Recent Euro History
2000 – Group Stage
2004 – Quarter Finals
2008 – Group Stage

This will be Sweden’s first major tournament since the 2008 edition of the Euros, with the Scandinavian giants missing out on the World Cup in 2010. There is more of an emphasis on players plying their trade abroad this time around, with half as many domestic based players in the squad as in 2008.

Sweden have lost quite a few key players since the tournament in Austria/Switzerland. The likes of Henrik Larsson, Freddy Ljungberg, Petter Hansson, Tobias Linderoth, Niclas Alexandersson, Daniel Andersson and Marcus Allback were all important figures four years ago, but have all since moved on from national duties.

With that said, Sweden still have one of the oldest teams at the tournament, with more than half of the 23-man squad aged 29 or above, and nobody under the age of 24. There is certainly no shortage of experience, but the lack of youth in the squad is certainly a cause for concern, especially when considering stamina/fitness with only a few days between games.

Consistency seems to be a common theme for Sweden though, and with Erik Hamren at the helm for three years now, all the players will be well aware of their roles in the team. Cohesion and teamwork will be vital if they are to grab points off the much-fancied English and French outfits.

In defence, a lot will depend on the excellent Olof Mellberg. Even at the age of 34, he is still one of the first names on the team-sheet, and a natural leader in the center of defence. Jonas Olsson and Martin Olsson were both regulars for their respective Premier League sides and will be quality additions to the backline, with Andreas Granqvist and Mikael Lustig vying for the fourth spot in defence.

Up front, however, is where Sweden’s most important player is found. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been the pride of the nation for many years, and he is still regarded as one of the best strikers in the world game, and justifiably so – 28 goals in 32 games for Milan marks his best domestic season ever, so any claims that he is past his best are wide of the mark. His support up front will likely come in the form of Johan Elmander, who has a respectable 16 international goals.

The first match against Ukraine will be a must win for both sides, with much tougher games against England and France to follow. A draw will be a devastating blow for the chances of both sides, as they would likely have to then take 3 points in one of the other two matches, which is an unlikely event.

Fun Fact: The average age of the Sweden squad is 28.3, the third highest in the entire tournament. They are the only squad without any players aged 23 or younger.

Prediction: Will draw their first match against Ukraine, and then possibly one more point in their following two games, but in any case will go crashing out in the group stage.

Key Player: Can be no other than Zlatan Ibrahimovic. For Sweden to stand any chance, the powerful striker must bring his best form to the tournament, and after his best ever domestic season, it will be no surprise for him to do just that.