The Euro Championship is only a few months away, but with the soccer season ending and the international break a few weeks past, it might be a good time to start considering which team stands a chance to win the top trophy in the continent. In this article, we will discuss why Germany is the runaway favorite. For an opposing view on why Germany is really the top team, check out my brother Francisco's post.

It has now been a decade since France has been a relevant soccer superpower and over 15 years since it has actually won something on a big stage.

In 2006, the team came one penalty short and Zinedine Zidane headbutt away from winning the World Cup. Since then, the quarterfinals has been the team's deepest run in a major tournament.

So why would anyone every imagine that Les Bleues have a chance at winning this summer's Euro 2016?

There are many reasons. Here they are.

Home Field Advantage

The last time France won the Euro? Back in 2000 when it hosted the tournament. The only time France won the World Cup? Back in 1998, when it also hosted the tournament.

Simply put, the French play excellent at home in big tournaments. And this will be no different.

But there is an added reason for home giving France a boost. The emotional factor of being attacked a few months ago, right near the stadium in Paris should rally the French side to give their fans something to root for. That emotional pull should give the team the added benefit.

Experience

There are a lot of youngsters in France's side, but there are also a ton of seasoned veterans dying for a chance to win a major piece of hardware. Among those are Patrice Evra, Laurent Koscielny, Jeremy Mathieu and Yohan Cabaye, all major parts of the team's solid performance at the World Cup. They provide solid balance for the team's younger contingent.

Strong Core of Players

The youth will of course be the ones most relied on to lead the way. With such players as Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann, Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial, it is undeniably a tremendously gifted group of youngsters.

Pogba got experience in Brazil in 2014 and has since grown into a big game player. Same for Griezmann who is enjoying a strong campaign with Atletico Madrid, scoring 27 goals in 44 matches this year; he had 25 goals in 53 games a year ago.

Varane has struggled for form, but when he is at his best he might be one of the best defenders in the world.

As for Marial, what else is left to say for the Manchester United workhorse? He already has eight Premier League goals in just 26 games and has become a major star in his first year in England.

Easy Group

Luck plays a major factor in tournaments and France wound up with some of the best luck of any team in the tournament. While Romania, Albania and Switzerland are bound to provide some difficulties, that matchup is hardly anywhere as difficult as Germany's group which includes Poland, Ukraine and Northern Ireland. England has Russia and Wales to worry about while Spain has the hardest group of all with Croatia, the Czech Republic and Turkey lying in wait. Belgium gets the likes of Italy and Sweden.

Maybe Portugal gets the easiest competition with Iceland, Hungary and Austria but there is no denying that France has the most straightforward path to the second round. Things get trickier in the second round, but France might get a chance to rest its top stars in the final group game if everything falls right in the first two games. The chances are very high that it will.

France starts its path to Euro 2016 glory on June 10 in a match with Romania. On the 15th it faces Albania before closing out its group round on June 19 against Switzerland.

The Euro Cup takes place between June 10 and July 10. Come back to Latin Post for more coverage on the big event.

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