BELGIUM AND RUSSIA ( a bit late)

Belgium, their FA founded in 1895, must be one of the favourites and are ranked 1st, with odds around 6-1 to win. If the Belgians were to give points to a country in the Eurovision Song Contest, they would support Holland with 12. Who would they give NUL pts to? The UK of course. 

Belgium spent 589 days without a government in 2010-11, the longest "absence" for any democracy. They met Russia in St Petersburg on June 12th winning 3-0 with Lukaku scoring twice and Meunier the other. They have a wonderful team on paper. As an English club? Man City of course, after a long period in the shadows, they have come out of their neighbour's shadow with some nopise!

The Russians would support Georgia with 12 points in Eurovision and NUL for Spain. Russia shares borders with 14 countries, which is not such a great fact considering the size of the country. They might be consider the Nottingham Forest of Europe, having conquered Europe (as the Soviet Union), once, followed by a long decline in power with odd brief revivals. Can you see where Brian Clough may have fitted in? Having won the competition in 1960 and a semi-final in 2008, they are ranked 38th, odds 66-1.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia played its first international match against Mexico on 16 August 1992, winning 2–0 with a team of former Soviet Union players, including some born in other former Soviet republics.