UEFA European Football Championship, Euro 2008

Information on the Euro 2008 competition that will take place in Austria and Switzerland, including details of the events and matches that will be taking place in Geneva.

The UEFA European Football Championship, more commonly known as the UEFA Euro is an event that takes place every four years. The UEFA Euro 2008™ final round will be co-hosted by Switzerland and Austria and will take place between the 7 and 29 June 2008. The competition will be made up of sixteen teams of four groups (A, B, C and D) of four teams each. Groups A and C will be playing their matches in Switzerland, in Geneva, Zurich, Basel and Bern. Groups B and D will play their matches in Austria in the towns of Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt.

Quarter and semi-finals will be played in Basel and Vienna with the final on 29 June in Vienna.

For the full match schedule : Click here

The Euro 2008 is organised by the administrative and controlling body for European football, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and is contested by fourteen qualifying teams and the two host countries, Switzerland and Austria. The qualifying phases took place between 2 September 2006 and 21 November 2007.

All the participating teams receive €7.5 million, there are performance bonuses of €1 million for a win and €500,000 for a draw in the group phase. Quarter finalists receive €2 million and semi-finalists €3 million. The winners will receive a further €7.5 million. If they won all three of their group matches, total prize money can reach €23 million. The title of European Champion is currently held by Greece, who won the tournament in 2004.

The official Euro 2008 website

Euro 2008 Matches

The games will be held at several venues in Austria and Switzerland.

For a schedule of matches: Click here
For information on the pools: Click here
For information on the teams: Click here
For details on the participating cities and venue locations in Austria: Click here
For details on the participating cities and venue locations in Switzerland: Click here

The opening match will be played between Switzerland and the Czech Republic in Basel on 7 June 2008 and the final game will be played on 29 June in Vienna.

Euro 2008 in Geneva

In Geneva events will take place at the Stade de Genève.

Euro 2008 in Geneva official website: Click here (in French)
For information on access to the Stade de Genève: Click here (in French)
For information on the stadium: Click here

A Fan Zone and Fan Village will be set up in Geneva to allow visitors and locals to follow all the matches. The Fan Zone with two giant screens will be situated on the Plaine de Plainpalais and can accommodate up to 80,000 people. The Fan Village will be located at the Centre sportif du Bout-du-Monde, with room for up to 20,000 people as well as a campsite. The Village will have giant screens showing all the matches, concerts every evening and there will be restaurants and snack bars on site.

For further information on the Fan Village: Click here
Reservations for the Fan Village can be made through the Geneva Tourist Office website: Click here

Ticket Information

Spectators are strongly encouraged to buy tickets only through official channels. Buying tickets from unauthorised vendors could lead to entry to a stadium being refused as the reselling of Euro 2008 tickets is strictly forbidden.

Ticket information from the UEFA website: Click here

Getting to and Staying in Geneva

For maps of Geneva (including directions from one address to another): Click here
For information on Geneva Airport Contacts: Click here
For information on Public Transport in Geneva: Click here
For Geneva hotels and accommodation: Click here
For self-catering accommodation: Click here
For Bed & Breakfast/Chambre d'hôte accommodation: Click here
For campsites and caravan parks: Click here