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1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

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1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Tournament details
Host country Spain
Dates12 March – 31 May
Teams8 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions Italy (3rd title)
Runners-up Spain
Third place France
Fourth place Scotland
Tournament statistics
Matches played12
Goals scored28 (2.33 per match)
Attendance197,229 (16,436 per match)
Top scorer(s)Spain Raúl (3 goals)
Best player(s)Italy Fabio Cannavaro
1994
1998

The 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, which spanned two years (1994–96), had 44 entrants. After the quarter-finals stage, Spain were chosen as the hosts of the final stages, consisting of four matches in total. Italy U-21s won the competition for the third consecutive time.

Format

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No fewer than 13 newly independent nations competed for the first time – due mainly to the fall of Socialist rule in Europe in the early 1990s.

Russia, who competed in 1994 were joined by nine further former Soviet Union states: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine.

The exclusion (for political reasons) of the team from Serbia and Montenegro, then known as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia continued. Croatia, Slovenia and the Republic of Macedonia were three former states of Yugoslavia who did compete though.

Czechoslovakia became two separate nations – teams from the Czech Republic and Slovakia complete the list of new entrants.

The 44 national teams were divided into eight groups (four groups of 5 + four groups of 6). The group winners played off against each other on a two-legged home-and-away basis to determine the final four, one of whom would host the last four matches. The top five nations qualify for the Atlanta '96 Olympics.

Qualification

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List of qualified teams

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Country Qualified as Previous appearances in tournament1
 France Group 1 winner 5 (1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1994)
 Spain Group 2 winner 5 (1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990)
 Hungary Group 3 winner 3 (1978, 1980, 1986)
 Italy Group 4 winner 9 (1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994)
 Czech Republic Group 5 winner 6 (19782, 19802, 19882, 19902, 19922, 19942)
 Portugal Group 6 winner 1 (1994)
 Germany Group 7 winner 3 (19823, 19903, 1992)
 Scotland Group 8 winner 4 (1980, 1982, 1984, 1988)
1 Bold indicates champion for that year

Squads

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Results

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Quarter-finals

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First leg

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Hungary 2–1 Scotland
Szanyó 14'
Zavadszky 79'
Report Glass 34'
Attendance: 15,000

Germany 0–0 France
Report

Portugal 1–0 Italy
Porfírio 18' Report
Attendance: 29,774
Referee: Markus Merk (Germany)

Spain 2–1 Czech Republic
Dani 28'
Roberto 41'
Report Šmicer 50'

Second leg

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Scotland 3–1 Hungary
Dailly 42'
Hamilton 84'
Donnelly 86'
Report Egressy 30'
Attendance: 9,143

France 4–1 Germany
Pires 28', 32'
Maurice 41', 70'
Report Nerlinger 76' (pen.)

Italy 2–0 Portugal
Vieri 41'
Peixe 55' (o.g.)
Report
Attendance: 16,543

Czech Republic 1–2 Spain
Vágner 54' Report Raúl 71', 89'

Semi-finals

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Italy 1–0 France
Totti 49' Report

Spain 2–1 Scotland
Óscar 26'
De la Peña 35'
Report Marshall 28'

Third-place play-off

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France 1–0 Scotland
Moreau 50' Report

Final

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Goalscorers

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3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
Own goal

Medal table and Olympic qualifiers

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  • France, Italy and Spain qualify for Olympic Games finals.
  • Best losing quarter-finalists Hungary and Portugal also qualify.
  • Scotland do not compete in the Olympic Football Tournament (See Great Britain Olympic football team).
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Final result
1st place, gold medalist(s)  Italy 4 2 1 1 4 2 +2 5 Gold medal
2nd place, silver medalist(s)  Spain (H) 4 3 1 0 7 4 +3 7 Silver medal
3rd place, bronze medalist(s)  France 4 2 1 1 5 2 +3 5 Bronze medal
4  Scotland 4 1 0 3 5 6 −1 2 Fourth place
5  Hungary 2 1 0 1 3 4 −1 2 Eliminated in
quarter-finals
6  Portugal 2 1 0 1 1 2 −1 2
7  Germany 2 0 1 1 1 4 −3 1
8  Czech Republic 2 0 0 2 2 4 −2 0
Source: [ ]
(H) Hosts
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