nations like these are getting their chance to shine on such a big stage.

Can any of these newbies do a Leicester City? Highly unlikely. When Greece won the tournament 12 years ago, defying logic in the process, it sent out a message to the big boys not to take underdogs lightly.

I am desperately looking forward to this football feast. My wife slightly less so

Just as I am sure Premiership teams will be ready for Leicester next season, so the international giants are now very wary of letting underdogs spoil their summer party.

After the debutants, you have the mid-level teams which certainly aren’t there to make up the numbers, but only have an outside chance of winning the tournament. Included in this group are teams like Austria, Switzerland, Romania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, Hungary, Ireland and Ukraine.

None of those are bad teams, and a few of them have some great players in their ranks. But you suspect that once you get past their first 11, the strength of the squad will not be enough to take them all the way.

Which leaves us with the favourites. The seven teams which, in my opinion, are in with a realistic shout of finishing top of the pile: Portugal, France, Germany, Belgium Spain, England and Italy.

Portugal are probably a bit too over-reliant on that man Cristiano Ronaldo. Take him out of the equation, which many opponents will be trying to do, and the team’s average skill level drops considerably. It’s average ego size drops too, but that’s a whole different story.

Belgium have probably got one of the most impressive teams on paper, but can they turn that individual brilliance into a collective force to be reckoned with? The jury remains out on that one, with experts suggesting they lack cohesion. Although in Marouane Fellaini they do have a dead cert for the Golden Elbow award.

Spain remain a powerful football entity, and the reigning champions are looking to win an incredible third European title in a row. But you get the impression, after their group exit at the last World Cup, that their cycle of dominance is coming to an end.

Germany lost a couple of key players to retirement after winning the World Cup two years ago, but somehow that sort of thing never seems to affect their well-oiled machine. If ever a team was all about the sum of its parts rather than the parts themselves, that would be Germany.

As hosts, France are favourites to lift the cup on home soil. Not only do they have a great young squad packed with promise and potential, they are going to have the whole nation behind them in every kick of every game. The terrorism attacks last November, one of which was aimed at the Stade de France itself, will only have served to further unite the nation behind their players.

But French squads do have a tendency to self-destruct if things aren’t going well, so their triumph is not a foregone conclusion. There is probably a 50/50 chance that none of the team will even be talking to each other by the end of the group stage.

And that, of course, leaves just two other teams to chat about. Two teams which collectively have the ability to reduce 90 per cent of Maltese football fans to tears. And, in the case of one of them, regularly does just that.

England head into the tournament with the youngest of the 24 squads. It would be nice to think that this is part of some long-term plan by Roy Hodgson and the FA, but the truth is it’s merely coincidence. Two years ago nobody could have predicted that players like Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Marcus Rashford would all emerge at the same time.

While England are strong in attack and good in midfield, the defence looks dodgier than a Panamanian law firm. If Hodgson plays to their strengths and tries to blast his way to the final, then they may just have a chance. If he tries to be cautious then I suspect England will be on their way home before you can say ‘50 years of hurt’.

Do I really think they have a chance of winning it? Yes I do. More than for any tournament for the last decade. However, given the age of the team, I think the 2018 World Cup may be when it really comes of age.

And what about Italy? Well, you would have to be a complete muppet to ever write them off when it comes to a major tournament – you don’t win four World Cups and one European one by not knowing how to raise your game when it matters.

And, from what I have seen of them recently, they are still the best team in the world at achieving precisely what they need to achieve in any given football match.

Antonio Conte is undoubtedly a solid manager but many Italian fans have told me they find his style of football too negative. And, while they can still call on the huge experience of players like Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Daniele De Rossi, is it physically possible for any football team not to miss the brilliance of Andrea Pirlo?

Added to that, the Italians have been drawn in a very tricky group alongside Belgium, Ireland and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden. You could almost call it a group of death if it wasn’t for the slightly ludicrous fact that some third-placed teams will qualify for the round of 16.

Can they win the trophy? Well, Italy can always win a tournament, sometimes just by turning up. But I don’t think this will be their year.

So whose year will it be, I hear you cry, desperate to cut to the chase. Well, I’m torn between two countries, to be honest – France and Germany.

Part of me thinks home advantage will be key while another part believes the world champions are going to win back-to-back tournaments.

Gun to my head? I’ll go with Germany.

sportscolumnist@timesofmalta.com
Twitter: @maltablade

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