UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying

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Bulgaria has been sentenced to 2 games in an empty stadium, with one being provisional. The FA has been fined a total of €85000.

That'll teach em.

They incurred the ban during a partially-closed stadium ban anyway.

€64,000 fine for that, 'fans' literally doing Nazi salutes and hurling racial abuse, whilst Nicklas Bendtner was fined €80,000 for wearing underpants with a sponsor on them.
 
UEFA, just like FIFA are nothing more than a bunch of money driven castrated idiots.

These punishments are pointless. Might as well not give them at all.
 
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Tonight's Results

Turkey 0-0 Iceland
England 7-0 Montenegro
Portugal 6-0 Lithuania
Albania 2-2 Andorra
Czech Republic 2-1 Kosovo
France 2-1 Moldova
Serbia 3-2 Luxembourg

England qualified for the Euros next year in emphatic fashion, they were 5-0 up at half time with a first half hat-trick from Harry Kane, other goals came from Ox-Chamberlain, Rashford, Abraham with his first England goal and an own goal from Sofranac. Czech Republic have also qualified from England's group after a 2-1 win over Kosovo.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th Portugal goal and got his 55th career hat-trick, France were a little off colour as they came from behind to beat Moldova.
 
So Wales are playing Azerbaijan right now and are 0-1 up which is good news as we need to beat them and Hungary on Tuesday for have any chance of qualifying out right, but its now occurred that we are guaranteed a play off place and its all because Sweden beat Romania last night to qualify and they aren't in Wales's group.

I've tried looking on Wikipedia for answers to this and I think I've got the gist of it but its still quite complex!
 
So qualifying has just finished and already nine (9) countries know what group they're going to be in.
 
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Apparently double whiskeys* are not enough of a reason to miss work.

*Slovak standard measurement is 40ml so a double whiskey here is more than a triple at home

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So qualifying has just finished and already nine (9) countries know what group they're going to be in.
And nobody knows how any of this is decided. The playoff situation is just beyond mental, but I'll try to cover it in a non-opaque manner...
 
And nobody knows how any of this is decided. The playoff situation is just beyond mental, but I'll try to cover it in a non-opaque manner...
No we do.

Because the groups are being held in different countries, each country that qualifies is allowed to play in their own country (England play in England etc). As most of the 12 host countries qualified, that sets them up in their groups. We then have the awkward thing of Ukraine and Russia not being allowed to be placed in the same group, that split them up as well. As Belgium were the only other team in that group, they therefore took the other spot.
 
No we do.

Because the groups are being held in different countries, each country that qualifies is allowed to play in their own country (England play in England etc). As most of the 12 host countries qualified, that sets them up in their groups. We then have the awkward thing of Ukraine and Russia not being allowed to be placed in the same group, that split them up as well. As Belgium were the only other team in that group, they therefore took the other spot.
The bit about group winners/runners up between host group assignment and drawing of lots is what seemed convoluted to me
 
No we do.

Because the groups are being held in different countries, each country that qualifies is allowed to play in their own country (England play in England etc). As most of the 12 host countries qualified, that sets them up in their groups. We then have the awkward thing of Ukraine and Russia not being allowed to be placed in the same group, that split them up as well. As Belgium were the only other team in that group, they therefore took the other spot.
Then there's the situation with two hosts (Denmark, Russia) qualifying to the same host pot and only one being allowed to be the home host because mumble. Meanwhile World Champion, qualifying group-winning France isn't a top-seed because mumblemumblemumble, with Ukraine - ranked eight places below - taking its spot due to mumble, and then the Nations Cup means that the playoffs are mumblemumble.

It's like a Slinky crochet, and if it wasn't for Azerbaijan - hosting, but failing to qualify - I'd think it's deliberately obscure because money...
 
It's all pretty simple and actually logical if you bother to read why.
Then there's the situation with two hosts (Denmark, Russia) qualifying to the same host pot and only one being allowed to be the home host because mumble.
Where both hosts qualified, the "home" team which hosts the match between the two teams is determined by a draw. If a host is eliminated or goes through the playoffs, the other host automatically gets the third home game.
Meanwhile World Champion, qualifying group-winning France isn't a top-seed because mumblemumblemumble with Ukraine - ranked eight places below - taking its spot due to mumble
It comes down to the overall ranking for every team based on their points scored in the group (excluding 6th placed teams where appropriate). France's 6 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss placed it as the 7th best group winners on 19 points, while Ukraine scored 20 points in their group, putting them in the top 6 and therefore Pot 1.
and then the Nations Cup means that the playoffs are mumblemumble.
Just let the people who wrote the rules explain that one, I haven't got enough keys on my keyboard to explain the parameters there but it does (somehow) make sense.
It's like a Slinky crochet, and if it wasn't for Azerbaijan - hosting, but failing to qualify - I'd think it's deliberately obscure because money...
TBH, If a host failed to qualify, they should have had their rights to host crossed out and it been reallocated to another country. Somewhere like Stockholm, Lisbon, Istanbul or Brussels would do. We don't need a Quarter Final between, I dunno, England and Netherlands played a million miles away from either country.
 
We don't need a Quarter Final between, I dunno, England and Netherlands played a million miles away from either country.
Like putting European club finals on in a country miles away from any teams with a reasonable chance of making it? Surely UEFA wouldn't be that stupid!?!
 
The play-offs were sorted earlier, 16 nations competing for the final four spots, and they have been separated in to four 'play off paths'.

Path A: Iceland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania
Path B: Bosnia, Slovakia, Ireland, Northern Ireland
Path C: Scotland, Norway, Serbia, Israel
Path D: Georgia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Belarus

The highest ranked team in each path will face the fourth ranked team in one semi final, with the second facing the third in the other. The play offs are single-round knockout, the winners of two semi final will meet in a one-off final where the winner will qualify for Euro 2020, extra time and penalties can be played as well.

Path A: Iceland v Romania, Bulgaria v Hungary (winner of Bulgaria/Hungary will host final)
Path B: Bosnia v Northern Ireland, Slovakia v Ireland (winner of Bosnia/N.Ireland will host final)
Path C: Scotland v Israel, Norway v Serbia (winner of Norway/Serbia will host final)
Path D: Georgia v Belarus, North Macedonia v Kosovo (winner of Georgia/Belarus will host final)

The participants for the play-offs were decided by they're Nations League finishes as were whether or not they play home or away in the play-offs.

Could have an all-Irish final and one of either Georgia, Belarus, North Macedonia or Kosovo will take part in Euro 2020! :crazy:
 
An all Irish Final would be Massive, kinda like the 1994 WC qualifier.

That game in November 1993 was disgusting though. A real low point for Northern Irish football. Hopefully, should the play-offs come to it, this game in Belfast won't be so troublesome but in these poltically-charged Brexit times I'm not so sure.

But Slovakia playing Ireland means another game for me to go and watch. Get in.
 
Euro 2020 play-offs conclude tomorrow night with four finals, quite late scheduling of course because oft he pandemic and the fact that the tournament was delayed until next Summer.

Here are the four games.

Hungary v Iceland
Northern Ireland v Slovakia
Serbia v Scotland
Georgia v North Macedonia

Games are not being played at neutral venues so they will be play at the home teams grounds. Extra time and penalties if needed.
 
Unreal from Scotland.

I was watching Northern Ireland vs Slovakia and Slovakia's best player scored an own goal in the 88th minute to make it 1-1.

Both games going to ET and I have to go to bed because of work. Great...
 
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