Group D of UEFA Euro 2016 contains defending European champion Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey and Croatia. This Euro 2016 group is the only with two former European champions - Spain (3 times) and Czech Republic (1 time, as Czechoslovakia). Matches will be played from 12 to 21 June 2016.
Spain
Best result: winners 1964, 2008, 2012
Coach: Vicente del Bosque
Leading scorer: all-time – David Villa (59); current – David Silva (23)
Most appearances: all-time – Iker Casillas (165); current – Iker Casillas (165)
Association formed: 1909
Nickname: La Roja (the Reds)
Where they play: Various
After decades of underachievement following a UEFA European Championship triumph on home soil in 1964, Spain suddenly became world football's dominant force. UEFA EURO 2008, which they won with a 1-0 final victory over Germany, was followed by a first FIFA World Cup win two years later, in South Africa, Vicente del Bosque's side becoming the first European nation to lift the trophy outside their own continent.
Further history was made at UEFA EURO 2012 as Spain became the first team to retain the European title after overwhelming Italy 4-0 in Kyiv, although their World Cup defence ended in the group stage two years later. They are back to defend the Henri Delaunay Cup in France after topping their UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying group with 27 points out of a possible 30.
Spain's long wait for silverware ended in Vienna in 2008 as Luis Aragonés's side defeated Germany to win a competition they had taken by storm. Fernando Torres provided the decisive blow and four years later became the first player to score in two EURO finals as Spain, now under Del Bosque, successfully defended their title.
They had become only the fifth team to complete a EURO qualifying campaign with a perfect record and crowned another memorable campaign with a record final win against Italy thanks to goals from David Silva, Jordi Alba, Torres and Juan Mata.
Prior to 2008 Spain had only once even reached the semi-finals – finishing runners-up in 1984 – since claiming their first major prize on home soil in Madrid in 1964. They won that year's final 2-1 against the Soviet Union at the Santiago Bernabéu. Marcelino Martínez headed a memorable winner six minutes from time after Galimzian Khusainov had quickly cancelled out Jesús María Pereda's sixth-minute opener.
Memorable EURO matches
01/07/2012: Spain 4-0 Italy, UEFA EURO 2012 final
La Roja answered their critics in style, a record final win completing the first successful trophy defence.
29/06/2008: Spain 1-0 Germany, UEFA EURO 2008 final
Torres' strike was enough in Vienna as Spain's 44-year wait for silverware came to an end.
21/06/1964: Spain 2-1 Soviet Union, 1964 UEFA European Championship final
Luis Suárez inspired a Spain team largely shorn of stars to victory over the holders.
Did you know?
Defeat in Slovakia in October 2014 ended Spain's 36-match, eight-year unbeaten run in UEFA EURO and World Cup qualifying fixtures stretching back to a 2-0 loss in Sweden on 7 October 2006.
Czech Republic
Best result: winners 1976 (as Czechoslovakia)
Coach: Pavel Vrba
Leading scorers: all-time – Jan Koller (55); current – Tomáš Rosický (22)
Most appearances: all-time – Karel Poborský, Petr Čech (118); current – Petr Čech (118)
Association formed: 1901
Nickname: Národní tým (National side)
Where they play: Various
The Czech Republic have only been competing as an independent nation since 1994, yet in that time the country has qualified for every UEFA European Championship, finishing runners-up at EURO '96 – their first major tournament – and reaching the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2004. In contrast their qualifying record for the FIFA World Cup has been disappointing, reaching only the 2006 tournament in Germany, where they were eliminated at the group stage. The former Czechoslovakia lifted the European title in 1976, defeating West Germany on penalties in the final, and were twice beaten finalists in the World Cup (1934, 1962).
The Czech Republic reached the quarter-finals at UEFA EURO 2012, their fifth EURO final tournament since the 1993 dissolution of Czechoslovakia. They lost the EURO '96 final to Germany, Oliver Bierhoff's golden goal inflicting a 2-1 defeat, and suffered more extra-time disappointment in the last four against Greece eight years later.
En route to UEFA EURO 2000 they became only the second side to negotiate qualifying with a 100% record, only to exit in the group stage, as they would do in 2008. Not so in 1976, when Prague-born Antonín Panenka's memorable spot kick earned Czechoslovakia the European title with a 5-3 shoot-out victory against West Germany following a 2-2 draw in Belgrade. The Czechs came third in their championship defence four years later.
Memorable EURO matches
19/06/04: Netherlands 2-3 Czech Republic, UEFA EURO 2004 group stage
The Czechs came from 2-0 down to reach the quarter-finals in dramatic fashion.
26/06/96: France 0-0 Czech Republic (5-6 on pens), EURO '96 semi-finals
Petr Kouba was the hero at Old Trafford, denying Reynald Pedros in sudden death to take Dušan Uhrin's team into the showpiece.
20/06/76 Czechoslovakia 2-2 West Germany (5-3 on pens), 1976 UEFA European Championship final
Panenka's decisive audacious chipped penalty sealed the title and stands time immemorial.
Did you know?
The Czech Republic won their group at UEFA EURO 2012 despite opening the finals with a 4-1 loss to Russia.
Turkey
Best result: Semi-finals (2008)
Coach: Fatih Terim
Leading scorers: all-time – Hakan Şükür (51); current – Burak Yılmaz (19)
Most appearances: all-time – Rüştü Reçber (120); current – Emre Belözoğlu (93)
Association formed: 1923
Nickname: Ay-Yıldızlılar (The Crescent-Stars)
Where they play: Various
The pinnacle of Turkey's achievement came at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where Şenol Güneş's side upset the odds to finish third. It was only their second World Cup appearance and they have not been back since. It took Turkey ten attempts to qualify for their first UEFA European Championship final tournament, and after losing all three matches at EURO '96 they reached the quarter-finals at UEFA EURO 2000 under Mustafa Denizli. They went one step further eight years later in Austria/ Switzerland, a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Croatia putting Fatih Terim's team into the semi-finals, where they lost 3-2 to Germany. After missing out in Poland/Ukraine, they returned to the finals at UEFA EURO 2016 by qualifying as the best third-placed side over the nine preliminary sections.
Having not managed a win in their previous two qualifying campaigns, Turkey eventually reached a first finals at EURO '96, but Terim's men could not muster a point in England. They bettered that in 2000, battling through the group stage before a 2-0 quarter-final loss to Portugal. A play-off defeat by Latvia meant Güneş' Turkey missed UEFA EURO 2004 but with Terim back at the helm they starred at UEFA EURO 2008. Last-gasp victories over Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Croatia took them through to the semi-finals, where they finally met their match in Germany.
Despite making a bright start to a tough Group A in qualifying for UEFA EURO 2012, losses in Germany and, more surprisingly, Azerbaijan put Guus Hiddink's side on the back foot. Turkey recovered to finish second ahead of Belgium but Croatia were too strong in the play-offs, a 3-0 first-leg win in Istanbul proving decisive.
Memorable EURO matches
20/06/2008: Turkey 1-1 Croatia (aet, 3-1 on pens), UEFA EURO 2008 quarter-finals
Semih Şentürk's 122nd-minute equaliser stopped Slaven Bilić in his tracks, Turkey winning the shoot-out.
11/06/2008: Switzerland 1-2 Turkey, UEFA EURO 2008 group stage
In a downpour, substitute Semih equalised before Arda Turan's 92nd-minute winner.
19/06/2000: Turkey 2-0 Belgium, UEFA EURO 2000 group stage
Two Hakan Şükür goals fired Turkey into the quarter-finals for the first time at the co-hosts' expense.
Did you know?
Having failed to qualify in their first nine UEFA European Championship campaigns, Turkey have reached four of the last six final tournaments.
Croatia
Best result: quarter-finals (1996, 2008)
Coach: Ante Čačić
Leading scorers: all-time – Davor Šuker (45); current – Darijo Srna (21)
Most appearances: all-time – Darijo Srna (127); current – Darijo Srna (127)
Association formed: 1912
Nickname: Kockasti (Checks)
Where they play: Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb
Since seceding from Yugoslavia in 1991, Croatia have emerged as a force in international football. They qualified in their debut UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup campaigns, finishing third at France '98 where Davor Šuker was the six-goal top scorer. Croatia have become final tournament regulars, missing out only twice – in 2000 and 2010 – but have progressed beyond the group stage on just one further occasion, at UEFA EURO 2008. They qualified for the UEFA EURO 2016 finals – their fourth in a row – as runners-up to Italy in Group H.
UEFA EURO 2012 was Croatia's fourth European final tournament in five attempts since the break-up of Yugoslavia, their only failure coming in 2000. Inspired by three-goal Šuker, Miroslav Blažević's 1996 vintage reached the last eight in their maiden finals appearance, and the semi-finals beckoned in 2008 before Turkey's last-gasp equaliser and then defeat in the penalty shoot-out. There was more disappointment four years later as Slaven Bilić's side were narrowly edged out of a tough group by Spain and Italy, the eventual finalists.
Croatia, of course, also contributed players to the Yugoslavia team that twice finished runners-up at the UEFA European Championship. They lost the inaugural showpiece 2-1 in extra time against the Soviet Union in 1960 and went down 2-0 to hosts Italy in a final replay eight years later.
Memorable EURO matches
11/11/11: Turkey 0-3 Croatia, UEFA EURO 2012 play-offs
Croatia stunned the home fans with three goals inside 50 minutes of the first leg.
21/11/07: England 2-3 Croatia, UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying
Nearly 90,000 at Wembley were similarly silenced as Mladen Petrić scored the winner for already-qualified Croatia and eliminated the hosts.
16/06/96: Croatia 3-0 Denmark, UEFA EURO 1996 group stage
An impressive victory best remembered for Šuker's magnificent chip over Peter Schmeichel.
Did you know?
Croatia finished above an Italy side fresh from finishing runners-up at the 1994 World Cup in their first major tournament qualifying campaign, advancing to EURO '96 where they were one of a record six teams making their finals debut.
GROUP D
Sunday, June 12: Turkey v Croatia (14:00, Parc des Princes, Paris)
Monday, June 13: Spain v Czech Republic (14:00, Stadium de Toulouse)
Friday, June 17: Czech Republic v Croatia (17:00, Stade Geoffroy Guichard, St Etienne)
Friday, June 17: Spain v Turkey (20:00, Stade de Nice)
Tuesday, June 21: Czech Republic v Turkey (20:00, Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens)
Tuesday, June 21: Croatia v Spain (20:00, Stade de Bordeaux)
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