01 June 2016
While the domestic season may have come to an end at the final whistle in the Coppa Italia final in Rome on 21 May, a packed calendar of international action is just about to begin with the European Championships in France set to get underway in just over one week’s time.
As established by yesterday evening’s EURO 2016 squad announcements, a total of 12 Juventus players will be heading over the Alps to join up with their respective national teams for the tournament which kicks off on 10 June in Paris as Paul Pogba and Patrice Evra’s France take on Romania in the event’s curtain raiser.
Joining Pogba and Evra in Group A will be newly appointed Switzerland captain Stephan Lichtsteiner who will don the armband for the first time against Albania in Marseille the following afternoon on 11 June.
Once again, Italy’s 23-man selection has a strong Bianconeri contingent as Gianluigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini, Stefano Sturaro and Simone Zaza will all be checking in at the Azzurri’s Montpellier training base in the coming days as the 2012 finalists look to find their way past Belgium – their first opponents – Sweden and Republic of Ireland in Group E.
Elsewhere, striking colleagues Alvaro Morata (Spain) and Mario Mandzukic (Croatia) are set to face off in the final fixture of a competitive Group D on 21 June in Bordeaux which also features Czech Republic and Turkey.
Last but not least, reigning world champion Sami Khedira will have his eyes fixed on adding a European Championship crown to the Serie A and Coppa Italia trophies already earned this season, as the midfielder joins up with Germany who face Ukraine, Poland and Northern Ireland in Group C.
The full itinerary for Juve’s international stars is as follows.
(Please note that all times stated are in Central European Summer Time).
FRANCE: PAUL POGBA, PATRICE EVRA
Group A
vs. Romania (Friday 10 June, 21.00) Stade de France, Saint-Denis
vs. Albania (Wednesday 15 June, 21.00) Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
vs. Switzerland (Sunday 19 June, 21.00) Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille
SWITZERLAND: Stephan Lichtsteiner
Group A
vs. Albania (Saturday 11 June, 15.00) Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens
vs. Romania (Wednesday 15 June, 18.00) Parc des Princes, Paris
vs. France (Sunday 19 June, 21.00) Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille
GERMANY: SAMI KHEDIRA
Group C
vs. Ukraine (Sunday 12 June, 21.00) Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille
vs. Poland (Thursday 16 June, 21.00) Stade de France, Saint-Denis
vs. Northern Ireland (Tuesday 21 June, 18.00) Parc des Princes, Paris
SPAIN: ALVARO MORATA
Group D
vs. Czech Republic (Monday 13 June, 15.00) Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse
vs. Turkey (Friday 17 June, 21.00) Stade de Nice, Nice
vs. Croatia (Tuesday 21 June, 21.00) Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
CROATIA: MARIO MANDZUKIC
Group D
vs. Turkey (Sunday 12 June, 15.00) Stade de France, Saint-Denis
vs. Czech Republic (Friday 17 June, 18.00) Stade Geoffrey Guichard, Saint-Etienne
vs. Spain (Tuesday 21 June, 21.00) Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
ITALY: GIANLUIGI BUFFON, LEONARDO BONUCCI, ANDREA BARZAGLI, GIORGIO CHIELLINI, STEFANO STURARO, SIMONE ZAZA
Group E
vs. Belgium (Monday 13 June, 21.00) Stade de Lyon, Lyon
vs. Sweden (Friday 17 June, 15.00) Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse
vs. Rep. Ireland (Wednesday 22 June, 21.00) Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille
