This page describes the qualification procedure for Euro 2008.
Seedings
Qualification coefficients were used to rank the teams according to their results in the
2004 European Championships qualifying stage, and the
2006 World Cup qualifying stage. Only the group matches, and not any additional playoffs, count towards the coefficients, also determining which pot a national team is put in. Some points to note:
- Greece are European Champions, and so are automatically seeded in the top pool.
- Portugal did not have to qualify for Euro 2004 as the hosts.
- Germany did not have to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2006, as the hosts. Their record from the qualifying stage of the 2002 World Cup is used instead.
- Kazakhstan have never competed in the European Championships, so only their World Cup record is used. The team's last continental qualifying was for the 2000 Asian Cup. Its record in that competition (P4,Pts6) is not used.
The draw took place on 27 January, 2006 in Montreux, Switzerland and the draw procedure is explained here.
It remains to be seen how the dissolution of the union of Serbia and Montenegro will affect this qualifying campaign.
| Pot 1
| Pot 2
| Pot 3
| Pot 4
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!Pot 5
| Pot 6
| Pot 7
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Tie-Breakers
If two or more teams are equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria are applied to determine the rankings.
- Higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question.
- Superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question.
- Higher number of goals scored in the group matches played among the teams in question.
- Higher number of goals scored away from home in the group matches played among the teams in question.
- If, after applying criteria 1) to 4) to several teams, two or more teams still have an equal ranking, the criteria 1) to 4) will be reapplied to determine the ranking of these teams. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria 6) and 7) will apply.
- Results of all group matches: 1. Superior goal difference 2. Higher number of goals scored 3. Higher number of goals scored away from home 4. Fair play conduct.
- Drawing of lots.
Groups
The qualifying process will start in August 2006, a month after the
2006 FIFA World Cup. Austria and Switzerland have already qualified for the tournament finals as host nations.
The Qualifying Format has been changed compared to the previous tournament. The winners and runners-up from seven groups will automatically qualify for the Championship, with the hosts filling the other two slots in the 16-team tournament. The move means there will no longer be play-offs between teams finishing in second place in the groups. Six of the qualifying groups will contain seven teams, and the other eight.
Serbia will assume the place originally allotted to Serbia and Montenegro in Group A prior to Montenegro's declaration of independence. Inclusion of the new Montenegro national football team in another qualifying group has not been ruled out, but is seen as unlikely due to the short timespan between Montenegro's independence and the start of qualifying.
Group A
| Team
| Pts
| Pld
| W
| D
| L
| GF
| GA
| GD
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
|
| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
|
| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
|
| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
|
| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
|
| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
|
| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
Fixtures
|
| - 2006
- Belgium vs. Kazakhstan
- Saturday 2 September 2006
- Poland vs. Finland
- Serbia vs. Azerbaijan
- Wednesday 6 September 2006
- Finland vs. Portugal
- Poland vs. Serbia
- Armenia vs. Belgium
- Azerbaijan vs. Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstan vs.Poland
- Armenia vs. Finland
- Serbia vs.Belgium
- Portugal vs. Azerbaijan
- Wednesday 11 October 2006
- Poland vs. Portugal
- Belgium vs. Azerbaijan
- Kazakhstan vs. Finland
- Serbia vs. Armenia
- Wednesday 15 November 2006
- Portugal vs. Kazakhstan
- Belgium vs. Poland
- Finland vs. Armenia
|
|
- 2007
- Portugal vs. Belgium
- Poland vs. Azerbaijan
- Kazakhstan vs. Serbia
- Serbia vs. Portugal
- Poland vs. Armenia
- Azerbaijan vs. Finland
- Belgium vs. Portugal
- Azerbaijan vs. Poland
- Finland vs. Serbia
- Kazakhstan vs. Armenia
- Armenia vs. Poland
- Finland vs. Belgium
- Kazakhstan vs. Azerbaijan
- Armenia vs. Portugal
- Finland vs. Kazakhstan
- Belgium vs. Serbia
- Saturday 8 September 2007
- Portugal vs. Poland
- Azerbaijan vs. Armenia
- Serbia vs. Finland
|
|
- 2007 cont.
- Wednesday 12 September 2007
- Portugal vs. Serbia
- Finland vs. Poland
- Armenia vs. Azerbaijan
- Kazakhstan vs. Belgium
- Azerbaijan vs. Portugal
- Poland vs. Kazakhstan
- Armenia vs. Serbia
- Belgium vs. Finland
- Wednesday 17 October 2007
- Kazakhstan vs. Portugal
- Azerbaijan vs. Serbia
- Belgium vs. Armenia
- Saturday 17 November 2007
- Portugal vs. Armenia
- Poland vs. Belgium
- Serbia vs. Kazakhstan
- Finland vs.Azerbaijan
- Wednesday 21 November 2007
- Portugal vs. Finland
- Serbia vs. Poland
- Armenia vs. Kazakhstan
- Azerbaijan vs. Belgium
Group B
| Team
| Pts
| Pld
| W
| D
| L
| GF
| GA
| GD
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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Fixtures
A random draw was conducted on Thursday March 9, 2006, because fixtures could not be agreed between delegates.
|
| - 2006
- Faroe Islands vs. Georgia
- Saturday 2 September 2006
- Georgia vs. France
- Italy vs. Lithuania
- Scotland vs. Faroe Islands
- Wednesday 6 September 2006
- France vs. Italy
- Lithuania vs.Scotland
- Ukraine vs. Georgia
- Faroe Islands vs. Lithuania
- Italy vs. Ukraine
- Scotland vs. France
- Wednesday 11 October 2006
- France vs. Faroe Islands
- Georgia vs. Italy
- Ukraine vs. Scotland
|
|
- 2007
- Lithuania vs. France
- Scotland vs. Georgia
- Georgia vs. Faroe Islands
- Italy vs. Scotland
- Ukraine vs. Lithuania
- Faroe Islands vs. Italy
- France vs. Ukraine
- Lithuania vs. Georgia
- Faroe Islands vs. Scotland
- France vs. Georgia
- Lithuania vs. Italy
- Faroe Islands vs. Ukraine
- Saturday 8 September 2007
- Georgia vs. Ukraine
- Italy vs. France
- Scotland vs. Lithuania
|
|
- 2007 cont.
- Wednesday 12 September 2007
- France vs. Scotland
- Lithuania vs. Faroe Islands
- Ukraine vs. Italy
- Faroe Islands vs. France
- Italy vs. Georgia
- Scotland vs. Ukraine
- Wednesday 17 October 2007
- France vs. Lithuania
- Georgia vs. Scotland
- Ukraine vs. Faroe Islands
- Saturday 17 November 2007
- Lithuania vs. Ukraine
- Scotland vs. Italy
- Wednesday 21 November 2007
- Georgia vs. Lithuania
- Italy vs. Faroe Islands
- Ukraine vs. France
Group C
| Team
| Pts
| Pld
| W
| D
| L
| GF
| GA
| GD
|
| *
| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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* - On July 3, 2006, the Hellenic Football Federation was indefinitely suspended from all international competition. Although no announcement was made regarding this tournament in particular, this seemed to preclude the Greek team from participating.Following action by the Greek government, FIFA subsequently lifted the suspension on July 12, 2006. [http://fifa.com/en/media/index/0,1369,118189,00.html?articleid=118189
Fixtures
Group C fixtures were negotiated and finally decided by a draw at a meeting between the participants in Istanbul, Turkey on 17 February 2006. *
|
| - 2006
- Saturday 2 September 2006
- Moldova vs. Greece
- Malta vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Hungary vs. Norway
- Wednesday 6 September 2006
- Turkey vs. Malta
- Norway vs. Moldova
- Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Hungary
- Hungary vs. Turkey
- Greece vs. Norway
- Moldova vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Wednesday 11 October 2006
- Turkey vs. Moldova
- Malta vs. Hungary
- Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Greece
|
|
- 2007
- Greece vs. Turkey
- Moldova vs. Malta
- Norway vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Turkey vs. Norway
- Malta vs. Greece
- Hungary vs. Moldova
- Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Turkey
- Norway vs. Malta
- Greece vs. Hungary
- Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Malta
- Greece vs. Moldova
- Norway vs. Hungary
- Saturday 8 September 2007
- Malta vs. Turkey
- Moldova vs. Norway
- Hungary vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina
|
|
- 2007 cont.
- Wednesday 12 September 2007
- Norway vs. Greece
- Turkey vs. Hungary
- Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Moldova
- Moldova vs. Turkey
- Hungary vs. Malta
- Greece vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Wednesday 17 October 2007
- Turkey vs. Greece
- Bosnia & Herzegovina vs. Norway
- Malta vs. Moldova
- Saturday 17 November 2007
- Norway vs. Turkey
- Greece vs. Malta
- Moldova vs. Hungary
- Wednesday 21 November 2007
- Turkey vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Malta vs. Norway
- Hungary vs. Greece
Group D
| Team
| Pts
| Pld
| W
| D
| L
| GF
| GA
| GD
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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Fixtures
Group D fixtures were negotiated at a meeting between the participants in
Frankfurt,
Germany on
9 February 2006.
|
| - 2006
- Saturday 2 September 2006
- Czech Republic vs. Wales
- Germany vs. Republic of Ireland
- Slovakia vs. Cyprus
- Wednesday 6 September 2006
- San Marino vs. Germany
- Slovakia vs. Czech Republic
- Czech Republic vs. San Marino
- Cyprus vs. Republic of Ireland
- Wales vs. Slovakia
- Wednesday 11 October 2006
- Republic of Ireland vs. Czech Republic
- Slovakia vs. Germany
- Wales vs. Cyprus
- Wednesday 15 November 2006
- Cyprus vs. Germany
- Republic of Ireland vs. San Marino
|
|
- 2007
- Wednesday 7 February 2007
- San Marino vs. Republic of Ireland
- Czech Republic vs. Germany
- Republic of Ireland vs. Wales
- Cyprus vs. Slovakia
- Wales vs. San Marino
- Republic of Ireland vs. Slovakia
- Czech Republic vs. Cyprus
- Germany vs. San Marino
- Wales vs. Czech Republic
- Cyprus vs. Slovakia
- Germany vs. Slovakia
- San Marino vs. Cyprus
- Saturday 8 September 2007
- San Marino vs. Czech Republic
- Wales vs. Germany
- Slovakia vs. Republic of Ireland
|
|
- 2007 cont.
- Wednesday 12 September 2007
- Czech Republic vs. Republic of Ireland
- Slovakia vs. Wales
- Cyprus vs. San Marino
- Republic of Ireland vs. Germany
- Cyprus vs. Wales
- Slovakia vs. San Marino
- Wednesday 17 October 2007
- Germany vs. Czech Republic
- Republic of Ireland vs. Cyprus
- San Marino vs. Wales
- Saturday 17 November 2007
- Czech Republic vs. Slovakia
- Germany vs. Cyprus
- Wales vs. Republic of Ireland
- Wednesday 21 November 2007
- Cyprus vs. Czech Republic
- Germany vs. Wales
- San Marino vs. Slovakia
Group E
| Team
| Pts
| Pld
| W
| D
| L
| GF
| GA
| GD
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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Fixtures
Group E fixtures were negotiated at a meeting between the participants in
Nyon,
Switzerland, on
March 32006.
|
| - 2006
- Estonia vs. Republic of Macedonia
- Saturday 2 September 2006
- England vs. Andorra
- Estonia vs. Israel
- Wednesday 6 September 2006
- Republic of Macedonia vs. England
- Israel vs. Andorra
- Russia vs. Croatia
- England vs. Republic of Macedonia
- Croatia vs. Andorra
- Russia vs. Israel
- Wednesday 11 October 2006
- Croatia vs. England
- Russia vs. Estonia
- Andorra vs. Republic of Macedonia
- Wednesday 15 November 2006
- Israel vs. Croatia
- Republic of Macedonia vs. Russia
|
|
- 2007
- Israel vs. England
- Estonia vs. Russia
- Croatia vs. Republic of Macedonia
- Andorra vs. England
- Israel vs. Estonia
- Estonia vs. Croatia
- Russia vs. Andorra
- Republic of Macedonia vs. Israel
- Estonia vs. England
- Andorra vs. Israel
- Croatia vs. Russia
- Estonia vs. Andorra
- Saturday 8 September 2007
- England vs. Israel
- Russia vs. Republic of Macedonia
- Croatia vs. Estonia
|
|
- 2007 cont.
- Wednesday 12 September 2007
- England vs. Russia
- Andorra vs. Croatia
- Republic of Macedonia vs. Estonia
- England vs. Estonia
- Wednesday 17 October 2007
- Russia vs. England
- Croatia vs. Israel
- Republic of Macedonia vs. Andorra
- Saturday 17 November 2007
- Republic of Macedonia vs. Croatia
- Israel vs. Russia
- Andorra vs. Estonia
- Wednesday 21 November 2007
- England vs. Croatia
- Israel vs. Republic of Macedonia
- Andorra vs. Russia
Group F
| Team
| Pts
| Pld
| W
| D
| L
| GF
| GA
| GD
|
|
| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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Fixtures
The fixtures for group F were settled at a meeting between the participants in
Copenhagen,
Denmark.
*
|
| - 2006
- Saturday 2 September 2006
- Spain vs. Liechtenstein
- Northern Ireland vs. Iceland
- Latvia vs. Sweden
- Wednesday 6 September 2006
- Iceland vs. Denmark
- Sweden vs. Liechtenstein
- Northern Ireland vs. Spain
- Sweden vs. Spain
- Denmark vs. Northern Ireland
- Latvia vs. Iceland
- Wednesday 11 October 2006
- Iceland vs. Sweden
- Liechtenstein vs. Denmark
- Northern Ireland vs. Latvia
|
|
- 2007
- Spain vs. Denmark
- Liechtenstein vs. Northern Ireland
- Northern Ireland vs. Sweden
- Liechtenstein vs. Latvia
- Spain vs. Iceland
- Denmark vs. Sweden
- Latvia vs. Spain
- Iceland vs. Liechtenstein
- Liechtenstein vs. Spain
- Sweden vs. Iceland
- Latvia vs. Denmark
- Northern Ireland vs. Liechtenstein
- Saturday 8 September 2007
- Sweden vs. Denmark
- Latvia vs. Northern Ireland
- Iceland vs. Spain
|
|
- 2007 cont.
- Wednesday 12 September 2007
- Iceland vs. Northern Ireland
- Spain vs. Latvia
- Denmark vs. Liechtenstein
- Denmark vs. Spain
- Liechtenstein vs. Sweden
- Iceland vs. Latvia
- Wednesday 17 October 2007
- Sweden vs. Northern Ireland
- Liechtenstein vs. Iceland
- Denmark vs. Latvia
- Saturday 17 November 2007
- Spain vs. Sweden
- Northern Ireland vs. Denmark
- Latvia vs. Liechtenstein
- Wednesday 21 November 2007
- Spain vs. Northern Ireland
- Denmark vs. Iceland
- Sweden vs. Latvia
Group G
| Team
| Pts
| Pld
| W
| D
| L
| GF
| GA
| GD
|
|
| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
|
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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| 0 | | | | | | | 0
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Fixtures
Group G fixtures were negotiated at a meeting between the participants in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 16 February 2006.
|
| - 2006
- Saturday 2 September 2006
- Romania vs. Bulgaria
- Belarus vs. Albania
- Luxembourg vs. Netherlands
- Wednesday 6 September 2006
- Albania vs. Romania
- Netherlands vs. Belarus
- Bulgaria vs. Slovenia
- Romania vs. Belarus
- Bulgaria vs. Netherlands
- Slovenia vs. Luxembourg
- Wednesday 11 October 2006
- Belarus vs. Slovenia
- Luxembourg vs. Bulgaria
- Netherlands vs. Albania
|
|
- 2007
- Netherlands vs. Romania
- Luxembourg vs. Belarus
- Albania vs. Slovenia
- Romania vs. Luxembourg
- Slovenia vs. Netherlands
- Bulgaria vs. Albania
- Slovenia vs. Romania
- Albania vs. Luxembourg
- Belarus vs. Bulgaria
- Romania vs. Slovenia
- Luxembourg vs. Albania
- Bulgaria vs. Belarus
- Saturday 8 September 2007
- Belarus vs. Romania
- Netherlands vs. Bulgaria
- Luxembourg vs. Slovenia
|
|
- 2007 cont.
- Wednesday 12 September 2007
- Slovenia vs. Belarus
- Bulgaria vs. Luxembourg
- Albania vs. Netherlands
- Romania vs. Netherlands
- Belarus vs. Luxembourg
- Slovenia vs. Albania
- Wednesday 17 October 2007
- Luxembourg vs. Romania
- Netherlands vs. Slovenia
- Albania vs. Bulgaria
- Saturday 17 November 2007
- Bulgaria vs. Romania
- Netherlands vs. Luxembourg
- Albania vs. Belarus
- Wednesday 21 November 2007
- Romania vs. Albania
- Belarus vs. Netherlands
- Slovenia vs. Bulgaria
Qualified nations
- and as hosts.
- 7 group winners and 7 runners-up.
Reaction to the draw
On the day of the draw, many people thought that Group E was favourable to England's qualification chances
and that Group B was decidedly unfavourable to Scotland's qualifying chances. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4645618.stm This group was given added spice when two of its members, Italy and France, reached the
2006 FIFA World Cup final.
See also
External links
European Football Championship qualifying | 2008 European Football Championship
Campionato europeo di calcio 2008 (qualificazioni) | Europees kampioenschap voetbal 2008 kwalificatie | Mistrzostwa Europy w piłce nożnej 2008 (eliminacje)
"2008 European Football Championship (qualifying)"