Russian National Football / Soccer Team - RussiaTeam.com : Euro 2008 Austria Switzerland Basle | Geneva | Zurich | Berne | Vienna | Salzburg | Innsbruck | Klagenfurt EURO 2008 QUALIFYING GROUPS The top two in each of the seven groups will automatically qualify for the finals. There are no play-offs. Austria and Switzerland automatically qualify as hosts. Euro 2008 Qualifying Groups UEFA EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by the UEFA. Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the European Nations Cup, changing to the name European Football Championship in 1968. Specific championships are often referred to in the form "Euro 2008" or whichever year is appropriate. There is a UEFA Women's Championship inaugurated in 1984 and from 1997 held every four years, as well as a Men's Under-21 equivalent of the UEFA European Championship tournament, taking place every two years.

The competition Until 1976, only four teams qualified for the final tournament. From 1980 eight teams competed and in 1996 the tournament expanded again to the current number of teams, 16. The competing teams are chosen by a series of qualifying games: in 1960 and 1964 through home and away play-offs; from 1968 through a combination of both qualifying groups and play-off games. Until 1976, the host country was selected from the four finalists after they were determined through qualifying. Since the expansion of the final tournament starting from 1980, the host country, or countries, have been chosen beforehand and qualify automatically. The defending champions have never been granted an automatic place in the finals. Trophy The Henri Delaunay Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of the European Football Championship, is named in honor of Henri Delaunay, the first General Secretary of UEFA, who came up with the idea of a European championship but died five years prior to the first tournament in 1960.

His son Pierre Delaunay was the person in charge of making the trophy.[1] Since the first tournament it has been awarded for the winning team to keep for four years, until the next tournament. For the 2008 tournament, the trophy was slightly remodelled making the trophy larger, as well as minor cosmetic changes. The trophy was made 18 centimetres taller and two kilograms heavier[2]. History In 1956, the groundwork for a European national team competition was laid. Two years later, in 1958, the first European Nations Cup began. The original format of the competition saw the early rounds played in home and away matches between the countries on a knockout basis. This continued until the semi-finals, where the remainder of the competition was played in the host country, chosen from the four semi-finalists. Henri Delaunay was a footballing visionary. (�Getty Images) The French Football Federation's Henri Delaunay came up with the idea of a European championship in 1927. Given the immense efforts that Delaunay had put into setting up a European national teams competition, UEFA deemed it appropriate that the inaugural competition be hosted by France.

The trophy presented to the competition winner still bears his name. The first final was held in Paris and saw the Soviet Union defeat Yugoslavia, after extra time, and be first to have their name engraved onto the trophy. The 1964 competition was the first European Nations Cup to be affected by politics as it saw Greece refusing to play Albania as they were technically (though not officially) at war. The finals were hosted by Spain, and they saw the hosts beat the Soviet Union 2-1 in Madrid. The European Nations Cup changed its name to the UEFA European Football Championship for 1968 and also a new format was introduced. Eight groups of seeded teams played each other twice and the top side of each group proceeded to two-legged quarter finals. The semi-finals and final were played in the host country of Italy who won the competition after a 2-0 replay of the final, having drawn 1-1 in the first against Yugoslavia. In the 1972 tournament, the same structure was retained, with Belgium being the host of the finals. West Germany won the competition, beating the Soviet Union 3-0 in the final. The 1976 final round was hosted by Yugoslavia.

In the final, Czechoslovakia squandered a two-goal lead before penalties were needed. When Uli Hoeness missed, it allowed Antonin Panenka to chip into the space vacated by Sepp Maier's anticipatory dive for a Czechoslovakian victory. In 1980 UEFA introduced a new format, which saw eight teams go to the finals instead of four, and then play each other in two groups of four teams; the winner of each group then proceeded to the final. West Germany faced Belgium in the final, which they won 2-1 after two goals from Horst Hrubesch. However the newer format was not retained in 1984, and a different format was used, again employing group stages, but this time in place of only the quarter-finals. The top two teams from each of the two groups progressed to the semi-finals. The competition was held in France for the second time. The hosts won 2-0 in Paris against Spain with goals from Michel Platini and Bruno Bellone. The 1988 competition was held in West Germany, while the format from the 1984 competition was retained.

Marco Van Basten led the Netherlands, scoring what was later voted the best goal ever in the competition[3]. The 1992 competition was held in Sweden during a time of European political change, a united Germany was represented and as a result of the break up of the Soviet Union, a Commonwealth of Independent States of the former Soviet Union. Yugoslavia made it to the finals but were excluded as a result of hostilities in their country, Denmark replaced them. Surprisingly, the Danes went on to win the competition after a 2-0 victory over world champions Germany in the final. With the break up of the Soviet Union all of the former Soviet bloc countries were required to enter separately. Now that there were more teams, a format that accommodated this was required. With 48 teams entering the competition, and after the enlargement of the World Cup which had more European sides qualifying for it than the European Championships themselves, 16 teams travelled to the finals in England. The teams were put into 4 groups, the winner and runner up of each group progressed to a new round of quarter-finals. The semi-finals and final remained the same. The Germans won in the final over underdogs Czech Republic with a golden goal.

Belgium and the Netherlands became the first countries to jointly host the event in 2000. France won, again the final was decided by golden goal, David Trezeguet was the scorer. In 2004 the event was held in Portugal, with the silver goal rule being used for the first time. The rule saw Greece beat the Czech Republic in the semi-finals. Underdogs Greece went on to win the competition, when they had been put at pre-tournament odds of 100 to 1. The next tournament will be co-hosted by Switzerland and Austria in 2008. Notes [1]  Michael Harold, 'You won't find a superior trophy', UEFA.com, January 27, 2006 [2]  New trophy for UEFA EURO 2008, UEFA.com, January 23, 2007 [3]  "UEFA Euro 2004 Final Match Day Publication", UEFA, July 4th 2006, pp. 59. Future A recent innovation has allowed countries to act as joint hosts.

Belgium and the Netherlands were the first countries to co-host the competition in 2000. In the 2008 tournament Austria and Switzerland will co-host the event, held from 7 to 29 of June, 2008. Many also talk about an expansion of the tournament grid to 24 teams, due to the increasing number of FAs in Europe after the Yugoslavia and USSR breakups. The Henri Delaunay trophy is to be replaced with a new version. (�Action Images) Selection of the host country or countries for the 2012 competition is currently in progress. The host will be chosen in December 2006 from a shortlist including Italy and joint bids from Poland/Ukraine and Croatia/Hungary. Format Qualifying In order to qualify a team must be winners or runners-up in one of the seven qualifying groups. After this a team proceeds to the finals round in the host country, although hosts qualify for the tournament automatically. The qualifying phase begins in the autumn after the preceding FIFA World Cup, almost two years before the finals.

The groups for qualification are drawn by a UEFA committee using seeding, seeded teams include reigning champions, and other teams on the basis of their performance in the preceding FIFA World Cup qualifying, and the last European Football Championship qualifying. To obtain an accurate view of the teams abilities, a ranking is produced, this is calculated by taking the total number of points won by a particular team, and dividing it by the number of games played, i.e., points per game, in the case of a team having hosted one of the two previous competitions, and therefore having qualified automatically, only the results from the single most recent qualifying competition are used. If two teams have equal points per game, the committee then bases their positions in the rankings on; 1. Coefficient from the matches played in its most recent qualifying competition. 2. Average goal difference. 3. Average number of goals scored. 4. Average number of away goals scored. 5. Drawing of lots. The qualifying phase is played in a group format, the composition of the groups is determined through means of a draw of teams from pre-defined seeded bowls. The draw takes place after the preceding World Cup's qualifying competition.

For the 2008 European Football Championship, the group qualifying phase consists of seven groups, one of eight teams, and the remainder of seven teams each. The qualifying phase is done in groups, each effectively a mini league, where the highest ranked team, after all the teams have played each other home and away, progresses to the finals tournament, as with most leagues, the points are dealt as three for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss. In the eventuality of one or more teams having equal points after all matches have been played, the following criteria is used to distinguish the sides; 1. Higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question. 2. Superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question. 3. Higher number of goals scored in the group matches played among the teams in question. 4. Higher number of goals scored away from home in the group matches played among the teams in question. 5. 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. 6. Drawing of lots.

Final tournament Sixteen teams progress to the final tournament, for the 2008 tournament they will be the winners and runners up of the seven qualifying groups, and joint hosts Austria and Switzerland. These sixteen teams are divided equally into four groups, A, B, C and D, each consisting of four teams. The groups are drawn up by the UEFA administration, again using seeding. The seeded teams being the host nations, the reigning champions, subject to qualification, and those with the best points per game coefficients over the qualifying phase of the tournament and the previous World Cup qualifying. Other finalists will be assigned to by means of a draw, using coefficients as a basis. The four groups are again played in a league format, where a team plays its opponents once each. The same points system is used (three points for a win, one point for a draw, no points for a defeat). A schedule for the group matches will be drawn up, but the last two matches in a group must kick off simultaneously. The winner and runner-up of each group progresses to the quarter-finals, where a knockout system is used (the two teams play each other once, the winner progresses), this is used in all subsequent rounds as well.

The winners of the quarter-finals matches progress to the semi-finals, where the winners play in the final. If in any of the knockout rounds after normal playing time, the scores are still equal, extra time and penalties are employed to separate the two teams. UEFA European Football Championship 2008 | Home Contact About Euro 2008 The 13th UEFA European Football Championship was co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland. These two countries were quite different. For Austria co-hosting meant making its debut in the competition while the Swiss national football team have played in the UEFA European Championships twice prior hosting the event in 2008. Co-hosting the championship means that only one of the host nations will get to organize the final. In 2008 UEFA European Championship consisted of 16 teams divided into 4 groups. Therefore, each of the hosts organized two group stages in total of 8 venues. More about the Euro 2008 stadiums, you can read in Arenas 2008. Eventually, semi-finals were held one each in Basel and Vienna while the final took place on 29th June in Vienna. Two countries also meant there will be two mascots.

After the vote the clear favorites Trix and Flix with over 37% of votes were announced as the winners. One of the soundtracks of the championship was Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. All 2008 Matches Euro 2008 | BaselFootball.com Euro 2008 EURO 2008 The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, will take place in Austria and Switzerland, from 7 June to 29 June 2008. It is the second successful joint bid in the competition's history, alongside the 2000 European Football Championship, hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. Austria and Switzerland will automatically qualify as hosts. The remaining 14 teams will be determined in a qualifying tournament that started in August 2006. The two countries jointly bid to host the games, and faced major competition from Greece/Turkey, Scotland/Ireland, Russia, Hungary and Croatia/Bosnia-Herzegovina. Austria had already bid with another country before, which was Hungary for Euro 2004. They had eventually lost to Portugal.

Austria/Switzerland, Greece/Turkey, and Hungary were recommended before the final vote. Greece and Turkey were rejected and let Hungary and Austria/Switzerland battle for the win. But the final vote went to Austria and Switzerland, who had been the favourites in many people's eyes all along. Qualifying Round The draw for the UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying round took place in Montreux, Switzerland on 27 January 2006 at 12:00 CET. The qualifying process commenced a month after the 2006 World Cup. Austria and Switzerland have already qualified for the tournament finals as host nations. The Qualifying Format has been changed compared to previous tournaments. 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 change means there will be no play-offs between teams finishing in second place in the groups. Six of the qualifying groups will contain seven teams, and the other eight. UEFA Eurpean Football Championships The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by the UEFA.

The tournament is considered the second-most important competition among national teams, based on European and worldwide fame, after the FIFA World Cup. Euro 2008 Football Results | European Championships 2008 Winners Spain £100 Free Bet Euro 2008, Austria and Switzerland The 14th edition of the UEFA European Football Championship was co-hosted by two countries for the second time in the tournaments history. It took place in Austria and Switzerland from the 7th - 29th June 2008. The qualification process for Euro 2008 began in August 2004 and the x countries that were taking part were split into seven groups. The winners and runners of each of those groups would then qualify for the tournament, the remaining 2 spaces of the 16 team European Championships were filled by the host nations. The full list of qualified teams was as follows: Austria (Co-hosts and First Appearance) Czech Republic Turkey 2008 European Championship Final The final of the tournament took place between Germany and Spain on the 29th June 2008.

The venue used for the final was the Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna in Austria, and it was watched by a crowd of 51,428. A solitary goal during the first half of the match by Fernando Torres was enough to give Spain their second European Championship title. Goal scorers of the tournament For the second year in succession there were 77 goals scored during the finals to again give the tournament an average of 2.48 goals per game. Golden Boot The golden boot award was given to Spain's David Villa who scored 4 goals during the tournament. The following players were hot on David Villa's tally: 3 Goals Scored Final Football Betting Guide This is not the official site for the European Championship and makes no attempt to pass itself off as being so. This is a team, players, fixture and Euro 2012 Odds guide only to the competition. England in Euro 2012 England begin their campaign with a tough game against France on Monday 11th June at 5pm UK time. While not fancied in the press, the England betting odds sees them as one of the favourites within the bookmakers betting.

If England can make it through the group and be able to call upon Rooney, who knows what could happen. Responsible Gambling UEFA EURO 2008 - History – UEFA.com UEFA EURO 2008 Spain's 44-year wait for a trophy came to an end at UEFA EURO 2008 as Luis Aragonés's side defeated Germany 1-0 to deservedly win a competition they had taken by storm. Related Items EURO 2008 all-star XI Fernando Torres provided the killer blow in the final, darting past Philipp Lahm before shooting beyond the advancing Jens Lehmann to spark Spanish celebrations. The Roja had achieved what their predecessors had so often failed to do: deliver on their potential. Their success was, in large part, due to Aragonés who had fostered a harmonious atmosphere in a squad blessed with talent. They dazzled with pace, passing and power en route to claiming their country's first title since the 1964 UEFA European Championship. If midfielders Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta controlled Spain's rhythm with their speed of thought and distribution, it was strike pair David Villa and Torres who supplied the cutting edge.

Spain had signalled their intent from the off, beginning the Group D campaign with a 4-1 victory over Russia. Villa, who would finish as the tournament's top scorer, struck a hat-trick. He and Torres were on target again as Sweden were edged 2-1 before holders Greece fell by the same scoreline. While those three wins set Spanish pulses racing, optimism really turned to belief when the team saw off world champions Italy on penalties to reach the semi-finals. Spain were not the only side to impress in a competition where attack dominated defence. The Netherlands had stunned Italy 3-0, then 2006 FIFA World Cup finalists France 4-1 in successive Group C matches as Marco van Basten's men made light work of illustrious opponents. The Oranje, however, were beaten at their own game in the last eight as Guus Hiddink's Russia, inspired by Andrei Arshavin, ran out 3-1 victors after extra time. Their surprise run, though, was cut short in Vienna where Spain confirmed their place in the final with a 3-0 triumph. Host nations Switzerland and Austria both bowed out in the group stage, but neighbours Germany made themselves at home.

Joachim Löw's charges started well enough with a 2-0 win against Poland, yet a defeat by Croatia in their subsequent Group B game heralded a tense finale against Austria, in which they prevailed 1-0. If Germany had struggled to hit top gear, they certainly found their stride against Portugal in the quarter-finals – jumping into a 2-0 lead within 26 minutes before emerging as 3-2 winners. More drama followed in the last four as they outlasted Turkey by the same scoreline. Fatih Terim's team had illuminated the tournament with successive last-gasp victories over Switzerland, Czech Republic and Croatia to make the semi-finals. In Basel, however, it was their turn to endure the heartache as Lahm netted in the 90th minute to send Germany through. Lahm's joy proved short-lived. The left-back appeared to have Xavi's pass covered when the midfielder sought out Torres 33 minutes into the Vienna final, yet as so often during a memorable month for Aragonés's side, the Spanish player mastered the situation to make a decisive and winning contribution. ©UEFA.com 1998-2011. All rights reserved.

Last updated: 16/05/16 12.46CET European Football Championship Competition Tournament | Euro qualifying | Venue guide European Football Championship Competition The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by the UEFA. Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the European Nations Cup, changing to the name European Football Championship in 1968. The tournament is considered the second-most important competition among national teams, based on European and worldwide fame, after the FIFA World Cup. Specific championships are often referred to in the form "Euro 2008" or whichever year is appropriate. There is a UEFA Women's Championship inaugurated in 1984 and from 1997 held every four years, as well as a Men's Under-21 equivalent of the UEFA European Championship tournament, taking place every two years. Before 1980, only four teams qualified for the final tournament. From 1980 eight teams competed and in 1996 the tournament expanded again to the current number of teams, 16.

The competing teams are chosen by a series of qualifying games: in 1960 and 1964 through home and away play-offs; from 1968 through a combination of both qualifying groups and play-off games. The host country was selected from the four finalists after they were determined through qualifying. Since the expansion of the final tournament starting from 1980, the host country, or countries, have been chosen beforehand and qualify automatically. The defending champions have never been granted an automatic place in the finals. 2012 and 2016 bids On the 18th April 2007, Poland/Ukraine were selected to host the 2012 competition. They beat off competition from the highly favoured Italy and a joint bid from Croatia/Hungary. In 2010, UEFA will decide which country will host Euro 2016. Sweden and Norway are currently planning a joint bid, and it has been reported that Wales and Scotland will also bid together. Bids should be submitted in 2008.

There is much discussion about an expansion of the tournament grid to 24 teams, started by Scotland and Ireland, due to the increased number of football associations in Europe after the breakups of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and the USSR. The new president of UEFA, Michel Platini, is reported to be in favour of expansion. However, on April 17, 2007, UEFA's Executive Committee formally decided against expansion in 2012 In the current 16-team format, and because of the requirement that both final matches of a qualifying group be played at the same time, the practical minimum number of stadia is eight. At least one stadium must have UEFA 5-star rating to host the final, and all others must have 4-star rating or more. Also, concentrating more than two stadia in a single host city is likely to put severe strain on that city's transportation and lodging infrastructure. This means that host stadia must be located in at least four different cities—generally six to eight in practice, as few cities outside the capitals of most European countries have enough resident sports teams with attendances high enough to justify the existence of two large stadia.

As a consequence, transport between venues for the teams and the large numbers of visiting fans is of crucial importance and often requires significant investment to improve road, rail, and air networks. These demanding requirements make it increasingly difficult for small- and medium-sized countries to host a Euro alone. The population of Portugal, at just over 10 million, may represent the threshold below which a country cannot bid by itself. Though Portugal staged a successful Euro in 2004, it is unclear whether its investment will pay off. Some of the stadia built for the occasion are rarely, if ever, full during domestic league or cup matches. Joint hosting, as done in 2000 and 2008, can offer a solution to this problem. Since the 1990s, countries have been allowed to act as joint hosts. Belgium and the Netherlands were the first countries to co-host the competition in 2000. In the 2008 tournament Austria and Switzerland will co-host the event, held from June 7 - June 29, 2008.

UEFA has unofficially set the maximum number of co-hosts at two by turning down a so-called "Nordic bid" of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden to host Euro 2008 jointly. With two co-hosts, each organizing country needs only provide good transportation between three or four host cities and build or renovate four stadia, with a better chance of a positive return on investment. A large number of nations with populations around five million, such as Scotland or Croatia, now have an opportunity to become hosts. An element of sporting fairness is also present, as co-hosting gives smaller countries with good national teams (such as the Czech Republic) the same opportunity as their football equals with larger populations (such as Spain) to earn a Euro berth without having to qualify. With the proposed expansion of the Euro to 24 teams, the requirements become even more stringent. The experience of past 24-team World Cups (1982 to 1994) shows that nine to 12 stadia are necessary to host such a competition, 12 being the ideal number. In practice, eight to 12 cities are now involved, which magnifies transportation and lodging issues.

If UEFA maintains its unofficial limit of two co-hosts, the minimum country size to mount a bid will therefore increase and will probably lie between five and 10 million. It is also possible that UEFA would become open to joint bids by three countries, which would keep the requirements unchanged for each co-host and enable the same pool of nations to bid as in the 16-team format. Qualifying would, however, become marginally more difficult for non-hosts: 21 berths would remain open to 48 teams (i.e., a 43.8% selection rate), versus 22 berths for 49 teams (a 44.9% rate) for a two-host Euro.

UEFA EURO 2008 - History - Switzerland – UEFA.com UEFA EURO 2008 Switzerland celebrate their draw with England at EURO '96 ©Getty Images Switzerland Best result: group stage 1996, 2004, 2008 Coach: Ottmar Hitzfeld (Vladimir Petković from 1 July 2014) Leading scorers: all-time – Alexander Frei (42); current – Tranquillo Barnetta (10) Most appearances: all-time – Heinz Hermann (118); current – Tranquillo Barnetta (72) Association formed: 1895 Nickname: Schweizer Nati/Nati Suisse (Swiss national team) Where they play: Stade de Suisse, Berne; St. Jakob-Park, Basel Switzerland, the country that provides the headquarters for both FIFA and UEFA, will make it three successive FIFA World Cup participations when they compete in Brazil this summer. Ottmar Hitzfeld's team topped their qualifying group with ease, winning seven and drawing three of their ten matches.

All three of the country's UEFA European Championship final tournament appearances have resulted in group stage elimination, including the 2008 event they co-hosted with Austria. EURO pedigree Overall: P91 W33 D24 L34 F134 A121 Final tournament: P9 W1 D2 L6 F5 A13 Qualifying: P82 W32 D22 L28 F129 A108 For years, Switzerland were subject to a stream of slender defeats, until the appointment of Roy Hodgson signalled a change in fortunes. Having qualified for the 1994 World Cup, their first in 28 years, Hodgson then led his team to EURO '96 after topping a section containing Turkey and Sweden. They kicked off their finals by drawing 1-1 with hosts England, before consecutive defeats against the Netherlands and Scotland ended their campaign. Switzerland qualified again in 2004 under Jakob 'Köbi' Kuhn but garnered only one point, although Johan Vonlanthen did become the EURO's youngest goalscorer in a 3-1 defeat by France.

They co-hosted the tournament with Austria in 2008 but failed to make home advantage count, losing against the Czech Republic and Turkey before overcoming Portugal 2-0. Opening defeats by England and Montenegro, and a campaign that yielded only two away points, undermined their UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying hopes, Switzerland finishing third in Group B. Memorable EURO matches Basel Football | BaselFootball.com European Football Championship The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by the UEFA. Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the European Nations Cup, changing to the name European Football Championship in 1968. The tournament is considered the second-most important competition among national teams, based on European and worldwide fame, after the FIFA World Cup. Specific championships are often referred to in the form "Euro 2008" or whichever year is appropriate. There is a UEFA Women's Championship inaugurated in 1984 and from 1997 held every four years, as well as a Men's Under-21 equivalent of the UEFA European Championship tournament, taking place every two years.

History In 1956, the groundwork for a European national team competition was laid. Two years later, in 1958, the first European Nations Cup began. The original format of the competition saw the early rounds played in home and away matches between the countries on a knockout basis. This continued until the semi-finals, where the remainder of the competition was played in the host country, chosen from the four semi-finalists. The French Football Federation’s Henri Delaunay came up with the idea of a European championship in 1927. Given the immense efforts that Delaunay had put into setting up a European national teams competition, UEFA deemed it appropriate that the inaugural competition be hosted by France. The trophy presented to the competition winner still bears his name. The first final was held in Paris and saw the Soviet Union defeat Yugoslavia, after extra time, and be first to have their name engraved onto the trophy. The 1964 competition was the first European Nations Cup to be affected by politics as it saw Greece refusing to play Albania as they were technically (though not officially) at war. The finals were hosted by Spain, and they saw the hosts beat the Soviet Union 2-1 in Madrid.

The European Nations Cup changed its name to the UEFA European Football Championship for 1968 and also a new format was introduced. Eight groups of seeded teams played each other twice and the top side of each group proceeded to two-legged quarter finals. The semi-finals and final were played in the host country of Italy who won the competition after a 2-0 replay of the final, having drawn 1-1 in the first against Yugoslavia. In the 1972 tournament, the same structure was retained, with Belgium being the host of the finals. West Germany won the competition, beating the Soviet Union 3-0 in the final. The 1976 final round was hosted by Yugoslavia. In the final, Czechoslovakia squandered a two-goal lead before penalties were needed. When Uli Hoeness missed, it allowed Antonín Panenka to chip into the space vacated by Sepp Maier's anticipatory dive for a Czechoslovakian victory. In 1980 UEFA introduced a new format, which saw eight teams go to the finals instead of four, and then play each other in two groups of four teams; the winner of each group then proceeded to the final.

West Germany faced Belgium in the final, which they won 2-1 after two goals from Horst Hrubesch. However the newer format was not retained in 1984, and a different format was used, again employing group stages, but this time in place of only the quarter-finals. The top two teams from each of the two groups progressed to the semi-finals. The competition was held in France for the second time. The hosts won 2-0 in Paris against Spain with goals from Michel Platini and Bruno Bellone. The 1988 competition was held in West Germany, while the format from the 1984 competition was retained. Marco Van Basten led the Netherlands, scoring what was later voted the best goal ever in the competition. The 1992 competition was held in Sweden during a time of European political change, a united Germany was represented and as a result of the break up of the Soviet Union, a Commonwealth of Independent States of the former Soviet Union. Yugoslavia made it to the finals but were excluded as a result of hostilities in their country, Denmark replaced them.

Surprisingly, the Danes went on to win the competition after a 2-0 victory over world champions Germany in the final. With the break up of the Soviet Union all of the former Soviet bloc countries were required to enter separately. Now that there were more teams, a format that accommodated this was required. With 48 teams entering the competition, and after the enlargement of the World Cup which had more European sides qualifying for it than the European Championships themselves, 16 teams travelled to the finals in England. The teams were put into 4 groups , the winner and runner up of each group progressed to a new round of quarter-finals. The semi-finals and final remained the same. The Germans won in the final over underdogs Czech Republic with a golden goal. Belgium and the Netherlands became the first countries to jointly host the event in 2000. France won, again the final was decided by golden goal, David Trezeguet was the scorer. In 2004 the event was held in Portugal, with the silver goal rule being used for the first time. The rule saw Greece beat the Czech Republic in the semi-finals.

Underdogs Greece went on to win the competition, when they had been put at pre-tournament odds of 100 to 1. The next tournament will be co-hosted by Switzerland and Austria in 2008. Future Since the 1990's, an innovation has allowed countries to act as joint hosts. Belgium and the Netherlands were the first countries to co-host the competition in 2000. In the 2008 tournament Austria and Switzerland will co-host the event, held from 7 to 29 of June, 2008. Many also talk about an expansion of the tournament grid to 24 teams, due to the increasing number of FAs in Europe after the Yugoslavia and USSR breakups. Selection of the host country or countries for the 2012 competition is currently in progress. The host will be chosen in March 2007 from a shortlist including Italy and joint bids from Poland/Ukraine and Croatia/Hungary. In 2010, UEFA will decide which country will host Euro 2016. Sweden and Denmark are currently planning a joint bid. Bids should be left in 2008.

European Football Championship Format Qualifying In order to qualify a team must be winners or runners-up in one of the seven qualifying groups. After this a team proceeds to the finals round in the host country, although hosts qualify for the tournament automatically. The qualifying phase begins in the autumn after the preceding FIFA World Cup, almost two years before the finals. The groups for qualification are drawn by a UEFA committee using seeding, seeded teams include reigning champions, and other teams on the basis of their performance in the preceding FIFA World Cup qualifying, and the last European Football Championship qualifying. To obtain an accurate view of the teams abilities, a ranking is produced, this is calculated by taking the total number of points won by a particular team, and dividing it by the number of games played, i.e., points per game, in the case of a team having hosted one of the two previous competitions, and therefore having qualified automatically, only the results from the single most recent qualifying competition are used. If two teams have equal points per game, the committee then bases their positions in the rankings on; Coefficient from the matches played in its most recent qualifying competition. Average goal difference. Average number of goals scored. Average number of away goals scored. Drawing of lots.

The qualifying phase is played in a group format, the composition of the groups is determined through means of a draw of teams from pre-defined seeded bowls. The draw takes place after the preceding World Cup's qualifying competition. For the 2008 European Football Championship, the group qualifying phase consists of seven groups, one of eight teams, and the remainder of seven teams each. The qualifying phase is done in groups, each effectively a mini league, where the highest ranked team, after all the teams have played each other home and away, progresses to the finals tournament, as with most leagues, the points are dealt as three for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss. In the eventuality of one or more teams having equal points after all matches have been played, the following criteria is used to distinguish the sides; 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.

Results of all group matches: Superior goal difference Higher number of goals scored Higher number of goals scored away from home Fair play conduct. Drawing of lots. Final tournament Sixteen teams progress to the final tournament, for the 2008 tournament they will be the winners and runners up of the seven qualifying groups, and joint hosts Austria and Switzerland. These sixteen teams are divided equally into four groups, A, B, C and D, each consisting of four teams. The groups are drawn up by the UEFA administration, again using seeding. The seeded teams being the host nations, the reigning champions, subject to qualification, and those with the best points per game coefficients over the qualifying phase of the tournament and the previous World Cup qualifying. Other finalists will be assigned to by means of a draw, using coefficients as a basis. The four groups are again played in a league format, where a team plays its opponents once each. The same points system is used (three points for a win, one point for a draw, no points for a defeat). A schedule for the group matches will be drawn up, but the last two matches in a group must kick off simultaneously.

The winner and runner-up of each group progresses to the quarter-finals, where a knockout system is used (the two teams play each other once, the winner progresses), this is used in all subsequent rounds as well. The winners of the quarter-finals matches progress to the semi-finals, where the winners play in the final. If in any of the knockout rounds after normal playing time, the scores are still equal, extra time and penalties are employed to separate the two teams. All about UEFA The Union of European Football Associations, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European football. It represents the national football associations of Europe, runs Europe-wide national and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those competitions. EURO 2016 Team Profile : SWITZERLAND - YouTube EURO 2016 Team Profile : SWITZERLAND Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on May 27, 2016 Enjoy the video, The Switzerland national football team (also known as the Schweizer Nati in German, La Nati in French, Squadra nazionale in Italian) is the national football team of Switzerland. The team is controlled by the Swiss Football Association. The team's logo, ASF-SFV, represents the Swiss Football Association's initials in Switzerland's official languages: ASF represents both French (Association Suisse de Football) and Italian (Associazione Svizzera di Football), and SFV is German (Schweizerischer Fussballverband). In Romansh, the association is abbreviated as ASB (Associaziun Svizra da Ballape). Its best performances in the World Cup have been reaching the quarter-finals three times, in 1934, 1938 and when the country hosted the event in 1954. Switzerland also won silver at the 1924 Olympics. The youth teams have been more successful, winning the 2002 U-17 European Championship and the 2009 U-17 World Cup.

In 2006, Switzerland set a FIFA World Cup record by being eliminated from the competition despite not conceding a goal, losing to Ukraine in a penalty shootout in the last 16, by failing to score a single penalty – becoming the first national team in Cup history to do this.[2] They would not concede a goal until their second group stage game in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, giving up a goal in the 74th minute against Chile, setting a World Cup Finals record for consecutive minutes without conceding a goal. Switzerland co-hosted Euro 2008 with Austria, making their third appearance in the competition. As with the two previous appearances, they did not clear the group stages. -The Football Union Switzerland - Shop by Country Shop by Country More... A new World Cup Champion was crowned in 2014 "GERMANY" now a four time World Champion. But the greatest game in the World doesn't end here, In 2015 the Women's World cup also crowned a new Champion, USA is now a 3 time World Champion. Also Copa America 2015 was an exciting cup to watch, the Champion was the host Country Chile.

In 2016 the EURO Cup promises to be a great event with the best Federation teams from Europe, Germany, Spain, Belgium, and more. learn more Shop for more then just your favorite team's jerseys. Check out different training jackets, gloves, and many more. Also check out of Gift section for great soccer gift ideas. learn more Shoes for all types of terrains and conditions. Check out the hottest shoes in the soccer world by the hottest brands in the world. Nike, adidas, Puma and more. learn more From players to coaches and all in between. Here you can find coaching tools, training tools and even medical tools. Equip yourself and equip the field. learn more Nike, adidas, Select, New Balance, Puma, Brine and many other top brands. Select from a wide range of soccer balls for every player from professional level soccer balls to training. learn more You may not score the goals, but your job is as important as anybody's. So make sure you look good and feel good in between those posts. learn more Rugby gets you the dirtiest. Make sure you have enough equipment from top level brands such as Gilbert, Canterbury and more. learn more Sale on top name brands.

Take advantage of some great deals on footwear, jerseys and more. Save up to 40% or more on selected items. Orders over $90 ship FREE! learn more Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland national football team. Its best performances in the World Cup have been reaching the quarter-finals three times, in 1934, 1938 and when the country hosted the event in 1954. Switzerland also won silver at the 1924 Olympics. The youth teams have been more successful, winning the 2002 U-17 European Championship and the 2009 U-17 World Cup. Switzerland co-hosted Euro 2008 with Austria, making their third appearance in the competition. As with the two previous appearances, they did not clear the group stages. Sort By Price: Actual Price: Our price is lower than the manufacturer's "minimum advertised price." As a result, we cannot show you the price in catalog or the product page. You have no obligation to purchase the product once you know the price. You can simply remove the item from your cart.

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Question: What country co-hosted the Euro 2008 soccer competition with Switzerland?
Answer: Austria