Fan zone : The Eiffel Tower fan zone & The Saint-Denis fan zone

The Eiffel Tower fan zone 

Paris’s official fan zone will have lots of activities on offer, and live match broadcasts on a giant screen

The most exciting event of the summer, the UEFA EURO 2016™ European football championship, can also be experienced outside stadiums.

The organizing committee and the City of Paris have set up a designated Euro 2016 area: a fan zonefor up to 90,000 supporters on the Champ de Mars at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, open to the public free of cost from 10 June to 10 July.  

A place for fans to get together, a venue for football-related activities and a great way to watch live broadcasts of the matches, the Eiffel Tower fan zone is sure to make the UEFA EURO 2016™ a festive and unforgettable experience.

Fan zone opening hours

• From 4pm on 10 June for the set-up
• From midday to midnight until 27 June
• From 4pm to midnight from 30 June to 10 July

Entrance to the Eiffel Tower fan zone

Supporters can access the fan zone for the duration of the championship through one of 6 entrances:

• Avenue de la Motte-Piquet (7th)
• Avenue Joseph Bouvard (7th)
• Avenue Charles-Risler (7th)

Activities

The fan zone will have lots of entertainment, a stage for concerts, a village run by the UEFA’s sponsors, places to eat, etc.

There will be a giant screen on Place Jacques Rueff (7th), with additional screens dotted through the fan zone.

David Guetta will be writing and performing the UEFA EURO 2016 anthem. The famous French DJ will give a concert on the Champ de Mars on 9 June, on the eve of the tournament.

The Saint-Denis fan zone

Like neighbouring Paris, the town of Saint-Denis will be welcoming football supporters in the region to a fan zone located in the Parc de la Légion d'Honneur, open to one and all throughout the championship, starting from 10 June.

source : http://en.parisinfo.com/discovering-paris/

Interesting facts about the EURO Cup

• Portugal (in 2004) was the only team to lose the final as hosts.

• Michel Platini is the only player to score hat-tricks twice in the same tournament.

• Initially, the first two tournaments in 1960 and 1964 were known as UEFA European Nations Cup before being changed to the current name since 1968.

• Germany participated as West Germany from EURO 1972 till EURO 1988

• Rainer Bonhof twice picked up a winners’ medal with West Germany (1972, 1980) but did not play in either tournament.

• Spain’s 4-0 win over Italy in 2012 is the largest margin of victory in a EURO Cup final.

Group F - Will we have a surprise?!

Group F:

Group F is the last but not the least of this competition, even if because it includes one of the top 5 FIFA National Teams: Portugal. 
Since Euro2000 Portugal has been a constant presence in the final stage of the event, finishing in third twice, and losing the final match in 2004.  In the qualifiers Portugal looked solid but their productivity left something to be desired as they only scored 11 goals in 8 matches. In this period they managed to change the National Coach with Mr. Paulo Bento (which had been in charge since: 2011) resigning and Mr. Fernando Santos coming to take control of the situation in 2014.

Coach: Fernando Santos

Also, Portugal team is divided between some old world-class veterans, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe, or Nani, and young new players which are starving to have an opportunity to show their talent to the world, such as Renato Sanchez, Bernardo Silva or João Mario. Nevertheless Portugal is considered the favorite team of the group and everyone is expecting them to succeed further in the competition.

Last Selection:

Goal Keeper: Rui Patricio / Eduardo / Anthony Lopes

Full-backs: Bruno Alves / Pepe / Fabio Coentrão / Vieirinha / Eliseu / José Fonte / Cedric / Ricardo Carvalho

Midfieldes: Renato Sanches / André Gomes / João Moutinho / Rafa / Adrien Silva / João Mario / William Carvalho / Danilo Pereira

Strikers: Danny / Nani / Ricardo Quaresma / Bernardo Silva / Cristiano Ronaldo (C)  / Éder

Iceland: Even not being one of the favorites, they have done remarkably well and finally qualified for the finals of a big event. Even considering the National team has a lack of experience at the big stage and no real world class player, they did a convincing qualifiers season in a difficult group, so we are looking forward to see what they can do from now on.

Coach: Lars Lagerbäck & Heimir Hallgrímsson

Last Selection:

- Goal Keeper: Hannes Þór Halldórsson / GunnleifurGunnleifsson / Ögmundur Kristinsson

- Full-backs: Birkir Már Sævarsson / Ragnar Sigurðsson / Kári Árnason / Ari Freyr Skúlason / Haukur Heiðar Hauksson / Sverrir Ingi Ingason / Hörður Björgvin Magnússon

- Midfieldes: Aron Gunnarsson  (C) / Emil Hallfreðsson / Birkir Bjarnason / Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson / Gylfi Þór Sigurðsson / Ólafur Ingi Skúlason / Theódór Elmar Bjarnason

- Strikers: Kolbeinn Sigþórsson / Alfreð Finnbogason / Jón Daði Böðvarsson / Viðar Örn Kjartansson

Austria: In the qualifiers, Austria just lost 1 of the 10 games and their present in this final stage of the competition is more than fair, however it is the first championship for which Austria had actually qualified since 1998. Players like Alaba or Arnautovic and well-known names in the European Football and their Swiss coach Marcel Koller has also shown his experience.

Coach: Marcel Koller

Last Selection:

- Goal Keeper: Robert Almer / Heinz Lindner / Ramazan Özcan

- Full-backs: Christian Fuchs (C) / Sebastian Prödl / Aleksandar Dragović / György Garics / Florian Klein / Markus Suttner /  Martin Hinteregger

- Midfieldes: Zlatko Junuzović / David Alaba / Julian Baumgartlinger / Jakob Jantscher / Stefan Ilsanker / Guido Burgstaller

- Strikers: Martin Harnik / Marc Janko / Marko Arnautović / Rubin Okotie / Lukas Hinterseer

Hungary: remains the biggest outsider at Euro 2016, beating Norway in the playoff match. This is the first finals Hungary is since 1986 and they do not have any real star player, making them the weakest team in the group. However is not uncommon to see an underdog team to surprise everyone and succeed further in these kind of competitions, it would be Hungary this time?!

Coach: Bernd Storck

Last Selection:

- Goal Keeper: Gábor Király / Ádám Bogdán / Dénes Dibusz

- Full-backs: Roland Juhász / Tamás Kádár / Mihály Korhut / Richárd Guzmics / Attila Fiola / Ádám Lang

- Midfieldes: Zoltán Gera / Balázs Dzsudzsák (C) / Ákos Elek / Ádám Pintér / Zoltán Stieber / Ádám Gyurcsó / László Kleinheisler

- Strikers: Tamás Priskin / Ádám Szalai / Krisztián Németh / Nemanja Nikolić / Dániel Böde

Player to watch: Cristiano Ronaldo

Considered one of the world’s best players in the world, with 3 FIFA Ballon D’Oro Awards, he is the Portuguese player with most internationalization and the top scorer in the National Team, with 63 goals. It is proved that Ronaldo alone can make the difference, either in in club (Real Madrid FC) and in the National Team. The most recent example of it was in 2013 in the playoff match against Sweden to qualify for the World Cup 2014, where Cristiano scored an Hat-Trick and lead the team to the final stage of the competition.

Group E: the strongest group of the competition?

Belgium 

Absent from the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, as well as Euro 2004, 2008 and 2012, the dimension of the royal selection increase sharply. Driven by a generation of exceptional players (Hazard, Kompany, De Bruyne, Courtois ...), operating in the biggest clubs, Belgium is placed back on the chessboard of world football. At the point of becoming, in recent weeks, first team in the Fifa rankings. Outsiders to the 2014 World Cup, where they fell with honors against the future Argentine finalist in the quarterfinals (1-0), the "Red Devils" and their coach, the former Bordeaux Marc Wilmots, figures favorite for Euro 2016. "Our goal in the Euro? Win, "does not hesitate to proclaim Eden Hazard.

Quick facts

5th participation at Euro
Best result in the Euro: Final (1980)
Coach: Marc Wilmots
Playoff Record: #1, Group B


Italy

"Italy always answers present in the major events." This refrain, rehashed before every major competition, is no longer valid. Recently, the "Azzurri" is rather roller coaster. Since their fourth planetary coronation (2006), the Transalpine thus alternating quarter-final (2008), two pitiful eliminations (2010, 2014) and final (2012). If they continue on this path, players of Antonio Conte should shine in France this summer ... "We will not be favorites, but I intend to work to create a small war machine," commented the coach at the end of a smoothly conducted qualifying campaign (zero defeat). So yes, this lack of madness Italy (16 small goals). Yes its renewal is painfully, like the case of Andrea Pirlo (retired then recalled). But with his strong stand "made in Juventus" (Buffon, Chiellini, Bonucci, Marchisio), the Nazionale has the weapons to bounce. Once again.

Quick facts

9th participation in the Euro
Best result in the Euro: winner (1968)
Coach Antonio Conte
Playoff Record: #1, Group H


Sweden

In a CNN interview, Zlatan Ibrahimovic set the scene. It will mark the Euro. It will be "highly acclaimed by the public, more than the France team." The PSG star scored (11 goals in 12 matches, 1 assist, only the Polish Robert Lewandowski, 13 in 10 games, has done better) over half goals from Sweden (19) during the playoffs. A group in which figures Kim Källström. Ibrahimovic, top scorer in the history of the Swedish selection (62 goals in 111 caps, the first dating from 2001), throughout the campaign (author of the double qualification), paid himself not to miss the appointment. In 2012, Sweden was eliminated in the group stage but had dominated France (2-0) in the closing Group D with a goal from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The reference to the Swedish selection remains the semifinals hanging by Brolin, Dhalin, Ravelli in 1992 before the 3rd place at the 1994 World Cup.

Quick facts 

6th participation at Euro
Best result in the Euro: semi-final (1992)
Coach: Erik Hamrén
Playoff Record: #3, Group G



Republic of Ireland

Robbie Keane (35 years, 143 caps, 67 goals; the first green cloak from March 1998), is part of the symbol of the selection. LA Galaxy striker proved indispensable during the playoffs (9 matches, 5 goals and 2 assists). With him, Shay Given (39 years, 133 selections, the first cape in 1996), goalkeeper Stoke City, embodies the story of a team led by Martin O'Neill that Roy Keane as his assistant. Ireland was illustrated in 1988 by starting its first Euro with a victory against England (before a draw against the USSR and a narrow defeat to the Netherlands, the two eventual finalists); two years later, the selection conducted by Jack Charlton lost in the final of the Italian World Cup quarterfinal against the host country. In 2012, at the last Euro, Ireland had spend 3 defeats (Spain, Italy, Croatia) and only one goal scored.

Quick facts

3rd participation at Euro
Best result in the Euro: group stage (1988, 2012)
Coach: Martin O'Neill
Playoff Record: #3, Group D



Our pronostics: 

#1: Belgium
#2: Italy
#3: Sweden
#4: Republic of Ireland

Euro 2016: group D, the group of death (Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey, Croatia)

This famous group of death, with his undisputed leader, Spain and its three small scarecrows which will get in its way during the Euro 2016. Spain has to reconquer at all costs the heart of its supporters after a World cup more than disappointing, whereas Czech Republic, Croatia and Turkey will have nothing else to lose that their physical form.

The matches of group already announce as a great battle, a battle in which Spain will have to be for its best level to be able to hope to take out there. Furthermore, the infiltrated that are Modric, Rakitic, Kovacic and Turan will certainly have a word to say in the face of this Roja certainly too fast buried, jurisprudence France 2006.

Is Spain really cure? (9 participations / Winner in 1964, 2008, 2012 / 3rd in the Fifa ranking)

Many observers describe the Spanish losing momentum selection, the orphan of the level of the players who delighted the world between 2008 and 2012. In the mean time Roja qualified itself without shivering, author of performances maybe less blazing than as usual, but the results are there to testify : 9 victories gathered in on 10 matches of qualifications, startups (Alcacer) which finally seem to show the area of their talent. The only "negative" point to be retained is that Spain is knowing the end of a cycle, and its loss of symbolic players will more tend to galvanize the opponents rather than to terrorize them. The only question which remains is the following one: did Spain digest the fiasco of the World cup 2014?

Coach :

• Vicente del Bosque

Last selection :

• Goalkeepers : Casillas / De Gea / Rico
• Full-backs : Juanfran / Mario Gaspar / Piqué / Bartra / Ramos / Nacho / Jordi Alba / Azpilicueta
• Midfields : Busquets / San José / Sergi Roberto / Cesc / Koke / Thiago / Isco / Silva / Mata
• Strikers : Alcacer / Morata / Aduriz / Nolito / Pedro

The players who should return :

To note absences of Diego Costa of Chelsea (wounded), Dani Carvajal of the Real Madrid and of Andrés Iniesta du Barça (wounded).

The Czech Republic, constant without being excellent (5 participations / 16th in the Fifa ranking)

The Czech Republic is less glittering than in the past (in particular since the separation of the country in 1993), the lack of charismatic face doubtless explaining it : nomore Nedved, Poborsky and other Smicer, but a well oiled collective who allows the country to show itself for the sixth consecutive time during a final phase of the Euro. Next June, it will also be necessary to keep in memory that if the Netherlands is not present, it is thanks (or because of, according to your point of view on the Batavian) to the team of Czech Republic. Around experimented captain Petr Cech, it is a team rather young person and unknown who will walk on the hexagonal lawns. The good performances of Czech republic will depend essentially on the level of shape of Rosicky : often hurt, the offensive middle will largely be responsible for the quality of game.

Coach :

• Pavel Vrba

Last selection :

• Goalkeepers : Petr Čech / Jan Laštůvka / Tomáš Vaclík
• Full-backs : Theodor Gebre Selassie / Michal Kadlec / Marek Suchý / Tomáš Sivok / David Limberský / František Rajtoral / Martin Latka
• Midfields : Ladislav Krejčí / Tomáš Rosický / Bořek Dočkal / Jaroslav Plašil / Tomáš Hübschman / Daniel Kolař / Petr Jiráček / Vladimír Darida
• Strikers : Matěj Vydra / Stanislav Tecl / Tomáš Pekhart / David Lafata

2 stars :

Around experimented Petr Cech and Tomás Rosický, it is a team rather young person and unknown who will walk on the hexagonal lawns.

Turkey, eternal challenger (4 participations / 13th in the Fifa ranking)

The last time when the Turkish selection made all Europe shiver, in 2008, it was already Fatih Terim who was in charge, a detail which does not go unnoticed. The faces of the Turkish soccer changed well since this dramatic semi-final, and Turkey can count on two new strong men, Arda Turan of FC Barcelona and Hakan Calhanoglu of Bayer Leverkusen today. Considered by many as the scarecrow of the group D, Turkey could well be a surprise one more time, as during the World cup in Japan in 2002 or during this famous Euro 2008: it is when we do not wait for it that this team is the strongest, but will it know how to thwart the Czech and Croatian traps?

Coach :

• Fatih Terim

Last selection :

• Goalkeepers : Onur Kıvrak / Harun Tekin / Volkan Babacan
• Full-backs : Şener Özbayraklı / Hakan Balta / Serdar Aziz / Gökhan Gönül / İsmail Köybaşı / Ahmet Çalık / Caner Erkin
• Midfields : Hakan Çalhanoğlu / Alper Potuk / Selçuk İnan / Nuri Şahin / Olcay Şahan / Arda Turan / Mehmet Topal / Ozan Tufan / Yunus Mallı
• Strikers : Cenk Tosun / Burak Yılmaz

A midfielder of world class :

The main strength of this Turkish team is its midfield with Hakan Çalhanoglu, Selçuk Inan, Nuri Sahin, Arda Turan and Mehmet Topal.

Croatia and its stars (4 participations / 18th in the Fifa ranking)

This time, Croatia can actually lean on an impressive number of quality players: Modric, Rakitic, Srna, Perisic, Mandzukic, Kovacic all play in the best European clubs of 2016, and all want to play a nasty trick to their opponents of summer. Experience, talent and ardour, Croatia seems to combine all the elements necessary for a grand course. Nevertheless, that the qualification was long and painful, losing a point for a tasteless swastika, changing coach in September : in final, the Croatian team went out of the Norwegian trap and can defend proudly its colors in France. Not sure that Spain is delighted to bang Croatia so early in the tournament!

Coach :

• Ante Čačić

Last selection :

• Goalkeepers : Danijel Subašić / Ivan Vargić / Lovre Kalinić
• Full-backs : Šime Vrsaljko / Vedran Ćorluka / Dejan Lovren / Darijo Srna / Gordon Schildenfeld / Domagoj Vida
• Midfields : Ivan Perišić / Ivan Rakitić / Alen Halilović / Luka Modrić / Marcelo Brozović / Milan Badelj / Domagoj Antolić / Marko Pjaca / Mateo Kovačić
• Strikers : Nikola Kalinić / Mario Mandžukić

Experience and talent in every posts :

• Goalkeeper : Danijel Subasic, one of the best goalkeepers of the LIGUE 1.
• Full-backs : Vedran Corluka and Darijo Srna, the experience in defence.
• Midfields : 2 of the best current midfields with Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric and 2 of the biggest world potential with Alen Halilovic and Mateo Kovacic.
• Strikers : Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandžukić of the values sures.