Euro 2020 qualification: why is the play-off now being played if the Eurocup should have already been played?

Almost three months after the final of the Euro 2020, 16 teams are still looking for their classification with the last 4 places for the tournament Pan-European, which will now be played from June 11 to July 11, 2021 at 12 venues across the continent. The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe forced not only the tournament to be postponed, but also the play-offs that were to be decided by the last participants to complete the roster of 24 teams.

The playoffs were to be played during the March national team break, between March 26 and March 31, 2020. The first three days were reserved for the semifinals and the other three for the finals. Now, The semifinals are played today, October 8, 2020, and the winners of the same will meet on Thursday, November 12, 2020 in the finals which will determine the last four classified for Euro 2020, which despite the change of year, will keep the original 2020 in its official name.

Which teams play the play-off for Euro 2020

Unlike previous editions, where it was the best classified of the groups in the classification who played the repechage, this time that opportunity corresponds to the teams that obtained the best classification in the 2018-2019 UEFA Nations League and then did not get their place in the qualifying round. Thus, a four-team mini-tournament has been organized, with single-match eliminatory, between the teams of each division that did not qualify later. As the 12 teams from League A and 8 of the 12 from League B took all 12 spots, the groups have been reorganized to include not 4, but 8 teams from League C.

What are the playoff tables

Mini Tournament A

• Bulgaria-Hungary
• Iceland-Romania

Mini Tournament B

• Bosnia and Herzegovina-Northern Ireland
• Slovakia-Republic of Ireland

Mini Tournament C

• Norway-Serbia
• Scotland-Israel

Mintorneo D

• Georgia-Belarus
• North Macedonia-Kosovo

The winners of the first semifinal will play the final as a single match at home. In the event of a tie, there is an extension and penalties. There is VAR in all matches.

Which are the groups of the final phase of Euro 2020

Pending that the playoffs will be played, the draw for the final phase of Euro 2020 was held on November 30, 2020. He determined that the winner of the mini-tournament B will play the final phase in group E together with Spain, Sweden and Poland and the winner of mini-tournament C will be entered in group D with England, Croatia and the Czech Republic.

The fate of the winners of Mini Tournaments A and D depends on what Romania does in the first one. In principle, the winner of mini-tournament A will play the final phase in group of death, F, with Portugal, France and Germany and the winner of mini-tournament D will go to group C with Holland, Ukraine and the Netherlands. If Romania wins mini-tournament A, it will go to group C and the winner of mini-tournament D to F. This is because, if a host country's team qualifies for the finals, it must play in the group whose matches are hosted by that country. And Bucharest is home to group C.

Group A

Venues: Rome and Baku.

B Group

• Denmark
• Finland
• Belgium
• Russia

Venues: Copenhagen and Saint Petersburg

Group C

• Netherlands
• Ukraine
• Austria
• Romania or the winner of the mini-tournament D repechage.

Venues: Amsterdam and Bucharest.

Group D

• England
• Croatia
• Winner of mini-tournament C (Scotland, Israel, Norway or Serbia).
• Czech Republic

Locations: London and Glasgow.

Group E

• Spain
• Sweden
• Poland
• Winner of mini-tournament B (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Slovakia or Republic of Ireland).

Headquarters: Bilbao and Dublin.

Group F

• Winner of mini-tournament A (if not Romania) or D
• Portugal
• France
• Germany

Venues: Munich and Budapest.