Euro 2012: Complete Tournament Guide

The wait is almost over. As we count down the final hours, minutes and seconds until Euro 2012 begins, why not kill some time with B/R's handy tournament preview?

Inside you'll find all you need to know about Euro 2012, with a history of the European championships, a guide to the venues, list of players, teams and groups and, of course, predictions.

Keep reading for all the details, and if there's anything else, leave a comment below.

History

The UEFA European Football Championship has been held every four years since 1960. Nine nations have won the tournament, led by Germany/West Germany with three titles (1972, 1980, 1996).

Spain (1964 and 2008) and France (1984 and 2000) have won the competition twice each, while the Soviet Union (1960), Italy (1968), Czech Republic (1976), Netherlands (1988), Denmark (1992) and Greece (2004) have won it once apiece.

Until 1980, four teams competed in the final tournament. From 1980-1992, eight teams were involved. The current format of 16 teams was adopted in 1996.

Spain won the competition in 2008, defeating Germany 1-0 in the final.

Where in the World?

This year's tournament is being hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

Each nation has four host cities. In Poland, matches will be played in Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw. In Ukraine, matches will be played in Lviv, Kiev, Kharkiv and Donetsk.

The first match, between Poland and Greece, is set for Friday in Warsaw. The final is scheduled for July 1 in Kiev.

Click here for a guide to all the venues.

The Field

Qualification for Euro 2012 began in August 2010 and ended in November 2011, with 51 nations participating.

The 51 nations were divided into nine groups, with each group winner qualifying for the final tournament. The second-placed team with the best record—in this case Sweden—also qualified automatically.

Poland and Ukraine qualified as co-hosts. The final four spots were decided by two-legged playoffs between the remaining eight second-placed teams from the nine qualification groups.

The draw for the final tournament was held in December 2011 in Kiev. The 16 teams were drawn into four groups as follows.

Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic

Group B: Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark

Group C: Spain, Italy, Croatia, Republic of Ireland

Group D: France, England, Sweden, Ukraine

Group-by-Group Breakdowns

B/R has you covered with in-depth breakdowns of all four groups.

Willie Gannon previews Group A, which some would say is the weakest of the tournament.

Group B is this tournament's feared "Group of Death," and Willie has that one covered, too. Did he pick Germany, Holland or Portugal to crash out early? You'll have to read to find out.

Tim Daniels takes care of Group C, which features defending champions Spain. He's predicting a bit of a surprise in the final table.

Finally, Group D is the home of England and France, two of the tournament's biggest names. Willie handicaps that one as well.

If you're looking for an even bigger picture, Peter Webster has broken down the entire field for your reading pleasure.

Predictions?

If you're looking for predictions, B/R has you covered there, too.

Here are my game-by-game predictions for Group A, Group B, Group C and Group D. John Richardson, meanwhile, guides us through the opening weekend of matches.

If that's not enough, watch this this video to see who Will Tidey and I think are the favorites. Or see my rankings of every team's starting XI.

Nicholas Goss gives us four locks for the semifinals, and Peter Webster counts down the biggest storylines of the tournament.

Leaving the favorites aside for a moment, Wes O'Donnell reveals which team is the sleeper in each group.

And if that's still not enough, click here for B/R's expert power rankings of all 16 nations, complete with team-by-team breakdowns.

Who to Watch

Euro 2012 will be full of world-class talent. So who should you be watching for?

Charlie Melman weighs in with his thoughts on each team's best player. Hint: Cristiano Ronaldo is prominently involved.

Meanwhile, World Football Lead Writer Will Tidey writes that Italy's Mario Balotelli will be the tournament's most entertaining player.

Will also lists seven players who have a point to prove this summer.

As for leading scorers, Nathan Judah suggests five players who could win the Golden Boot. Austin Green, meanwhile, lists his top players to watch.

Finally, for those who think goalkeepers don't get enough respect, Tom Sunderland ranks the tournament's top 10 keepers.

Odds and Ends

As the tournament progresses, you'll want to check back often for some of these handy tools.

Click here for a complete tournament bracket and here for an American TV schedule.

Adam Hirshfield lists every team's final rosters, managers and history, and Thomas Atzenhoffer reminds us of 50 reasons we've had a hard time waiting for Euro 2012 to start.

Now if it would only start.

Follow @MikeCummings37