Group A of EURO 2020: Turkey hungry for success with talented squad

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey, Italy, Wales and Switzerland compete in Group A of EURO 2020, to be held on June 11 July 11, with a one-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Group A matches to be played at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, and Baku Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The first match of the group is also the tournament's opening match and will be played between Turkey and Italy in Rome on Friday, June 11.

The 1968 champions Italy, which is among the 11 countries to host the tournament, draws attention as the most experienced team in the group.

- Turkey

Turkey's national football team will participate in the finals of the tournament for the 5th time in history.

Turkey first joined the championship in 1996. The team reached the quarter-finals in EURO 2000 and the semi-finals in EURO 2008.

They finished qualifiers stage 2nd behind France in Group H with 7 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loses.

Despite having the youngest team of the tournament with an age rating of 24.58, the most important trump card of the national team is 35-year-old veteran striker Burak Yilmaz, who played a major role in Lille's Ligue 1 title.

Turkey also has other shining talents like Hakan Calhanoglu of AC Milan, Caglar Soyuncu of Leicester City, and Merih Demiral of Juventus in their squad.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Mert Gunok (Medipol Basaksehir), Ugurcan Cakir (Trabzonspor), Altay Bayindir (Fenerbahce)

Defenders: Zeki Celik (Lille), Mert Muldur, Kaan Ayhan (Sassuolo), Merih Demiral (Juventus), Ozan Kabak (Liverpool), Caglar Soyuncu (Leicester City), Umut Meras (Le Havre), Ridvan Yilmaz (Besiktas)

Midfielders: Okay Yokuslu (West Bromwich Albion), Taylan Antalyali (Galatasaray), Dorukhan Tokoz (Besiktas), Ozan Tufan (Fenerbahce), Orkun Kokcu (Feyenoord), Yusuf Yazici (Lille), Irfan Can Kahveci (Fenerbahce), Hakan Calhanoglu (Milan), Cengiz Under (Leicester City), Abdulkadir Omur (Trabzonspor), Kerem Akturkoglu (Galatasaray)

Forwards: Burak Yilmaz (Lille), Enes Unal (Getafe), Kenan Karaman (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Halil Dervisoglu (Galatasaray)

- Italy

Italy won all 10 matches in the qualifiers and scored 37 goals. They are coming to EURO 2020 undefeated.

Coached by Roberto Mancini, the "Sky Blues" has prominent players like Ciro Immobile of Lazio and Lorenzo Insigne of Napoli.

The 1968 champions Italy is the most experienced team in the group and participate in the finals for the 10th time in its history.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino)

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Alessandro Florenzi (PSG), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta)

Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Stefano Sensi (Inter), Marco Verratti (PSG)

Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo)

- Switzerland

Under the management of Vladimir Petkovic, who managed Turkish team Samsunspor for a while, Switzerland came to the finals by finishing Group D as the leader with 5 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in the qualifiers.

Switzerland compete for the 5th time in the European Championship.

The best achievement of the team is reaching the round of 16 in 2016.

Granit Xhaka from Arsenal and Xherdan Shaqiri from Liverpool stand out in the squad of the team.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Yann Sommer (Borussia Monchengladbach), Yvon Mvogo (PSV), Jonas Omlin (Montpellier)

Defenders: Manuel Akanji (Borussia Dortmund), Loris Benito (Bordeaux), Eray Comert (Basel), Nico Elvedi (Borussia Monchengladbach), Jordan Lotomba (Nice), Kevin Mbabu (Wolfsburg), Becir Omeragic (Zurich), Ricardo Rodriguez (Torino), Fabian Schar (Newcastle United), Silvan Widmer (Basel)

Midfielders: Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys), Edimilson Fernandes (Mainz), Remo Freuler (Atalanta), Admir Mehmedi (Wolfsburg), Xherdan Shaqiri (Liverpool), Djibril Sow (Frankfurt), Ruben Vargas (Augsburg), Granit Xhaka (Arsenal), Denis Zakaria (Borussia Monchengladbach), Steven Zuber (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Forwards: Breel Embolo (Borussia Monchengladbach), Mario Gavranovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Haris Seferovic (Benfica)

- Wales

Wales qualified for EURO 2020 by finishing second in Group E with 4 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses in the qualifying rounds.

Under the management of Robert Page, Wales have big names like Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, who played for Tottenham last season, and Chelsea's Ethan Ampadu.

Wales reached the semi-finals in 2016, at their first European Championship participation.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Danny Ward (Leicester City), Adam Davies (Stoke City)

Defenders: Ben Davies (Tottenham), Joe Rodon (Tottenham), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), Chris Gunter (Charlton Athletic), Rhys Norrington-Davies (Sheffield United), Neco Williams (Liverpool), Connor Roberts (Swansea City), Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Tom Lockyer (Luton Town)

Midfielders: Joe Allen (Stoke City), Joe Morrell (Luton Town), Ethan Ampadu (Chelsea), Matthew Smith (Manchester City), Jonny Williams (Cardiff City), Aaron Ramsey (Juventus), Dylan Levitt (Manchester United), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City), David Brooks (Bournemouth), Harry Wilson (Liverpool)

Forwards: Kieffer Moore (Cardiff City), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Tyler Roberts (Leeds United), Daniel James (Manchester United)

Fixtures:

June 11, Friday (19.00 GMT): Turkey - Italy (Stadio Olimpico - Rome)

June 12, Saturday (13.00 GMT): Wales - Switzerland (Baku Olympic Stadium - Baku)

June 16, Wednesday (16.00 GMT): Turkey - Wales (Baku Olympic Stadium - Baku)

June 16, Wednesday (19.00 GMT): Italy - Switzerland (Stadio Olimpico - Rome)

June 20, Sunday (16.00 GMT): Italy - Wales (Stadio Olimpico - Rome)

June 20, Sunday (16.00 GMT): Switzerland - Turkey (Baku Olympic Stadium - Baku)