Sweden coach Lars Lagerback believes one of Europe's major football powers will win the European Championship, and he's leaning toward Spain.
"I believe in the power of tradition in football," Lagerback said Friday. "Greece and Denmark are the only exceptions in modern times. Otherwise it's always one of the big football nations that wins the European Championship or the World Cup. I think it's going to be the same this time around."
Another tradition is that Spain chokes in the quarterfinals, but Lagerback thinks this may be the year that the Iberians deliver.
"It's going to be interesting to see what Spain can achieve," he said. "If they get their game together, like they did in the second half of qualifying, I definitely think they can compete for the title.
"That's my honest opinion. It's a fantastic team when they're playing at their best."
Sweden plays Spain on June 14 in their second Group D match.
