The UEFA European Championship (or the Euros) travels to France this summer where 24 teams will fight it out to proclaim themselves as champions of Europe. The Euros is one of the most watched football tournaments in the world featuring a number of quality teams like Spain, France, Italy, Germany and England who will face each other for silverware in this month-long competition starting June 10.
The tournament attracts as many audiences as it does because of the number of stars who line-up in their nation’s colours every four years in this elite competition. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Eden Hazard (Belgium), Andres Iniesta (Spain) and Gianluigi Buffon (Italy) are among many other high-profile players who will go head-to-head against each other for the coveted trophy.
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Germany and Spain are the most successful teams on the European stage, both teams winning the competition thrice. Spain go into the Euros as two-time defending champions and will be looking to make it three in a row with their star-studded squad which includes the likes of Andres Iniesta,Cesc Fabregas, and Gerard Pique among others.
World Champions Germany have one of the best squads in the competition with Joachim Loew having all bases covered. They, too, will start as favourites as they fight for their fourth-European crown.
Hosts France are serious contenders in the tournament with some talented players like Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann in their roster aiming for European glory. They had last won the Euros in 2000 via a David Trezeguet Golden Goal.
England, too, boast of a talented squad and will be hoping to live up to the expectations this time around. Roy Hodgson has been tweaking with the formation in the friendlies and it will be interesting to see how he accommodates Jamie Vardy, Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney in the starting 11.
Italy, Belgium and Portugal all go into the tournament as dark horses. Belgium have a top team on paper but are yet to deliver on the international stage. Italy manager Antonio Conte will be looking to create some magic with the Azzuris like he had done with Juventus in the past. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, will again carry Portugal solely on himself as they look to go as far as they can in the tournament.
This year’s Euros will also see five debutants in Wales, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, and Albania, with Wales having the best chance to progress to the knockouts.
Tournament Format:
For the first time, 24 teams will take part in the European Championships. The 24 teams have been divided in 6 groups of 4 each. The top 2 sides from each group along with the 4 best third-placed teams will qualify for the knockout stages (Round of 16).
Venues:
Stade de Bordeaux(Bordeaux), Stade Bollaert-Delelis (Lens), Stade Pierre Mauroy (Lille), Stade de Lumieres (Lyon), Stade Velodrome (Marseille), Allianz Riviera (Nice), Parc des Princes (Paris), Stade de France (Saint-Denis), Stade Geoffroy-Guichard (Saint-Etienne), Stadium Municipal (Toulouse)
Fixture Summary:
Inaugural match of EURO 2016: France vs Romania on 11th June at 12:30 AM (IST).
Round of 16 : Between 25 June 2016 and 27 June 2016 (IST)
Quarter Finals: Between July 1 2016 and July 4 2016 (IST)
Semi-Finals: July 7 2016 and July 8 2016 (IST)
Final: July 11 2016 (IST)
Broadcast Details:
**All matches will be broadcasted live in India on SONY Six and SONY ESPN
Groups:
Group A: Albania, France, Romania, Switzerland
Group B: England, Russia, Slovakia, Wales
Group C: Germany, Northern Ireland, Poland, Ukraine
Group D: Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain, Turkey
Group E: Belgium, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Sweden
Group F: Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Portugal
Full Schedule of UEFA EURO 2016:
| No. | Date(IST) | Match | Time(IST) | Venue |
| 1 | 11 June | France vs Romania | 12:30 AM | Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
| 2 | 11 June | Albania vs Switzerland | 06:30 PM | Stade Bollaert-Delellis, Lens |
| 3 | 11 June | Wales vs Slovakia | 09:30 PM | Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux |
| 4 | 12 June | England vs Russia | 12:30 AM | Stade Velodrome, Marseille |
| 5 | 12 June | Turkey vs Croatia | 06:30 PM | Parc des Princes, Paris |
| 6 | 12 June | Poland vs Northern Ireland | 09:30 PM | Allianz Riviera, Nice |
| 7 | 13 June | Germany vs Ukraine | 12:30 AM | Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille |
| 8 | 13 June | Spain vs Czech Republic | 06:30 PM | Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |
| 9 | 13 June | Republic of Ireland vs Sweden | 09:30 PM | Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
| 10 | 14 June | Belgium vs Italy | 12:30 AM | Stade de Lumieres, Lyon |
| 11 | 14 June | Austria vs Hungary | 09:30 PM | Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux |
| 12 | 15 June | Portugal vs Iceland | 12:30 AM | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne |
| 13 | 15 June | Russia vs Slovakia | 06:30 PM | Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille |
| 14 | 15 June | Romania vs Switzerland | 09:30 PM | Parc de Princes, Paris |
| 15 | 16 June | France vs Albania | 12:30 AM | Stade Velodrome, Marseille |
| 16 | 16 June | England vs Wales | 06:30 PM | Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens |
| 17 | 16 June | Ukraine vs Northern Ireland | 09:30 PM | Stade de Lumieres, Lyon |
| 18 | 17 June | Germany vs Poland | 12:30 AM | Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
| 19 | 17 June | Italy vs Sweden | 06:30 PM | Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |
| 20 | 17 June | Czech Republic vs Croatia | 09:30 PM | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne |
| 21 | 18 June | Spain vs Turkey | 12:30 AM | Allianz Riviera, Nice |
| 22 | 18 June | Belgium vs Republic of Irelan | 06:30 PM | Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux |
| 23 | 18 June | Iceland vs Hungary | 09:30 PM | Stade Velodrome, Marseille |
| 24 | 19 June | Portugal vs Austria | 12:30 AM | Parc de Princes, Paris |
| 25 | 20 June | Romania vs Albania | 12:30 AM | Stade de Lumieres, Lyon |
| 26 | 20 June | Switxerland vs France | 12:30 AM | Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille |
| 27 | 21 June | Russia vs Wales | 12:30 AM | Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |
| 28 | 21 June | Slovakia vs England | 12:30 AM | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne |
| 29 | 21 June | Ukraine vs Poland | 09:30 PM | Stade Velodrome, Marseille |
| 30 | 21 June | Northern Ireland vs Germany | 09:30 PM | Parc de Princes, Paris |
| 31 | 22 June | Czech Republic vs Turkey | 12:30 AM | Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens |
| 32 | 22 June | Croatia vs Spain | 12:30 AM | Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux |
| 33 | 22 June | Iceland vs Austria | 09:30 PM | Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
| 34 | 22 June | Hungary vs Portugal | 09:30 PM | Stade de Lumieres, Lyon |
| 35 | 23 June | Italy vs Republic of Ireland | 12:30 AM | Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille |
| 36 | 23 June | Sweden vs Belgium | 12:30 AM | Allianz Riviera, Nice |
| No. | Date (IST) | Match | Time (IST) | Venue |
| 37 | 25 June | A2 vs C2 | 06:30 PM | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne |
| 38 | 25 June | B1 vs (A/C/D)3 | 09:30 PM | Parc de Princes, Paris |
| 39 | 26 June | D1 vs (B/E/F)3 | 12:30 AM | Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens |
| 40 | 26 June | A1 vs (C/D/E)3 | 06:30 PM | Stade de Lumieres, Lyon |
| 41 | 26 June | C1 vs (A/B/F)3 | 09:30 PM | Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille |
| 42 | 27 June | F1 vs E2 | 12:30 AM | Stadium Municipal, Toulouse |
| 43 | 27 June | E1 vs D2 | 06:30 PM | Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
| 44 | 27 June | B2 vs F2 | 09:30 PM | Allianz Riviera, Nice |
| No. | Date (IST) | Match | Time (IST) | Venue |
| 45 | 1 July | M37 vs M39 | 12:30 AM | Stade Velodrome, Marseille |
| 46 | 2 July | M38 vs M42 | 12:30 AM | Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille |
| 47 | 3 July | M41 vs M43 | 12: 30 AM | Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux |
| 48 | 4 July | M40 vs M44 | 12:30 AM | Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
| No. | Date | Match | Time | Venue |
| 49 | 7 July | M45 vs M46 | 12:30 AM | Stade de Lumieres, Lyon |
| 50 | 8 July | M47 vs M48 | 12:30 AM | Stade Velodrome, Marseille |
| No. | Date | Match | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 11 July | M49 vs M50 | 12:30 AM | Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
