Sweden

Sweden won the inaugural European Competition for Women's Football in 1984 and hope to finally take another major title on home soil 29 years on.

Following their 1984 triumph, in which they overcame England on penalties in Luton after a 1-1 aggregate draw, Sweden reached further finals in 1987, 1995 and 2001, losing the last two to Germany, who also beat them to the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup with a golden goal. The last few years, though, have been a period of rebuilding after the retirement of that generation, which included Hanna Ljungberg and Victoria Svensson. However, with the likes of Lotta Schelin and Caroline Seger in the side, they won World Cup bronze in 2011 – the best European performance – and with the appointment of Pia Sundhage as coach, they have every right to be optimistic.

Qualifying: Automatic as hosts

Key players
Sara Thunebro (defender, 1. FFC Frankfurt), Caroline Seger (midfielder, Tyresö FF), Lotta Schelin (forward, Olympique Lyonnais)

Coach: Pia Sundhage

Date of birth: 13 Feburary 1960

Playing career:
Falköpings KIK, Jitex BK, Östers IF. S.S. Lazio, Stattena IF, Hammarby IF DFF

Coaching career: Hammarby IF DFF, Boston Breakers, Kolbotn IL, KIF Örebro DFF, United States, Sweden

Having been in the Sweden team that won the first official European title in 1984, Sundhage returned home in October 2012 to try and repeat the feat on home soil as coach. A prolific scorer as a player, winning four Swedish titles with Jitex in an 18-year career, she made her international debut aged 15 in 1975 and won 146 caps, scoring 71 goals. Among those was the first goal scored by a woman at Wembley in a 2-0 win in England in 1989.

Becoming player-coach of Hammarby in 1992, she had assistant roles at Vallentuna BK, AIK Fotball and Philadelphia Charge before Boston gave her a head position, leading them to the 2003 title in the last season of the professional WUSA league. Returning to Europe for spells in Sweden and Norway, she assisted Marika Domanski Lyfors with China at the 2007 World Cup before taking charge of the US, who she led to two Olympic gold medals and the 2011 World Cup final, which they lost on penalties to Japan. After the 2012 Olympic success, she opted to become Sweden coach on a four-year deal, having won 91 of her 107 games in charge of the US.

Tournament record
2009: quarter-finals
2005: semi-finals
2001: runners-up
1997: semi-finals
1995: runners-up
1993: quarter-finals
1991: quarter-finals
1989: third place
1987: runners-up
1984: winners

Other honours
1999, 2012 UEFA European Women's Under-18/U19 Championship