Netherlands to host UEFA Women's EURO 2017

The Netherlands has been selected to host UEFA Women's EURO 2017, the first time the final tournament will involve 16 teams.

The Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) was announced as hosts by the UEFA Executive Committee, meeting in Nyon today. The KNVB previously staged the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup as well as co-hosting UEFA EURO 2000 with Belgium. The final tournament will be played in July/August 2017.

UEFA Women's EURO 2017 will feature 16 teams playing a total of 31 matches following a decision by the UEFA Executive Committee at its meeting in Venice in December 2011. Qualifying is scheduled to begin in April 2015.

The Netherlands is looking forward to staging European women's football's blue-riband national-team competition, and is a worthy successor to Sweden who held a memorable final tournament in 2013, setting new benchmarks as far as stadium crowds, television audiences and public interest were concerned.

• Proposed venues
Breda: Stadium Rat Verlegh
Deventer: Stadium De Adelaarshorst
Doetinchem: Stadium De Vijverberg
Enschede: FC Twente Stadium
Rotterdam: Stadium Sparta-Het Kasteel
Tilburg: Stadium Koning Willem II
Utrecht: Stadium Galgenwaard

• Format
The 16 sides will be drawn into four groups of four, with the top two in each section progressing to the knockout phase.

• Entries
A record 47 nations have entered the competition including, for the first time at senior women's level, Andorra. The qualifying format and seedings will be confirmed ahead of the draw.

Road to the Netherlands
Preliminary round draw: 13.45CET, 19 January 2015, Nyon
Preliminary round: 4–9 April 2015
Qualifying group stage draw: 14.00CET, 13 April 2015, Nyon
Group stage dates: 14–22 September 2015, 19–27 October 2015, 23 November–1 December 2015, 18–26 January 2016, 29 February–9 March 2016, 4–12 April 2016, 30 May–7 June 2016, 12–20 September 2016
Play-off draw: 23 September 2016, Nyon
Play-offs: 17–25 October 2016
Final tournament draw: late 2016, Netherlands
Final tournament: July/August 2017, Netherlands

All dates are provisional and subject to change

COMPETITION REGULATIONS

Past finals
UEFA European Women's Championship
2013: Germany 1-0 Norway; Solna, Sweden
2009: Germany 6-2 England; Helsinki, Finland
2005: Germany 3-1 Norway; Blackburn, England
2001: Germany 1-0 Sweden (aet, golden goal); Ulm, Germany
1997: Germany 2-0 Italy; Oslo, Norway
1995: Germany 3-2 Sweden; Kaiserslautern, Germany
1993: Norway 1-0 Italy; Cesena, Italy
1991: Germany 3-1 Norway (aet); Aalborg, Denmark
UEFA European Competition for Representative Women's Teams
1989: West Germany 4-1 Norway; Osnabruck, West Germany
1987: Norway 2-1 Sweden; Oslo, Norway
1984: Sweden 1-1 England (4-3 pens); two legs, Gothenburg and Luton