UEFA Euro 2008 seeding

This article gives information about the 'seedings' for UEFA Euro 2008. Each team is given a coefficient based on their average points per game in the qualifying phases of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2008 and this is used to calculate the seeding for the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

In a return to the format used at Euro 92 and Euro 96 the games in each group will be held at just two stadia, with the seeded team remaining in the same city for all three matches. As was the case at the 2000 and 2004 finals, the finalists were divided into four seeding pots, based on average points per game in the qualifying phases of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2008, with each group having one team from each pot. Switzerland and Austria, as co-hosts, and Greece, as defending champions, were seeded first automatically. [cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/Format/index.html|title=Format from UEFA Website] [cite web |url=http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/491990.pdf |title=UEFA Euro 2008 Information |format=PDF ] The Netherlands were seeded based on their UEFA coefficient in the Euro 2008 finalists ranking.

Impact of seedings

This seeding affects the teams that countries will face in the tournament proper i.e. teams with high coefficients are put in the draw in separate pots and will avoid equally-matched teams until the latter stages. Switzerland and Austria (as hosts) and Greece (as defending champions) had the three highest coefficients, followed by the Netherlands and Croatia.

Ranking Table

¹ Co-hosts
² Defending Champions

Controversy

UEFA came under heavy criticism from Raymond Domenech, manager of France, who was not satisfied with his team's position in the draw [cite news |url= http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/30/sports/EU-SPT-SOC-Euro-2008-Draw.php |title= Strange seeding make for interesting Euro 2008 draw |work= International Herald Tribune |date=November 30, 2007 |accessdate= 2007-11-30] and was also in favour of having 2006 FIFA World Cup winners Italy as top seed. [cite news |url= http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=487239 |title= Domenech Blasts UEFA, Supports Italy! |work= Goal.com |date=November 20, 2007 |accessdate= 2007-11-30] On November 22 2007, Giorgio Marchetti, UEFA's professional football director announced a review of the coefficient ranking system is under way for future EURO competitions. [ [http://www.uefa.com/competitions/euro/news/kind=1/newsid=623231.html?cid=rssfeed&att=index UEFA reveals finals draw seedings] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.uefa.com UEFA website]