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In three days Euro 2008 will kick off with joint hosts Switzerland taking on the Czech Republic in Basle.
No one expects them or Austria to fare well in this tournament and this is no surprise given they are probably the two weakest teams to ever play hosts. If either makes it through their respective groups then it will be seen as a major achievement.
Back in England the true consequences of England's disastrous qualifying campaign are beginning to hit home.
As the excitement builds up in all the major nations we are left wondering again how on earth Steve McClaren managed to get England eliminated from probably the easiest group any manager has faced for some time.
It is no wonder he is still looking for work, there really cannot be many takers. It is likely he will have to restore his reputation abroad before he has any chance of heading up an English club again. What chairmen in their right mind would risk the fans reaction should they appoint him? Not many, is the succinct answer.
The TV companies have been left posing the obvious question to its viewers. Who will you be supporting? Poland maybe, given the number now living in England, Portugal with the Ronaldo connection, or, maybe Spain, as they like underachieving, just like us, at the crucial moment.
Many of the pundits and bookmakers have chosen the usual suspect Germany and they have every chance of following on from a good World Cup last time to go a bit further. However, they did have home advantage and until they have shown this form away from Germany I am inclined to think they are still a team in development. They have a straightforward group to negotiate but may lose out in the knockout stages.
France are an interesting proposition and many of their star talents will be facing their last tournament - but it is who the manager has left out that creates most intrigue. David Trezegeut, Mathieu Flamini and Gael Clichy are all top drawer footballers but not good enough to even make the squad, which begs the question, just how good must the rest of them be?
The one man who might well make the difference is Karim Benzema, the Lyon striker, who if he gets the right service from men such as Franck Ribery could be the star of this competition.
Spain, meanwhile, have some outstanding players, notably Fabregas, Torres and Villa and with Castillas in goal look more solid at the back than usual. However, they do suffer mental blocks and the weight of history might be too much for them once more and I predict they will fall short in the semi- or quarter-finals.
Of the big guns, this leaves world champions Italy and I see no reason why this team cannot go all the way again.
They certainly have no problem winning such events, they have the usual secure defence and in Luci Toni they have an out-and-out goal scorer - netting 39 times for Bayern Munich last season. With question marks about the other main contenders it is the Azzuri who may have what it takes to lift the trophy on 29th June.
The nations on the second tier such as Portugal, Croatia and Holland all have sides capable of doing well but they usually fall a little short and there is no reason to believe this contest will be any different. Of the three, it is Portugal who may most surprise and to do that then Ronaldo must have a fantastic tournament.
Any surprise package is difficult to judge until the games get under way as Greece proved four years ago - but, what is certain is, it will not be one of the host nations.
Romania, meanwhile, have qualified for the first time in eight years and they always play an attractive style of football albeit without the vital cutting edge. They are in the most difficult group but they may sneak through unnoticed and if they can gain confidence from this then they will be hard to beat.
There really is no 'stand out' side and it as open as it has ever been. In cases such as this then it is best to side with those nations that have been there before, who also have a goal scoring attacker - and Italy fit the bill nicely. They probably won't win it with the most attractive football but they certainly know how to win crucial games and this is an essential quality in becoming champions.
With the usual hype surrounding England missing this time it will be interesting to watch a tournament in a calm atmosphere ... and as long as the best team playing the best football wins it will be a satisfying conclusion to a contest of tears for fans back in the UK.
