Team: Albania
The expanded 24-team finals will contain several nations that have never before reached a UEFA EURO. But while Wales, Northern Ireland and Slovakia have all been to FIFA World Cups, and Iceland at least made the play-offs for that in 2013, Albania's feat is pretty much unprecedented.
Before this campaign, Albania's sole UEFA final tournaments had been the 1982 Under-18 and 1995 U16 Championship. But from their opening win in Portugal they seldom looked back, even if their qualification was delayed until this week's 3-0 win in Armenia. They started the tournament ranked 41st by UEFA (lower even than Pot 5 colleagues Iceland and Northern Ireland). "When I said Albania could do it, they laughed at me," said coach Giovanni de Biasi.
The expanded 24-team finals will contain several nations that have never before reached a UEFA EURO. But while Wales, Northern Ireland and Slovakia have all been to FIFA World Cups, and Iceland at least made the play-offs for that in 2013, Albania's feat is pretty much unprecedented.
Before this campaign, Albania's sole UEFA final tournaments had been the 1982 Under-18 and 1995 U16 Championship. But from their opening win in Portugal they seldom looked back, even if their qualification was delayed until this week's 3-0 win in Armenia. They started the tournament ranked 41st by UEFA (lower even than Pot 5 colleagues Iceland and Northern Ireland). "When I said Albania could do it, they laughed at me," said coach Giovanni de Biasi.