european football championship 2008

The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was the thirteenth European Championships and and was held in Austria and Switzerland between 7 June and 29 June 2008. The tournament was won by Spain who beat Germany 1-0 at Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna.


Host selection

Seven bids came to host the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship with joint bids from Austria and Switzerland, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, Greece and Turkey, Scotland and Republic of Ireland as well as a Nordic bid from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and solo bids from Hungary and also from Russia.

UEFA’s National Teams Committee made a recommendation based on technical evaluation of the six candidates on 12 December 2002, and concluded that only four bids had the capability of organising the tournament with the bids ranked as follows:
1. Austria–Switzerland, 2. Hungary, 3. Greece–Turkey, 4. Nordic Countries (Denmark–Finland–Norway–Sweden)

The UEFA Executive Committee voted on the bids and chose Austria–Switzerland as the winning bid.


Qualifying

Fifty UEFA members entered the qualification tournament for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship with Kazakhstan taking part in a Euro qualifying tournament for the first time since joining UEFA in 2002.

Austria and Switzerland qualified automatically as hosts.

Wales were seeded in pot 5 and were drawn into Group D alongside Czechia, Germany, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus and San Marino.


Uefa qualifying group D

no.datescorescorers (Wales)venue 
54002/09/2006Czechia 2-1 WalesogNa Stínadlech, TepliceECQ
 02/09/2006Slovakia 6-1 Cyprus Tehelné pole, BratislavaECQ
 02/09/2006Germany 1-0 Republic of Ireland Gottileb-Daimler Stadion, StuttgartECQ
 06/09/2006Slovakia 0-3 Czechia Tehelné pole, BratislavaECQ
 06/09/2006San Marino 0-13 Germany Stadio Olimpico, SerravalleECQ
54207/10/2006Wales 1-5 SlovakiaBaleMillennium Stadium, CardiffECQ
 07/10/2006Czechia 7-0 San Marino U Nisy Stadion, LiberecECQ
 07/10/2006Cyprus 5-2 Republic of Ireland Neo GSP Stadium, NicosiaECQ
 11/10/2006Republic of Ireland 1-1 Czechia Lansdowne Road, DublinECQ
 11/10/2006Slovakia 1-4 Germany Tehelné pole, BratislavaECQ
54311/10/2006Wales 3-1 CyprusKoumas, Earnshaw, BellamyMillennium Stadium, CardiffECQ
 15/11/2006Cyprus 1-1 Germany Neo GSP Stadium, NicosiaECQ
 15/11/2006Republic of Ireland 5-0 San Marino Lansdowne Road, DublinECQ
 07/02/2007San Marino 1-2 Republic of Ireland Stadio Olimpico, SerravalleECQ
54624/03/2007Republic of Ireland 1-0 Wales Croke Park, DublinECQ
 24/03/2007Cyprus 1-3 Slovakia Neo GSP Stadium, NicosiaECQ
 24/03/2007Czechia 1-2 Germany Toyota Arena, PragueECQ
 28/03/2007Czechia 1-0 Cyprus U Nisy Stadion, LiberecECQ
 28/03/2007Republic of Ireland 1-0 Slovakia Croke Park, DublinECQ
54728/03/2007Wales 3-0 San MarinoGiggs, Bale, KoumasMillennium Stadium, CardiffECQ
 02/06/2007Germany 6-0 San Marino Frankenstadion, NurembergECQ
 06/06/2007Germany 2-1 Slovakia AOL Arena, HamburgECQ
 22/08/2007San Marino 0-1 Cyprus Stadio Olimpico, SerravalleECQ
 08/09/2007San Marino 0-3 Czechia Stadio Olimpico, SerravalleECQ
 08/09/2007Slovakia 2-2 Republic of Ireland Tehelné pole, BratislavaECQ
54902/06/2007Wales 0-0 Czechia Millennium Stadium, CardiffECQ
55108/09/2007Wales 0-2 Germany Millennium Stadium, CardiffECQ
 12/09/2007Cyprus 3-0 San Marino Neo GSP Stadium, NicosiaECQ
 12/09/2007Czechia 1-0 Republic of Ireland AXA Arena, PragueECQ
55212/09/2007Slovakia 2-5 WalesEastwood, Bellamy (2), og, DaviesAnton Malatinského, TrnavaECQ
 13/10/2007Slovakia 7-0 San Marino Metský štadión, Dubnica nad VáhomECQ
55313/10/2007Cyprus 3-1 WalesCollinsNeo GSP Stadium, NicosiaECQ
 13/10/2007Republic of Ireland 0-0 Germany Croke Park, DublinECQ
55417/10/2007San Marino 1-2 WalesEarnshaw, LedleyStadio Olimpico, SerravalleECQ
 17/10/2007Republic of Ireland 1-1 Cyprus Croke Park, DublinECQ
 17/10/2007Germany 0-3 Czechia Allianz Arena, MunichECQ
55517/11/2007Wales 2-2 Republic of IrelandKoumas (2)Millennium Stadium, CardiffECQ
 17/11/2007Germany 4-0 Cyprus AWD-Arena, HanoverECQ
 17/11/2007Czechia 3-1 Slovakia AXA Arena, PragueECQ
 21/11/2007Cyprus 0-2 Czechia Neo GSP Stadium, NicosiaECQ
55621/11/2007Germany 0-0 Wales Commerzbank Arena, FrankfurtECQ
 21/11/2007San Marino 0-5 Slovakia Stadio Olimpico, SerravalleECQ

Group standings

  PWDLFAPts
1.Czech Republic1292127529
2.Germany1283135727
3.Ireland12453171417
4.Slovakia12516332316
5.Wales12435181915
6.Cyprus12426172414
7.San Marino1200122570

Wales and the 2008 European Championship

Wales were seeded in pot 5 and were drawn into Group D alongside Czechia, Germany, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus and San Marino.

The first match of the campaign saw Wales travel to Czechia to take on the group's top seeds, but despite an 86th minute equaliser in Teplice, Wales lost 2-1 as the home side scored a last minute winner.

However, any optimism from the cruel defeat to the Czechs was wiped out with Wales suffering the heaviest home defeat since 1894 as Slovakia thrashed Wales 5-1.

The only glimmer of light on an evening which saw Paul Jones win his 50th and final cap in goal for Wales was that of Gareth Bale becoming Wales' youngest ever goalscorer.

Wales were the first ever visitors for a football international at Dublin's Páirc an Chrócaigh, home of the Gaelic Athletic Association, but in a poor quality game, John Toshack's men could not build on their win over Cyprus in the previous match.

A routine win over San Marino was followed by Ryan Giggs' last ever Wales match as the Manchester United winger announced his retirement from international football.

Giggs could not inspire Wales to a win but a creditable 0-0 draw against the top seeds wasn't enough for Wales who saw hopes of qualification all but extinguished.

A defeat at home to Germany was followed by a 5-2 thumping of Slovakia in Trnava which went some way to ease the painful memories of the home defeat, however the next two Wales matches were amongst the worst perfomances of the Toshack era.

Despite them beating the Republic of Ireland and winning a point against Germany, Wales were expected to beat Cyprus in Nicosia, however a 3-1 defeat followed by a poor performance in a 2-1 win over 10-man San Marino saw Welsh fans turn on the team.

A last gasp equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw at home to the Republic of Ireland and a 0-0 draw away to already qualified Germany did little to appease the press or the fans as Wales finished the campaign in fifth place.


Players used during qualifying

Wales used 32 players during the campaign, incluyding four different goalkeepers. No player played every single minute of the campaign but Simon Davies played a part in every match.

Dave Edwards won his first cap in the home match against the Republic of Ireland. Mark Delaney won the last of his 36 caps in the opening defeat away to Czechia whilst Ryan Giggs won the last of his 64 caps in the home draw with Czechia.


PlayerCZESLOCYPIRLSANCZEGERSLOCYPSANIRLGER
Gareth Bale 90907490 90909090  
Craig Bellamy909089909090 909090  
Danny Collins   16    44   
James Collins90  9090909090  9090
David Cotterill122  45     9 
Danny Coyne   9090   90   
Andrew Crofts      11    1
Simon Davies908890909090799090909090
Mark Delaney78           
Richard Duffy 9078         
Neal Eardley         9081 
Rob Earnshaw124590  1  3290 55
Jermaine Easter   145   17 3135
Freddy Eastwood      907358 59 
Dave Edwards          5389
Rob Edwards 5812         
Steve Evans   9063       
Carl Fletcher45  4590 2317  9090
Danny Gabbidon909090  90909090909090
Ryan Giggs90  907389      
Chris Gunter          9090
Wayne Hennessey     909090  9090
Paul Jones9090          
Jason Koumas 9045 909067   90 
Joe Ledley45324545 90908590909090
Craig Morgan  90    9046   
Lewin Nyatanga90909090279090 9090 90
Paul Parry 451 17       
Lewis Price  90      90  
Sam Ricketts78  90909090907328 90
Carl Robinson90909089 909090909037 
David Vaughan       562