European title race is wide open

VIENNA, Austria — Get ready for a wide-open European Championship.

Three-time champion Germany is only a lukewarm favorite with the bookmakers, having not won a Euro finals match for 12 years. World Cup holder Italy has lost dependable captain Fabio Cannavaro to injury.

Nine teams in the field of 16 look capable of winning the biggest title they can go for outside of the World Cup. That includes defending champion Greece, which wants to prove its surprise triumph four years ago in Portugal was no fluke.

The 13th championship, being played in the heart of Europe in Austria and Switzerland, has something for everyone, quite apart from picking up the trophy.

Germany is both embarrassed and frustrated it hasn't won a major title since the 1996 Euros in England and is out to re-establish itself as European soccer's strongest nation.

Its combined record at the 2000 and 2004 Euros reads no victories, three draws and three defeats. Joachim Loew, who took over as coach from Juergen Klinsmann after the 2006 World Cup, has the pressure of knowing there are no excuses if it flops again.

The draw has been kind to the Germans, with a comparatively easy group of Poland, Croatia and co-host Austria. They have never lost to the Poles in 15 meetings, were beaten once in seven games by Croatia — back at the 1998 World Cup — and haven't been beaten by Austria since 1986.

Poland, even though it has a respectable World Cup record, makes its debut in the Euros and hopes to capture its first victory over its neighbor after 11 losses and four draws. The teams meet in Klagenfurt on Sunday.

"In Holland, we say you are sure if you want to beat Germany you have to play them until they are on the bus after the match," Poland's Dutch coach, Leo Beenhakker said. "Before that you are not sure if you've won the game."

The Poles aren't expected to get to the quarterfinals, however, and Austria's team appears to be weak. By contrast Croatia, which visits Austria in Vienna on Sunday, is considered a strong candidate for a first title in international soccer.

At age 39, coach Slaven Bilic is a rising star and, although Croatia is without Eduardo Da Silva (broken leg), it has a well-organized team capable of beating any of the traditional powerhouses.