Euro cup-¬introduction

The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations). Held every four years since1960, in the even-numbered year between World cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFAEuropean Nations Cup, changing to the current name in 1968. Starting with the 1996 toumament  , specific championships are often referred to in the form "Euro 2008 " or whichever year is appropriate.

Prior to entering the tournament all teams other than the host nations (which qualify automatically) compete in a qualifying process. The championship winners earn the opportunity to compete in the following FIFA Confederation cup, but are not obliged to do so.

The 13 European Championship tournaments have been won by nine different national teams. Germany is the most successful team in the history of the tournament, winning three times in six final appearances. France and Spain are the only other multiple-time winners with two titles each. The other European Championship winners have been Italy, Czechoslovakia, Netherland, Denmark, Greece and inaugural winners Soviet Union, with one title each.

The four groups are again played in a league format, where a team plays its opponents once each. The same points system is used (three points for a win, one point for a draw, no points for a defeat). A schedule for the group matches will be drawn up, but the last two matches in a group must kick off simultaneously. The winner and runner-up of each group progresses to the quarter-finals, where a knockout system is used (the two teams play each other once, the winner progresses), this is used in all subsequent rounds as well. The winners of the quarter-finals matches progress to the semi-finals, where the winners play in the final. If in any of the knockout rounds, the scores are still equal after normal playing time, extra time and penalties are employed to separate the two teams.

The 2012 European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012, will be the 14th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA.