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 does not have to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2006, as they will be 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 .
Groups
The qualifying process would start in September 2006, which is a couple of months after the 2006 World Cup . Austria and Switzerland have already qualified for the tournament finals as host nations.
The Qualifying Format has been changed compared to 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.
Group A
Fixtures
2006 Belgium vs. Kazakhstan Saturday 2 September 2006 Poland vs.Finland
Serbia & Montenegro vs.Azerbaijan Wednesday 6 September 2006 Finland vs.Portugal
Poland vs.Serbia & Montenegro
Armenia vs.Belgium
Azerbaijan vs.Kazakhstan Kazakhstan vs.Poland
Armenia vs.Finland
Serbia & Montenegro vs.Belgium
Portugal vs.Azerbaijan Wednesday 11 October 2006 Poland vs.Portugal
Belgium vs.Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan vs.Finland
Serbia & Montenegro 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 & Montenegro Serbia & Montenegro vs.Portugal
Poland vs.Armenia
Azerbaijan vs.Finland Belgium vs.Portugal
Azerbaijan vs.Poland
Finland vs.Serbia & Montenegro
Kazakhstan vs.Armenia Armenia vs.Poland
Finland vs.Belgium
Kazakhstan vs.Azerbaijan Armenia vs.Portugal
Finland vs.Kazakhstan
Belgium vs.Serbia & Montenegro Saturday 8 September 2007 Portugal vs.Poland
Azerbaijan vs.Armenia
Serbia & Montenegro vs.Finland
2007 cont. Wednesday 12 September 2007 Portugal vs.Serbia & Montenegro
Finland vs.Poland
Armenia vs.Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan vs.Belgium Azerbaijan vs.Portugal
Poland vs.Kazakhstan
Armenia vs.Serbia & Montenegro
Belgium vs.Finland Wednesday 17 October 2007 Kazakhstan vs.Portugal
Azerbaijan vs.Serbia & Montenegro
Belgium vs.Armenia Saturday 17 November 2007 Portugal vs.Armenia
Poland vs.Belgium
Serbia & Montenegro vs.Kazakhstan
Finland vs.Azerbaijan Wednesday 21 November 2007 Portugal vs.Finland
Serbia & Montenegro vs.Poland
Armenia vs.Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan vs.Belgium
Group B
Fixtures to be determined.
A random draw will be conducted on Thursday March 9, 2006 if fixtures cannot be agreed between delegates.
Group C
Fixtures
2006 Saturday 2 September 2006 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
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
Fixtures
Group E fixtures were negotiated at a meeting between the participants in Nyon , Switzerland , on March 3 2006 .
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
Fixtures
The fixtures for group F were settled at a meeting between the participants in Copenhagen , Denmark . [1]
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
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
Reaction to the draw
On the day of the draw, many people thought that Group E was favourable to England's qualification chances [2] , and that Group B was decidedly unfavourable to Scotland's qualifying chances. [3]
See also
External links
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