2004 UEFA Euro
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| 2004 UEFA Euro | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | UEFA European Championship |
| Year | 2004 |
| Country | Portugal |
| Dates | 12 June – 4 July 2004 |
| Num teams | 16 |
| Venues | 10 |
| Champion | Greece |
| Second | Portugal |
| Matches | 31 |
| Goals | 77 |
| Attendance | 1,002,000 |
| Player | Theodoros Zagorakis |
| Prevseason | 2000 |
| Nextseason | 2008 |
2004 UEFA Euro was the twelfth edition of the UEFA European Championship contested by European national teams. Hosted in Portugal from 12 June to 4 July 2004, the tournament featured 16 teams and culminated in a historic triumph by Greece, who defeated the host Portugal in the final. The event combined established nations such as Germany and France with surprise performers including Netherlands and underdogs like Czech Republic.
Background and qualification
Qualification for the finals followed the format used by UEFA for preceding tournaments: groups drawn across the continent with group winners and runners-up advancing. Hosts Portugal qualified automatically as hosts, while teams such as Spain, England, and Italy navigated qualification rounds featuring fixtures against nations like Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland and Republic of Ireland. Notable qualifiers included Greece led by manager Otto Rehhagel and Czech Republic featuring stars from clubs such as AC Sparta Prague, AC Milan, and Fenerbahçe S.K.. Qualification also saw campaigns from Poland and Croatia that featured fixtures against Belgium and Hungary respectively.
Host selection and venues
Portugal secured hosting rights in a UEFA selection process that considered bids from several federations including Austria and Switzerland. The organization involved stadia modernization projects in cities such as Lisbon, Porto, Braga, and Coimbra. Key venues included Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Estádio do Dragão in Porto, and Estádio Municipal de Braga in Braga. Stadium work attracted clubs such as SL Benfica, FC Porto, SC Braga and local authorities collaborating with UEFA and the Portuguese Football Federation.
Teams and squads
Sixteen national squads competed, each named by their national associations such as The Football Association for England and Royal Spanish Football Federation for Spain. Prominent players included Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) associated with Sporting CP at the time, Zinedine Zidane (France) of Real Madrid, Thierry Henry (France) of Arsenal F.C., Pavel Nedvěd (Czech Republic) of Juventus F.C., Milan Baroš (Czech Republic) of Liverpool F.C., Adrian Mutu (Romania) of Parma Calcio 1913, Miroslav Klose (Germany) of FC Bayern Munich, and Miroslav Đukić (Serbia and Montenegro) who featured in club competitions with FC Real Zaragoza. Managers of note included Luiz Felipe Scolari (Portugal), Marcello Lippi (Italy), and Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany). Squad selection controversies involved injuries to key names and late additions by federations such as Hellenic Football Federation for Greece.
Group stage
The group stage featured four groups (A–D) with four teams each. Group A included Portugal, Greece, Spain and Russia and produced the shock early elimination of Spain following draws and a loss to Greece. Group B paired France, England, Croatia and Switzerland; France progressed while England and Croatia contested qualification spots. Group C featured Netherlands, Czech Republic, Latvia and Germany producing notable performances by Czech Republic and Netherlands. Group D comprised Sweden, Italy, Bulgaria and Denmark with Sweden topping the group after strong displays from players linked to AC Milan and Inter Milan.
Knockout stage
The knockout phase included quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final. Quarter-final fixtures involved encounters between Greece and France, England and Portugal, Netherlands and Sweden, plus Czech Republic versus Denmark. Upsets included Greece eliminating France and Portugal defeating England on penalties. Semi-finals saw Greece prevail over Czech Republic while Portugal overcame Netherlands, setting an all-host final in Lisbon. The final concluded with a defensive masterclass from Greece, whose captain Theodoros Zagorakis and coach Otto Rehhagel guided a 1–0 victory over Portugal.
Venues and attendance
Matches were staged across stadiums in Lisbon, Porto, Braga, Coimbra, Aveiro, Setúbal, Leiria and Guimarães. The Estádio da Luz hosted the final, while semi-finals took place at Estádio José Alvalade and Estádio do Dragão. Attendance across the tournament exceeded one million spectators, with high demand for fixtures involving Portugal, France, England and Greece. Local organizers coordinated with UEFA, municipal councils and national transport bodies to manage influxes to venues such as Estádio Municipal de Braga.
Statistics and awards
The tournament produced 77 goals across 31 matches, with top scorers including Milan Baroš and Wayne Rooney among leading marksmen, while Theodoros Zagorakis was awarded Player of the Tournament for his leadership. The UEFA Team of the Tournament featured players from Greece, Portugal, Czech Republic and Netherlands. Defensive organization by Greece and tactical management by Otto Rehhagel were widely analyzed in coverage by European sports press and tactical studies focusing on formations used by teams such as Italy and France.
Category:UEFA European Championship tournaments Category:2004 in association football