2008 UEFA European Football Championship
Encyclopedia
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Football Championship
, a quadrennial football tournament contested by European nations. It took place in Austria and Switzerland from 7 to 29 June 2008. The second jointly-hosted edition in the competition's history, the tournament was eventually won by Spain
, defeating Germany
1–0 in the final
; becoming only the second nation to win all their group stage fixtures and win the European Championship itself; an accomplishment matched by France in 1984
. Spain were also the first team since Germany in 1996 to win the tournament undefeated.
Greece
were the defending champions going into the tournament, having won UEFA Euro 2004, the previous competition. They recorded the worst finish in Euro 2008, collecting the least amount of prize money and gaining no points in their three group fixtures. Throughout 31 matches, the participating nations totalled 77 goals, the same as the previous tournament. Austria
and Switzerland
automatically qualified as hosts; the remaining 14 teams were determined through qualifying matches, which began in August 2006. As European champions, Spain earned the right to compete for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
in South Africa.
Qualification for Euro 2008 started in August 2006, just over a month after the end of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. The qualifying tournament was contested by national teams from each of UEFA
's member associations, with the exceptions of Austria
and Switzerland
, who had automatically qualified for the finals tournament as hosts and Montenegro
, who came into existence too late to be admitted to UEFA. England
was the only seeded team not to qualify for the tournament proper, whereas Russia
was the only unseeded one to qualify.
The draw for the finals tournament took place on 2 December 2007, and saw Group C
immediately labelled as the "group of death
", with Italy
, France
, Romania
and the Netherlands
competing for the two qualifying places. In contrast, Germany
and Portugal
were deemed to have an easy draw, as the tournament structure meant they could not meet Italy, France, the Netherlands or Spain
until the final.
In the group stage, Croatia
, Spain and the Netherlands all qualified with maximum points. Austria and Switzerland were not expected to progress, despite the advantage of being the hosts. In Group A
, the Swiss lost their captain, Alexander Frei, to injury in their first game and became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament, after losing their first two matches. Switzerland managed to beat the group winner Portugal in their last game. In Group B
, Austria managed to set up a decisive final game against Germany, dubbed "Austria's final". However, they lost by one goal, making Euro 2008 the first European Championship not to have one of the host nations present in the knockout stage. In an exciting final game in Group A, an injury- and suspension-hit Turkey
came back from 2–0 down to beat the Czech Republic
3–2, after an uncharacteristic handling mistake by Petr Čech
, in the last few minutes, left Nihat Kahveci
with the simplest of finishes. In the same game, goalkeeper Volkan Demirel was shown a red card for pushing Czech striker Jan Koller
to the ground. The Turks joined Portugal as the qualifiers from Group A. France were the high-profile victims of Group C, recording just one point from a goalless draw against Romania in their opening game. Italy beat the French, on the final day, to finish on four points and joining the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. Finally, in Group D
, Greece
failed to reproduce the form of their shock 2004 win, and ended the tournament with no points. Russia qualified at the expense of Sweden
, after beating them in a final game decider, joining Spain in the knockout stage.
In the quarter-finals, the Portuguese team was unable to give their coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari
, a fitting send-off – following the mid-tournament announcement that Scolari would be leaving to join English club Chelsea
– losing in an exciting game against Germany. Turkey continued their streak of last-gasp wins, equalising at the end of extra-time against Croatia and advancing on penalties. Coached by Dutchman Guus Hiddink
, Russia eliminated the Netherlands with two extra-time goals. The last quarter-final match saw Spain defeat Italy on penalties, after a goalless draw in regular time.
Turkey's progress was halted by Germany at the semi-final stage. Turkey entered the game with nine of their squad members missing due to injury or suspension, but still scored the first goal. Later, they leveled the score at 2–2, before Germany scored the winning goal in the final minute. The world television feed of the match was intermittently lost during the match, which prevented the broadcast of Germany's second goal. This was due to a thunderstorm at the broadcasting relay station in Austria, despite the game being played in Switzerland. Spain won the second semi-final against Russia by three goals to nil, through second-half goals from Xavi
, Daniel Güiza
and David Silva
, earning Spain their first appearance in a major final for 24 years.
In the final, held at Vienna
's Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Spain became European champions for the second time after Fernando Torres
' first-half goal proved enough to defeat Germany. Though Germany had a strong start, Spain started to look more dangerous after they had settled. After half an hour, Xavi played a pass in behind the Germany back line towards Torres, who outmuscled a hesitant Philipp Lahm
and clipped the ball over the diving Jens Lehmann
and just inside the far post. That goal proved to be the only goal of the game, which Spain dominated despite Germany having the majority of the possession, and Spain were crowned UEFA Euro 2008 champions.
/Republic of Ireland, Russia, Hungary, Croatia/Bosnia-Herzegovina and a 4-way Nordic
bid from Norway/Sweden/Denmark/Finland. Austria had previously bid to host Euro 2004 with Hungary, but they eventually lost out 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.
The Austria/Switzerland bid is the second successful joint bid in the competition's history, following the UEFA Euro 2000 hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. The 2012 competition in Poland and Ukraine is scheduled to become the third jointly-hosted tournament.
in Vienna with a capacity of 53,295. It was for this reason that Ernst Happel Stadion hosted the final. Switzerland played all of their group stage matches at St. Jakob Park in Basel, which also hosted the opening match of the tournament as a compromise for the final being held in Vienna. Austria played all of their group stage matches at Ernst Happel Stadion
.
In 2004, the Zurich
venue became a problem for the organisers. Originally, the Hardturm
stadium was to be renovated and used as the city's venue, but legal challenges delayed the plan to a point that would not have allowed the ground to be used in 2008. This created a problem, as the agreement between UEFA and the organizers stipulated that four venues would be used in each country. The problem was solved when the organizers proposed renovating Letzigrund
instead; UEFA
approved the revised plan in January 2005. The Letzigrund stadium hosted its first football match on 23 September 2007.
, Switzerland on 27 January 2006 at 12:00 CET
.
The qualifying process commenced a month after the 2006 World Cup
. Austria and Switzerland automatically qualified for the tournament finals as host nations.
The qualifying format was changed compared to previous tournaments. The winners and runners-up from seven groups automatically qualified for the Championship, with the hosts filling the other two slots in the 16-team tournament. The change means there were no play-offs between teams finishing in second place in the groups – they qualified directly for the finals. Teams that finished in third place didn't have any further opportunity to qualify. Six of the qualifying groups contained seven teams, and the other, Group A, contained eight.
.
In a return to the format used at Euro 92 and Euro 96 the games in each group were held at just two stadia, with the seeded team remaining in the same city for all three matches. As was the case at the 2000 and 2004 finals, the finalists were divided into four seeding pots, based on average points per game in the qualifying phases of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
and Euro 2008, with each group having one team from each pot. Switzerland
and Austria
, as co-hosts, and Greece
, as defending champions, were seeded first automatically. The Netherlands
were seeded based on their UEFA coefficient in the Euro 2008 finalists ranking.
Fourth officials
, the finishing positions were determined by the following tie-breaking criteria in the following order:
However, these criteria would not apply if two teams tied on points and goals scored played against each other in their final group match; in that case, the tie would be broken by a penalty shootout.
Notes on the tie-breaking situation
Notes on the tie-breaking situation
The knockout stage was different from that of past tournaments. Teams in groups A and B were separated from teams in groups C and D until the final. This increased the chance of a group fixture being replayed in the knockout stage, and rendered impossible a final between two teams drawn in the same half of the tournament. Also, in another major change, for the first time in a European Championship, only two venues (St. Jakob-Park
, Basel
and Ernst Happel Stadion
, Vienna—the two largest of the eight stadiums used) were used for the seven matches in the knockout stage of the tournament.
All times are Central European Summer Time
(UTC+2
)
----
----
3 goals
Lukas Podolski
Roman Pavlyuchenko
Hakan Yakin
Semih Şentürk
2 goals
Ivan Klasnić
Michael Ballack
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Miroslav Klose
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Robin van Persie
Wesley Sneijder
Andrei Arshavin Dani Güiza
Fernando Torres
Zlatan Ibrahimović
Arda Turan
Nihat Kahveci
1 goal
Ivica Vastić
Luka Modrić
Ivica Olić
Darijo Srna
Jan Koller
Jaroslav Plašil
Libor Sionko
Václav Svěrkoš
Thierry Henry
Philipp Lahm
Angelos Charisteas
Daniele De Rossi
Christian Panucci
Andrea Pirlo
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar Dirk Kuyt
Arjen Robben
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Roger Guerreiro
Deco
Raul Meireles Nuno Gomes
Pepe Hélder Postiga
Ricardo Quaresma
Cristiano Ronaldo
Adrian Mutu
Dmitri Torbinski Konstantin Zyryanov
Rubén de la Red
Cesc Fàbregas
David Silva
Xavi
Petter Hansson
Uğur Boral
The UEFA Technical Team was charged with naming a squad composed of the 23 best players over the course of the tournament. The group of nine analysts watched every game at the tournament before making their decision after the final. Nine players from the winning Spanish team were named in the team of the tournament, while no players knocked out in the group stage were included. The UEFA Technical Team also had to pick a Player of the Tournament, taking fans' votes into account. The player chosen was Spain midfielder Xavi
. The Golden Boot was awarded to yet another Spaniard, David Villa
, who scored four goals, three of which came in his side's 4–1 win over Russia (the only hat-trick
scored in the tournament).
UEFA Team of the Tournament
Golden Boot David Villa
(4 goals)
UEFA Player of the Tournament Xavi
. A player is also suspended for one match for picking up two yellow cards in separate matches. However, any yellow cards accumulated are annulled once a team is eliminated from the tournament or reaches the semi-finals.
In extreme cases of ill-discipline, UEFA may choose to have a disciplinary panel examine the incident in order to determine whether or not further suspension is required. One case of this at Euro 2008 was the suspension of Turkey
goalkeeper Volkan Demirel for two matches for pushing Czech
striker Jan Koller
.
The following players were suspended for one or more games as a result of red cards or yellow card accumulation:
(IBC), which relayed the television feed from the match in Basel, Switzerland, resulting in one or more goals being missed by various audiences. Various national broadcasters took emergency contingency measures such as reverting to radio broadcasting (for example, the BBC used coverage from Radio 5 Live, Ireland circumvented the problem by having RTÉ Two
's studio presenter Bill O'Herlihy
and panelists Eamon Dunphy
, Johnny Giles
and Liam Brady
provide emergency discussion on what had happened in the match and Øyvind Alsaker
, commentator from Norwegian TV2
picked up his mobile and filmed with a 3G
camera). Only the Swiss public broadcaster SRG
maintained full coverage since it used a direct signal other than the IBC's.
Trophy, created by Asprey
London, is almost an exact replica of the original designed by Arthus-Bertrand
. A small figure juggling a ball on the back of the original has been removed, as has the marble plinth. The silver base of the trophy also had to be enlarged to make it stable. The names of the winning countries that had appeared on the plinth have now been engraved on the back of the trophy, which is made of sterling silver
, weighs 8 kilograms (17.6 lb) and is 60 centimetres (23.6 in) tall.
. Romanian
Adrian Mutu
provided the sole penalty miss, late in the match against world champions Italy
; had he scored and Romania held on for the win, the Italians would have been knocked out.
Scored
Missed
The match ball for the finals was unveiled at the draw ceremony. Produced by Adidas
and named the Europass, it is a 14-panel ball in the same construction as the Teamgeist, but with a modified surface design. A version named the Europass Gloria was used in the final.
There were concerns raised about the match ball, which was claimed to deviate unpredictably in flight, making it difficult to judge for goalkeepers. Notable players to criticise were Germany's Jens Lehmann
and the Czech Republic's Petr Čech
. These claims were disputed by the ball's designer, Oliver Kahn
.
of Faithless
on behalf of UEFA. The official Euro 2008 song was "Can You Hear Me
" by Enrique Iglesias
, which was performed live during the official closing ceremony prior to the final in Ernst Happel Stadion
in Vienna on 29 June.
Two soundtracks, "Like a Superstar" and "Feel the Rush," were recorded by Jamaican reggae
artist Shaggy
as mascot songs for Euro 2008. They formed a musical background to video clips featuring the twin mascots Trix and Flix.
The official Swiss song for the tournament was a new version of "Bring en hei" (Bring him Home) by Baschi. Christina Stürmer
sang the official tournament song of Austrian ÖFB, "Fieber" (Fever). Croatia
manager Slaven Bilić
recorded his country's official Euro 2008 song, "Vatreno ludilo" ("Fiery Madness"), with his rock group, Rawbau.
"Seven Nation Army
" by The White Stripes
was played when players walked out before kick-off, and a remix of "Samba de Janeiro" by German dance group Bellini
was played after each goal scored in the competition.
After receiving 36.3% of the vote, Trix and Flix were chosen. "I am sure the mascots and their names will become a vital part of the understanding of the whole event," said Christian Mutschler, who is the tournament director for Switzerland.
The UEFA President Michel Platini
stated "It describes in a nutshell what the UEFA Euro 2008 has to offer: all kinds of emotions – joy, disappointment, relief or high tension – right up to the final whistle."
To celebrate this occasion, some countries in Europe issued special commemorative coins. Among them were the Austrian €5 2008 European championship commemorative coins (two coins). One coin shows players dribbling, while the other coin shows a striker trying to reach the ball. In the pieces, all eight venues of the 2008 finals, are depicted.
announced that total of €184 million has been offered to the 16 teams competing in this tournament, increasing from €129 million in the previous tournament. The distributions as below:
Extra payment based on teams performances:
Spain, as winners of the tournament and winners of all three of their group stage matches, received a total prize of €23 million, the maximum possible prize money. Greece on the other hand, being the only team to lose all three of their group matches, were the only team to receive nothing more than the €7.5 million participation prize.
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
, a quadrennial football tournament contested by European nations. It took place in Austria and Switzerland from 7 to 29 June 2008. The second jointly-hosted edition in the competition's history, the tournament was eventually won by Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, defeating Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
1–0 in the final
UEFA Euro 2008 Final
The UEFA Euro 2008 Final was a football match that took place on 29 June 2008 at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, Austria, to determine the winner of the UEFA Euro 2008. Spain defeated Germany 1–0 with a goal from Fernando Torres...
; becoming only the second nation to win all their group stage fixtures and win the European Championship itself; an accomplishment matched by France in 1984
UEFA Euro 1984 Final
The final of UEFA Euro 1984 was a football match played on 27 June 1984 at Parc des Princes in Paris, France to determine the winner of UEFA Euro 1984...
. Spain were also the first team since Germany in 1996 to win the tournament undefeated.
Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
were the defending champions going into the tournament, having won UEFA Euro 2004, the previous competition. They recorded the worst finish in Euro 2008, collecting the least amount of prize money and gaining no points in their three group fixtures. Throughout 31 matches, the participating nations totalled 77 goals, the same as the previous tournament. Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
and Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
automatically qualified as hosts; the remaining 14 teams were determined through qualifying matches, which began in August 2006. As European champions, Spain earned the right to compete for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
in South Africa.
Summary
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. The qualifying tournament was contested by national teams from each of UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
's member associations, with the exceptions of Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
and Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
, who had automatically qualified for the finals tournament as hosts and Montenegro
Montenegro national football team
The Montenegro national football team represents Montenegro in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Montenegro, the governing body for football in Montenegro...
, who came into existence too late to be admitted to UEFA. England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
was the only seeded team not to qualify for the tournament proper, whereas Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
was the only unseeded one to qualify.
The draw for the finals tournament took place on 2 December 2007, and saw Group C
UEFA Euro 2008 Group C
Group C of the 2008 UEFA European Championships is one of four groups of competing nations at UEFA Euro 2008. The first of three rounds of matches took place on 9 June, and finished on 17 June. All six group matches were played at venues in Switzerland, in Zürich and Berne. The group is composed of...
immediately labelled as the "group of death
Group of death
A group of death in a multi-stage tournament is a group which is unusually competitive, because the number of strong competitors in the group is greater than the number of qualifying places available for the next phase of the tournament...
", with Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
competing for the two qualifying places. In contrast, Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
and Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
were deemed to have an easy draw, as the tournament structure meant they could not meet Italy, France, the Netherlands or Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
until the final.
In the group stage, Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, Spain and the Netherlands all qualified with maximum points. Austria and Switzerland were not expected to progress, despite the advantage of being the hosts. In Group A
UEFA Euro 2008 Group A
Group A of the 2008 UEFA European Championships is one of four groups competing of nations at UEFA Euro 2008. The group's first round of matches was played on 7 June, with the final round played on 15 June. All six group matches were played at venues in Switzerland, in Basel and Geneva...
, the Swiss lost their captain, Alexander Frei, to injury in their first game and became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament, after losing their first two matches. Switzerland managed to beat the group winner Portugal in their last game. In Group B
UEFA Euro 2008 Group B
Group B of the 2008 UEFA European Championships was one of four groups of competing nations at UEFA Euro 2008. The first of the three rounds of matches were played on 8 June, and the final round was completed on 16 June. All six of the group's matches were played at venues in Austria, in Vienna and...
, Austria managed to set up a decisive final game against Germany, dubbed "Austria's final". However, they lost by one goal, making Euro 2008 the first European Championship not to have one of the host nations present in the knockout stage. In an exciting final game in Group A, an injury- and suspension-hit Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
came back from 2–0 down to beat the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
3–2, after an uncharacteristic handling mistake by Petr Čech
Petr Cech
Petr Čech is a Czech footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Czech Republic as a goalkeeper. Čech previously played for Viktoria Plzeň, Chmel Blšany, Sparta Prague, and Rennes. He was voted into the all-star team of Euro 2004 after helping his country reach the semi-finals...
, in the last few minutes, left Nihat Kahveci
Nihat Kahveci
Nihat Kahveci is a Turkish footballer. Nihat plays as a Forward.-Biography:Nihat's family name, Kahveci, means "coffee maker." Many people in Turkey adopted the name of their profession as their family name in the early 20th century, suggesting that Nihat's ancestors were in the coffee business...
with the simplest of finishes. In the same game, goalkeeper Volkan Demirel was shown a red card for pushing Czech striker Jan Koller
Jan Koller
Jan Koller is Czech footballer currently playing in AFK Smetanova Lhota.As an international player he played as a striker for the Czech Republic national team. He is the all-time leading goal scorer for either the Czech Republic or the former Czechoslovakia, with 55 goals in 91 caps...
to the ground. The Turks joined Portugal as the qualifiers from Group A. France were the high-profile victims of Group C, recording just one point from a goalless draw against Romania in their opening game. Italy beat the French, on the final day, to finish on four points and joining the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. Finally, in Group D
UEFA Euro 2008 Group D
Group D of the 2008 UEFA European Championships is one of four groups of competing nations at UEFA Euro 2008. The first round of matches were played on 10 June, with the final round scheduled for 18 June. All six group matches were played at venues in Austria, in Innsbruck and Salzburg...
, Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
failed to reproduce the form of their shock 2004 win, and ended the tournament with no points. Russia qualified at the expense of Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
, after beating them in a final game decider, joining Spain in the knockout stage.
In the quarter-finals, the Portuguese team was unable to give their coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...
, a fitting send-off – following the mid-tournament announcement that Scolari would be leaving to join English club Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
– losing in an exciting game against Germany. Turkey continued their streak of last-gasp wins, equalising at the end of extra-time against Croatia and advancing on penalties. Coached by Dutchman Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
, Russia eliminated the Netherlands with two extra-time goals. The last quarter-final match saw Spain defeat Italy on penalties, after a goalless draw in regular time.
Turkey's progress was halted by Germany at the semi-final stage. Turkey entered the game with nine of their squad members missing due to injury or suspension, but still scored the first goal. Later, they leveled the score at 2–2, before Germany scored the winning goal in the final minute. The world television feed of the match was intermittently lost during the match, which prevented the broadcast of Germany's second goal. This was due to a thunderstorm at the broadcasting relay station in Austria, despite the game being played in Switzerland. Spain won the second semi-final against Russia by three goals to nil, through second-half goals from Xavi
Xavi
Xavier Hernández i Creus , commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi , is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, where he has spent his entire 14-year career....
, Daniel Güiza
Daniel Güiza
Daniel González Güiza is a Spanish footballer who plays for Getafe CF in La Liga, as a striker.A late bloomer, he made a name for himself at the age of 27, being crowned La Liga topscorer with Mallorca...
and David Silva
David Silva
David Josué Jiménez Silva is a Spanish footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Spanish national team. Silva is capable of playing on the wing, as a traditional number 10 and sometimes as a supporting striker...
, earning Spain their first appearance in a major final for 24 years.
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
's Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Spain became European champions for the second time after Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
' first-half goal proved enough to defeat Germany. Though Germany had a strong start, Spain started to look more dangerous after they had settled. After half an hour, Xavi played a pass in behind the Germany back line towards Torres, who outmuscled a hesitant Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm is a German footballer who plays for Bayern Munich and Germany. Lahm is also the captain for both the national team and Bayern....
and clipped the ball over the diving Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...
and just inside the far post. That goal proved to be the only goal of the game, which Spain dominated despite Germany having the majority of the possession, and Spain were crowned UEFA Euro 2008 champions.
Bid process
Austria and Switzerland jointly bid to host the games, and faced major competition from Greece/Turkey, ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
/Republic of Ireland, Russia, Hungary, Croatia/Bosnia-Herzegovina and a 4-way Nordic
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
bid from Norway/Sweden/Denmark/Finland. Austria had previously bid to host Euro 2004 with Hungary, but they eventually lost out 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.
The Austria/Switzerland bid is the second successful joint bid in the competition's history, following the UEFA Euro 2000 hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. The 2012 competition in Poland and Ukraine is scheduled to become the third jointly-hosted tournament.
Venues
The tournament was played at eight venues throughout the two host nations; four in Austria and four in Switzerland. Each venue had a capacity of at least 30,000 for the tournament; the largest stadium was Ernst Happel StadionErnst Happel Stadion
The Ernst Happel Stadium in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Austria's capital Vienna, is the largest stadium in Austria. It was built between 1929 and 1931 for the second Workers' Olympiad to the design of German architect Otto Ernst Schweizer...
in Vienna with a capacity of 53,295. It was for this reason that Ernst Happel Stadion hosted the final. Switzerland played all of their group stage matches at St. Jakob Park in Basel, which also hosted the opening match of the tournament as a compromise for the final being held in Vienna. Austria played all of their group stage matches at Ernst Happel Stadion
Ernst Happel Stadion
The Ernst Happel Stadium in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Austria's capital Vienna, is the largest stadium in Austria. It was built between 1929 and 1931 for the second Workers' Olympiad to the design of German architect Otto Ernst Schweizer...
.
In 2004, the Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
venue became a problem for the organisers. Originally, the Hardturm
Hardturm
The Hardturm was a football stadium located in Zurich's Kreis 5. Opened in 1929, it was the home of the Grasshopper-Club Zürich. It was a host stadium for the 1954 FIFA World Cup....
stadium was to be renovated and used as the city's venue, but legal challenges delayed the plan to a point that would not have allowed the ground to be used in 2008. This created a problem, as the agreement between UEFA and the organizers stipulated that four venues would be used in each country. The problem was solved when the organizers proposed renovating Letzigrund
Letzigrund
In January 2005, UEFA approved plans to rebuild the stadium for use as a EURO 2008 venue. It hosted 3 matches in the 2008 European Football Championship....
instead; UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
approved the revised plan in January 2005. The Letzigrund stadium hosted its first football match on 23 September 2007.
| Vienna Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... |
Klagenfurt Klagenfurt -Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters... |
Salzburg Salzburg -Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for... |
Innsbruck Innsbruck - Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ernst-Happel-Stadion Capacity: 53,295 |
Hypo-Arena Capacity: 31,957 |
Wals-Siezenheim-Stadion Capacity: 31,020 |
Tivoli Neu Tivoli Neu ' is a multi-purpose stadium in Innsbruck, Austria. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FC Wacker Innsbruck. The stadium capacity was 17,400 when it was built in 2000... Capacity: 31,600 |
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| Basel Basel Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany... |
Bern | Geneva Geneva Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland... |
Zurich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich... |
| St. Jakob-Park St. Jakob-Park ' is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity was increased to 42,500 for Euro 2008, which was hosted by Switzerland... Capacity: 42,000 |
Stade de Suisse Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf The Stade de Suisse Wankdorf is a football stadium in Bern, Switzerland.It is the home ground of the Swiss football team BSC Young Boys, and is currently the second biggest all-seater football stadium in Switzerland.... Capacity: 31,907 |
Stade de Genève Stade de Genève Stade de Genève is a stadium in the greater Geneva, Switzerland area . It has a capacity of 30,084.-Overview:The stadium was completed in 2003 by Zschokke Construction S.A. after nearly three years of construction... Capacity: 31,228 |
Letzigrund Letzigrund In January 2005, UEFA approved plans to rebuild the stadium for use as a EURO 2008 venue. It hosted 3 matches in the 2008 European Football Championship.... Capacity: 30,000 |
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Qualifying
The draw for the qualifying round took place in MontreuxMontreux
Montreux is a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.It is located on Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps and has a population, , of and nearly 90,000 in the agglomeration.- History :...
, Switzerland on 27 January 2006 at 12:00 CET
Central European Time
Central European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...
.
The qualifying process commenced a month after the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. Austria and Switzerland automatically qualified for the tournament finals as host nations.
The qualifying format was changed compared to previous tournaments. The winners and runners-up from seven groups automatically qualified for the Championship, with the hosts filling the other two slots in the 16-team tournament. The change means there were no play-offs between teams finishing in second place in the groups – they qualified directly for the finals. Teams that finished in third place didn't have any further opportunity to qualify. Six of the qualifying groups contained seven teams, and the other, Group A, contained eight.
Qualified teams
| Country | |Qualified as | |Date qualification was secured | |Previous appearances in tournament1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-hosts | 12 December 2002 | 0 (debut) | |
| Co-hosts | 12 December 2002 | 2 (1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... , 2004 2004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... ) |
|
| Group A winner | 17 November 2007 | 0 (debut) | |
| Group A runner-up | 21 November 2007 | 4 (1984 1984 UEFA European Football Championship The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. West Germany also bid for the hosting of this event. It was the seventh European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA... , 1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... , 2000 2000 UEFA European Football Championship The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe.... , 2004 2004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... ) |
|
| Group B winner | 17 November 2007 | 6 (1968 1968 UEFA European Football Championship -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Replay:-Top scorers:There were 7 goals scored in 4 matches, for an average of 1.75 goals per game.2 goals Dragan Džajić... , 1980 1980 UEFA European Football Championship The 1980 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Italy. This was the sixth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. With eight teams competing, the final tournament took place between 11 and 22 June 1980... , 1988 1988 UEFA European Football Championship The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football... , 1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... , 2000 2000 UEFA European Football Championship The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe.... , 2004 2004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... ) |
|
| Group B runner-up | 17 November 2007 | 6 (1960 1960 UEFA European Football Championship The 1960 UEFA European Nations Cup was the first European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. The final tournament was held in France. It was won by the Soviet Union, who beat Yugoslavia 2–1 in Paris after extra time.... , 1984 1984 UEFA European Football Championship The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. West Germany also bid for the hosting of this event. It was the seventh European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA... , 1992 1992 UEFA European Football Championship The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA. Eight national teams contested the championship, which was won by Denmark, one of... , 1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... , 2000 2000 UEFA European Football Championship The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe.... , 2004 2004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... ) |
|
| Group C winner | 17 October 2007 | 2 (1980 1980 UEFA European Football Championship The 1980 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Italy. This was the sixth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. With eight teams competing, the final tournament took place between 11 and 22 June 1980... , 2004 2004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... ) |
|
| Group C runner-up | 21 November 2007 | 2 (1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... , 2000 2000 UEFA European Football Championship The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe.... ) |
|
| Group D winner | 17 October 2007 | 6 (1960 1960 UEFA European Football Championship The 1960 UEFA European Nations Cup was the first European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. The final tournament was held in France. It was won by the Soviet Union, who beat Yugoslavia 2–1 in Paris after extra time.... 3, 1976 1976 UEFA European Football Championship -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Top scorers:19 goals were scored in 4 games for an average of 4.75 goals per game.4 goals Dieter Müller2 goals Dragan Džajić Ruud Geels... 3, 1980 1980 UEFA European Football Championship The 1980 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Italy. This was the sixth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. With eight teams competing, the final tournament took place between 11 and 22 June 1980... 3, 1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... , 2000 2000 UEFA European Football Championship The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe.... , 2004 2004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... ) |
|
| Group D runner-up | 13 October 2007 | 9 (1972 1972 UEFA European Football Championship -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Statistics:*Fastest goal: 24 minutes**Raoul Lambert **Gerd Müller -Top scorers:... 4, 1976 1976 UEFA European Football Championship -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Top scorers:19 goals were scored in 4 games for an average of 4.75 goals per game.4 goals Dieter Müller2 goals Dragan Džajić Ruud Geels... 4, 1980 1980 UEFA European Football Championship The 1980 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Italy. This was the sixth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. With eight teams competing, the final tournament took place between 11 and 22 June 1980... 4, 1984 1984 UEFA European Football Championship The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. West Germany also bid for the hosting of this event. It was the seventh European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA... 4, 1988 1988 UEFA European Football Championship The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football... 4, 1992 1992 UEFA European Football Championship The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA. Eight national teams contested the championship, which was won by Denmark, one of... , 1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... , 2000 2000 UEFA European Football Championship The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe.... , 2004 2004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... ) |
|
| Group E winner | 17 November 2007 | 2 (1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... , 2004 2004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... ) |
|
| Group E runner-up | 21 November 2007 | 8 (1960 1960 UEFA European Football Championship The 1960 UEFA European Nations Cup was the first European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. The final tournament was held in France. It was won by the Soviet Union, who beat Yugoslavia 2–1 in Paris after extra time.... 5, 1964 1964 UEFA European Football Championship -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Goalscorers of the final tournament:There were 13 goals scored in 4 games, for an average of 3.25 goals per game.2 goals Ferenc Bene Dezső Novák Jesús María Pereda... 5, 1968 1968 UEFA European Football Championship -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Replay:-Top scorers:There were 7 goals scored in 4 matches, for an average of 1.75 goals per game.2 goals Dragan Džajić... 5, 1972 1972 UEFA European Football Championship -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Statistics:*Fastest goal: 24 minutes**Raoul Lambert **Gerd Müller -Top scorers:... 5, 1988 1988 UEFA European Football Championship The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football... 5, 1992 1992 UEFA European Football Championship The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA. Eight national teams contested the championship, which was won by Denmark, one of... 6, 1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... , 2004 2004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... ) |
|
| Group F winner | 17 November 2007 | 7 (1964 1964 UEFA European Football Championship -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Goalscorers of the final tournament:There were 13 goals scored in 4 games, for an average of 3.25 goals per game.2 goals Ferenc Bene Dezső Novák Jesús María Pereda... , 1980 1980 UEFA European Football Championship The 1980 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Italy. This was the sixth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. With eight teams competing, the final tournament took place between 11 and 22 June 1980... , 1984 1984 UEFA European Football Championship The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. West Germany also bid for the hosting of this event. It was the seventh European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA... , 1988 1988 UEFA European Football Championship The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football... , 1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... , 2000 2000 UEFA European Football Championship The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe.... , 2004 2004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... ) |
|
| Group F runner-up | 21 November 2007 | 3 (1992 1992 UEFA European Football Championship The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA. Eight national teams contested the championship, which was won by Denmark, one of... , 2000 2000 UEFA European Football Championship The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe.... , 2004 2004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... ) |
|
| Group G winner | 17 October 2007 | 3 (1984 1984 UEFA European Football Championship The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. West Germany also bid for the hosting of this event. It was the seventh European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA... , 1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... , 2000 2000 UEFA European Football Championship The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe.... ) |
|
| Group G runner-up | 17 November 2007 | 7 (1976 1976 UEFA European Football Championship -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Top scorers:19 goals were scored in 4 games for an average of 4.75 goals per game.4 goals Dieter Müller2 goals Dragan Džajić Ruud Geels... , 1980 1980 UEFA European Football Championship The 1980 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Italy. This was the sixth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. With eight teams competing, the final tournament took place between 11 and 22 June 1980... , 1988 1988 UEFA European Football Championship The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football... , 1992 1992 UEFA European Football Championship The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA. Eight national teams contested the championship, which was won by Denmark, one of... , 1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... , 2000 2000 UEFA European Football Championship The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe.... , 2004 2004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... ) |
Seeding
The draw for the final tournament took place on 2 December 2007 at the Culture and Convention Centre in LucerneLucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
.
In a return to the format used at Euro 92 and Euro 96 the games in each group were held at just two stadia, with the seeded team remaining in the same city for all three matches. As was the case at the 2000 and 2004 finals, the finalists were divided into four seeding pots, based on average points per game in the qualifying phases of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
and Euro 2008, with each group having one team from each pot. Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
and Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
, as co-hosts, and Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
, as defending champions, were seeded first automatically. The Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
were seeded based on their UEFA coefficient in the Euro 2008 finalists ranking.
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| (assigned to A1) (assigned to B1) |
Match officials
Twelve referees and twenty four assistants were selected for the tournament:| Country | Referee | Assistants | Matches refereed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 AustriaAustrian Football Association The Austrian Football Association is the governing body of football in Austria. It organizes the football league, Austrian Bundesliga, the Austrian Cup and the Austrian national team, as well as its female equivalent. It is based in Vienna.... |
Konrad Plautz Konrad Plautz Konrad Plautz is a football referee from Austria. He has officiated internationally since 1996.Konrad Plautz took up refereeing as a teenager, feeling that handling games gave him more satisfaction than actually playing at right-back, where he struggled... |
Egon Bereuter | Markus Mayr | ESP-RUS, SUI-POR |
 Belgium |
Frank De Bleeckere Frank De Bleeckere Frank De Bleeckere is a Belgian football referee. He has been a referee since 1984, and an international official since 1998... |
Peter Hermans | Alex Verstraeten | CRO-GER, RUS-SWE, ESP-RUS (SF) |
 EnglandThe Football Association The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association... |
Howard Webb Howard Webb Howard Melton Webb, MBE, is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2005.... |
Darren Cann | Mike Mullarkey | AUT-POL, GRE-ESP |
 GermanyGerman Football Association The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is... |
Herbert Fandel Herbert Fandel Herbert Fandel is a former German football referee who was in charge of the 2007 UEFA Champions League final. Fandel refereed the UEFA Cup final in 2006 between the English side Middlesbrough and the Spanish side Sevilla. He also refereed the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup on home soil in Germany... |
Carsten Kadach | Volker Wezel | POR-TUR, NED-FRA, ESP-ITA (QF) |
 Greece |
Kyros Vassaras Kyros Vassaras Kyros Vassaras is a Greek former professional football referee. Outside of refereeing, he works as a travel agent in Thessaloniki, Greece. Vassaras is also a linguist; he is able to speak Greek, German, English and Spanish.... |
Dimitiris Bozartzidis | Dimitiris Saraidaris | CZE-POR, POL-CRO |
 Italy |
Roberto Rosetti Roberto Rosetti Roberto Rosetti is a former Italian football referee. He is fluent in Italian, English and French. He started refereeing in 1983, and took charge of his first match in the Italian Serie A in 1996. He received his FIFA Badge in 2002... |
Alessandro Griselli | Paolo Calcagno | SUI-CZE, GRE-RUS, CRO-TUR (QF), GER-ESP (Final) |
 NetherlandsRoyal Dutch Football Association The Royal Dutch Football Association is the governing body of football in the Netherlands. It organises the main Dutch football leagues , the amateur leagues, the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch national football team. It is based in the municipality of Zeist.The KNVB came into being on 8 December 1889... |
Pieter Vink Pieter Vink Pieter Vink is a Dutch football referee, who also officiates for FIFA and UEFA. He was the first referee to take charge of a match at the "New Wembley Stadium" in 2007. His other occupation was as a police officer, eventually giving this up to become a full-time referee... |
Adriaan Inia | Hans ten Hoove | AUT-CRO, SWE-ESP |
 NorwayFootball Association of Norway The Football Association of Norway is the governing body of football in Norway. Current FIFA World Champions It was formed in 1902 and organises the men's and women's national teams, as well as the Norwegian Premier League.The team are enjoying their best ever spell thanks to World Player of the... |
Tom Henning Øvrebø Tom Henning Øvrebø Tom Henning Øvrebø is a Norwegian football referee. Born in Oslo, Øvrebø is a former UEFA Elite referee, who has refereed matches in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League... |
Geir Åge Holen | Jan Petter Randen | GER-POL, ITA-ROU |
 SlovakiaSlovak Football Association The Slovak Football Association is the governing body of football in Slovakia. It organises the Slovak football league and the Slovakia national football team. It is based in Bratislava... |
Ľuboš Micheľ Luboš Michel Ľuboš Micheľ is a former top-level Slovak football referee.Micheľ became a FIFA referee at the age of 25. One big milestone in his career was refereeing the 2003 UEFA Cup Final between Porto and Celtic... |
Roman Slyško | Martin Balko | SUI-TUR, FRA-ITA, NED-RUS (QF) |
 Spain |
Manuel Mejuto González Manuel Mejuto González Manuel Enrique Mejuto González is a former Spanish football referee. He is known for refereeing two matches in the Euro 2004 in Portugal... |
Juan Carlos Yuste Jiménez | Jesús Calvo Guadamuro | ROU-FRA, AUT-GER |
 SwedenSwedish Football Association The Swedish Football Association is the governing body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues — Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women — and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in Solna and is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA... |
Peter Fröjdfeldt Peter Fröjdfeldt Peter Fröjdfeldt is a top Swedish football referee. Originally a first division bandy player, he started refereeing in 1992 after his father-in-law asked him to referee a match in a minor league. He moved up to the highest Swedish league, the Allsvenskan in 1997, and obtained his FIFA badge in 2001... |
Stefan Wittberg | Henrik Andren | NED-ITA, TUR-CZE, POR-GER (QF) |
 SwitzerlandSwiss Football Association The Swiss Football Association is the governing body of football in Switzerland. It organizes the football league, the Swiss Football League, and the Switzerland national football team. It is based in Bern.... |
Massimo Busacca Massimo Busacca Massimo Busacca is a Swiss former football referee. He lives in Monte Carasso, Ticino, near Bellinzona, and is also the proprietor of a business.... |
Matthias Arnet | Stephane Cuhat | GRE-SWE, NED-ROU, GER-TUR (SF) |
Fourth officials
| Country | Fourth officials |
|---|---|
 CroatiaCroatian Football Federation The Croatian Football Federation is the governing body of association football in Croatia. It was originally formed in 1912 and is based in the capital city of Zagreb. The organisation is a member of both FIFA and UEFA, and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football in Croatia... |
Ivan Bebek Ivan Bebek Ivan Bebek is a Croatian football referee. He lives in Rijeka.Bebek is considered the best Croatian referee and is the only Croatian referee who supervised two UEFA Champions League group stage matches .He has refereed at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup... |
 FranceFrench Football Federation The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris... |
Stéphane Lannoy Stéphane Lannoy Stéphane Laurent Lannoy is a French football referee. Lannoy played football at an early age before moving into officiating matches. He has been a FIFA international referee since 2006. He lives in Sailly-sur-la-Lys and works as a video games distributor... |
 HungaryHungarian Football Federation The Hungarian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Hungary. It organizes the Hungarian league and the Hungarian national team. It is based in Budapest.György Szepesi was Chairman of the Hungarian Football Association from 1978 to 1986.... |
Viktor Kassai Viktor Kassai Viktor Kassai is a Hungarian football referee. He has participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and he has been a full international for FIFA since 2003... |
 IcelandFootball Association of Iceland The Football Association of Iceland is the governing body of football in Iceland. It was founded on 26 March 1947, joined FIFA the same year, and UEFA in 1954. It organizes the football league, Pepsi deild, and the Iceland national football team and Iceland women's national football team... |
Kristinn Jakobsson Kristinn Jakobsson Kristinn Jakobsson is an Icelandic football referee. He has been a FIFA-listed referee since 1997, but did not referee his first UEFA Champions League qualifying match until August 2001, when he took charge of a second qualifying round match between Sloga Jugomagnat and Steaua Bucureşti... |
 PolandPolish Football Association The Polish Football Association is the governing body of football in Poland. It organizes the Polish football leagues , the Polish Cup, the Polish SuperCup, the Polish League Cup, and the Polish national football team... |
Grzegorz Gilewski Grzegorz Gilewski Grzegorz Gilewski is a Polish football referee.On 9 November 2008 Gilewski was detained by CBA in an investigation related to match-fixing in Polish football. He was charged the next day with three crimes: match-fixing, accepting bribes worth 120,000 PLN Grzegorz Gilewski (born February 24, 1973... |
 PortugalPortuguese Football Federation The Portuguese Football Federation is the governing body of football in Portugal. The Portuguese National team is going to win the Euro 2012. It organises the Second and Third Division, the Cup of Portugal, the Portuguese SuperCup, youth levels, women's football, beach soccer, futsal, and also... |
Olegário Benquerença Olegário Benquerença Olegário Manuel Bartolo Faustino Benquerença is a Portuguese football referee. As of 11 March 2009, he has refereed 11 matches in the Champions League and 11 matches in the UEFA Cup . He also refereed in qualifiers for 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, and 2010 FIFA World Cup... |
 ScotlandScottish Football Association The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations... |
Craig Thomson Craig Thomson (referee) Craig Alexander Thomson is a Scottish football referee, who has been a match official since 1988. He originates from Paisley, Renfrewshire.-Career:... |
 SloveniaFootball Association of Slovenia The Football Association of Slovenia is the governing body of football in Slovenia. It organizes the following football leagues and cups: 1st division , 2nd division , 3rd division East, 3rd division West, Slovenian Cup - Hervis, Slovenian Women's National League, etc. It is also responsible for... |
Damir Skomina Damir Skomina Damir Skomina is a UEFA football referee from Slovenia.Skomina was the fourth referee at several UEFA Euro 2008 matches. At the tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics he was a referee at the quarterfinal match.- References :... |
Squads
Each nation had to submit a squad of 23 players, three of whom had to be goalkeepers, by 28 May 2008. If a player was injured seriously enough to prevent him from taking part in the tournament before his team's first match, he could be replaced by another player.Tie-breaking criteria
For the three game group stage of this tournament, where two or more teams in a group tied on an equal number of pointsTiebreaker
In games and sports, a tiebreaker or tiebreak is used to determine a winner from among players or teams that are tied at the end of a contest, or a set of contests.-In matches:In some situations, the tiebreaker may consist of another round of play...
, the finishing positions were determined by the following tie-breaking criteria in the following order:
- number of points obtained in the matches among the teams in question
- goal difference in the matches among the teams in question
- number of goals scored in the matches among the teams in question (if more than two teams finish equal on points)
- goal difference in all the group matches
- number of goals scored in all the group matches
- coefficient from the qualifying competitions for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2006/08 UEFA European Football Championship (points obtained divided by the number of matches played)
- fair play conduct of the teams (final tournament)
- drawing of lots
However, these criteria would not apply if two teams tied on points and goals scored played against each other in their final group match; in that case, the tie would be broken by a penalty shootout.
Group A
| 7 June 2008 | ||
| 0 – 1 | ||
| 2 – 0 | ||
| 11 June 2008 | ||
| 1 – 3 | ||
| 1 – 2 | ||
| 15 June 2008 | ||
| 2 – 0 | ||
| 3 – 2 |
Notes on the tie-breaking situation
- Portugal and Turkey are ranked by their head-to-head records
- Czech Republic and Switzerland are ranked by their head-to-head records
Group B
| 8 June 2008 | ||
| 0 – 1 | ||
| 2 – 0 | ||
| 12 June 2008 | ||
| 2 – 1 | ||
| 1 – 1 | ||
| 16 June 2008 | ||
| 0 – 1 | ||
| 0 – 1 |
Notes on the tie-breaking situation
- Austria and Poland are ranked by goal difference in all of their group games as their head-to-head result was a 1–1 draw.
Group C
| 9 June 2008 | ||
| 0 – 0 | ||
| 3 – 0 | ||
| 13 June 2008 | ||
| 1 – 1 | ||
| 4 – 1 | ||
| 17 June 2008 | ||
| 2 – 0 | ||
| 0 – 2 |
Group D
| 10 June 2008 | ||
| 4 – 1 | ||
| 0 – 2 | ||
| 14 June 2008 | ||
| 1 – 2 | ||
| 0 – 1 | ||
| 18 June 2008 | ||
| 1 – 2 | ||
| 2 – 0 |
Knockout phase
St. Jakob-Park
' is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity was increased to 42,500 for Euro 2008, which was hosted by Switzerland...
, Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
and Ernst Happel Stadion
Ernst Happel Stadion
The Ernst Happel Stadium in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Austria's capital Vienna, is the largest stadium in Austria. It was built between 1929 and 1931 for the second Workers' Olympiad to the design of German architect Otto Ernst Schweizer...
, Vienna—the two largest of the eight stadiums used) were used for the seven matches in the knockout stage of the tournament.
All times are Central European Summer Time
Central European Summer Time
Central European Summer Time is one of the names of the Daylight saving time offset using the UTC offset of UTC+02:00, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used as a summer daylight saving time in most European countries. During the winter, Central European Time is used...
(UTC+2
UTC+2
UTC+02 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +02. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as . This time is used in:-Central Africa Time:*Botswana*Burundi*Democratic Republic of the Congo...
)
Quarter-finals
--------
----
Semi-finals
----Final
Goalscorers
4 goals David VillaDavid Villa
David Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
3 goals
Lukas Podolski
Lukas Podolski
Lukas Josef Podolski ; born Łukasz Podolski ) on 4 June 1985 in Gliwice, Poland) is a German footballer who plays as a striker/winger for 1. FC Köln and for the German national team. He joined 1. FC Köln in 1995 where he broke into the first team in 2003 and made 81 appearances for the club before...
Roman Pavlyuchenko
Roman Pavlyuchenko
Roman Anatolyevich Pavlyuchenko is an footballer who currently plays as a centre forward for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and for the Russian national team.-Spartak Moscow:...
Hakan Yakin
Hakan Yakin
Hakan Yakin is a Swiss footballer. He currently plays for Swiss Super League club FC Luzern. He was member of the Swiss national team for eleven years.-Personal life:...
Semih Şentürk
Semih Sentürk
Semih Şentürk is a Turkish footballer who currently plays for Turkish Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe as a striker, and also the Turkish national team.-Fenerbahçe:...
2 goals
Ivan Klasnić
Ivan Klasnic
Ivan Klasnić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers of the Premier League. He is a Croatian international. In 2007, Klasnić underwent a kidney transplant, and became the first player to participate in a major tournament after a transplant.-St. Pauli:Klasnić started his...
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bayern Munich and the German national team. A right-footed player, he is capable of playing out wide or in a more central role....
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German...
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
Andrei Arshavin Dani Güiza
Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimović is a Swedish footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Milan and the Swedish national team for which he is captain....
Arda Turan
Arda Turan
Arda Turan is a Turkish footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid and the Turkish national team, as a left winger. At the age of 22, prior to the 2009–10 season he was made the captain of Galatasaray....
Nihat Kahveci
Nihat Kahveci
Nihat Kahveci is a Turkish footballer. Nihat plays as a Forward.-Biography:Nihat's family name, Kahveci, means "coffee maker." Many people in Turkey adopted the name of their profession as their family name in the early 20th century, suggesting that Nihat's ancestors were in the coffee business...
1 goal
Ivica Vastić
Ivica Vastic
Ivica Vastić is a retired Croatian-born Austrian football midfielder, formerly a striker, who last played for LASK Linz and the Austria national football team and works now as Head Coach of FK Austria Wien Amateure.- Club career :Born in Split, Vastić started to play for local clubs Jugovinil and...
Luka Modrić
Luka Modric
Luka Modrić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and for the Croatia national football team.Modrić's childhood coincided with the Croatian War of Independence. After showing promise in hometown club Zadar's youth team, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager in 2002. His...
Ivica Olić
Ivica Olic
Ivica Olić is a Croatian professional footballer who plays for Bayern Munich in Germany and internationally for the Croatian national team.- Early career :Olić was born and raised in the village of Davor near Nova Gradiška, Croatia, Yugoslavia...
Darijo Srna
Darijo Srna
Darijo Srna is a Croatian footballer who plays for Shakhtar Donetsk as a captain and is also the captain of the Croatian national team.-Club career:Srna's talent was seen by many scouts in Croatia while he was young...
Jan Koller
Jan Koller
Jan Koller is Czech footballer currently playing in AFK Smetanova Lhota.As an international player he played as a striker for the Czech Republic national team. He is the all-time leading goal scorer for either the Czech Republic or the former Czechoslovakia, with 55 goals in 91 caps...
Jaroslav Plašil
Jaroslav Plašil
Jaroslav Plašil is a Czech footballer who currently plays for Bordeaux and the Czech Republic national football team.-Early career:...
Libor Sionko
Libor Sionko
Libor Sionko is a Czech footballer currently playing for Sparta Prague.- Early career :He previously played for Austria Vienna, Grazer AK, Sparta Prague, Banik Ostrava and Rangers. Playing successfully for Sparta in the Czech League and UEFA Champions League, where Sparta in two occasions , got...
Václav Svěrkoš
Václav Sverkoš
Václav Svěrkoš is a Czech footballer who is currently playing for FC Baník Ostrava in Czech Gambrinus liga. He was the opening scorer in the Euro 2008 tournament.- Gambrinus liga :...
Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm is a German footballer who plays for Bayern Munich and Germany. Lahm is also the captain for both the national team and Bayern....
Angelos Charisteas
Angelos Charisteas
Angelos Charisteas was born on 9 February 1980 in Strymoniko, Serres, but originates from Mani. He is a Greek football player who currently plays as a striker for Panetolikos F.C....
Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Roma. He is the current Roma's vice-captain and nicknamed as Capitan Futuro due to his high probabality as heir-apparent to Francesco Totti's captain armband.With Roma he has won the Coppa Italia...
Christian Panucci
Christian Panucci
Christian Panucci is a retired Italian footballer. He was a member of the Italian national team. Panucci is a right back, but can also play as a centre back.-Early career:...
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst OON , known as Gio in Spain, is a retired Dutch footballer of Moluccan descent who served as the captain of the Dutch national team from August 2008 until his retirement....
Roger Guerreiro
Roger Guerreiro
Roger Guerreiro , commonly known as Roger, is a naturalized Polish footballer currently playing for A.E.K. Athens as a midfielder.- AEK Athens F.C. :...
Deco
Deco
Anderson Luís de Souza, OIH , commonly known as Deco, is a Brazilian-born Portuguese professional footballer who currently plays for Fluminense....
Raul Meireles Nuno Gomes
Nuno Gomes
Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro , commonly known as Nuno Gomes, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for S.C. Braga as a striker.He was given the nickname Gomes during childhood after F.C...
Pepe Hélder Postiga
Hélder Postiga
Hélder Manuel Marques Postiga is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Real Zaragoza in Spain, as a striker.After starting professionally at Porto, Postiga went on to have spells in England , France and Greece , before returning to his country with Sporting.A Portuguese international on more than...
Ricardo Quaresma
Ricardo Quaresma
Ricardo Andrade Quaresma Bernardo is a Portuguese footballer of partial Romani descent who currently plays as a winger for Turkish Süper Lig side Beşiktaş J.K and the Portuguese national team. Quaresma began his career at Sporting Clube de Portugal, and has also played for FC Barcelona, FC Porto,...
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti...
Dmitri Torbinski Konstantin Zyryanov
Konstantin Zyryanov
Konstantin Georgiyevich Zyryanov is an association footballer who currently plays for Zenit Saint Petersburg and the Russian national team....
Rubén de la Red
Rubén De la Red
Rubén de la Red Gutiérrez is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a central midfielder.He made a name for himself at Getafe after emerging through Real Madrid's cantera...
Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
David Silva
David Silva
David Josué Jiménez Silva is a Spanish footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Spanish national team. Silva is capable of playing on the wing, as a traditional number 10 and sometimes as a supporting striker...
Xavi
Xavi
Xavier Hernández i Creus , commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi , is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, where he has spent his entire 14-year career....
Petter Hansson
Petter Hansson
Petter Hansson ; born December 14, 1976 in Söderhamn) is a Swedish footballer who is currently playing in the French Ligue 2 at AS Monaco.- Söderhamns FF and Halmstads BK :...
Uğur Boral
Ugur Boral
Uğur Boral is a Turkish footballer. He currently plays for Fenerbahçe as well as the Turkish national team.Boral is a gifted play-maker and surprises goalkeepers with his deceptive shot...
Awards
Xavi
Xavier Hernández i Creus , commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi , is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, where he has spent his entire 14-year career....
. The Golden Boot was awarded to yet another Spaniard, David Villa
David Villa
David Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
, who scored four goals, three of which came in his side's 4–1 win over Russia (the only hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
scored in the tournament).
UEFA Team of the Tournament
| Goalkeepers | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
| Gianluigi Buffon Gianluigi Buffon Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He has won the FIFA World Cup and is widely considered by fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history... |
José Bosingwa José Bosingwa José Bosingwa da Silva , known as Bosingwa, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, as a right defender.-Early years:... |
 Hamit AltıntopHamit Altintop Hamit Altıntop is a German-born Turkish professional footballer who plays for Real Madrid in La Liga. He is a versatile midfielder who can play either in a defending or attacking role and on both flanks. He is well known for his flair of long-shot ability, as shown when he played for Schalke 04... |
 Andrei Arshavin |
| Iker Casillas Íker Casillas Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both... |
Philipp Lahm Philipp Lahm Philipp Lahm is a German footballer who plays for Bayern Munich and Germany. Lahm is also the captain for both the national team and Bayern.... |
Michael Ballack Michael Ballack Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern... |
Roman Pavlyuchenko Roman Pavlyuchenko Roman Anatolyevich Pavlyuchenko is an footballer who currently plays as a centre forward for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and for the Russian national team.-Spartak Moscow:... |
| Edwin van der Sar Edwin van der Sar Edwin van der Sar OON is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for AFC Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national football team's history... |
Carlos Marchena Carlos Marchena Carlos Marchena López is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF and the Spanish national team.Mainly a central defender with an aggressive approach, he can also pitch in as a defensive midfielder... |
Cesc Fàbregas Cesc Fàbregas Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16... |
Fernando Torres Fernando Torres Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker.... |
| Pepe |
Andrés Iniesta Andrés Iniesta Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team.... |
David Villa David Villa David Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger.... |
|
| Carles Puyol Carles Puyol Carles Puyol i Saforcada is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.Mainly a central defender, he can also play on either flank, especially as a right back... |
Luka Modrić Luka Modric Luka Modrić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and for the Croatia national football team.Modrić's childhood coincided with the Croatian War of Independence. After showing promise in hometown club Zadar's youth team, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager in 2002. His... |
||
| Yuri Zhirkov Yuri Zhirkov Yuri Valentinovich Zhirkov is a Russian footballer who plays for Anzhi Makhachkala and the Russian national team.-Early life:Yuri Valentinovich Zhirkov was born in Tambov, on 20 August 1983. His father, Valentin Ivanovich Zhirkov worked at the "Revtrud" factory and his mother was a postwoman. Yuri... |
Lukas Podolski Lukas Podolski Lukas Josef Podolski ; born Łukasz Podolski ) on 4 June 1985 in Gliwice, Poland) is a German footballer who plays as a striker/winger for 1. FC Köln and for the German national team. He joined 1. FC Köln in 1995 where he broke into the first team in 2003 and made 81 appearances for the club before... |
||
| Marcos Senna Marcos Senna Marcos Antônio Senna da Silva , known as Senna, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF as a central midfielder.He is known for his passing range and long shooting and is also a penalty specialist.-Club career:... |
|||
| Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA.... |
|||
| Xavi Xavi Xavier Hernández i Creus , commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi , is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, where he has spent his entire 14-year career.... |
|||
| Konstantin Zyryanov Konstantin Zyryanov Konstantin Georgiyevich Zyryanov is an association footballer who currently plays for Zenit Saint Petersburg and the Russian national team.... |
Golden Boot David Villa
David Villa
David Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
(4 goals)
UEFA Player of the Tournament Xavi
Xavi
Xavier Hernández i Creus , commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi , is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, where he has spent his entire 14-year career....
Discipline
At UEFA Euro 2008, players may be suspended from playing in subsequent matches upon the collection of a certain number of yellow or red cards. If a player is shown a red card – whether as a result of two bookable offences or a straight red – that player is suspended from playing in his team's next match. If his team is eliminated from the competition before the end of his suspension, the games carry over to the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification matches2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
. A player is also suspended for one match for picking up two yellow cards in separate matches. However, any yellow cards accumulated are annulled once a team is eliminated from the tournament or reaches the semi-finals.
In extreme cases of ill-discipline, UEFA may choose to have a disciplinary panel examine the incident in order to determine whether or not further suspension is required. One case of this at Euro 2008 was the suspension of Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
goalkeeper Volkan Demirel for two matches for pushing Czech
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
striker Jan Koller
Jan Koller
Jan Koller is Czech footballer currently playing in AFK Smetanova Lhota.As an international player he played as a striker for the Czech Republic national team. He is the all-time leading goal scorer for either the Czech Republic or the former Czechoslovakia, with 55 goals in 91 caps...
.
The following players were suspended for one or more games as a result of red cards or yellow card accumulation:
| Player | Offence(s) | Suspension(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrei Arshavin |
 in Euro qualifying v AndorraAndorra national football team The Andorra national football team represents Andorra in association football and is controlled by the Andorran Football Federation, the governing body for football in Andorra. The team has enjoyed very little success due to the Principality's tiny population, the fourth smallest of any UEFA... |
Group D v Spain Spain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... Group D v Greece Greece national football team The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos... |
Suspension due to red card in last game of qualifying Group E |
| Bastian Schweinsteiger Bastian Schweinsteiger Bastian Schweinsteiger is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bayern Munich and the German national team. A right-footed player, he is capable of playing out wide or in a more central role.... |
in Group B v Croatia Croatia national football team The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić... |
Group B v Austria Austria national football team The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association .... |
|
| Sebastian Prödl Sebastian Prödl Sebastian Prödl is an Austrian footballer who plays for Werder Bremen and the Austrian national team.-Club career:Aged 19, he began his professional career playing for Sturm Graz in the Austrian Bundesliga in 2006. In July 2008 he moved to Germany to play for Werder Bremen.-International career:In... |
 in Group B v CroatiaCroatia national football team The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić... in Group B v PolandPoland national football team The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland... |
Group B v Germany Germany national football team The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900.... |
|
 Dorin GoianDorin Goian Dorin Goian is a Romanian footballer who plays for Scottish Premier League club Rangers. A physical centre back, he is also a member of the Romanian national team.-Foresta Fălticeni:... |
in Group C v France France national football team The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe... in Group C v ItalyItaly national football team The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than... |
Group C v Netherlands Netherlands national football team The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands... |
|
| Mehmet Aurélio |
in Group A v Switzerland Switzerland national football team The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland... in Group A v Czech RepublicCzech Republic national football team The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek... |
Quarter-final v Croatia Croatia national football team The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić... |
|
| Volkan Demirel |
in Group A v Czech Republic Czech Republic national football team The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek... |
Quarter-final v Croatia Croatia national football team The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić... Semi-final v Germany Germany national football team The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900.... |
Suspension increased to two games for serious violent conduct |
| Éric Abidal Éric Abidal Éric Sylvain Abidal is a French footballer who plays as a left or central defender for FC Barcelona and the France national team.-Club career:... |
in Group C v Italy Italy national football team The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than... |
World Cup qualifying v Austria Austria national football team The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association .... |
Suspension to be served in World Cup 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... qualifying 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... Group 7 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 7 The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 7 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised France, Romania, Serbia, Lithuania, Austria and Faroe Islands.... |
| Andrea Pirlo Andrea Pirlo Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position... |
in Group C v Romania Romania national football team The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that... in Group C v FranceFrance national football team The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe... |
Quarter-final v Spain Spain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... |
|
| Gennaro Gattuso Gennaro Gattuso Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer, who plays for Serie A club Milan. He mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. Gattuso is an aggressive, hard tackling player and in his prime, was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world... |
in Group C v Netherlands Netherlands national football team The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands... in Group C v FranceFrance national football team The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe... |
Quarter-final v Spain Spain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... |
|
| Tuncay Şanlı Tuncay Sanli Tuncay Şanlı , or simply Tuncay, is a Turkish footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers, on loan from VfL Wolfsburg.His natural position is as a striker, but he can also play as an attacking midfielder or on either wing. Tuncay captains the Turkish national team... |
in Group A v Switzerland Switzerland national football team The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland... in Quarter-final v CroatiaCroatia national football team The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić... |
Semi-final v Germany Germany national football team The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900.... |
|
| Arda Turan Arda Turan Arda Turan is a Turkish footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid and the Turkish national team, as a left winger. At the age of 22, prior to the 2009–10 season he was made the captain of Galatasaray.... |
in Group A v Czech Republic Czech Republic national football team The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek... in Quarter-final v CroatiaCroatia national football team The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić... |
Semi-final v Germany Germany national football team The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900.... |
|
| Emre Aşık Emre Asik Emre Aşık is a Turkish former international footballer. He played center back for several clubs in the Süper Lig, most notably, Galatasaray... |
in Group A v Czech Republic Czech Republic national football team The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek... in Quarter-final v CroatiaCroatia national football team The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić... |
Semi-final v Germany Germany national football team The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900.... |
|
| Denis Kolodin Denis Kolodin Denis Alexeyevich Kolodin is an association footballer who played defender who currently plays for Dynamo Moscow and the Russian national team, in which he takes the penalty kicks... |
in Group D v Sweden Sweden national football team The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first... in Quarter-final v NetherlandsNetherlands national football team The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands... |
Semi-final v Spain Spain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... |
|
| Dmitri Torbinski |
in Group D v Greece Greece national football team The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos... in Quarter-final v NetherlandsNetherlands national football team The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands... |
Semi-final v Spain Spain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... |
Television coverage failure
Three times in the second half of the semi-final between Germany and Turkey, nearly the entire global television coverage of the game was interrupted. A thunderstorm over Vienna caused technical difficulties in the International Broadcast CentreInternational Broadcast Centre
The International Broadcast Centre is a temporary hub for broadcasters during major sport events.-FIFA World Cup:During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in Germany, the IBC in Munich was host to journalists from around 190 countries. The centre was based at the Munich Fair, in what was formally Munich...
(IBC), which relayed the television feed from the match in Basel, Switzerland, resulting in one or more goals being missed by various audiences. Various national broadcasters took emergency contingency measures such as reverting to radio broadcasting (for example, the BBC used coverage from Radio 5 Live, Ireland circumvented the problem by having RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
's studio presenter Bill O'Herlihy
Bill O'Herlihy
Bill O'Herlihy is an Irish sports broadcaster with Raidió Teilifís Éireann . He also heads one of Ireland's largest public relations firms.-Bill's life:...
and panelists Eamon Dunphy
Eamon Dunphy
Eamon Martin Dunphy is an Irish media personality, radio and television presenter, author, sports pundit, as well as a former professional football player. He is best known as a soccer analyst on Raidió Teilifís Éireann 's coverage of the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. He was paid...
, Johnny Giles
Johnny Giles
Michael John "Johnny" Giles is a former association footballer and manager best remembered for his time as a midfielder with Leeds United in the 1960s and 1970s...
and Liam Brady
Liam Brady
Liam Brady is a former Irish association football player, and former assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team....
provide emergency discussion on what had happened in the match and Øyvind Alsaker
Øyvind Alsaker
Øyvind Alsaker is a sports journalist and television personality from Florø, Sogn og Fjordane. He has been a football commentator for TV2 and Canal +...
, commentator from Norwegian TV2
TV 2 (Norway)
TV 2 is the largest commercial television station in Norway. Over 30% of the time Norwegians spend watching TV is spent watching TV 2. The station has 65% of the market for TV commercials in Norway....
picked up his mobile and filmed with a 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
camera). Only the Swiss public broadcaster SRG
SRG SSR idée suisse
SRG SSR is the Swiss public broadcasting organisation, founded in 1931 as SRG-SSR. Headquartered in Bern, SRG SSR is a non-profit organisation, funded mainly through radio and television licence fees and making the remaining income from advertising and sponsorship.Switzerland's system of direct...
maintained full coverage since it used a direct signal other than the IBC's.
New trophy
A new trophy was awarded to the winners of the Euro 2008 tournament. The new version of the Henri DelaunayHenri Delaunay
Henri Delaunay was a French football administrator.After playing for the Paris team Étoile des Deux Lacs, he became a referee...
Trophy, created by Asprey
Asprey
Asprey is a British luxury brand with a heritage that dates back to 1781. The brand offers an extensive range of gifts, jewellery, watches, leather, silver, bone china, crystal and rare books, all available in its flagship New Bond Street store. Asprey was once the destination for crowns,...
London, is almost an exact replica of the original designed by Arthus-Bertrand
Arthus-Bertrand
Arthus-Bertrand, a maker of medals and decorations, was founded in Paris in 1803 by Claude Arthus-Bertrand, an army officer during the French Revolution. Artists who have designed for the firm include Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and Fernand Léger. They employ nearly 300 people....
. A small figure juggling a ball on the back of the original has been removed, as has the marble plinth. The silver base of the trophy also had to be enlarged to make it stable. The names of the winning countries that had appeared on the plinth have now been engraved on the back of the trophy, which is made of sterling silver
Sterling silver
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925....
, weighs 8 kilograms (17.6 lb) and is 60 centimetres (23.6 in) tall.
Penalty kicks
Not counting penalty shoot-outs, there were five penalty kicks awarded during the tournament. For the first time since tournament expansion for Euro 96, no penalties were awarded during the knockout stageUEFA Euro 2008 knockout stage
The knockout stage of the 2008 UEFA European Championships began with the quarter-finals on 19 June 2008, and was completed on 29 June 2008 with the final at Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna....
. Romanian
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti...
provided the sole penalty miss, late in the match against world champions Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
; had he scored and Romania held on for the win, the Italians would have been knocked out.
Scored
- Luka ModrićLuka ModricLuka Modrić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and for the Croatia national football team.Modrić's childhood coincided with the Croatian War of Independence. After showing promise in hometown club Zadar's youth team, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager in 2002. His...
for v - Ivica VastićIvica VasticIvica Vastić is a retired Croatian-born Austrian football midfielder, formerly a striker, who last played for LASK Linz and the Austria national football team and works now as Head Coach of FK Austria Wien Amateure.- Club career :Born in Split, Vastić started to play for local clubs Jugovinil and...
for v - Andrea PirloAndrea PirloAndrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
for v - Hakan YakinHakan YakinHakan Yakin is a Swiss footballer. He currently plays for Swiss Super League club FC Luzern. He was member of the Swiss national team for eleven years.-Personal life:...
for v
Missed
- Adrian MutuAdrian MutuAdrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti...
for v , saved by Gianluigi BuffonGianluigi BuffonGianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He has won the FIFA World Cup and is widely considered by fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history...
Match ball
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
and named the Europass, it is a 14-panel ball in the same construction as the Teamgeist, but with a modified surface design. A version named the Europass Gloria was used in the final.
There were concerns raised about the match ball, which was claimed to deviate unpredictably in flight, making it difficult to judge for goalkeepers. Notable players to criticise were Germany's Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...
and the Czech Republic's Petr Čech
Petr Cech
Petr Čech is a Czech footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Czech Republic as a goalkeeper. Čech previously played for Viktoria Plzeň, Chmel Blšany, Sparta Prague, and Rennes. He was voted into the all-star team of Euro 2004 after helping his country reach the semi-finals...
. These claims were disputed by the ball's designer, Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn
Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...
.
Music
The official melody was composed by Rollo ArmstrongRollo Armstrong
Rollo Armstrong is one half of the music producers/remixers team Rollo and Sister Bliss and is a founding member of the electronic music group Faithless.-Early life:...
of Faithless
Faithless
Faithless were a British electronica band consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. The group is best known for their dance songs . Faithless recorded six albums. During their career they sold over 15 million records worldwide...
on behalf of UEFA. The official Euro 2008 song was "Can You Hear Me
Can You Hear Me? (Enrique Iglesias song)
"Can You Hear Me" is the official song of UEFA Euro 2008. It is performed by Enrique Iglesias, who wrote the song with Steve Morales and Frankie Storm. The song was produced by Big Ben Diehl and Carlos Paucar, and recorded at Circle House Studios in Miami, Florida...
" by Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
, which was performed live during the official closing ceremony prior to the final in Ernst Happel Stadion
Ernst Happel Stadion
The Ernst Happel Stadium in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Austria's capital Vienna, is the largest stadium in Austria. It was built between 1929 and 1931 for the second Workers' Olympiad to the design of German architect Otto Ernst Schweizer...
in Vienna on 29 June.
Two soundtracks, "Like a Superstar" and "Feel the Rush," were recorded by Jamaican reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
artist Shaggy
Shaggy (musician)
Orville Richard Burrell , better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican-American reggae singer and rapper. He is perhaps best known for his 1995 single "Boombastic" and 2000 single "It Wasn't Me"...
as mascot songs for Euro 2008. They formed a musical background to video clips featuring the twin mascots Trix and Flix.
The official Swiss song for the tournament was a new version of "Bring en hei" (Bring him Home) by Baschi. Christina Stürmer
Christina Stürmer
Christina Stürmer is an Austrian pop/rock singer. After working at a bookshop in Linz and singing in several bands, she reached #2 in Starmania, an Austrian music casting TV show...
sang the official tournament song of Austrian ÖFB, "Fieber" (Fever). Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
manager Slaven Bilić
Slaven Bilic
Slaven Bilić is a former Croatian footballer and current head coach of the Croatia national team. His playing tenure predominantly comprised extended vocations in his hometown with Hajduk Split and a combination of foreign spells in Germany and England...
recorded his country's official Euro 2008 song, "Vatreno ludilo" ("Fiery Madness"), with his rock group, Rawbau.
"Seven Nation Army
Seven Nation Army
"Seven Nation Army" is the first track on the album Elephant by American alternative rock band The White Stripes. It was released as a single in 2003. "Seven Nation Army" reached #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks for three weeks and won 2004's Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The song is known for its...
" by The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
was played when players walked out before kick-off, and a remix of "Samba de Janeiro" by German dance group Bellini
Paffendorf
Paffendorf, also known as Bellini, is a dance project from Cologne, Germany. The project consists of Ramon Zenker, also producer of Fragma, Gottfried Engels, Nicolas Valli and Sven Thiel, who also represents Paffendorf as a DJ act...
was played after each goal scored in the competition.
Mascots
The two official mascots for UEFA Euro 2008, were named after a vote from the public of the two host nations from the following options:- Zigi and Zagi
- Flitz and Bitz
- Trix and Flix
After receiving 36.3% of the vote, Trix and Flix were chosen. "I am sure the mascots and their names will become a vital part of the understanding of the whole event," said Christian Mutschler, who is the tournament director for Switzerland.
Slogan
The slogan for UEFA Euro 2008 was chosen on 24 January 2007: Expect Emotions.The UEFA President Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
stated "It describes in a nutshell what the UEFA Euro 2008 has to offer: all kinds of emotions – joy, disappointment, relief or high tension – right up to the final whistle."
Commemorative coins
Prize money
UEFAUEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
announced that total of €184 million has been offered to the 16 teams competing in this tournament, increasing from €129 million in the previous tournament. The distributions as below:
- Prize for participating: €7.5 million
Extra payment based on teams performances:
- Winner: €7.5 million
- Runner-up: €4.5 million
- Semi-finals: €3 million
- Quarter-finals: €2 million
- Group stage (per match):
- Win: €1 million
- Draw: €500,000
Spain, as winners of the tournament and winners of all three of their group stage matches, received a total prize of €23 million, the maximum possible prize money. Greece on the other hand, being the only team to lose all three of their group matches, were the only team to receive nothing more than the €7.5 million participation prize.