Tournament held in France. 24 teams (a first).
Winner : PORTUGAL
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| PORTUGAL 2016 |
Team presented as in the Final (with substitutions) : Cristiano Ronaldo get injured early in the match and was replaced by Quaresma since the 25th minute. In consequence Nani took the left hand of the attack or the centre when Quaresma was clearly positionned on the right. Moutinho replaced Adrien Silva at the 66th minute (position for position). Striker Eder replaced the very young Renato Sanches 13 minutes later and scored the winner at the 109th minute.
Runner-up : France.
This team without intelligence, without soul and first of all without a coherent midfield - what is important in football and all the first remarks are linked to it and to a certain "spirit" and "coaching methods" and "choices" - reached the final. Gignac hit the post before the end of the 90 minutes...
Presented as in the Final (with substitutions) :
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| France 2016 |
Semi-finalists :
Germany (eliminated by France).
The XI of the semis (with substitutions) :
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| Germany 2016 |
World Champion title holder and one of the best sides of the tournament Germany was probably the team with less flaws without forgetting the indeniable qualities in its game. Fate was against them though and they have never been really that dominant neither, exception made of the round of 16 against Slovakia (and that was not Spain 2008-2012 neither talking about "qualities in the game").
Deprived of Khedira (MF), Hummels (CB), of the "veteran centre forward" Gomez (3 games as a starter, 2 goals, 4 appearances in total), without forgetting Reus injured before the tournament (like in 2014) and with 120 minutes in the legs (+ a penalty shootout) with their quarter-final with Italy, Germany was eliminated by a more athletical and in better shape French team that could also rely on the talent of his striker Griezmann and goalkeeper Lloris when Müller remained silencious in this tournament and that Neuer was not able to repair the errors of his teammates. Boateng get injured at the hour of play in this match too.
Hummels had already missed the first group game but without much consequences for his team as his sub for this match, Mustafi, in spite of some hesitations, scored the first German goal of the tournament for a 2-0 win over Ukraine.
Höwedes was the right back in the quarter-finals and Kimmich midfielder on the right side (in the round of 16, Kimmich was the RB and Höwedes did not play). Schweinsteiger was a subsitute and had to enter since the 12th minute to replace an injured Khedira, in the match against Italy.
Götze (likely to be called a "number 10") was the centre forward at the start of the tournament. Gomez (target-man) took the relay but the match with Italy get the better of his health.
The very young Leroy Sané made his only appearance by entering at the 79th minute of this semi-finals match.
Wales, winner of Belgium in the quarter-finals then elimianted by Portugal in the semis.
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| Wales 2016 |
Collins took the centre of the defense when he had to replace Davies, suspended (and Williams, usually in the middle, took the left hand of the defense). Arsenal's Ramsey was suspended for the semis and was replaced by King in this occasion.
Some extra's - as it was a 24-team tournament - with the quarter-finalists.
Italy (eliminated by Germany in a penalty shout-out).
In brackets the team that played against Germany, without brackets the team that played against Spain in the round of 16 :
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| Italy 2016 |
Practiced the good old Italian schemes to which must be added a quite unexpected efficiency from its strikers.
Was presented as "the worst Italian team ever" and finally seduced manys like that. Assuringly the team with the clearest scheme of play in that tournament. Their merit has to do with beating Spain in the round of 16 (and Belgium in the group stage).
Two last points :
- one will note that the back-three + GK is all Juventus.
- other players were used in the group stage in the very demanding role that is the one on the wings but Florenzi + de Sciglio is the duo of all the knock-out matches.
Belgium, eliminated by Wales.
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| Belgique 2016 |
In spite of wearing the shirt of Eddy Merckx, this Belgium could not
reach the last 4 even less the Final, not talking of winning the trophy.
True that Vermaelen was missing for this quarter-final, replaced by
Denayer. Same with Vertonghen, already not a "real left back" but a
centre back used there, replaced by the young Lukaku.
The inscription Carrasco (Mertens) : means that Mertens usually entered
for Carrasco (in the same role). It was the case in almost all the
matches, it was the case in the quarter-finals where by the way Fellaini
entered at half-time as did Batshuayi (striker) but at the
very end of the match.
Poland : Third participation ever in the Euro finals (three in a row, 2008, 2012
at home, 2016) and a very first qualification for the knockout stages.
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| Poland 2016 |
After a victorious penalty shootout against Switzerland in the round of
16 of this very first Euro with 24 teams, the road stopped in the
quarter-finals for this team of Poland, in a penalty shootout against
Portugal.
Iceland, winner of England in the round of 16 then eliminated by France in the quarter-finals.
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| Iceland 2016 |
For the story, Eiður Guðjohnsen entered in the match agaisnt France (instead of Kolbeinn Sigþórsson at the 83th minute). It was the 88th international appearance of the son of
Arnór, since 1996.
Plus, as this team is presented into
this article which is specifically about the Republic of Ireland National Team,
The Republic of Ireland XI, round of 16 - eliminated by France - and winner of Italy in the last day match of groups (the XI of the round of 16) :
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| Ireland 2016 |
They had qualified after a 1-0 win over Italy in the last group stage
day match (1-1 with Sweden in their first match then a 3-0 loss against
Belgium before this).
In the game against France, Hoolahan, who had started in the two first
Euro games of Ireland, entered in attack for the last 15-20 minutes,
like previously against Italy. The winger Jon Walters entered for Daryl
Murphy. Veteran defender John O'Shea entered for McClean. The initial
central defense O'Shea-Clark had been changed for Duffy-Keogh after the
loss to Belgium.
The two players who very probably stood out individually from this team were Brady and the keeper, Randolph.
Same with
Hungary (
full article on the Hungary National Team here), one of the most entertaining team of the last Euro.
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| Hungary 2016 |
And here's the
England XI...
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| England XI |
...the one that was beaten by Iceland in the round of 16 (you may want to see the article
"England XI at World Cups and Euros here).
SEE ALSO FORMATIONS AND LINE-UPS FOR THE EUROS :
1960 -
1964 -
1968 -
1972 -
1976 -
1980 -
1984 -
1988 -
1992 -
1996 -
2000 -
2004 -
2008 -
2012
