60 years after the first edition of the European Championship, the European Football Union (Uefa) has come up with something special, critics say something absurd. The tournament will be held in twelve different countries and cities. As in 2016, 24 teams take part. In a complicated mode, even small football nations such as Belarus or Northern Macedonia have the opportunity to qualify for the first time for a major tournament.
The German national team will take part in an European Championship for the thirteenth time, which is a record and was already determined before the 6-1 win against Northern Ireland in their last qualifier. In previous years, a draw followed soon after the last matchday. This is also the case on November 30th in Bucharest, but everything else is completely atypical:
Which nations have qualified for the European Championship?
Because of the distribution to twelve countries no host country could qualify automatically.
These 20 nations are qualified: Belgium, Italy, England, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, France, Poland, Switzerland, Croatia, Netherlands, Russia, Portugal, Turkey, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Czech Republic, Wales, Finland.
What are the pots for the draw on 30 November?
The German team has made the first Lostopf by the group victory in front of the Netherlands, difficult opponents nevertheless threaten:
Pot 1: Italy, Belgium, England, Germany, Spain, Ukraine
Pot 2: France, Switzerland, Croatia, Poland, Netherlands, Russia
Pot 3: Portugal, Turkey, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Czech Republic
Pot 4: Wales, Finland, Winner Playoff A, Winner Playoff B, Winner Playoff C, Winner Playoff D
What is still certain?
The host cities have been assigned to the six European Championships long before the draw:
Group A takes place in Rome (Italy) and Baku (Azerbaijan)
Group B in Saint Petersburg (Russia) and Copenhagen (Denmark)
Group C in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Bucharest (Romania)
Group D in London (England) and Glasgow (Scotland)
Group E in Bilbao (Spain) and Dublin (Ireland)
Group F in Munich (Germany) and Budapest (Hungary).
Franck Fife / AFP
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20 qualified teams - why are four missing?
The Uefa wants to award four EM starting places over a playoff system. This has already happened in the run-up to other tournaments, but this time around, the teams will not get another chance, which ended up in the qualifying groups behind the top two finishers. Rather, 16 teams from the 2018 started Nations League are determined by a complicated procedure, which make up the last four places in four playoff paths.
As a result, four placeholders will be invited to the official European Championship draw on November 30th.
Who can qualify later on the playoffs?
At least now it gets complicated. The Nations League was divided into four leagues, each with four groups of three or four teams. However, eleven of the twelve teams have made it directly to the European Championship from league A, with only Iceland having to go through the playoffs. The followers and opponents come from league C, which makes it easier for the physically stronger Iceland. Which three nations move up, must be drawn, this first draw takes place already on 22 November.
This is how the playoff paths look like:
Playoff A : Iceland plus three of the four teams Bulgaria, Israel, Hungary, Romania
Playoff B: Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Northern Ireland and Slovakia vs. Ireland
Playoff C : Norway vs. Serbia and Scotland against one of the four teams Bulgaria, Israel, Hungary, Romania
Playoff D : Georgia vs. Belarus and North Macedonia vs. Kosovo
How are the playoffs going?
Unlike in previous playoff solutions, there will be no playoffs. The semi-finals will be played on March 26 (the home team will receive the better placed team in the Nations League), the winners will meet in the final on March 31 (home right will be drawn) - only the winner will go to the European Championships.
Scotland, Ireland, Romania and Hungary have four European champions in the play-offs. They have to be split into three playoff paths, as Uefa's sporting criteria prohibit changing the fourth path with the weakest teams. However, according to Uefa rules, it is also forbidden to put two hosts in a path, because you can only assign them to one group and thus in March the problem might arise of having a host in a wrong group.
Why? Because the bandage actually left a back door. A so-called Emergency Panel consisting of five people including Uefa President Aleksandar Ceferin may change the procedure in the coming days.
When should a possible third draw take place?
If, for example, the following situation occurs: If, for example, Rumania and Hungary draw together on the draw on 22 November in the playoff path A, this path then for the European Championship Group C with just Bucharest as host city be determined, but athletically Hungary sits down with Budapest as host city by (Budapest is determined as host for group F), a corrected draw would be necessary following the playoff games.
Matching date: April 1, 2020. No joke.
What specifications does Uefa make in the run-up to the draw?
Since the six EM groups are each coupled to two host cities, two hosts from a group may not be in a pot, coincidentally, this has even worked out. On the other hand, this also means that Russia (pot 2) and Denmark (pot 3) with the host cities of Saint Petersburg and Copenhagen play in each case together in group B. But there are also political components in it, the Uefa has excluded in advance four conceivable games:
Kosovo - Russia
Kosovo - Serbia
Kosovo - Bosnia-Herzegovina
Ukraine - Russia
What does that mean for the German group?
Since Hungary could not qualify directly, it is already clear that the DFB team will play all three group matches in Munich; As a reminder: Munich and the Hungarian capital Budapest are designated as hosts for Group F.
Possible opponents of the DFB team are France, Poland, Switzerland or Croatia from pot 2 and Portugal, Turkey, Austria, Sweden or Czech Republic from pot 3. Which playoff path will lead to the German group is also set on 22 November ,