UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
 | This article documents a current sporting event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. Initial news reports, scores, or statistics may be unreliable. The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
This page describes the qualification procedure for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, also called Euro 2008.
Seedings
Qualification coefficients were used to rank the teams according to their results in the 2004 European Championships qualifying stage, and the 2006 World Cup qualifying stage. Only the group matches, and not any additional playoffs, count towards the coefficients, also determining which pot a national team is put in. Some points to note:
- Greece are European Champions, and so are automatically seeded in the top pool.
- Portugal did not have to qualify for Euro 2004 as the hosts.
- Germany did not have to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2006, as the hosts. Their record from the qualifying stage of the 2002 World Cup is used instead.
- Kazakhstan have never competed in the European Championships, so only their World Cup record is used. The team's last continental qualifying was for the 2000 Asian Cup. Its record in that competition (P4,Pts6) is not used.
The draw took place on 27 January, 2006 in Montreux, Switzerland and the draw procedure is explained here.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pot 5 | Pot 6 | Pot 7 | |
Tie-Breakers
If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings.
- Higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question.
- Superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question.
- Higher number of goals scored in the group matches played among the teams in question.
- Higher number of goals scored away from home in the group matches played among the teams in question.
- If, after applying criteria 1) to 4) to several teams, two or more teams still have an equal ranking, the criteria 1) to 4) will be reapplied to determine the ranking of these teams. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 6) and 7) will apply.
- Results of all group matches: 1. Superior goal difference 2. Higher number of goals scored 3. Higher number of goals scored away from home 4. Fair play conduct.
- Drawing of lots.
Groups
The qualifying process started in August 2006. Austria and Switzerland have already qualified for the tournament finals as host nations.
The Qualifying Format has been changed compared to the previous tournament. The winners and runners-up from seven groups will automatically qualify for the Championship, with the hosts filling the other two slots in the 16-team tournament. The move means there will no longer be play-offs between teams finishing in second place in the groups. Six of the qualifying groups will contain seven teams, and the other eight.
As the official successor of the previous football association, Serbia will inherit the position originally allotted to Serbia and Montenegro in Group A prior to the disolution of the state union. Montenegro is currently applying for membership to UEFA and will not participate in Euro 2008.
Group A
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:FINf | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 |
| Template:BELf | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +2 |
| Template:SERf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Template:KAZf | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Template:PORf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Template:AZEf | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| Template:ARMf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Template:POLf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 |
 Belgium | 0–0 |  Kazakhstan |
|---|---|---|
Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Anderlecht
Attendance: 15,495
Referee: Courtney (Northern Ireland)
Attendance: 15,495
Referee: Courtney (Northern Ireland)
 Serbia | 1–0 |  Azerbaijan |
|---|---|---|
| Žigić 72' |
Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Belgrade
Attendance: 0[1]
Referee: Kircher (Germany)
Attendance: 0[1]
Referee: Kircher (Germany)
 Poland | 1–3 |  Finland |
|---|---|---|
| Gargula 89' | Litmanen 54', 76' (pen) Väyrynen 84' |
Stadion Zawiszy Bydgoszcz im. Zdzisława Krzyszkowiaka, Bydgoszcz
Attendance: 17,000
Referee: Duhamel (France)
Attendance: 17,000
Referee: Duhamel (France)
| Azerbaijan | 1–1 | Kazakhstan |
|---|---|---|
| Ladaga 16' | Byakov 36' |
Tofik Bakhramov Stadium, Baku
Attendance: to come
Referee: Szabo (Hungary)
Attendance: to come
Referee: Szabo (Hungary)
 Armenia | 0–1 | Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| van Buyten 41' |
Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan
Attendance: to come
Referee: Lehner (Austria)
Attendance: to come
Referee: Lehner (Austria)
| Finland | 1–1 |  Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Johansson 21' | Nuno Gomes 42' |
Olympic Stadium, Helsinki
Attendance: to come
Referee: Plautz (Austria)
Attendance: to come
Referee: Plautz (Austria)
Fixtures
Group A fixtures were negotiated at a meeting between the participants on 10 February 2006.
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Group B
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:SCOf | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 |
| Template:FRAf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| Template:GEOf | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | +2 |
| Template:UKRf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 |
| Template:LTUf | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| Template:ITAf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Template:FROf | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | -12 |
 Faroe Islands | 0–6 |  Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Kankava 16' Iashvili 18' S. Arveladze 37', 62', 82' Kobiashvili pen 51' |
Svangaskard Stadium, Toftir
Attendance: 2,114
Referee: Ross (Northern Ireland)
Attendance: 2,114
Referee: Ross (Northern Ireland)
 Scotland | 6–0 | Faroe Islands |
|---|---|---|
| Fletcher 7' McFadden 10' Boyd pen 24', 38' Miller pen 30' O'Connor 85' |
Celtic Park, Glasgow
Attendance: 50,059
Referee: Egorov (Russia)
Attendance: 50,059
Referee: Egorov (Russia)
| Georgia | 0–3 |  France |
|---|---|---|
| Malouda 7' Saha 15' Asatiani (o.g) 46' |
Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi
Attendance: 65,000
Referee: Wegereef (Netherlands)
Attendance: 65,000
Referee: Wegereef (Netherlands)
 Italy | 1–1 |  Lithuania |
|---|---|---|
| Inzaghi 30' | Danilevičius 21' |
Stadio San Paolo, Naples
Attendance: 60,000
Referee: Hansson (Sweden)
Attendance: 60,000
Referee: Hansson (Sweden)
 Ukraine | 3–2 | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Shevchenko 31' Rotan 61' Rusol 80' |
S. Arveladze 38' Demetradze 60' |
Olympic Stadium, Kiev
Attendance: to come
Referee: Jara (Czech Republic)
Attendance: to come
Referee: Jara (Czech Republic)
| Lithuania | 1–2 | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Miceika 85' | Dailly 46' Miller 62' |
S.Dariaus ir S.Girėno Stadium, Kaunas
Attendance: to come
Referee: Hrinak (Slovakia)
Attendance: to come
Referee: Hrinak (Slovakia)
| France | ongoing | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Govou 2' Henry 18' |
Gilardino20' |
Stade de France, Paris
Attendance: to come
Referee: Fandel (Germany)
Attendance: to come
Referee: Fandel (Germany)
Fixtures
Group B fixtures were decided with a random draw conducted on Thursday March 92006, because fixtures could not be agreed between delegates.
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Group C
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:NORf | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 |
| Template:BIHf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 |
| Template:GREf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Template:TURf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Template:MLTf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | -3 |
| Template:HUNf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 |
| Template:MDAf | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -3 |
| Template:MLTf2 | 2–5 | Template:BIHf |
|---|---|---|
| Pace 6' Mifsud 86' |
Barbarez 4' Hrgović 10' Bartolović 45+1' Muslimović 46' Misimović 50' |
Ta'Qali Stadium, Ta'Qali
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Vejlgaard (Denmark)
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Vejlgaard (Denmark)
| Template:HUNf2 | 1–4 | Template:NORf |
|---|---|---|
| Gera 90' (pen) | Solskjær 15', 54' Strømstad 31' Pedersen 41' |
Szusza Ferenc Stadium, Budapest
Attendance: 10,500
Referee: Vink (Netherlands)
Attendance: 10,500
Referee: Vink (Netherlands)
| Template:MDAf2 | 0–1 | Template:GREf |
|---|---|---|
| Lyberopoulos 77' |
Zimbru Stadium, Chişinău
Attendance: 10,500
Referee: Trefoloni (Italy)
Attendance: 10,500
Referee: Trefoloni (Italy)
Norway  | 2–0 |  Moldova |
|---|---|---|
| Strømstad 74' Iversen 79' |
Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo
Attendance: to come
Referee: Ristoskov (Bulgaria)
Attendance: to come
Referee: Ristoskov (Bulgaria)
| Template:TURf2 | ongoing | Template:MLTf |
|---|---|---|
| Nihat 56' |
Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt
Attendance: 0[2]
Referee: González (Spain)
Attendance: 0[2]
Referee: González (Spain)
| Template:BIHf2 | ongoing | Template:HUNf |
|---|---|---|
| Huszti 36' (pen) |
Bilino Polje, Zenica
Attendance:
Referee: Kapitanis (Cyprus)
Attendance:
Referee: Kapitanis (Cyprus)
Fixtures
Group C fixtures were negotiated and finally decided by a draw at a meeting between the participants in Istanbul, Turkey on 17 February 2006. [3]
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On July 3, 2006, the Hellenic Football Federation was indefinitely suspended from all international competition. Although no announcement was made regarding this tournament in particular, this seemed to preclude the Greek team from participating. [4] Following action by the Greek government, FIFA subsequently lifted the suspension on July 12, 2006. [5]
Group D
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:SVKf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 |
| Template:CZEf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Template:GERf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Template:SMRf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Template:WALf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| Template:IRLf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Template:CYPf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -5 |
 Czech Republic | 2–1 |  Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Lafata 76', 90' | Jiránek 85' (og) |
Na Stínadlech, Teplice
Attendance: 16,204
Referee: Eriksson (Sweden)
Attendance: 16,204
Referee: Eriksson (Sweden)
 Slovakia | 6–1 |  Cyprus |
|---|---|---|
| Skrtel 9' Mintál 33', 55' Šebo 43', 48' Karhan 52' |
Yiasoumi 90' |
Tehelné Pole, Bratislava
Attendance: 4,783
Referee: Orekhov (Ukraine)
Attendance: 4,783
Referee: Orekhov (Ukraine)
 Germany | 1–0 |  Republic of Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Podolski 57' |
Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart
Attendance: 53,198
Referee: Cantalejo (Spain)
Attendance: 53,198
Referee: Cantalejo (Spain)
| Slovakia | ongoing | Czech Republic |
|---|---|---|
| Sionko 10', 21' |
Tehelné Pole, Bratislava
Attendance: to come
Referee: Bennett (England)
Attendance: to come
Referee: Bennett (England)
 San Marino | ongoing | Germany |
|---|---|---|
| Podolski 11' Schweinsteiger 29' Klose 30' Ballack 35' |
Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle
Attendance: to come
Referee: Dereli (Turkey)
Attendance: to come
Referee: Dereli (Turkey)
Fixtures
Group D fixtures were negotiated at a meeting between the participants in Frankfurt, Germany on 9 February 2006.
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Group E
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:ENGf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 |
| Template:ISRf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Template:MKDf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Template:CROf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Template:RUSf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Template:ESTf | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| Template:ANDf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | -5 |
 Estonia | 0–1 |  Macedonia |
|---|---|---|
| Sedloski 73' |
A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn
Attendance: 7,500
Referee: Jakobsson (Iceland)
Attendance: 7,500
Referee: Jakobsson (Iceland)
 England | 5–0 |  Andorra |
|---|---|---|
| Crouch 5', 68' Gerrard 13' Defoe 38', 47' |
Old Trafford, Manchester
Attendance: 56,290
Referee: Brugger (Austria)
Attendance: 56,290
Referee: Brugger (Austria)
 Israel | 4–1 | Andorra |
|---|---|---|
| Benayoun 9' Ben-Shushan 11' Gershon 43' (pen) Tammuz 69' |
Fernandez 84' |
Stadion de Goffert, Nijmegen
Attendance:
Referee: Zrnic (Bosnia Herzegovina)
Attendance:
Referee: Zrnic (Bosnia Herzegovina)
Fixtures
Group E fixtures were negotiated at a meeting between the participants in Nyon, Switzerland, on March 32006.
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Group F
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:ESPf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 |
| Template:ISLf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| Template:SWEf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Template:DENf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Template:LVAf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Template:NIRf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 |
| Template:LIEf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -4 |
 Northern Ireland | 0–3 |  Iceland |
|---|---|---|
| Thorvaldsson 13' Hreiðarsson 20' Guðjohnsen 37' |
Windsor Park, Belfast
Attendance: 14,500
Referee: Skjerven (Norway)
Attendance: 14,500
Referee: Skjerven (Norway)
 Spain | 4–0 |  Liechtenstein |
|---|---|---|
| Torres 20' Villa 45', 62' Luis Garcia 66' |
Estadio Nuevo Vivero, Badajoz
Attendance: 14,876
Referee: Krstevski (Republic of Macedonia)
Attendance: 14,876
Referee: Krstevski (Republic of Macedonia)
| Template:SWEf2 | 3–1 | Template:LIEf |
|---|---|---|
| Allbäck 2', 69' Rosenberg 89' |
Frick 27' |
| Template:ISLf2 | ongoing | Template:DENf |
|---|---|---|
| Rommedahl 5' Tomasson 33' |
Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík
Attendance:
Referee: Ivanov (Russia)
Attendance:
Referee: Ivanov (Russia)
| Template:NIRf2 | ongoing | Template:ESPf |
|---|---|---|
Windsor Park, Belfast
Attendance:
Referee: De Bleeckere (Belgium)
Attendance:
Referee: De Bleeckere (Belgium)
Fixtures
Group F fixtures were settled at a meeting between the participants in Copenhagen, Denmark. [6]
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Group G
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:BULf | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 |
| Template:NEDf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Template:ALBf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Template:BLRf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Template:ROMf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Template:LUXf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Template:SVNf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 |
| Template:BLRf2 | 2–2 | Template:ALBf |
|---|---|---|
| Kalachev 2' Romaschenko 24' |
Skela 7' (pen) Hasi 86' |
Dinamo Stadium, Minsk
Attendance: 23,000
Referee: Asumaa (Finland)
Attendance: 23,000
Referee: Asumaa (Finland)
| Template:ROMf2 | 2–2 | Template:BULf |
|---|---|---|
| Roşu 40' Marica 54' |
M. Petrov 82', 84' |
Gheorghe Hagi Stadium, Constanţa
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Farina (Italy)
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Farina (Italy)
| Template:LUXf2 | 0–1 | Template:NEDf |
|---|---|---|
| Mathijsen 26' |
Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Ferreira (Portugal)
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Ferreira (Portugal)
| Template:BULf2 | 3–0 | Template:SVNf |
|---|---|---|
| Bojinov 58' Petrov 70' Telkiyski 79' |
Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia
Attendance:
Referee: Larsen (Denmark)
Attendance:
Referee: Larsen (Denmark)
| Template:ALBf2 | ongoing | Template:ROMf |
|---|---|---|
Qemal Stafa, Tirana
Attendance:
Referee: Benquerença (Portugal)
Attendance:
Referee: Benquerença (Portugal)
| Template:NEDf2 | ongoing | Template:BLRf |
|---|---|---|
| van Persie 33' |
Philips Stadion, Eindhoven
Attendance:
Referee: Webb (England)
Attendance:
Referee: Webb (England)
Fixtures
Group G fixtures were negotiated at a meeting between the participants in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 16 February 2006.
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Top goalscorers
Own Goals
| Scorer | Nation | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Malkhaz Asatiani | Template:GEOf | France |
| Martin Jiránek | Template:CZEf | Wales |
Qualified nations
Reaction to the draw
On the day of the draw, many people thought that Group E was favourable to England's qualification chances, and that Group B was decidedly unfavourable to Scotland's qualifying chances. [7] This group was given added spice when two of its members, Italy and France, reached the 2006 FIFA World Cup final.
Group C ended up being the only group that featured no teams in the
Wikipedia has media related to 2006.
finals, and grouped rivals Turkey and Greece, who were also in the same group at the
Wikipedia has media related to 2006.
qualifications.
Group B features the two 2006 World Cup finalists plus World Cup quarter-finalists Ukraine. No doubt, the World Cup final rematch between Italy and France is one of, if not the, most anticipated matches of the qualifiers.
See also
References
- ^ Zoran Milosavljevic. "Zigic goal gives Serbia 1-0 win over Azerbaijan". Reuters. Retrieved September 3.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) Serbia were ordered to play one home match behind closed doors as punishment for crowd troubles in their lastqualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Wikipedia has media related to 2006. - ^ "FIFA order Turkey to close their doors". ESPN Soccernet. 2006-02-07. Retrieved September 6.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)
Turkey are serving a six-match stadium ban imposed by FIFA following a major disturbance involving Turkey players and supporters during the second leg of theirqualification playoff against Switzerland. During the ban, their "home" fixtures must be behind closed doors and at least 500 km from the Turkish border.Wikipedia has media related to 2006. - ^ UEFA. "Holders Greece start in Moldova". UEFA.com. Retrieved September 3.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ FIFA Media Dept. "FIFA suspends the Hellenic Football Federation". FIFA.com. Retrieved September 3.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ FIFA Media Dept. "FIFA lifts suspension on Hellenic Football Federation". FIFA.com. Retrieved September 3.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Danish Football Association (DBU). "Danmark starter og slutter med Island" (in Danish). DBU. Retrieved September 3.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ BBC. "Smith expects Scots' hardest task". BBC. Retrieved September 3.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)
External links
- EURO 2008™ seedings confirmed at UEFA.com
- Euro 2008 coefficient according to rdasilva's blog
- Euro 2008 spreadsheet — computes standings from scores
- Euro 2008 News — Squad and result information
- Fixture lists and news (for all groups) at England2008.co.uk
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