Barça at Euro 2020: Team by team

Turkey and Italy will be getting Euro 2020 under way today at 9.00pm CEST, a full 12 months later than originally expected due to Covid-19. There is FC Barcelona representation in four of the 24 squads taking part in the competition, so let’s take a closer look at them.

France

Didier Deschamps’ star-studded side, runners-up in the previous edition and winners of the World Cup three years ago, are the bookies’ favourites to win what would be their third title, thus matching the record currently shared by Germany and Spain.

Antoine Griezmann is the fourth highest goalscorer of all time for France and a regular feature of Les Bleus line-ups, while Ousmane Dembélé is typically brought on as a super-sub. Clement Lenglet is also in the squad, although he has not been getting much playing time in recent games.

France are in a fascinating first round group with two of the other hottest favourites, Germany and Portugal, while Hungary will also want to have their say, meaning somebody might be making a surprise early exit.

 GROUP F. France’s three fixtures are:

Spain

Former Barça boss Luis Enrique, now in charge of the national team, has named Jordi Alba, Pedri and Barça’s new signing from Man City Eric Garcia in his squad, while although originally included there are doubts regarding Sergio Busquets after he tested positive for Covid-19. Oscar Mingueza is also with the camp in a reserve ‘bubble’ of players that may be called upon as emergency replacements in the case of further positives.

Winners in 1964, 2008 and 2010, in theory Spain shouldn’t have too much trouble making it out of Group E, where they’re up against a Poland side with Lewandowski as the dangerman, a Sweden without Ibra and Slovakia.

 GROUP E. Spain’s three fixtures are:

Netherlands

Frenkie de Jong is one of the central figures in another squad managed by a man with a Barça past, Frank de Boer. The Dutch, winners in 1988, are looking to get back on the football map after missing out on the last two major tournaments, and in Stenger, De Ligt, Malen, Blind, Depay and others, they have the names to do it. But they will badly miss Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk at the back.

The draw would appear to have been kind to the Dutch, and it would be a huge surprise not to see them progress in a group that also includes Ukraine, Austria and North Macedonia.

 GROUP C. Holland’s three fixtures are:

Denmark

Martin Braithwaite is Barça’s other representative. His Danish side is, as usual, among the dark horses and will be looking to repeat their victory in the 1992 edition. Hojbjerg, Kasper Schmeichel, Eriksen, Daniel Wass and Christensen are among the standout names in a young squad that recently showed its potential with victory over England in the Nations League.

Belgium and Russia are also teams that are typically among the stronger outsiders in the competition, while the group is completed by Finland, making their first appearance at a major tournament.

 GROUP B: Denmark’s three fixtures are: