Racism and voilence set to be the abiding memory of Euro 2012

The 2012 European Championships hasn't even kicked off yet but has already been plunged into what looks to be its first racism controversy after the black players from the Holland squad were subjected to monkey chants while the team had an open training session on Thursday. This was in Krakow, the very same city were England will also be inviting the public to watch them train today (Friday).

    A crowd of several hundred from the 25,000 that attended the session at the home stadium of Wisla Krakow aimed the abuse at players such as Jetro Willems and Nigel de Jong.

Dutch captain Mark van Bommel reacted by moving the training to the other side of the ground and was quoted as saying "It is a real disgrace, especially after getting back from Auschwitz (the Holland team visited the World War II concentration camp the previous day, Dutch players were so traumatised by Auschwitz they advised other squads not to go to the camp where a million Jewish people died.
Arsenal’s Robin van Persie was visibly shaken. Tottenham’s Rafael van der Vaart said: “It’s not something you forget. I’m not sure it was a good idea — the squad is in a state of shock.”, personally I have visited Theresienstadt concentration camp in the Czech Republic and it's lived with me ever since) that you are confronted by this, we will take it up with UEFA and if it happens at a match we will talk to the referee and ask him to take us off the field"

The chants began as the Dutch players started to jog a lap of the pitch to warm up where at one end of the stadium, monkey noises and loud heckling was plain to hear. As they jogged round a second time, these jeers became more vocal and the players quite rightly decided not to circle the field a third time.

UEFA are trying to deny there is a racial motive to the taunts, they claim after checking with the Dutch contingent that the crowd were making themselves heard as Krakow wasn't selected as one of the host cities for the tournament or that some fans didn't want another side to train in their stadium, that it was for Wisla Krakow alone and were simply booing the Dutch players over these concerns.

   Back to Dutch captain Mark van Bommel who has since reacted angrily when it was suggested it wasn't a racial motive by saying "You need to open your ears, if you did hear it and don't want to hear it, then that is even worse" and it's evident PSV's veteran midfielder is clearly unhappy that the powers that be at UEFA are not treating this issue with more seriousness and this is coming as a HUGE embarrassment for UEFA before a ball has even been kicked and means all eyes will be on the Polish supporters when they open the tournament against Greece in Warsaw later today.

 The authorities in Poland are trying to ensure this tournament won't be remembered for racism and Donald Tusk, the country's prime minister has been on an extensive public relations exercise to stress this after BBC's Panorama showed the documentary called 'Stadiums Of Hate' that openly showed the racism and anti-Semitic abuse throughout club matches in Poland, focusing on the two major side's from Krakow, Wisla and Cracovia and also showing the same issue in Ukraine as well.

   UEFA president Michel Platini has said referee's have the power to take teams off the pitch if they feel there is serious racial abuse from the terraces though has made a point of saying after Italy's Mario Balotelli said he would walk of the pitch if he heard racial abuse, that any player leaving the pitch would be booked.  If racism is a serious issue throughout the tournament, there may be calls for Platini to step down as ultimately he's responsible for the games being played in Poland and the Ukraine. Hopefully this is the peak of the situation and we have three weeks of football as a talking point, not bigoted abuse from the hosts.

Euro 2012: Group A, the most open group

 With the opening games of the tournament set to come from this group on Friday, it's interesting to look at the 4 teams in Group A. This group is the most open of all 4 and feasibly, any 2 of the sides can qualify for the quarter-finals and once out of the group, anything can happen as Greece themselves proved by winning the tournament in 2004.

Czech Republic

 At the start of qualifying, head coach Michal Bilek identified the team had a lack of width and switched his formation to have either Nurnberg's Tomas Peckhart or Milan Baros from Galatasary as the lone striker with Arsenal's Tomas Rosicky in support. Jaroslav Plasil, the defensive midfielder who plies his trade in France for Bordeaux has been the key for the Czech's success in qualifying, he allows them team to have more creative freedom with the likes of Vaclav Pilar (Wolfsburg) at his side. The Czech's are a very well organised side that are dangerous on the counter attack with team captain Petr Cech from Chelsea in goal able to set the team on their way forward.

Key player - Petr Cech, the 29 year old goalkeeper will need to be in fine form and keeping clean sheets for the Czech's to even get out of the group, let alone progress further but if he plays as well as he did for Chelsea in their winning Champions League campaign last season the Czech have a fighting chance.

Prediction - with Poland having home support and Russia not far behind with fans surely to travel to support them, Czech Republic may find it hard to get through the group and should potentially finish 3rd

Greece

   After Otto Rehhagel left as manager in 2010 after 9 years, new Portuguese manager Fernando Santos brought with him a new mentality and changed the style of the team to be more direct. They have over the past 2 years become a more controlled team that tries to build play from the back. A side not littered with star names but who, as in 2004, play as a strong team unit, have experience in players like Celtic's Georgios Samaras, captain from Panathinaikos Georgios Karagounis and Kostas Katsourninis, all who played in 2004.

Key Player - Sotiris Ninis, the Panathinaikos playmaker missed most of last season for his club through injury so may be rusty going into this tournament but has a chance to make a name for himself. The 22 year old left sided winger has played 19 games for Greece already and scored 2 goals and will look to impress to potentially attract interest from bigger clubs across Europe 

Prediction - Much like the Czech Republic, Greece could well struggle in the anticipated hostile crowds and could well finish bottom of the group

Poland

  With managerial experience stretching back all the way to the early 70's (and managing George Best no less at Los Angeles Aztecs), hugely experienced head coach Francciszek Smuda has been happy to select players that have Polish roots though raised in other countries after families have moved nations following World War II (Tesco has announced 20,000 new jobs are to be created in the UK, Poland's Prime Minister has welcomed the news), this has allowed Smuda the luxury of fielding a side with a more high energy side than seen over previous years, beating the likes of Germany and Argentina in friendlies over the past 2 years. The midfield look to keep possession with team captain Jakub Blaszczykowski from Borussia Dortmund integral in the centre. They are perhaps over-reliant on fellow Dortmund player Robert Lewandowski up front and if he was injured or suspended, it's hard to see where they would score goals though Celtic's Pawel Brozek does aid the side though not as prolifically.

Key player - Robert Lewandowski, he will be in the form of his life having won the German Bundesliga's Player Of The Year Award in leading Dortmund to a league and cup double scoring 30 goals last season and 8 assists. Lewandowski could well be the top goal scorer in this tournament or at least in the group stages.

Prediction - home advantage should mean they qualify for the quarter-finals but there they could struggle against superior opponents from Group B like Germany, Netherlands or Portugal

Russia

   Succeeding Guus Hiddink as manager, Dutchman Dick Advocaat hasn't really changed the side or stamped his own authority in the two years he's been in charge and it's likely that he will stay with the same tried and trusted set of players throughout. The likes of Arsenal's Andrei Arshavin, Zenit St Petersburg's Aleksandr Kerzhakov and current Lokomotiv Moscow (and former Tottenham) striker Roman Pavlyuchenko will be the main threat on goal for opposition to worry about but it's young Alan Dzagoev from CSKA Moscow who could really impress in this squad from midfield. With Arshavin and defender Sergei Ignashevich both able to score from free-kicks, watch for the Russians to be deadly at set pieces or with crosses into the goal area to their tall forwards.

Key player - Alan Dzagoev, so far scoring 4 goals in just 20 appearances and current winner of Best Young Player Of The Year in Russia, this is a stage where the young CSKA Moscow midfielder could make a name for himself. The 21 year old attacking midfielder will be a threat and I expect him to stand out amongst the younger players in the tournament

Prediction - Much like Poland, they should progress from the group and then fall at the quarter final stage, they will have travelling support who will get behind them and they will be a danger to any side that face them.