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There is 24 teams which means 24 coaches. Each has deserved to lead the respective team of their country and to select what he and his team believe is the best group to bring results at the biggest competition on the continental level.

And it has been proven time and time again that even a star-filled team needs a conductor to organize the style of play, the mentality of the footballers, to boost the atmosphere.

In this section of the countdown we will take a look at the three biggest names, when it comes to accolades on the international stage.

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DIDIER DESCHAMPS - France

France is a favorite for another title. And it is only right to start the analysis with the man who won both the World Cup and the Euro trophy as a player and is half-way done with accomplishing the same as a coach.

Deschamps captained France to titles at the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship and steered Les Bleus to the 2018 World Cup title from the sidelines.

Didier Deschamps in 2018(©AFP)

If his team had not lost the 2016 European Championship final at home soil to Portugal, Deschamps could have been chasing a third consecutive title.

He took over France in 2012, previously coached Monaco, Juventus (while they were in Serie B) and Marseille.

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Holding midfielder in his playing days, he has now instituted a genuinely impressive winning mentality. In fact, Deschamps needs only nine more victories to clock up more wins for the French national team than any other manager has taken charge of games.

His finely-tuned man-management skills is where Deschamps’ success comes from. He’s got everyone focused and working for a side moving in the right direction.

Deschamps with the Euro 2000 trophy (©AFP)

France are an uncomplicated side, tactically. Despite some flirting with three at the back, it’s highly likely that Deschamps will send his men out in a 4-3-1-2 shape reminiscent of the same one France used to win the World Cup back in 1998 when Deschamps played, and that which brought success in Russia three years ago.

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JOACHIM LOW - Germany

Low has been in charge of Die Mannschaft for nearly 200 games — he has coached more games at the European Championship (17 spread over three editions) and won more matches (11) than any coach in tournament history.

Prior to taking the reins, Low spent time as Jurgen Klinsmann’s assistant and oversaw Germany’s transition into a much more attractive, attacking unit. He expects every player in his squad to be proficient with the ball at their feet, able to play in tight spaces and maintain dominance in possession.

Joachim Low in 2014 (©AFP)

The 61-year-old has already announced that he will step down after the tournament, which gives him little room to boost the above-mentioned numbers. In 2014, Germany managed to beat Argentina to win the World Cup, but Germany finished last in its group at the 2018 World Cup. Quite a confidence drop.

Regardless, Low has stood the test of time in his role as Germany manager, despite working under constant pressure - he lead the Panzers to two European Championship semi-finals, a runner-up performance in the 2008 Euros, two World Cup semi-finals and that glorious 2014 World Cup winning campaign.

Since 2018, Low has been combining younger models, such as Gnabry, Werner and Havertz alongside veterans Kroos, Gundogan and Neuer.

Germany will be expected to dominate the ball, get forward quickly and use the attacking trident to stretch the opposition and make it impossible to defend against them.

Low has mostly stuck with a 4-3-3 formation, though rarely there were experiments with the back five.

Low with his assistant at 2018 World Cup (©AFP)

Germany qualified for the Euros with a record of seven wins and one defeat in eight games, scoring a massive 30 goals along the way. The dynamic German front-three (Gnabry, Sane, Werner) have eye-watering pace and enough tactical flexibility to make the team incredibly unpredictable and hard to contain.

Germany head into the close-coming tournament looking to re-establish themselves as continental and world powerhouses.

FERNANDO SANTOS - Portugal

Alongside national treasure Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Santos is the key ingredient that led Portugal to winning two continental trophies in a row.

Santos is quickly approaching 150 games as an international manager with Greece and Portugal and, thus far, he’s only lost 20 games across all competitions and friendlies.

Looking at names on the sheet, Portugal were always a top squad but they lacked medals - in came Santos and the Portuguese could boast with the European title won in 2016 followed by the inaugural UEFA Nations League trophy.

Fernando Santos with the Euro 2016 trophy (©AFP)

He’s one of five coaches to have led two different teams at the European Championship after being in charge of Greece in 2012. His results at national and club level are worlds apart - with clubs Santos managed just one Primeira Liga title with Porto and a scattering of cups in Portugal and Greece across 22 years.

On the other hand, the 66-year-old's international career is a completely different story: 2012 Euro (Greece): Quarter-finals, 2014 World Cup (Greece): Last 16, 2016 Euro (Portugal): Winner, 2018 World Cup: Last 16, 2019 Nations League: Winner.

Even so, few give them good odds to retain the trophy they won five years ago - then Selecao ended their long wait for a major international title by beating hosts France 1-0 in the final.

Santos’ men followed up that triumph by winning the first-ever UEFA Nations League in 2019. It came perfectly to heal the wounds of the disappointing round-of-16 exit at the 2018 World Cup.

Ronaldo and Santos with the UEFA Nations League trophy in 2019 (©AFP)

Throughout qualifying for the Euros, Santos mostly switched between 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 systems, or close variants of the two. More recently, during the 2020/21 Nations League, he’s settled on the 4-3-3.

Predictably, Ronaldo will lead as the central striker, assisted by quick-footed talents on both flanks and great vision from the attacking midfield.

Stay with MOZZART SPORT KENYA for all the exciting news regarding the tournament, sides, players, favourites, underdogs, fixtures... The countdown is ending soon! See you at the EURO 2020.