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Here we look at past winners of the European Championships to help us find the Euro 2012 winner.

Euro Championship Winners

Below are the winners and runners up of the European Championships since 1960.

European Championships Winner Trends

Host nations traditionally have an advantage at the major international tournaments although the bias is not quite as strong in the European Championships as it is at the World Cup, where many sides are playing outside of their own continent and therefore playing in conditions they are less familiar with. From the last thirteen European Championships three teams have won the European Championships on home soil.

It is worth noting that the three teams to win the European Championships as hosts were Spain, Italy and France and those teams are always amongst the favourites to win the tournament anyway so it may be wise not to overestimate the host nations, especially if they are smaller countries that wouldn't be given a glimmer of hope anyway.

In cases where the more fancied nations are hosting the European Championships the hosts usually do well even when they don't win, in 2004 Portugal were runners up in their own country, in 2000 Holland were eliminated in the semi finals on penalties, in 1996 England were eliminated on penalties in the semi finals as well. In 1988 West Germany hosted the European Championships and went out in the semi finals against the eventual winners Holland whilst in the 1980 European Championships, hosts Italy went out in what was then the third place playoff (effectively the semi final). If a major nation is hosting expecting them to reach at least the semi finals and if they get knocked out the opposition will probably go on to win the European Championships in the final.

Euro 2012

Win Tournament

	Odds	Bookie
Spain	3.50
Germany	4.50
Holland	8.75
England	10.00
France	17.00
Italy	17.00
Portugal	21.00
Russia	23.00
Ukraine	41.00
Croatia	51.00
Czech Republic	67.00
Poland	67.00
Greece	75.00
Sweden	81.00
Rep of Ireland	101
Denmark	126

European Championship Hosts

At Euro 2012 the hosts are Poland and Ukraine, two sides who would be in the bottom half of the betting in most international tournaments. Much will depend on the draw as to whether or not these two nations progress from the European Championships group stage but the chances are we may see at least one of them in the knockout rounds, although it is unlikely we will see either in the semi finals as there are plenty of more talented teams at Euro 2012.

World Champions at the European Championship

Only France in 2000 won the European Championships as World Champions. That is the only time even a World Cup finalist has gone on to win the European Championships two years later. The winners and runners up of the 2010 World cup should be opposed according to this stat although not many of those World Cup winners will have been dominating world football like Spain have and many of the winners at the World Cup two years before the European Championships will have been South American and therefore will not have competed at the European Championships.

It looks as though world champions at the European Championships should be respected for what they achieved two years earlier but it should also be remembered that it takes plenty of luck to win the World Cup as well as skill and it may pay to concentrate on the unluckier losers at the previous World Cup rather than the team that emerged victorious.

2012 Euro Championship Winner

Spain

Spain won Euro 2008 and the World Cup 2010 without ever really looking in too much trouble and they look the best footballing side international football has produced in decades. If Spain do have a weakness then it's in defence but the problem for the opposition is seeing enough of the ball to expose this potential weakness. 

Spain seem certain to go well at Euro 2012 and certainly should be favourites but there is a general feeling that they might not have it all their own way, Holland tried to beat them with a different approach to what many have tried in the World Cup final and they went fairly close, only being beaten in extra time, and they even showed they are beatable at that tournament when Switzerland turned them over in the first group match.

If team's allow Spain to have the ball in unthreatening areas of the pitch and then crowd them out when they get towards the edge of the box they are capable of gaining results against the Spanish and at the current odds it might be worth opposing Spain to make it three major tournaments in a row. 

Germany

Officially Germany were the third best team at the most recent World Cup but for many neutrals they were the most entertaining team and it is worth noting that they took many inexperienced players to the World Cup which is a slightly new approach for the Germans. Two years on Germany should be more experienced and more talented and if they can get the best out of striker Mario Gomez, who has looked a world beater in the Bundesliga and Champions League for Bayern Munich, but less so in the major tournaments for Germany.

Germany have many top defenders to call upon, a genuinely world class goalkeeper, and a good mixture of guile and craft in midfield. They showed during qualifying that they are still improving as a team and Spain may be the only team talented enough to beat them, which was the case at the World Cup two years ago. The fact that Germany are improving and also a better price than Spain makes them well worth a bet to win Euro 2012 despite the fact that Germany have been handed a difficult Euro 2012 draw.

Holland

Holland surprised many when they reached the World Cup Final two years ago but they simply did what they had been threatening to do for many years at these major international tournaments. In Wesley Sneijder they have one of the best attacking midfielders of the modern day and to compliment many of the talented attackers in their team they also have plenty of destructive talent, as we saw in the World Cup final against Spain.

Holland don't seem to have the world class players in almost every position like some of the other favourites but they are a very strong collective group that should certainly not be written off at Euro 2012. Having said that, there has to be a feeling that they are simply not quite as good as Spain and Germany and even if they are the clear third best team at Euro 2012 that won't be good enough to win the tournament unless Spain and Germany both underperform in the knockout rounds. The fact that Holland may only be able to finish as group runners up because of the Euro 2012 makes life even tougher for the Dutch.

England

This will be the last major tournament for the last of England's 'golden generation' who promised so much and delivered so little. It will also be the last major tournament for current manager Fabio Capello and on recent evidence they are unlikely to be playing too many games at the business end of Euro 2012.

The fact is that England underperformed when they had a team good enough to win this sort of tournament and with the current crop of players not looking in the same class as many of the favourites here it is difficult to see where they are going to make the necessary improvement to even reach the final of semi final. England were handed a decent Euro 2012 but need to win their group to avoid Spain in the quarter finals and England are likely to become unstuck when they take on the better teams at Euro 2012.

France

France have underperformed in several recent major tournaments, since losing out in the World Cup final on penalties in 2006 they have finished bottom of their group in both Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup and have picked up just a point in each competition. The fact is that France are nowhere near as good as they were when winning World Cup 1998 and Euro 2008 but they are also nowhere near as bad as recent results at major tournaments have suggested.

Under new manager Laurent Blanc there have been some signs of revival and although France are by no means expected to win Euro 2012, they will be a tough match for anyone and are at least capable of being involved in the semi finals if they can win their group and avoid Spain in the quarter finals. The chances are that France are not currently good enough to go all the way in a major tournament.

Italy

Italy share many similarities with France in that they have had some great highs in recent years, they won the World Cup just six years ago, but they have also had some absolute shockers at the major tournaments, none more so than at the most recent World Cup where they managed to finish bottom of their group, below tournament outsiders New Zealand!

Italy have shown some signs of improvement, just like France, but out of the two France look slightly better (just like the Euro 2012 odds suggest) and the quarter finals are likely to be as far as Italy go at Euro 2012 as they may struggle against England or France in the quarter finals of Euro 2012.

Portugal

Portugal are not a team filled with superstars but there is more to them than simply Cristiano Ronaldo. The fact remains though that he is the best player Portugal have and he is likely to be the best player that Euro 2012 has to offer so any side with him in commands plenty of respect.

Portugal have often gone close in these tournaments, they were the runners up in 2004, and having been a little underpriced for many tournament they now look overpriced for Euro 2012 based on their exit in the second round of the most recent World Cup. It is worth noting that they were drawn in the group of death two years ago with Brazil and Ivory Coast in the same group, they managed to finish second to Brazil which was no shame in itself and then they were eliminated by Spain the second round. Portugal have once again been drawn in the group of death and they are up against it to qualify ahead of either Germany and Holland in Group B. The good news for Portugal is that should they qualify from the group they should have a winnable quarter final match so it isn't all doom and gloom for the Portuguese.

The Best Of The Rest

With the likes of Greece and Denmark winning the European Championships in the last twenty years we can't simply draw a line under the teams above and expect no other sides to get involved, even if the teams above are by far the most likely winners of Euro 2012. Identifying the bigger priced contenders may not throw up any winners but it could at least highlight some teams who offer opportunities to trade out on during the tournament.

Russia have been handed what is probably the most favourable Euro 2012 draw and they should win their group but they will most likely face Germany, Holland or Portugal in the quarter finals so if looking to back Russia you may have to trade out once they get out of the group. 

Back Germany To Win Euro 2012 at 10/3 with Boylesports.

Below are some of the best outright betting opportunities at Euro 2012

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