96-516: A.S. Sambenedettese S.r.l. is an Italian association football club, based in San Benedetto del Tronto , Marche . Sambenedettese currently plays in Serie D . The club was founded in 1923 as U.S. Sambenedettese . In 1956, the club was first promoted to Serie B , a division where they spent a total of 21 seasons (the last time of which was in 1989). In the 1980s, they also had a young Walter Zenga as
192-568: A Final Group among regional champions was contested to award the title and the Spensley Cup. Juventus won his first title and Spensley Cup in 1905, while the following two championships were won by Milan . In November 1907, the FIF organised two championships in the same season: The FIF wanted to organise two different championships in order to allow weaker clubs, composed only of Italian players ( squadre pure italiane , "pure Italian teams"), to win
288-527: A German newspaper, denying that UEFA had demanded guarantees for games with spectators, and conceding that "the local authorities will decide before the games whether spectators will be admitted or not." Wembley Stadium 's hosting of both the semi-finals and the final was threatened over quarantine restrictions in the United Kingdom that fans and 2,500 VIPs would be subject to. The Puskás Aréna in Budapest
384-456: A capacity of 40,000 or higher are included. 2020 UEFA European Football Championship The 2020 UEFA European Football Championship , commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2020 or simply Euro 2020 , was the 16th UEFA European Championship , the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). To celebrate
480-469: A change in venue. Minister Kit Malthouse said the government was doing "as much as we possibly can" to host the final, while prime minister Boris Johnson stated they would try to make "sensible accommodations" for UEFA while still prioritising public health. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said the final should be held in Rome due to rising COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom . The following week, it
576-531: A country has a problem. We are ready to organise competitions in eleven, ten or nine cities... and even only in one country, if necessary. However, I am 99.9 percent sure that we will have the European Championship in all twelve cities, as planned." On 27 January 2021, UEFA met with the host associations to discuss operational matters, and reaffirmed the tournament would be held across twelve cities. The deadline for hosts to submit their venue capacity plans
672-490: A fourth opportunity allowed in extra time, excluding substitutions made at half-time, before the start of extra time and at half-time in extra time. The use of five substitutes has been permitted by IFAB during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the resulting fixture congestion, which has created a greater burden on players. At the start of April 2021, UEFA also said they were considering allowing tournament squads to be expanded from
768-528: A goalkeeper in their stint in the Italian second division. In 1994, the club went bankrupt and was successively forced to restart from Eccellenza . In 2000, the club was acquired by Luciano Gaucci and eventually won promotion back to professionalism in 2001 and then to Serie C1 just a year later. In 2009, the club was forced to restart again from Eccellenza, this time as U.S. Sambenedettese 1923 . In 2012–13 season, Sambenedettese won Group F of Serie D, but it
864-609: A man named James Richardson Spensley arrived in Genoa and introduced the football section of the club, becoming its first manager. Some early tournaments were organised by the Italian Gymnastics Federation (FGI, then FGNI) between 1895 and 1897 and until 1913. In 1898, a new federation, the future FIGC but then known as Federazione Italiana del Foot-ball (FIF) until 1909, had been formed, with its centre originally in Turin and
960-518: A newspaper in Genoa, headlined "The Genoese winners of the national championship", while another reported that the competitors gathered at a restaurant, where they had dinner and the championship cup was delivered to the winning team. To celebrate the event of the first national football championship, Franco Bernini wrote a book in 2005 entitled La prima volta . The Italy national football team, called Azzurri or squadra azzurra for their blue shirts, are
1056-400: A random draw on 7 December 2017. Each qualified host country played a minimum of two matches at home. The following group venue pairings were announced: The following criteria applied to define the home matches of host teams within the same group: If a host team in the play-offs failed to qualify, the path winner would take the spot of the host in the match schedule and therefore would play
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#17328590929731152-436: A record 13th straight European Championship. Finland and North Macedonia made their European Championship debuts, having never previously qualified for a major tournament. Scotland , a co-host of the tournament, qualified for their first major international tournament since the 1998 FIFA World Cup , and their first European Championship since 1996 . The Netherlands and Denmark returned after missing out in 2016, with
1248-730: A serious bid. The final list of bids was published by UEFA on 26 April 2014, with a decision on the hosts being made by the UEFA Executive Committee on 19 September 2014. There were two bids for the Finals Package (of which one was successful, marked with dark green for semi-finals and final) and 19 bids for the Standard Package (of which 12 were initially successful, marked with light green for quarter-finals and group stage, and yellow for round of 16 and group stage); Brussels, marked with red, were initially selected but removed from
1344-527: A third place ( 1990 ) and a fourth place ( 1978 ). They have also won two European Championships ( 1968 and 2020 ), also appeared in two finals ( 2000 , 2012 ), finished third at the Confederations Cup ( 2013 ) and the Nations League (2021 and 2023), won one Olympic football tournament ( 1936 ) and two Central European International Cups ( 1927–30 and 1933–35 ). Italy's top domestic league,
1440-441: A venue. On 19 April, it was announced that another extension was given to the three remaining hosts until 23 April, when UEFA would make its final decision. Due to the need to finalise ticketing details, host cities would have until 28 April to decide on whether to leave their spectator limits unchanged, or to upscale their allowed capacities. On 23 April, UEFA announced that Seville would replace Bilbao as tournament host, while
1536-525: A year later, after Serafino failed to comply with several financial requirements, the club was declared bankrupt. The club's naming rights were then acquired by entrepreneur Roberto Renzi and was refounded as A.S. Sambenedettese . After repaying all debts, the newly reformed club was formally accepted by the Italian Football Federation, this way maintaining their spot in the Serie C league. The club
1632-630: Is off the table. Every host must guarantee there will be fans at their games." UEFA subsequently stated that no host city would be automatically dropped should they decide to play matches behind closed doors. However, UEFA would need to consider whether it would make sense to play matches without spectators, or if these matches should be reallocated to other venues. That same month, British prime minister Boris Johnson offered UEFA to host additional tournament matches in England should any venues need to be reassigned. On 9 April 2021, UEFA announced that eight of
1728-520: Is traditionally the best part of Italian teams, and Italian defence is generally considered historically the best in the world. A women's team , an under-21 team , an under-20 team , an under-19 team , and an under-17 team also compete. Their honours include: In total: The following teams have reached the final of the UEFA European Cup/Champions League. Bold indicates winners, italics indicates runner-ups. Stadiums with
1824-659: Is with Ascoli . They are in the same province – Province of Ascoli Piceno. Football in Italy Football ( Italian : calcio [ˈkaltʃo] ) is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italy national football team is considered one of the best national teams in the world . They have won the FIFA World Cup four times ( 1934 , 1938 , 1982 , 2006 ), trailing only Brazil (with five), runners-up in two finals both against Brazil , ( 1970 , 1994 ) and reaching
1920-550: The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war . However, this did not affect the planning of Euro 2020 matches to be held in Baku . This restriction was lifted in December 2020 following a ceasefire agreement between the countries. In a New Year's interview, Čeferin said, " Vaccination has started and I think we will be able to have full stands in the summer. For now, the plan is to play in all twelve countries. Of course, there are backup options in case
2016-542: The Bundesliga , La Liga , Ligue 1 , Premier League , and Serie A . UEFA held a videoconference on 17 March 2020 with representatives of its 55 member associations, along with a FIFPro representative and the boards of the European Club Association and European Leagues , to discuss the response to the outbreak for domestic and European competitions, including Euro 2020. At the meeting, UEFA announced that
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#17328590929732112-455: The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions on public gatherings, many of the venues at the tournament were unable to operate at full capacity. UEFA asked each host to devise a spectator plan in conjunction with their local/national government and health authorities. The hosts were given a deadline of 7 April 2021 to communicate their plans with UEFA. On 9 April, UEFA announced that eight of
2208-582: The European Qualifiers overall ranking based on their results in UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying . The following was the standard composition of the draw pots: As two host teams from the same group could not be in the same seeding pot, the UEFA Emergency Panel would have either switched one host team with the lowest-ranked team of the higher pot, or switched one host team with the highest-ranked team of
2304-583: The G-14 , a group which represented the largest and most prestigious European football clubs; Serie A was the only league to produce three founding members. Juventus, Milan, and Inter (the Big Three), along with Roma , Lazio , and historically Parma and Fiorentina but now Napoli and Atalanta , are known as the Seven Sisters of Italian football due to their popular support and dominance in league and cups between
2400-471: The Israel Football Association offered to stage some tournament matches in the country, which had a high rate of vaccination . However, this was turned down by UEFA, who reiterated their commitment to the twelve host cities. In a March 2021 interview, Čeferin said, "We have several scenarios, but the one guarantee we can make is that the option of playing any Euro 2020 match in an empty stadium
2496-498: The Medici family including Piero , Lorenzo , and Alessandro de' Medici , as well as popes who played the game in the Vatican, such as Clement VII , Leo XI , and Urban VIII . The name calcio ("kick") was later adopted for football in Italy (attested first in 1889, "Il Foot-ball ovvero il Giuoco del Calcio"), becoming the synonym for Italian association football worldwide, as well as
2592-566: The Republic of Ireland , and Romania failed to qualify after appearing in the 2016 finals. Nine out of eleven host countries managed to qualify for the final tournament. Denmark , England , Germany , Italy , the Netherlands , Russia , and Spain all qualified directly, while Hungary and Scotland qualified only after winning their respective play-off path. Azerbaijan and Romania failed to qualify, with Azerbaijan failing to qualify from
2688-515: The Serie A , is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world due to the fact that it is often depicted as the most tactical national football league, and is among the top five European football leagues. Italy's club sides have won 48 major European trophies, making them the second most successful nation in European football. Serie A hosts three of the world's most famous clubs as Juventus , Milan , and Inter , all founding members of
2784-427: The diamond jubilee of the European Championship competition, UEFA president Michel Platini declared that the tournament would be hosted in several nations as a "romantic" one-off event, with 11 cities in 11 UEFA countries each providing venues for the tournament, making it the second senior international tournament in history after the 2007 AFC Asian Cup to have more than two nations co-hosting it. Portugal were
2880-463: The 1990s and 2020s. Italian managers are among the most successful in European football, especially in competitions such as the Champions League . More players have won the coveted Ballon d'Or award while playing in Serie A than any other league in the world after La Liga . Other forms of football were played in Italy in ancient times, the earliest of which was Harpastum , played during
2976-472: The 20 directly qualified teams were announced by UEFA on 27 January 2020. The base camps of the remaining teams qualified via the play-offs were announced in 2021. The draw for the final tournament was held on 30 November 2019, 18:00 CET (19:00 local time, EET ) at Romexpo in Bucharest , Romania . The 24 teams were drawn into six groups of four. The identity of the four play-off teams were not known at
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3072-484: The Dutch featuring in a major tournament for the first time since the 2014 FIFA World Cup . For the first time, Austria , Hungary , Slovakia , and Wales reached successive European Championship tournaments. Greece , winners in 2004 , were the only former champions that failed to qualify, missing their second straight European Championship and third consecutive major tournament. Albania , Iceland , Northern Ireland ,
3168-727: The Final. Ultimately, the dissenters' strategy worked out, as the failure of the Italian Championship won by Juventus forced the FIGC to later recognise the Federal Champions of Pro Vercelli as "Campioni d'Italia 1909", disavowing the other tournament and depriving Juventus of another title. The format was modified for the 1909–10 Prima Categoria , which was played in a league format. Nine clubs participated, playing each other both home and away. The split between Federal and Italian championship
3264-624: The Italian Gymnastics Federation (FGNI–FGI) was played in 1896, the same year of the first modern Olympic Games , and won by a team from Udine , an Italian northeast city in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, named Udinese . In 1897, a second national gymnastic-football tournament was won by SG Torinese. In 1898, the Federazione Italiana del Foot-ball (FIF–FIGC) was finally formed and the first national championship
3360-592: The Oberti Cup in lieu of the Spensley Cup for the Federal Championship. This time, the majority of big clubs decided to only withdraw from the Italian Championship in order to make the Federal competition the most relevant tournament and to diminish the Italian one. The Federal Championship was won by Pro Vercelli, beating Milanese in the Final, while the Italian Championship was won by Juventus, again beating Milanese in
3456-574: The UEFA Executive Committee removed Brussels as a host city on 7 December 2017 due to delays with the building of Eurostadium . The four matches (three group stage, one round of 16) initially scheduled to be held in Brussels were reallocated to Wembley Stadium in London . On 23 April 2021, UEFA announced that due to a lack of guarantees regarding spectators caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Aviva Stadium in Dublin
3552-726: The admission of Kosovo to UEFA in May 2016, it was announced that the 55 members at the time would be drawn into ten groups after the completion of the UEFA Nations League (five groups of five teams and five groups of six teams, with the four participants of the UEFA Nations League Finals guaranteed to be drawn into groups of five teams), with the top two teams in each group qualifying. The qualifiers were played on double matchdays in March, June, September, October and November 2019. With
3648-438: The cause for the smaller attendance. Each team chose a "team base camp" for its stay between the matches. The teams trained and resided in these locations throughout the tournament, travelling to games staged away from their bases. Unlike previous tournaments, each team could set up their base camp anywhere due to the pan-European format, without any obligation of staying in any of the host countries. The base camps selected by
3744-493: The city's Eurostadium was abandoned, while Dublin was dropped in April 2021 because there was no guarantee that spectators could attend. Spain originally intended to use Bilbao as a host venue but later changed it to Seville to allow for spectators at matches. UEFA chose Stadio Olimpico in Rome to host the opening match between Italy and Turkey , while Wembley Stadium in London
3840-511: The creation of the UEFA Nations League starting in 2018, the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League was linked with Euro qualifying, providing teams another chance to qualify for the tournament. Four teams from each division that had not already qualified for the European Championship competed in the play-offs for each division. The winners of the play-offs for each division, which were decided by two one-off semi-finals (the best-ranked team vs.
3936-527: The date change in the FIFA International Match Calendar . As a result, the expanded FIFA Club World Cup , due to take place in June and July 2021, was cancelled. On 23 April 2020, UEFA confirmed that the tournament would still be known as UEFA Euro 2020. In May 2020, Čeferin stated that in principle the tournament would take place in the twelve selected host cities. However, he did not rule out
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4032-470: The defending champions, but were eliminated in the round of 16 by Belgium . Italy won their second European Championship title by beating England on penalties in the final following a 1–1 draw after extra time. The win came exactly on the 39th anniversary of Italy's 1982 FIFA World Cup final victory over West Germany. The tournament was originally intended to be played between 12 June and 12 July 2020. Due to COVID-19 restrictions during that year,
4128-400: The draw results, as follows: Note: Positions for scheduling did not use the seeding pots, and instead used the draw positions, e.g. Team 1 was not necessarily the team from Pot 1 in the draw. To lessen the load on players due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in case of an outbreak within a team, squad sizes were increased from 23 (used at every European Championship since 2004) to 26. However,
4224-430: The draw, Group F was selected as the priority group, resulting in the following possible outcomes: The following was the composition of the pots, with teams divided and seeded as per their European Qualifiers overall ranking : The draw resulted in the following groups (teams in italics are play-off winners whose identity was not known at the time of the draw): The fixtures for the group stage were decided based on
4320-498: The executive committee confirmed the use of 26-player squads. However, teams still may only name a maximum of 23 players on the match sheet for each tournament fixture (of which 12 are substitutes), in line with the Laws of the Game . These 23 must include three goalkeepers. It was also announced that after each team's first match, goalkeepers may still be replaced due to physical incapacity, even if
4416-605: The first president as Mario Vicary. The FIGC created the Italian Football Championship with the four founding clubs being; Genoa, Torinese , Ginnastica Torino , and Internazionale Torino. Its first competition, the 1898 Italian Football Championship , was held at the Velodrome Humbert I in Turin on 8 May 1898, and was won by Genoa. While it was common for clubs to compete in both FIGC and FNGI competitions early on,
4512-459: The four "pure Italian teams", depending on the head-to-head matches. At the end of the season, Pro Vercelli and Inter finished joint-top, so a playoff was needed in order to assign the Federal title (the Italian one was won by Pro Vercelli). This season was the first victory for Inter, having defeated Pro Vercelli in the final by a score of 10–3. Even the Italian title won by Pro Vercelli was later forgotten. A first national competition organised by
4608-556: The group stage and Romania losing in the play-off . As of 2024, this was the last time that Russia and Sweden qualified for either the World Cup or European Championship finals, and the last time Wales has qualified for a European Championship finals. It was also the only time Finland and North Macedonia qualified and the last time Albania, Georgia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia failed to qualify. The 13 original venues were selected and announced by UEFA on 19 September 2014. However,
4704-517: The list of venues by UEFA on 7 December 2017. Dublin, marked in red, was initially selected but removed from the list of venues by UEFA on 23 April 2021. On the same day, UEFA also announced the matches in Spain would be moved from Bilbao to Seville . In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe triggered concerns regarding its potential effect on players, staff and visitors to the twelve host cities of
4800-462: The lower pot (based on the principle that the move would have minimal impact on the original seeding). However, no seeding adjustments were necessary. The draw started with Pot 1 and completed with Pot 4, from where a team was drawn and assigned to the first available group. The position in the group (for the determination of the match schedule) was then drawn. In the draw, the following conditions applied (including for teams that could still qualify via
4896-606: The lowest-ranked team, and the second-best-ranked team vs. the third-best-ranked team, played at home of higher-ranked teams) and a one-off final (with the venue drawn in advance between the two semi-finals winners), joined the 20 teams that had already qualified for the tournament. Of the 24 teams that qualified for the tournament, 19 were returning from the 2016 edition . Among them were Belgium and Italy , who both had recorded flawless qualifying campaigns (ten wins in ten matches), defending European champions Portugal and world champions France , with Germany also qualifying for
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#17328590929734992-717: The matches of Dublin would be reallocated to Saint Petersburg for the group stage and London for the round of 16. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland , the Football Association of Ireland was unable to receive assurances from the Government of Ireland and the Dublin City Council to allow spectators into the stadium. Meanwhile, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said
5088-523: The matches scheduled in Munich, which was therefore confirmed as host of four games. However, both the regional government of Bavaria and the German interior ministry subsequently reiterated their position that there was no such guarantee, and admittance of spectators would depend on the actual pandemic situation at the time of the tournament. A few days later, UEFA president Čeferin backtracked in an interview with
5184-552: The maximum number of players permitted on the match sheet for each tournament fixture remained 23. Each nation's squad, which had to include three goalkeepers, was submitted at least ten days before the opening match of the tournament (by 1 June 2021). If a player became injured or ill severely enough to prevent his participation in the tournament before his team's first match, he could be replaced by another player; however, goalkeepers could still be replaced after their team's first match due to physical incapacity. On 27 September 2018,
5280-574: The most popular sport in Italy. The modern variation of the game was brought to Italy during the 1880s. Edoardo Bosio , a merchant worker in the British textile industry, had visited England and experienced the game. He returned to Turin in 1887 and was motivated to help spread football in his homeland. He founded the first football club in Italy ( Torino Football and Cricket Club ) that year, while Nobili Torino (Turin Nobles) soon followed. The second club bore
5376-519: The name noble because it contained Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi , and Alfonso Ferrero de Gubernatis Ventimiglia, who would later become president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). The two merged in 1891 to form Internazionale Football Club Torino. Genoa Cricket and Football Club , formed as a cricket club to represent England abroad, was founded by Englishmen in 1893. In 1896,
5472-493: The national team of that country. UEFA reasoned that the pan-European staging of the tournament was the logical decision at a time of financial difficulty, such as the European debt crisis . Reaction to UEFA's plan was mixed across Europe. Critics cited the expanded format (from 31 matches featuring 16 nations to 51 featuring 24) and its associated additional costs as the decisive factor for only one nation (Turkey) having put forward
5568-407: The national title, and to relegate simultaneously the big clubs, composed mostly of stronger foreign players ( squadre spurie internazionali , "spurious international teams") in a minor competition for a "consolation prize". The majority of big clubs (Genoa, Milan, and Torino ) withdrew from both the championships in order to protest against the autocratic policy of the FIF. The Federal Championship
5664-566: The opening match would take place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome , chosen ahead of Amsterdam , Glasgow and Saint Petersburg . UEFA decided that the opening match would feature Italy if they qualified. Of the eleven selected cities and countries, seven cities and six countries had never hosted a European Championship finals match before. Seville was not a venue when Spain hosted the 1964 European Nations' Cup , and none of Azerbaijan, Denmark, Hungary, Romania, Russia or Scotland had hosted
5760-424: The order of priority for the allocation of Path A to the final tournament groups. Two balls were prepared containing the names of the two groups hosted by the teams in question (Group C and Group F for Romania and Hungary, respectively). The first ball drawn determined the group ("priority group") that was allocated to Path A, except for the host team of the second ball drawn ("non-priority group") winning Path A. In
5856-410: The original twelve tournament hosts confirmed their spectator plans, with stadium capacities ranging from 25% to 100%. Only Bilbao , Dublin , Munich and Rome had yet to submit their plans, with each host originally given an extension until 19 April 2021 to submit their venue capacities. On 14 April, UEFA announced that Rome had guaranteed spectators for the tournament, and was therefore confirmed as
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#17328590929735952-418: The other goalkeepers from the squad are still available. Water breaks were permitted so that players could drink from their own personal bottles. Cooling breaks , first seen at the 2014 FIFA World Cup were also permitted for games played in higher temperatures. On 4 May 2021, the UEFA Executive Committee approved special rules for the final tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe : There
6048-445: The pitch. While some countries such as Belgium, Bulgaria and Romania, Germany, Hungary and Romania, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, the Netherlands, and Turkey had already expressed an interest in bidding to host the tournament, then-UEFA president Michel Platini suggested at a press conference on 30 June 2012, a day before the UEFA Euro 2012 Final , that instead of having one host country, or joint hosting by multiple countries,
6144-612: The play-offs): Due to the format of the play-offs , which made anticipating all possible scenarios impossible, the UEFA administration had to wait to solve issues relating to the final tournament draw until the completion of the qualifying group stage. It was not possible for UEFA to prevent one of the play-off paths from containing two host teams, resulting in Romania (Group C hosts) and Hungary (Group F hosts) being drawn together in Path A . Therefore,
6240-510: The possibility of reducing the number of cities, as three hosts were unsure if matches could be held under the new schedule. The tournament venues and match schedule was reviewed by the UEFA Executive Committee during their meeting on 17 June 2020. At the meeting, UEFA confirmed that all twelve original host venues would remain as hosts for the tournament in 2021, and approved the revised match schedule. However, Čeferin stated in October 2020 that it
6336-474: The round of 16 or quarter-finals, with the exception of Saint Petersburg, which hosted six group stage matches, and London, which hosted two matches in the round of 16. The match allocation for the eleven stadiums is as follows: The host cities were divided into six pairings, established on the basis of sporting strength (assuming all host teams qualify), geographical considerations and security/political constraints. The pairings were allocated to groups by means of
6432-725: The sanitary conditions imposed by the Basque Government to host matches in Bilbao were "impossible to comply with", and thus would not allow for spectators to be present. After being removed as hosts, the Bilbao City Council stated they held UEFA and RFEF "directly responsible for us not staging this sporting event and the unilateral cancellation of our contractual relationships", and threatened legal action for financial compensation. Also on 23 April, UEFA announced that local authorities had guaranteed "a minimum of 14,500 spectators" for
6528-559: The then-Serie D club, and in 2016 Sambenedettese were promoted back to Lega Pro as the Group F winner of 2015–16 Serie D . The club was known as S.S.D. Sambenedettese ARL at that time. At the start of 2016–17 season the company behind the club changed the name to S.S. Sambenedettese S.r.l. (P.IVA 02177180441), but marketing as S.S. Sambenedettese Calcio . In 2020, the club was sold by Franco Fedeli to Italian-Argentine entrepreneur and Bangor City F.C. owner Domenico Serafino . However, less than
6624-530: The third-most successful national team in the World Cup for number of medals. During the 1970s to early 1990s, Italy became famous for their catenaccio , thus heralding a long line of world class defenders, such as Virginio Rosetta , Pietro Rava , Carlo Parola , Giacinto Facchetti , Armando Picchi , Gaetano Scirea , Antonio Cabrini , Claudio Gentile , Franco Baresi , Giuseppe Bergomi , Paolo Maldini , Alessandro Nesta , Fabio Cannavaro , Andrea Barzagli , Leonardo Bonucci , and Giorgio Chiellini . Defence
6720-434: The time of the draw and were identified as play-off winners A to D. Should there have been groups that could not be finalised at the time of the final tournament draw, another draw would have been held after the play-offs on 1 April 2020, but UEFA confirmed the additional draw was not necessary after the identity of the 20 directly qualified teams and the 16 play-offs teams was known. The teams were seeded in accordance with
6816-637: The times of the Roman Empire . This game may have also been influential in other forms throughout Europe due to the expansion of the Roman Empire, including Medieval football . From the 16th century onwards, calcio fiorentino , another code of football distinct from the modern game, was played in the Piazza Santa Croce in Florence . Some famous Florentines were among the players of the game, particularly
6912-426: The titles won in the FIGC championship are the only ones officially recognised by the modern-day league. In the following years, the tournament (called Prima Categoria ) was structured into regional groups with the winners of each group participating in a playoff with the eventual winners being declared champions. Until 1904, the tournament was dominated by Genoa, who won six titles in seven years. Between 1905 and 1908,
7008-527: The tournament could be spread over "12 or 13 cities" across the continent, as was done for the UEFA European Under-17 Championship 's elite round , where each of the seven groups was hosted by a different country. On 6 December 2012, UEFA announced the tournament would be held in multiple cities across Europe to mark the 60th anniversary of the tournament. The selection of the host cities did not guarantee an automatic qualifying berth to
7104-462: The tournament hosts had confirmed their stadium capacities, ranging from 25% to 100%. The remaining four hosts ( Bilbao , Dublin , Munich and Rome ) were given an extension until 23 April to submit their venue capacities. On 14 April, UEFA announced that Rome had also confirmed its venue capacity. On 23 April, the venue capacity for Munich was also confirmed, while Bilbao was replaced by Seville , which could guarantee spectators. In addition, Dublin
7200-516: The tournament previously. Of the eleven selected stadiums, only two had hosted a European Championship match before: the Stadio Olimpico ( 1968 and 1980 ) and the Johan Cruyff Arena ( 2000 ). The original Wembley stadium hosted games and the final in UEFA Euro 1996 , but although it stood on the same site, this was classified as a different stadium to the current Wembley Stadium . Each city hosted three group stage matches and one match in
7296-411: The tournament was postponed to June and July 2021, while retaining the name UEFA Euro 2020 and host venues. Alongside special rules regarding COVID-19 restrictions, UEFA also allowed two extra substitutions and implemented video assistant referee (VAR) for the first time. Initially, there were 13 venues chosen for the tournament but two were later dropped. Brussels was dropped in December 2017 after
7392-506: The tournament would be postponed to the following year, proposing that it take place from 11 June to 11 July 2021. The postponement allowed for pressure to be reduced on the public services in affected countries, while also providing space in the calendar for domestic European leagues that had been suspended to complete their seasons. On the following day, the Bureau of the FIFA Council approved
7488-733: The tournament. At the UEFA Congress in early March, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said the organisation was confident that the situation could be dealt with, while general secretary Theodore Theodoridis stated that UEFA was maintaining contact with the World Health Organization and national governments regarding the coronavirus. The impact on football grew later that month, as numerous domestic and UEFA competition matches began taking place behind closed doors . By 13 March 2020, upcoming UEFA competition fixtures were postponed, while major European leagues were suspended, including
7584-463: The two or three matches based on the above criteria in the host city of the respective host that failed to qualify. The draw took place on 22 November 2019, 12:00 CET , at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon , Switzerland (along with the draw for the play-offs ). In the draw, which was only necessary for Group B (Denmark and Russia), two balls were prepared, with the first drawn hosting the three matches. Due to
7680-493: The usual 23 players, following calls from national team managers in case of a possible COVID outbreak in a team, as well as to reduce player fatigue caused by the fixture congestion of the prior season. On 27 April, it was reported that the UEFA National Team Competitions Committee had approved the expansion of squads to 26 players, subject to confirmation by the UEFA Executive Committee. On 4 May 2021,
7776-402: The winner of this play-off path needed to be assigned two groups in the final tournament draw. To allow for this, Path A was paired with Path D (which does not contain a host), therefore providing a clear scenario for each possible qualified team. A draw took place on 22 November 2019, 12:00 CET , at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon , Switzerland (along with the play-offs draw ), which decided on
7872-465: Was asked to draw up two or three plans from the four options. The restrictions could also involve only local spectators to be permitted at matches. A final decision on which scenario would be applied individually at each venue was originally to be made on 5 March 2021. In October 2020, it was announced that UEFA matches would be suspended from taking place in Armenia and Azerbaijan until further notice due to
7968-630: Was considered as an alternative venue, as Hungary would have no entry restrictions for travel within the Schengen Area and could host the matches at full capacity. A spokesman for the Hungarian Football Federation said the organisation was "ready to host any high-level football event". However, UEFA remained confident that Wembley could host the final, as the organisation and the UK government discussed quarantine exemptions, but did not rule out
8064-606: Was held on 2 December 2018 at the Convention Centre Dublin in Dublin , Ireland. The main qualifying process started in March 2019, instead of immediately in September 2018 following the 2018 FIFA World Cup , and ended in November 2019. The format remained largely the same, although only 20 of the 24 spots for the finals tournament were decided from the main qualifying process, leaving four spots still to be decided. Following
8160-580: Was however excluded from Serie C due to financial irregularities and successively admitted to Serie D following a successful appeal and the payment of a league membership fee. In 2023, Sambenedettese were also excluded from Serie D, and the club's naming rights were assigned to fellow Serie D club Porto d'Ascoli, who restarted under the new denomination of U.S. Sambenedettese . Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. The team's colors are red and blue. The main rivalry
8256-413: Was moved to 7 April 2021, with a final decision on host cities and spectators to originally be made by the UEFA Executive Committee on 19 April 2021. UEFA announced on the following day that Daniel Koch , the former head of communicable diseases at Switzerland's Federal Office of Public Health , would serve as the tournament's medical advisor on matters related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2021,
8352-439: Was no automatic qualifying berth, and all 55 UEFA national teams, including the twelve national teams whose countries were selected to stage matches, had to compete in the qualifiers for the 24 places at the finals tournament. As the host cities were appointed by UEFA in September 2014, before the qualifiers, it was possible for the national teams from the host cities to fail to qualify for the finals tournament. The qualifying draw
8448-407: Was not completely abolished because, while unifying these tournaments, it was decided for the last time to assign two titles at the end of the season. In fact, the FIGC established to proclaim as Federal Champions (now turned into the main title) the first-placed club in the general classification, while recognised as Italian Champions (now become the secondary title) would be the best placed club among
8544-421: Was not promoted to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione as it was excluded by Federal Council's decision for incomplete documentation of submission to the league. The company behind the club also changed the name to U.S. Sambenedettese 1923 S.r.l. at that time. Refounded as A.S.D. Sambenedettese Calcio , the club restarted from Eccellenza Marche and promptly won promotion to Serie D. On 4 August 2015, Franco Fedeli acquired
8640-680: Was organised, with regional tournaments and playoffs. Held in Turin on the occasion of the International Exhibition for the fiftieth anniversary of the Albertine Statute , with about one hundred spectators in attendance, it included four clubs, three matches, and lasted a single day. This is considered to be the first proper national football championship and was won using the Pyramid formation (2–3–5) by Genoa, which then went on to win five more championships in six years. Caffaro ,
8736-473: Was removed as a host, as it was unable to ensure spectators could attend. Many of the matches did not see stadiums filled to their allowed capacity, with only Netherlands group stage matches that were played at the Johan Cruyff Arena seeing the stadium come within less than a thousand seats of being full. The match between England and Croatia saw an attendance of 18,497, compared to the allowed capacity of 22,500, with UEFA suggesting quarantine restrictions as
8832-624: Was removed as a tournament host. Their four matches were reallocated to Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg for the three group stage matches, and Wembley Stadium in London for the round of 16 fixture. Similarly, UEFA reassigned the four matches in Spain elsewhere in the country, with Estadio La Cartuja in Seville replacing San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao . On 7 December 2017, it was also announced that
8928-445: Was reported that officials and executives travelling for the matches would not need to self-isolate, though they would be subject to restrictions and required to remain in "football bubbles". On 31 March 2021, the UEFA Executive Committee approved the use of a maximum of five substitutions in matches at the tournament (with a sixth allowed in extra time). However, each team are only given three opportunities to make substitutions, with
9024-433: Was selected as a semi-final and final venue for the second time, following the 1996 tournament at the original stadium of the same name . The tournament was well received by fans and commentators, with the most goals per game in a European Championship since the introduction of the group stage, and only two goalless games. The refereeing style was also praised, with a conservative use of VAR and quick decisions made on
9120-531: Was still possible that the tournament could be played in fewer than the planned twelve host countries. The following month, UEFA stated that it "intends to hold Euro 2020 in the format and the venues confirmed earlier this year and we are working closely with all host cities on preparations". It was also announced that each host was discussing with UEFA and local health authorities on whether the venue could host matches at full capacity, between 100% and 50% capacity, at 33% capacity or behind closed doors. Each host city
9216-547: Was won by Juventus against Doria, while the 1908 Italian Championship and the Bruni Cup were won by Pro Vercelli , beating Juventus, Doria, and Milanese . The Federal Championship won by Juventus was later forgotten by FIGC due to the boycott by the dissident clubs. 1908 also saw a scission within Milan that led to the foundation of Inter . In the 1909 Italian football season, the two different championships were organised again, with
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