Euro 2016

[Lineker]

GROUP A

FRANCE
 ROMANIA
 ALBANIA
 SWITZERLAND

GROUP B

 ENGLAND
 RUSSIA
 WALES
 SLOVAKIA

GROUP C

 GERMANY
 UKRAINE
 POLAND
 NORTHERN IRELAND

GROUP D

 SPAIN
 CZECH REPUBLIC
 TURKEY
 CROATIA

GROUP E

 BELGIUM
 ITALY
 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
 SWEDEN

GROUP F

 PORTUGAL
 ICELAND
 AUSTRIA
 HUNGARY

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SQUADS

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To accommodate the expansion from a 16 team finals tournament to 24 teams, the format will be changed from that used in 2012 with the addition of two extra groups in the group stage, and an extra round in the knockout stages. The six groups (A to F) would still contain four teams each, with the top two from each group still going through to the knockout stage. In the new format however, the four best third-ranked sides would also progress, leaving 16 teams going into the new round of 16 knockout stage, ahead of the usual quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, and only 8 teams going out at the group stage. The format is exactly the one which was applied to the 1986, 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cups, with the exception of the absence of a third-place play-off.

This format generates a total of 51 games, compared with 31 games for the previous 16-team tournament, to be played over a period of 31 days. UEFA's general secretary Gianni Infantino previously described the format as "not ideal" due to the need for third-ranked teams in the group stage advancing, leading to a difficulty in preventing situations where teams might be able to know in advance what results they need to progress out of the group, lending to a lack of suspense for fans, or even the prospect of mutually beneficial collusion between teams.

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The UK broadcasting rights to tournament itself will be shared by BBC and ITV.

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[MDK]

[Baddar]

I like the logo!

Portugal, Ukraine and Hungary pls.

[DavidMarrio]

Can we get Switzerland again? I'm pretty certain we can but wasn't 100% sure. 

Bet we get Sweden. We always get Sweden. 

[Colly]

When does the sticker book come out?

[Baddar]

4 minutes ago, Ultra Rare Colly said:

When does the sticker book come out?

I want to get in on this.

Is the draw today? Says tomorrow at the top but I'm positive I seen it advertised as part of Soccer Saturday's coverage.

[TCO]

5pm GMT today, but by the time baldy gets through all the bants it'll be closer to 6 I reckon.

England, Austria and Hungary please!

[King Ellis]

7 hours ago, MDK said:

Indonesia isn't allowed in, European sides only. Well, and Turkey...

[Baddar]

2 hours ago, TCO said:

5pm GMT today, but by the time baldy gets through all the bants it'll be closer to 6 I reckon.

England, Austria and Hungary please!

@Rich is at the draw today?

[Rich]

They wouldn't let me attend, I am band from all official football events as I am liable to shout "Fish!"

[Dan]

Let'see see if I can predict at least one group correctly:

 

Group A
France, Austria, Sweden, Wales

Group B
Belgium, Russia, Hungary, Albania

Group C
England, Croatia, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland

Group D
Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Turkey

Group E
Portugal, Ukraine, Romania, Republic of Ireland

Group F
Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Iceland

[EddieG]

What group will Holland be in?

Oh.

[Dan]

8 minutes ago, EddieG said:

What group will Holland be in?

Scotland's.

[Dan]

Can they just do the draw? These people dressed as flags dancing is making me ill...

[Lineker]

Yeah someone text me when all this guff is over.

[Dan]

I don't mind the old highlights and chatting to former players etc but the dancing was fucking weird.

[Lineker]

We're first out proper after France, in Group B.

Wales in with England! 

[Dan]

England vs Wales, wahey.

[Thrilla]

ENGLAND WALES!!!

[Lineker]

Northern Ireland in with Germany in Group C.

Republic of Ireland go into Group E with Belgium.