How they qualified: Finished 2nd in European Qualifying Group I; defeated Montenegro 3-0 on aggregate in playoff

Team Base: Wroclaw

A rich history or European Championship success may not be enough to guide Michal Bilek’s side through the group stages of this years tournament.

Semifinalists in 2004 and runners up in 1996 the Czech sides of yester year have had plenty of talent, but the likes of Jan Koller, Pavel Nedved and Karel Poborsky have never truly been replaced with players of similar quality.

The Czechs have struggled to find goals and were the second worst of the sides forced to qualify through the playoffs, with Michal Kadlec finishing as the squads top scorer with four goals from the left-back position.

Milan Baros is likely to start as the lone man up front, but the former Liverpool striker has been described as playing ‘like he’s been around forever’, a tag which  sums up the 30-year-old’s productivity over the last 24 months.

Thomas Rosicky had a strong finish to his season with Arsenal while Petr Cech was the hero in Munich as Chelsea lifted the Champions League trophy, but even they may not be enough to drag their side through to the knockout stages of this years tournament.

WFD Predicted Starting XI: 4-2-3-1

Cech

Selassie - Hubnik - Sivok - Kalec

Jiracek - Hubschman

Plasil - Rosicky - Rezek

Baros

WFD predicted group finish: 3rd

Czech Republic Group Schedule: (All times local)

Match 1: June 8 v Russia - Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw (20:45)

Match 2: June 12 v Greece - Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw (18:00)

Match 3: June 16 v Poland - Municipal Stadium, Wroclaw (20:45)