Qualification for France 2016.

[SoundbiteBarmyArmy]

It's going to be the same format: 6 in a group, play each other twice - once at home and once away, blah, blah, etc, etc. But, Platini has decided to throw France into the hat and place them in a group originally consisting of 5 and they will play just as 'training' games!

[The Red Baron]

Although I think Platini is an idiot, I suppose it does address the problem of how the host country plays any vaguely competitive matches in the run-up to the finals. Don't know why the can't call them "international friendlies" rather than "training matches."

The draw will be on Sunday 23rd February. 24 teams will go to the finals so presumably two qualify from each group.

Also matches will be more spread out during the "international weeks"- see below. Just hope this doesn't impinge further on the domestic programme.


The qualifying programme has been amended to make sure that fans have the chance to watch more matches live than ever before on the road to France. The new Week of Football concept will see games played from Thursday to Tuesday. Kick-off times will be set mainly at 18.00CET and 20.45CET on Saturdays and Sundays and at 20.45CET for Thursdays, Fridays, Mondays and Tuesdays. On double-header matchweeks, teams will play on Thursday/Sunday, Friday/Monday or Saturday/Tuesday.

[The Red Baron]

Just came across this on the UEFA site. Two teams to qualify from each group. I suppose we should manage to avoid the usual "will they, won't they" about England qualifying.

As hosts, France qualify automatically for the first 24-team final tournament – to be played from 10 June–10 July 2016 – leaving a record field of 53 nations to be drawn into groups of five and six teams when the qualifying draw takes place in Nice on 23 February 2014.

Sides will be seeded for the qualifying draw according to the UEFA national team coefficient rankings, which will be announced along with the draw procedure and final tournament match schedule after the 23/24 January Executive Committee meeting in Nyon.

It is not only the number of places up for grabs that has changed for UEFA EURO 2016; the qualifying schedule has been amended to ensure that fans will have the chance to watch more matches live than ever before on the road to France.

The new 'Week of Football' concept will see games played from Thursday to Tuesday. Kick-off times will be set mainly at 18.00CET and 20.45CET on Saturdays and Sundays and 20.45CET for Thursdays, Fridays, Mondays and Tuesdays. On double-header matchweeks, teams will play on Thursday/Sunday, Friday/Monday or Saturday/Tuesday.

"The fact we spread the European Qualifiers over several days as opposed to all teams playing on the same day will ensure a better visibility for the competition," UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino said. "Each day of the 'Week of Football' will have eight to ten matches as opposed to 20–30 matches on the same day."

European Qualifiers match dates
MD1: 7/8/9 September 2014
MD2: 9/10/11 October 2014
MD3: 12/13/14 October 2014
MD4: 14/15/16 November 2014
MD5: 27/28/29 March 2015
MD6: 12/13/14 June 2015
MD7: 3/4/5 September 2015
MD8: 6/7/8 September 2015
MD9: 8/9/10 October 2015
MD10: 11/12/13 October 2015

The nine group winners, the nine group runners-up and the best third-placed side will qualify directly for the final tournament. The eight remaining third-placed teams will contest play-offs to determine the last four qualifiers for the finals.

Play-off match dates
First legs: 12/13/14 November 2015
Second legs: 15/16/17 November 2015

The draw for the final tournament will be held in Paris on 12 December 2015. The format for the finals, which will feature six groups of four teams, can be found in the regulations.

[RobTheRover]

England has been given a top seed (Pot 1)
RoI have been put into the 2nd seeds group (Pot 2)
Scotland and Wales have been put into pot 4
Northern Ireland are in pot 5