Before the start of this European Championship, Germany was highly anticipated. On the one hand, Germany’s overall strength was on the rise, and they had the potential to compete for the title. On the other hand, Germany was the host nation. However, to everyone’s disappointment, Germany was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Spain, becoming the first host nation in European Championship history to be eliminated in the quarter-finals. At the same time, this is also the first time Germany has been eliminated by their opponent in the European Championship quarter-finals.
In 1996, the European Championship underwent a reform and expansion, adding the quarter-finals. Since then, except for this year’s host team Germany, all other host teams that have reached the quarter-finals have advanced to the semi-finals.
In 1996, the host nation England advanced from the group stage with a record of 2 wins and 1 draw. In the quarter-finals, England faced Spain, and after a penalty shootout, they narrowly defeated their opponent to reach the semi-finals. In 2000, the European Championship was co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium. At that time, Belgium was not a top team and failed to advance from the group stage. However, the other host team, the Netherlands, advanced to the quarter-finals. In the quarter-finals, the Netherlands defeated former Yugoslavia 6-1 to advance to the semi-finals.
In 2004, the host team was Portugal, led by a star-studded squad featuring Figo, Rui Costa, and Ronaldo. In this European Championship, Portugal successfully advanced from the group stage and then faced another championship contender, England, in the quarter-finals. The two teams fought to a 2-2 draw after 120 minutes of play, and Portugal then eliminated the Three Lions via a penalty shootout to reach the semi-finals. In 2008, the European Championship was co-hosted by Switzerland and Austria. The 2012 European Championship was co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine. However, these four host teams, limited by their strength, all failed to advance from the group stage. It wasn’t until the 2016 European Championship that France, as the host nation, successfully advanced to the quarter-finals and then defeated the tournament’s dark horse Iceland 5-2 in the quarter-finals.
Looking back at the history of the European Championship, it’s clear that there have been many host nations that have failed to reach the quarter-finals, but their failure to advance from the group stage was mainly due to their limited strength. However, traditional powerhouses like England, the Netherlands, Portugal, and France have all successfully advanced past the quarter-finals as hosts. Germany, however, has created a massive embarrassment.
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