Five things about Croatia before they start the European Championship finals in Group D against Czech Republic, Spain and Turkey:

- Croatia burst onto world football stage

Luka Modric started playing football during Croatia's independence war and the country's notoriously fervent fans expect the world-class playmaker to launch their offensive at Euro 2016.

Croatia are looking to the 30-year-old to lift them as he has Real Madrid amid a rollercoaster season in La Liga and the Champions League.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was thrilled with his side’s late equalizer in their 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Anfield, but bemoaned his players' lack of patience.

Eden Hazard’s fine finish for Chelsea in Wednesday's Premier League game left Liverpool staring at a first home reverse since the 1-0 defeat by Manchester United on January 17.

Lewis Hamilton will recover from his current second place in the championship and mount a strong challenge to win his fourth world title this year, starting with this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.

That is the view of both his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, who leads him by 34 points after four races, and their champion team who are determined to put Hamilton’s problem-hit start to the season behind them.

Turkey's football coach Fatih Terim is known as the "emperor" after three stints ruling over the national side, taking them to some of their biggest success.

The European Championship finals in France will be Turkey's first major tournament in eight years. But it has a track record of putting on an impressive showing on the international stage, such as the semi-finals at Euro 2008, much of that under Terim.

Five things on Turkey ahead of Euro 2016 where they start in Group D with Spain, Croatia and Czech Republic.

- Rare but spectacular

Newcastle United's managing director issued an apology to fans after Wednesday's relegation from the Premier League, saying the club were "devastated" and "truly sorry".

Bitter north-east neighbors Sunderland's 3-0 win at home to Everton on Wednesday was enough to put Newcastle in the Championship as they were consigned to the dreaded drop the alongside Norwich City and Aston Villa.

French investigators suspect that organizers of Tokyo's 2020 Olympic bid may have paid the son of disgraced athletics supremo Lamine Diack, a source close to the inquiry told AFP on Thursday.

They are probing a suspect payment of 1.3 million euros ($1.5 million) to a company owned by Papa Missata Diack, a son of ex-IAAF president Diack who faces corruption charges in France. The Japanese government insisted earlier Thursday that the Tokyo bid was "clean".

Famously mistaken as a ball-boy by Diego Maradona after his Germany debut in 2010, Thomas Mueller will need no introduction at Euro 2016.

Despite having earned 70 caps and scored 31 goals for Germany, Mueller is still only 26 and is a shoe-in for club or country whether as a winger, attacking midfielder or striker.

Joachim Loew will look to add the European crown in France to Germany's 2014 World Cup triumph, but die Mannschaft's head coach has team worries.

With the clock ticking down to Germany's first Group C game against Ukraine in Lille on June 12, Loew is waiting on captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, defenders Jerome Boateng, Emre Can and Benedikt Hoewedes, plus midfielder Julian Draxler.