Group C of UEFA Euro 1996 was one of four groups in the final tournament's initial group stage. It began on 9 June and was completed on 19 June. The group consisted of Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic and Russia.
Using FIFA World Rankings as a measure of the strength of the teams, The Guardian calculated in 2007 that the strongest "Group of Death" of all time was the Euro 1996 Group C. The teams (and world rankings) were Germany (2), Russia (3), Italy (7) and the Czech Republic (10). This record was surpassed by the May 2012 rankings for Euro 2012 Group B, with Germany (2), the Netherlands (4), Portugal (5) and Denmark (10), but not the June rankings immediately before the tournament (3, 4, 10 and 9 respectively).
Germany won the group and advanced to the quarter-finals, along with the Czech Republic. Italy and Russia failed to advance.
Teams Draw position Team Method ofqualification Date ofqualification Finalsappearance Lastappearance Previous bestperformance FIFA RankingsMay 1996 C1 (seed) Group 7 winner 15 November 1995 7th 1992 Winners (1972, 1980) 2 C2 Group 5 winner 15 November 1995 4th 1980 Winners (1976) 10 C3 Group 4 runner-up (1st best runner-up) 15 November 1995 4th 1988 Winners (1968) 7 C4 Group 8 winner 15 November 1995 7th 1992 Winners (1960) 3
Notes
Standings
In the quarter-finals, The winner of Group C, Germany, advanced to play the runner-up of Group D, Croatia. The runner-up of Group C, Czech Republic, advanced to play the winner of Group D, Portugal.
Matches
Germany vs Czech Republic
GK 1 Andreas KöpkeSW 6 Matthias SammerCB 5 Thomas HelmerCB 15Jürgen Kohler (c) DM 21Dieter EiltsRM 2 Stefan Reuter CM 7 Andreas Möller CM 10Thomas Häßler LM 17Christian Ziege SS 9 Fredi Bobic CF 11Stefan Kuntz Substitutions:DF 14Markus Babbel MF 19Thomas Strunz FW 20Oliver Bierhoff Manager:Berti Vogts GK 1 Petr KoubaSW 15Michal HorňákRB 2 Radoslav LátalCB 3 Jan SuchopárekCB 5 Miroslav Kadlec (c) LB 13Radek Bejbl DM 7 Jiří NěmecRM 8 Karel Poborský CM 11Martin Frýdek LM 4 Pavel Nedvěd CF 9 Pavel KukaSubstitutions:MF 14Patrik Berger FW 10Radek Drulák Manager:Dušan Uhrin
Man of the Match: Matthias Sammer (Germany)
Assistant referees: Anthony Bates (England) Peter Walton (England) Fourth official: Stephen Lodge (England)
Italy vs Russia
GK 1 Angelo PeruzziRB 8 Roberto MussiCB 5 Alessandro CostacurtaCB 2 Luigi ApolloniLB 3 Paolo Maldini (c)CM 10Demetrio Albertini RM 15Angelo Di Livio CM 16Roberto Di MatteoLM 14Alessandro Del Piero SS 21Gianfranco ZolaCF 18Pierluigi Casiraghi Substitutions:MF 7 Roberto Donadoni MF 17Diego Fuser FW 20Fabrizio Ravanelli Manager:Arrigo Sacchi GK 12Stanislav CherchesovRB 2 Omari TetradzeCB 7 Viktor Onopko (c) CB 13Yevgeni Bushmanov LB 5 Yuri Kovtun RM 8 Andrei KanchelskisCM 6 Valery Karpin CM 19Vladislav RadimovLM 4 Ilya Tsymbalar AM 10Aleksandr MostovoiCF 9 Igor Kolyvanov Substitutions:DF 18Igor Yanovsky FW 11Sergei Kiriakov MF 14Igor Dobrovolski Manager:Oleg Romantsev
Man of the Match: Pierluigi Casiraghi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Robert Orr (Scotland) John Fleming (Scotland) Fourth official: Hugh Dallas (Scotland)
Czech Republic vs Italy
GK 1 Petr KoubaSW 15Michal HorňákCB 3 Jan Suchopárek CB 5 Miroslav Kadlec (c) RM 2 Radoslav Látal CM 7 Jiří NěmecCM 13Radek BejblLM 4 Pavel NedvědRF 8 Karel PoborskýCF 9 Pavel Kuka LF 14Patrik Berger Substitutions:MF 17Vladimír Šmicer MF 6 Václav Němeček Manager:Dušan Uhrin GK 1 Angelo PeruzziRB 8 Roberto MussiCB 5 Alessandro CostacurtaCB 2 Luigi Apolloni LB 3 Paolo Maldini (c)RM 17Diego Fuser CM 10Demetrio AlbertiniCM 11Dino Baggio LM 7 Roberto DonadoniCF 19Enrico Chiesa CF 20Fabrizio Ravanelli Substitutions:DF 4 Amedeo Carboni FW 18Pierluigi Casiraghi FW 21Gianfranco Zola Manager:Arrigo Sacchi
Man of the Match: Radek Bejbl (Czech Republic)
Assistant referees: Victoriano Giráldez Carrasco (Spain) Manuel López Fernández (Spain) Fourth official: Juan Ansuátegui Roca (Spain)
Russia vs Germany
GK 1 Dmitri KharineRB 2 Omari TetradzeCB 7 Viktor Onopko (c) CB 3 Yuri NikiforovLB 5 Yuri Kovtun CM 19Vladislav Radimov CM 21Dmitri Khokhlov CM 4 Ilya TsymbalarRF 8 Andrei Kanchelskis CF 9 Igor KolyvanovLF 10Aleksandr MostovoiSubstitutions:MF 6 Valeri Karpin FW 16Igor Simutenkov Manager:Oleg Romantsev GK 1 Andreas KöpkeSW 6 Matthias SammerCB 14Markus Babbel CB 5 Thomas HelmerDM 21Dieter EiltsRM 2 Stefan ReuterCM 7 Andreas Möller CM 10Thomas Häßler LM 17Christian ZiegeCF 18Jürgen Klinsmann (c)CF 20Oliver Bierhoff Substitutions:MF 4 Steffen Freund FW 11Stefan Kuntz MF 19Thomas Strunz Manager:Berti Vogts
Man of the Match: Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany)
Assistant referees: Carl-Johan Christensen Meyer (Denmark) Torben Siersen (Denmark) Fourth official: Lars Gerner (Denmark)
Russia vs Czech Republic
GK 12Stanislav CherchesovRB 2 Omari TetradzeCB 20Sergei GorlukovichCB 3 Yuri Nikiforov LB 16Igor Simutenkov RM 19Vladislav Radimov CM 21Dmitri KhokhlovCM 18Igor Yanovsky LM 4 Ilya Tsymbalar SS 6 Valeri Karpin (c)CF 9 Igor Kolyvanov Substitutions:MF 10Aleksandr Mostovoi FW 17Vladimir Beschastnykh MF 15Igor Shalimov Manager:Oleg Romantsev GK 1 Petr KoubaSW 3 Jan SuchopárekRB 2 Radoslav LátalCB 15Michal HorňákLB 13Radek BejblRM 8 Karel PoborskýCM 7 Jiří Němec CM 12Luboš Kubík (c)LM 4 Pavel Nedvěd AM 14Patrik Berger CF 9 Pavel Kuka Substitutions:FW 17Vladimír Šmicer MF 6 Václav Němeček Manager:Dušan Uhrin
Man of the Match: Karel Poborský (Czech Republic)
Assistant referees: Mikael Nilsson (Sweden) Sten Samuelsson (Sweden) Fourth official: Morgan Norman (Sweden)
Italy vs Germany
GK 1 Angelo PeruzziRB 8 Roberto MussiCB 5 Alessandro CostacurtaCB 3 Paolo Maldini (c)LB 4 Amedeo Carboni DM 10Demetrio AlbertiniRM 17Diego Fuser CM 16Roberto Di Matteo LM 7 Roberto DonadoniSS 21Gianfranco ZolaCF 18Pierluigi Casiraghi Substitutions:FW 19Enrico Chiesa DF 9 Moreno Torricelli MF 15Angelo Di Livio Manager:Arrigo Sacchi GK 1 Andreas KöpkeSW 6 Matthias SammerCB 4 Steffen FreundCB 5 Thomas HelmerRWN 19Thomas Strunz DM 21Dieter EiltsLWB 17Christian ZiegeCM 7 Andreas Möller CM 10Thomas HäßlerCF 9 Fredi BobicCF 18Jürgen Klinsmann (c)Substitutions:MF 3 Marco Bode Manager:Berti Vogts
Man of the Match: Andreas Köpke (Germany)
Assistant referees: Marc Van den Broeck (Belgium) Stany Op de Beeck (Belgium) Fourth official: Michel Piraux (Belgium)
See also Czech Republic at the UEFA European Championship Germany at the UEFA European Championship Italy at the UEFA European Championship Russia at the UEFA European Championship
References
External links UEFA Euro 1996 Group C