The playoff grid of the European Football Championship was extremely uneven. In one half of it, the current finalists of the Euro - Spain and Italy, the world champions - the Germans, the hosts of the championship - the French and the ever-promising British - will converge, in the other, several sensations of the tournament gathered at once, and the main contenders for the final were Belgium, Croatia and Portugal.
The path of the strongest
Germany - Slovakia; Italy - Spain; France - Ireland; England - Iceland
The new formula of the European Championship turned out to be truly revolutionary, allowing many debutants and teams of the "second echelon" not only to get through to the final stage, but also to get good chances for medals in the tournament. The playoff scheme was determined in advance, and at first glance it seemed quite fair - the first places of the quartets in the 1/8 finals went either to third or to two out of six second ones. The remaining four "vice-champions" of the groups played among themselves.
However, the uneven distribution of the top teams within these groups (Group D, where the Spaniards, Croats, Czechs and Turks played, is difficult to compare with Quartet F - Hungary, Iceland, Austria and Portugal, which has weakened in recent years) and several sensations led to an amazing result. The grid was divided into two halves, completely incomparable in terms of comparative strength and historical merits of the teams.
Almost all the favorites of the championship were in one part. Reigning champion the world Germany is here. The hosts of the tournament and the two-time winners of the Euro, the French, please. England - not a winning but traditional favorite - is nearby. And the finalists of the previous continental championship, Spain and Italy, will converge at all in the 1/8 finals, in order to then clash with the Germans in the second round (if the Slovaks do not work a miracle).
However, the "small" teams that have found themselves in the path of the strongest - Slovakia, Ireland and Iceland - also seem to be whipping boys only at first glance.
If the Slovaks really find it difficult to oppose something to the mighty German car and all hope is on Marek Hamshik, then the Irish, in the wake of the victory over Italy, may well torment the Euro hosts, who did not show a clear game at the first stage.
As for the Iceland - England pair, here, judging by the group round, the Vikings, who showed much more organized and selfless football, may well emerge from it. They, of course, may not have enough experience and partly motivation (the very entrance to the Euro was a miracle for the Icelanders, what to say about the 1/8 finals), but Hodgson's wards in such a battle will be even more nervous than in a duel with mastodons like the Germans and Spaniards ...
Half grid without champions
Switzerland - Poland; Croatia - Portugal; Wales - Northern Ireland; Hungary - Belgium
The second half of the grid turned out to be much less representative, but also completely unpredictable. None of the eight teams that will contest the final from this side have won the Euro before. And in decisive match only two of them participated - Belgium in 1980 and Portugal in 2004.
Knowing how difficult it will be for teams from the other side of the bracket to break through, we can assume that the Euro may have a new, tenth champion. But who it will be is still a mystery.
There are a lot of applicants. Firstly, it has its own “pair of deaths” in the 1/8 finals. The Portuguese, having finished third in the weakest group of the tournament, managed to get into the playoffs against the Croats, who heroically overtook Spain. By all indications, the "checkers", demonstrating a bright attacking football, should pass Ronaldo and company, but in the playoffs Portugal traditionally looks stronger than in round-robin tournaments.
Secondly, the stellar generation of Belgian players must have their say. Two years ago, the Belgians lost to Argentina in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, but they came to Euro for the victory.
And although the starting failure with the Italians somewhat cooled the ardor of the “red devils”, they quickly recovered from the blow, and the relatively light grid itself now pushes them to the final.
Thirdly, Wales became an unexpected favorite, proving to the Russian national team and the entire football community that it is not a team of Bale, Ramsey and nine squires, but a close-knit squad, in which all players understand each other perfectly and are capable of non-standard solutions.
In the first round, the Welsh will face another British team - Northern Ireland, which, although they beat Ukraine, seems to be a noteworthy underdog in this dispute.
Finally, we must not forget about the Polish national team, which did not concede a single goal in the group stage and held a draw in the match against the formidable Germans. She will have to fight with another defensive team - the Swiss, who also have an honorable world team with the top team.
And although the Poles seem a little more representative in composition, the only thing we can say with certainty is that the battle should turn out stubborn and ineffective.
If all the favorites (according to the editorial board of Gazeta.Ru) win in the first round, we will have extremely interesting quarterfinals, which we might never have seen (at least some of them), held in the usual Euro format.
Germany - Spain, France - England, Poland - Croatia, Belgium - Wales ... It's worth seeing.
You can get acquainted with other materials, news and statistics on, as well as in the groups of the sports department on social networks
Since the participants in the playoffs have already decided, the playoffs grid is offered to the attention of readers and fans - the main stage in which the loser leaves the tournament and stops fighting for the European champion title.
Matches start from the 1/8 finals stage - 8 games. The winners advance to the quarterfinals. Next comes the semi-finals and finals. The losers in the semifinals will be awarded bronze medals, the defeated finalist will receive silver medals, and the champion will receive gold medals and the European Cup.
Ironically, the playoff grid has developed in such a way that the traditional favorites - Germany, Italy, Spain, France and England - will definitely not meet with the notorious "dark horses" or outsiders until the final. It's a paradox, but this year the debutants and the teams who returned after a long absence show an excellent level of play, whatever one may say. And traditionally strong teams start to fail. England cannot tune in to the right wave, Germany is worried about the defense, France is entangled in the attack, Italy has put up a raw reserve, Spain has tiki-taka ... Belgium is included in the net for the “outsiders”, which is not yet pleasing with a sparkling game (perhaps against Ireland) , and Portugal, which Cristiano Ronaldo only pulled out to the playoffs at the last moment.
So here are the upcoming matches:
- June 25, 16:00. Switzerland - Poland. Saint-Etienne.
- June 25, 19:00. Wales - Northern Ireland. Paris.
- June 25, 22:00. Croatia - Portugal. Lance.
- June 26, 16:00. France - Ireland. Lyon.
- June 26, 19:00. Germany - Slovakia. Lille.
- June 26, 22:00. Hungary - Belgium. Toulouse.
- June 27, 19:00. Italy - Spain. Saint Denis.
- June 27, 22:00. England - Iceland. Nice.
We can already say the following about the upcoming fights:
Switzerland and Poland never made it to the Euro playoffs, and for the Alps and Slavs this is already a small success. The played Swiss team can give battle to the Polish team led by Robert Lewandowski.
In the fight between Wales and Northern Ireland, one of the debutants will be forced to leave the tournament after the very first round. In any case, for these teams, reaching the playoffs is already a victory.
Croatia has come to be seen as the fan favorite of the tournament - it looks more menacing against the backdrop of faded Portugal. If Ronaldo and the company do not get together and play at least as against Hungary, then Ronaldo will be left without medals again.
Everyone has already heard about how France did not let Ireland to the World Cup in South Africa. It is possible that the Irish can kill two birds with one stone - shock the owners, revenge them in full, and crawl out even further.
Germany played in a friendly match with the Slovaks before the Euro and lost 1: 3. Although there was a second line-up, it is possible that the first one can also falter under the pressure of Marek Hamshik. The central defense of the Germans is failing, and the implementation is also lame on both legs.
Hungary has become one of the sensations of the Euro, so it cannot be ruled out that Belgium will have a hard time. The “golden generation” needs to prove their worth. And Gabor Kirai is also on the alert - although he conceded two goals from Ronaldo, that is not his fault.
Spain may step down as European champion in the 1/8 finals, if del Bosque does not have time to set the team up for the playoffs. Although, taking into account the raw reserve of Italians, which everyone saw in the match with Ireland, the Spaniards seem to have nothing to fear.
Icelanders are not a gift for the British; they made fun of the Portuguese to their fullest. Moreover, some of them probably know the English way of playing well. But Marcus Rashford and Jamie Vardy have a historic chance to show they are worth something.
Against the backdrop of the grid, you start to wonder - would we have had a chance if we had come out instead of Wales or England? And who would we hit? But history has no subjunctive mood, and it is necessary to prove its strength not in word, but in deed. Let's just see who really deserves to be the best in this tournament and enjoy the game.
Introducing the second Euro 2016 Prediction Contest - Playoffs! This time you need to guess the outcome of 15 matches.
Whoever guesses more accurately, more and faster, will win!
There are many prizes in our competition
The more prizes the better! Therefore, in addition to the standard three winners, we also award every tenth of the TOP-100 best forecasters.
That is, the participants who took 1, 2, 3, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 places will receive the official ball of the tournament - Adidas Beau Jeu.
Points accrual
There are 15 games in the playoff series, for each of them you are asked to make a prediction - to guess the score. Bets are accepted on the result of the match shown in regular time and overtime (excluding the penalty shootout).
Points for the forecast are awarded according to the scheme: the more accurately you guessed, the more you received.
The correct score is guessed - 10 points,
otherwise, if the winner is guessed and the goal difference is 7 points,
otherwise, if the winner is guessed - 5 points,
otherwise, if the number of goals scored is guessed - 2 points.
In case of a draw, if the forecast was “3: 3”, and the result was “7: 7”, then the points are given according to the scheme “guessed the winner”, that is, 5 points.
Example: as a result of the match "Russia - England" ours won 5: 1
Prediction 5: 1 will earn 10 points;
Forecast 6: 2 - 7 points;
Forecast 2: 1 - 5 points;
Forecast 2: 4 - 2 points.
Identifying the winner
The winner is the one with the most points at the end of the final match.
If two or more participants gain the same number of points, the winner of the larger number of 10-point results wins. If they are equal, the number of results with a lower number of points is compared further in descending order. If the results are exactly the same (which we hope will not happen), the winner is the one who made the very first prediction earlier.
You need to make a prediction before the start of the match - the acceptance of bets closes with the starting whistle. We accept predictions within three days before the match (with the exception of the first round games, on which you can bet from June 6). Don't be late!
To participate in the competition, you must register on the site or log in with your username. Capable persons, citizens are allowed to participate in the competition Russian Federation who have reached the age of majority and permanently residing in the territory of the Russian Federation. The winners shall independently pay all taxes stipulated by the current legislation of the Russian Federation upon receipt of the prize. Prizes are sent by mail within the Russian Federation.
The 2016 European Football Championship is also called World Cup 2016 or Euro 2016... This will be the 15th jubilee football tournament for the national teams of European countries. Total will play 24 teams. We will tell in our article about the location of the championship, dates, schedule and teams.
The organizer of Euro 2016 is UEFA - the Union of European Football Associations.
Where and when will EURO 2016 take place
2016 European Football Championship will be held in France from June 10 to July 10, 2016... The stadiums of 10 French cities will open their doors for it. And the fans will have the opportunity to travel all over France together with their favorite teams. A list of all cities is given later in the article.
What's on the news
- Alan Dzagoev, midfielder of CSKA Moscow and the Russian national team, will not be able to take part in the 2016 European Championship due to a fracture. Until recently, he was on the list of the Russian national team.
- In our team will play 31-year-old German Roman Neustädter (defender). He previously played for the German club Schalke.
- After the terrorist attacks on November 13, 2015, committed during football matches, and the crash of an A320 plane taking off from Charles de Gaulle airport, France remains a dangerous country for tourism. Nevertheless, they are not going to cancel the championship, all hotels for the period from June 10 to July 10 are booked, and the fans are already packing their bags.
- The Russian team at the European Championship 2016 in the photo.
Who will Russia play with at the 2016 World Cup
Key dates for Russian fans:
- June 11 at 21:00 French time Russia plays England at the Marseille stadium
- June 15 at 15:00 Russia plays with Slovakia at the Lille-Metropol stadium
- June 20 at 21:00 Russia plays with Wales at the Toulouse stadium
Experts believe that Russia is lucky with the group. The teams from Slovakia and Wales are not considered to be the strongest, and the English team is weakened by the domestic championships and may not appear in their best shape at Euro 2016.
According to forecasts, Russia should reach the ⅛ finals and, perhaps, even get into the ¼.
According to the rating of the national teams of FIFA, Russia ranks 24th. Two of the three rivals are higher than Russia on this list. But nevertheless, bookmakers predict Russia the second place in their group. Some write about the special team spirit of the Russian national team, the ability to interact, to give a pass to a more experienced and well-located team member in time. These qualities can become key and turn the results of the championship in our direction.
| Wales | Slovakia | England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FIFA National Team Rankings | 17, 7 positions higher than Russia | 26, 2 positions below Russia | 9th place, 15 positions higher than Russia |
| The most dangerous players | Gareth Bale, a midfielder, possesses high speed, excellent reaction and a strong, accurate shot. The most expensive footballer in the world. | Marek Hamsik, midfielder. Knows how to give amazingly accurate passes. Feels the ball and the field. | Wayne Rooney, one of the best strikers in the world. Harry Kane nicknamed "hurricane" is one of the best and most expensive players on the planet. |
| History of victories and defeats with Russia | Throughout our history of games, Russia has won a victory over the Wales team. | For 21 relations between our countries, 8 games have been played. Slovaks won two games. Russia won three games. Three matches ended in a draw. | Over the 25-year history, teams from Russia and England have played twice. The British won once, the Russians won once. |
| Winning Predictions | 1,5% | 0,7% | 8,3% |
It is worth mentioning the coach of the Russian national team, Leonid Slutsky, who replaced the Italian Fabio Capello. New coach has already secured Russia's participation in Euro 2016. The entire football world has high hopes on him for a worthy representation of Russia at the summer championship.
Schedule of the European Football Championship 2016, calendar of games
The European Championship consists of qualifying tournaments, as a result of which 23 teams are selected to participate in the final tournaments.
In 2016, for the first time, the number of participating countries at Euro 2016 increased from 16 to 24. 23 countries were selected as a result of the qualifying round, the 24th country, France, is automatically invited to the final as the host of the 2016 World Cup.
The final tournament consists of group matches and the final series of games (playoffs), which in turn are divided into ⅛ finals, quarter finals, semi-finals and final.
The stages of the championship can be viewed in the infographic below.
According to the results of the draw, teams from all participating countries are grouped into 6 groups. Group matches will be played between teams of the same group.
Group matches calendar
| 10.06 | 11.06 | 12.06 | 13.06 | 14.06 | 15.06 | 16.06 | 17.06 | 18.06 | 19.06 | 20.06 | 21.06 | 22.06 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bordeaux | Wales - Slovakia at 18:00 | Austria - Hungary at 18:00 | Belgium - Ireland at 15:00 | Croatia - Spain at 21:00 | |||||||||
| Lance | Albania - Switzerland at 15:00 | England - Wales at 15:00 | Czech Republic - Turkey at 21:00 | ||||||||||
| Lille | Germany - Ukraine at 21:00 | Russia - Slovakia at 15:00 | Switzerland - France at 21:00 | Italy - Ireland at 21:00 | |||||||||
| Lyon | Belgium - Italy at 21:00 | Ukraine - North. Ireland at 18:00 | Romania - Albania at 21:00 | Hungary - Portugal at 18:00 | |||||||||
| Marseilles | England - Russia at 21:00 | France - Albania at 21:00 | Iceland - Hungary at 18:00 | Ukraine - Poland at 18:00 | |||||||||
| Nice | Poland - North. Ireland at 18:00 | Spain - Turkey at 21:00 | Sweden - Belgium at 21:00 | ||||||||||
| Paris | Turkey - Croatia at 15:00 | Romania - Switzerland at 18:00 | Portugal - Austria at 21:00 | North. Ireland - Germany at 18:00 | |||||||||
| Saint Denis | France - Romania at 21:00 | Ireland - Sweden at 18:00 | Germany - Poland at 21:00 | Iceland - Austria at 18:00 | |||||||||
| Saint-Etienne | Portugal - Iceland at 21:00 | Czech Republic - Croatia at 18:00 | Slovakia - England at 21:00 | ||||||||||
| Toulouse | Spain - Czech Republic at 15:00 | Italy - Sweden at 15:00 | Russia - Wales at 21:00 |
Schedule ⅛ final
According to UEFA regulations, the teams that took the first and second places in their group, as well as the 4 best teams that took the third place, reach one-eighth of the finals. The schedule of games for June-July 2016 is as follows.
| 25.06 | 26.06 | 27.06 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lance | 1st place in Group D, 3rd place in Groups B, E, F at 21:00 | ||
| Lille | 1st place in Group C, 3rd place in Groups A, B, F at 18:00 | ||
| Lyon | 1st place in Group A, 3rd place in Groups C, D, E at 15:00 | ||
| Nice | 2nd place in Group B, 2nd place in Group F at 21:00 | ||
| Paris | 1st place in Group B, 3rd place in Groups A, C, D at 18:00 | ||
| Saint Denis | 1st place in Group E, 2nd place in Group D at 18:00 | ||
| Saint-Etienne | 2nd place in Group A, 2nd place in Group C at 15:00 | ||
| Toulouse | 1st place in Group F, 2nd place in Group E at 21:00 |
Quarter Finals Schedule
The games in the quarter-finals will determine the semi-finalists. These matches are watched not only by true football fans, but also by a wider audience.
Semifinal Schedule
This round of the 2016 UEFA European Football Championship will determine the top two teams to play in the final. From this moment the hottest and most interesting part of the championship begins.
The final
The final will take place at the Saint-Denis stadium in 21:00 ... This match will determine the winner of Euro 2016.
Tournament table of Euro 2016
The final standings may not contain any information yet. Starting from June 10, we will actively monitor the goals scored, points, wins and losses.
Information on the results of group matches, the number of wins, losses, goals or draws is regularly updated on the Yandex.
Teams-national teams, participants of the European Championship-2016
| Command | Main coach | Best striker (scorer) | Judge | Forecast, probability of winning in% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | Leonid Slutsky | Alexander Kerzhakov, Vladimir Beschastnykh, Roman Pavlyuchenko | Sergey Karasev | 1,5% |
| France | Didier Deschamps | Thierry Henry, Michel Platini, David Trezeguet | Clement Turpin | 36,6% |
| England | Roy Hodgson | Wayne Rooney, Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker | Martin Atkinson, Mark Clattenburg | 8,3% |
| Czech | Pavel Vrba | Jan Koller, Milan Baros, Vladimir Schmitser | Pavel Kralovets | 1,3% |
| Iceland | Lars Lagerbek | Eidur Gudjohnsen | - | 1,3% |
| Austria | Marcel Koller | Tony Polster | - | 3% |
| Northern Ireland | Michael O'Neill | David Healy | - | 0,4% |
| Portugal | Fernando Santos | Cristiano Ronaldo | - | 6,3% |
| Spain | Vicente del Bosque | David Villa | Carlos Velasco Carballo | 18,2% |
| Switzerland | Vladimir Petkovich | Alexander Fry | - | 1,5% |
| Italy | Antonio Conte | Gigi Riva | Nicola Rizzoli | 6,3% |
| Belgium | Mark Wilmots | Paul Van Himst, Bernard Worhof, Mark Wilmots | - | 10% |
| Wales | Chris Coleman | Ian Rush | - | 1,5% |
| Romania | Angel Yordenescu | Adrian Mutu, Gheorghe Haji | Ovidiu Gacegan | 0,7% |
| Albania | Gianni De Biasi | Erion Bogdani | - | 0,4% |
| Germany | Joachim Loew | Miroslav Klose | Felix Brich | 30% |
| Poland | Adam Navalka | Wlodzimierz Lubanski | Shimon Marcinjak | 2% |
| Slovakia | Jan Kozak | Robert Wittek | - | 0,7% |
| Croatia | Ante Cacic | Davor Shuker | - | 4% |
| Turkey | Fatih Terim | Hakan Shukur | Juneit Chakyr | 1,5% |
| Hungary | Bernd Storck | Ferenc Puskas | Victor Kashshai | 0,2% |
| Ireland | Martin O "Neil | Robbie Keane | - | 1% |
| Sweden | Eric Hamren | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Jonas Ericsson | 1% |
| Ukraine | Mikhail Fomenko | Andrey Shevchenko | - | 1% |
It is convenient to look at the probability of victory of a particular team on an interactive chart.
Cities hosting Euro 2016
The European Football Championship will be held in ten cities in France. List of cities: Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Etienne, Toulouse.
Results of the European Championship 2016
As soon as the results of the EURO 2016 become known, we will post them in this part of the article. Depending on how the teams play in the groups, the participants in the eighth, quarter finals, as well as the semifinals and the final game will be known.
- The face, mascot and symbol of the championship this year will be the cartoon character Super Victor.
- Towards the summer of 2016, the UEFA Euro 2016 game will appear. All owners of Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 will be able to download it for free.
- The 2016 World Cup logo depicts a real football celebration, the UEFA Cup, painted in the colors of the French flag, against a background of design elements. The slogan of the upcoming football championship is Le Rendez-Vous, which means a pleasant meeting.
From the article you learned about the schedule and calendar of matches of the European Football Championship, which will be held from June 10 to July 10, 2016. We have provided a list of teams, cities and stadiums where Euro 2016 will be held. This is the main article about the 2016 European Championship. Click on the names of cities and countries and you will get more information about the upcoming championship.
