Fair Play
doors to
opens
Europe
13
Can England hold on to top spot?
Can Germany grab a place on the podium?
Can France make a late run?
These are some of the questions now being asked within
European football following confirmation that ratings obtained
during the EURO '96 finals in England will be included in the
annual continent-wide Fair Play ranking.
Remember that the prize at stake is an extra place in the UEFA
Cup for each of the top three countries. Sweden, Russia and
Finland have already earned this privilege for the 1996-97
edition but extra places in the 1997-98 campaign will hinge on
behaviour during this summer's European Football
Championship show-down.
A look at the table prepared at the semi-final stage of the three
major European club competitions reveals some interesting
details. No fewer than five of the top ten nations-Norway,
Wales, Republic of Ireland, Sweden and Belgium-will not be
competing in the EURO '96 finals. That means they cannot
improve their Fair Play ratings in England in June unless the
other top teams behave badly).
England, who top the table, will host the tournament aware that
they will need to be on their best behaviour to avoid losing
ground to their pursuers.
For the Germans and the French, the additional Fair Play place
would be the icing on a pretty big cake. Both are already
assured of four UEFA Cup places, so the Fair Play bonus would
guarantee European football for at least seven clubs. Winning a
title next season could send further clubs in as defending
champions and, as French clubs Racing Strasbourg and
Girondins Bordeaux have demonstrated in style this season,
the UEFA Intertoto Cup opens additional doors.
Fair Play success at the EURO '96 finals could pave the way for
half of the French first division or half of the German Bundesliga
to compete in the 1997-98 European campaign.
But a lot could still happen. Neither the semi-finals nor the finals
in all three European club competitions and the final round of
the European Under-16 Championship, held in Austria from 29
April to 11 May, are included in the ranking list which could be
further changed prior to the EURO '96, bearing in mind that the
four matches in the final round of the European Under-21
Championship, to be played in Barcelona at the end of May, will
be included. Also the Fair Play points awarded in the UEFA
Intertoto Cup as well as in the European Under-18
Championship, which takes place in France from 23 to 30 July,
will be added to this season's Fair Play ranking list.
CLASSIFICA UEFA FAIR PLAY 1995-1996 (COPRE 670 PARTITE GIOCATE FINO AL 31 MARZO)
THE UEFA FAIR PLAY RANKING LIST 1995-96 (INCLUDING 670 MATCHES UP TO 31 MARCH)
1.
England
8.66
39
27.
Czech Republic
7.99
40
2.
Norway
8.63
31
28.
Romania
7.89
28
3.
Wales
8.57
22
Cyprus
7.89
22
4.
Germany
8.41
54
Ukraine
7.89
23
5.
Republic of Ireland
8.40
24
Hungary
7.89
29
6.
Sweden
8.39
22
32.
Bulgaria
7.64
27
7.
France
8.38
61
33.
Slovenia
7.46
20
8.
Belgium
8.32
28
34.
Estonia
8.54
17
9.
Scotland
8.30
37
35.
Faroe Islands
8.44
16
10.
Denmark
8.29
37
36.
Liechtenstein
8.26
7
Holland
8.29
45
37.
Latvia
8.25
19
12.
Israel
8.23
24
38.
Moldova
8.16
18
13.
Russia
8.21
39
39.
Yugoslavia
8.16
12
14.
Austria
8.20
28
40.
Northern Ireland
8.14
15
15.
Belarus
8.19
23
41.
FYR Macedonia
8.09
18
16.
Luxembourg
8.18
20
42.
Lithuania
8.08
18
Iceland
8.18
23
43.
Georgia
8.00
18
18.
Poland
8.17
35
44.
Albania
7.89
14
Portugal
8.17
38
45.
Armenia
7.82
19
20.
Spain
8.16
55
46.
Azerbaijan
7.57
15
21.
Switzerland
8.13
46
47.
San Marino
7.55
5
22.
Slovakia
8.07
24
48.
Malta
7.43
19
23.
Turkey
8.04
27
49.
Croatia
7.38
17
24.
Finland
8.03
22
Greece
8.03
40
Gruppo 1piü di 19 partite giocate Group 1more than 19 matches 1 played
26.
Italy
8.02
60
Gruppo 2: fino a 19 partite Group 2: up to 19 matches
