The European Football Championships begin this evening, Friday 14 June, with the match between the hosts Germany and Scotland. Italy, which defends its title, will play its first match on Saturday evening against Albania, again at 9pm.

Here's everything you need to know.

THE FORMULA

There are 24 participating teams divided into six groups of 4. The group stage lasts from 14 to 26 June, the top two in each group plus the four best third-placed teams advance to the round of 16. In the ranking of the best thirds, these are the criteria taken into consideration: points scored; goal difference; goals scored; highest number of wins in the group stage; best fair play conduct in the group (-1 point for each yellow card, -3 points for each double yellow card or direct expulsion); best position in the overall ranking of the European qualifiers (or draw, in case Germany, the host nation, was involved).

After the group stage there are two days of rest before the start of the knockout stage, the final will be played on 14 July at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

THE GROUNDS

GROUP A
Germany
Scotland
Hungary
Swiss

GROUP B
Spain
Croatia
Italy
Albania

GROUP C
Slovenia
Denmark
Serbia
England

GROUP D
Poland
Netherlands
Austria
France

GROUP E
Belgium
Slovakia
Romania
Ukraine

GROUP F
Türkiye
Georgia
Portugal
Czech Republic

THE PROGRAM

Friday 14 June

9pm – Germany-Scotland

Saturday 15 June

3pm – Hungary-Switzerland
6pm – Spain-Croatia
9pm – Italy-Albania

Sunday 16 June

3pm – Poland-Holland
6pm – Slovenia-Denmark
9pm – Serbia-England

Monday 17 June

3pm – Romania-Ukraine
6pm – Belgium-Slovakia
9pm – Austria-France

Tuesday 18 June

6pm – Türkiye-Georgia
9pm – Portugal-Czech Republic

Wednesday 19 June

3pm – Croatia-Albania
6pm – Germany-Hungary
9pm – Scotland-Switzerland

Thursday 20 June

3pm – Slovenia-Serbia
6pm – Denmark-England
9pm – Spain-Italy

Friday 21 June

3pm – Slovakia-Ukraine
6pm – Poland-Austria
9pm – Holland-France

Saturday 22 June

3pm – Georgia-Czech Republic
6pm – Türkiye-Portugal
9pm – Belgium-Romania

Sunday 23 June

9pm – Switzerland-Germany
9pm – Scotland-Hungary

Monday 24 June

9pm – Albania-Spain
9pm – Croatia-Italy

Tuesday 25 June

6pm – Holland-Austria
6pm – France-Poland

9pm – England-Slovenia
9pm – Denmark-Serbia

Wednesday 26 June

6pm – Slovakia-Romania
6pm – Ukraine-Belgium
9pm – Georgia-Portugal
9pm – Czech Republic-Türkiye

Round of 16

Saturday 29 June
6pm – 2nd group A – 2nd group B (eighth n.1)
9pm – 1st group A – 2nd group C (eighth n.2)

Sunday 30 June
6pm – 1st group C – 3rd group D/E/F (eighth n.3)
9pm – 1st group B – 3rd group A/D/E/F (eighth n.4)

Monday 1st July
6pm – 2nd group D – 2nd group E (eighth n.5)
9pm – 1st group F – 3rd group A/B/C (eighth n.6)

Tuesday 2 July
6pm – 1st group E – 3rd group A/B/C/D (eighth n.7)
9pm – 1st group D – 2nd group F (eighth n.8)

Quarter finals

Friday 5 July
6pm – Winner of eighth place n.2 – Winner of eighth place n.4 (quarter point n.1)
9pm – Winner of eighth no.5 – Winner of eighth no.6 (quarter no.2)

Saturday 6 July
6pm – Winner of eighth place n.3 – Winner of eighth place n.1 (quarter point n.3)
9pm – Winner of eighth no. 7 – Winner of eighth no. 8 (quarter no. 4)

Semifinals

Tuesday 9 July
9pm – Winning quarter n.1 – Winning quarter n.2

Wednesday 10 July
9pm – Winning quarter n.3 – Winning quarter n.4

The final
Sunday 14 July, 9pm

Where to watch the European Championships on TV

All matches will be broadcast on Sky and streamed on Now and SkyGo. Rai will broadcast all Italy's matches free-to-air, one or two matches per day during the group stage and the round of 16 and, finally, all matches from the quarter-finals onwards. The free-to-air matches will be broadcast on Rai1 or Rai2.

(Unioneonline/L)

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