First up in Group A (aka 'the Group of Mild Discomfort') along with Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey are the 'bouncing' Czechs.
Motty fact - All four teams in Group A play predominantly in red, making this the first all red group in the European Championships since it began in 1960.
Czech Republic
Official coach slogan - Let's go, let's win, let's fulfill our nation's dream!
Unofficial coach slogan - Petr Cech's lucky gimp mask will take us to victory!
The Czechs will be one of many pundits 'dark horses' at this tournament, not surprisingly as they have a good recent European Championship pedigree being between finalists in '96 and semi-finalists last time out (the eventual winners, Greece, managing to bore their way past them in 2004).
They are coached by wily old fox Karel Bruckner, 94, who despite having a girl's name is one of the most experienced coaches at the tournament, but they will be sorely missing Pavel Nedved (the only footballer whose surname sounds like it's on a record being played backwards), due to his international retirement, and Arsenal injury curse victim Tomas Rosicky (see also Croatia's Eduardo) meaning that they may struggle to create chances for the man they don't call the Czech Peter Crouch, Jan Koller.
Despite being in a bit of a transitional period they should be good enough to get out of the group but they may find themselves pitted against the dreaded German übermensch in the Quarter finals.
TC's prediction - Beaten Quarter finalists
Player most likely to cause David Pleat's tongue to tie itself in knots - experienced Juventus stopper Zdenek Grygera.
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