European Championship rating (16-18 places)

2024-06-08 10:00

In the 2024 European Football Championship in Germany, 24 of the strongest national teams of the old continent will compete for the trophy.

Some national teams had to sweat a lot to secure their place in the final stage of the tournament, while others did so impressively: France seemed unbeatable, England proved that they have enough talent to end their trophy drought since 1966, and Portugal, coached by Roberto Martinez, showcased a game based on hurricane-like attacking play.

The most visited Lithuanian football news portal “Eurofootball.lt” presents the ranking of the 2024 European Football Championship, which will start on June 14.

24-22 ranking positions

19-21 ranking positions

18th place - Slovenia

Slovenia had to wait until the last matches of the qualification stage in Group H, and their 2-1 victory against Kazakhstan secured them the second position. Slovenes collected the same number of points as the first-placed Danes, but due to a negative head-to-head record, they had to settle for the second spot.

This year's European Championship will be the second in Slovenia's history - they first participated 24 years ago.

Fans of the Balkan countries have high hopes for RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko, who became the leader in the qualifiers by scoring five goals. Of course, Madrid's Atletico and one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Jan Oblak, will also be crucial figures.

In the European Championship Group C, Slovenia will face Serbia, Denmark, and England, and a victory against Portugal in friendly matches showed that Slovenia should not be underestimated.

🇸🇮 Sesko 🥵

8 goals in his last 11 international matches 💪#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/NeLHhZ4hpR
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) October 14, 2023

17th place - Czech Republic

The Czechs finished the qualifiers by defeating Moldova 3-0, but there were disagreements within the team. Just 24 hours before the match in Olomouc, head coach Jaroslav Silhavy removed three players from the squad due to frequent visits to nightclubs.

Even bigger surprise happened right after the match - the coach announced his resignation along with the entire coaching staff, claiming it was decided before the match: "We decided before the match that we would not continue our work. The pressure was enormous, sometimes I didn't even understand it. All this undoubtedly contributed to our decision."

Despite showing a good game, the Czech Football Federation had to find a new head coach, and in January of this year, they appointed Ivan Hasek, who had already taken over this job almost a decade ago.

The former national team goalkeeper had been unemployed since 2022 when his services were rejected by the Lebanese Football Federation. However, the start of the new coach is optimistic - they won both friendly matches against Norway and Armenia.

Despite the previous troubles within the team, Czechs should not lack confidence, as they will face weaker opponents - Georgia and Turkey in the main tournament group, while Portugal is expected to occupy the first position without much trouble.

Historical Czech goals:

Czech Republic have scored some great Euro goals over the years! pic.twitter.com/x6jgIZ5sGF
— 90s Football (@90sfootball) September 4, 2023

16th place - Switzerland

Switzerland can be called an expert in qualifications. In the last twenty years, they failed to qualify for only one major football tournament - the 2012 European Championship.

However, Switzerland's performance during the qualifiers was far from convincing. In a weak Group I, they managed to win only four games, drew five times, and lost once to Romania, but it was enough to finish in the second position.

Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that Switzerland's goal will be guarded by AC Milan veteran Yann Sommer, while the defense will be solidified by the Premier League duo Fabian Schar and Manuel Akanji, representing Newcastle United and Manchester City, respectively.

As Leverkusen's Bayer midfielder Granit Xhaka matures like a fine wine, he will control the midfield, and Zeki Amdouni, representing Burnley, will score goals.

Of course, Switzerland is unlikely to win the championship, but it will be a headache for the teams in Group A - Germany, Hungary, and Scotland.