UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group D team guides
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Article summary
Germany have the pedigree to dominate Group D although the Republic of Ireland and Poland both featured in UEFA EURO 2012 and Scotland are seeking a finals return.
Article top media content
Article body
Germany
Three-time winners and runners-up in 1976, 1992 and 2008, Germany have won 23 of their 43 finals matches – all are records, though Spain also have three European titles to their name. UEFA EURO 2012 was Germany's 11th successive final tournament – also a UEFA European Championship record.
Republic of Ireland
The Republic of Ireland made their major tournament debut at the 1988 UEFA European Championship, memorably beating England and only just failing to pip eventual winners the Netherlands to the last four. Englishman Jack Charlton also steered them to the next two FIFA World Cups, the first of them, in Italy, bringing a place in the quarter-finals. A third World Cup was reached in 2002 but Ireland did not return to the UEFA European Championship until 2012.
Poland
Poland qualified for a UEFA European Championship at the 13th time of asking after topping their 2008 qualifying group featuring Portugal, Serbia and Belgium. They returned as co-hosts four years later, but failed to win any of those six finals games.
Scotland
Scotland missed out on the play-offs for 2008 due to a last-day defeat by Italy, after beating France home and away.
Georgia
Georgia came closest to reaching the UEFA European Championship at their first attempt in the EURO '96 preliminaries. A momentous 2-1 win against a Bulgaria side who 15 months earlier had reached the FIFA World Cup semi-finals helped them to a third-placed finish having won five of their ten qualifiers.
Gibraltar
With around 30,000 citizens, Gibraltar is the least populous of the UEFA member nations and will play their home qualifiers in the Algarve region of southern Portugal.
