The 2013 UEFA Women's Championship, commonly referred to as the 2013 Women's Euros or just the 2013 Euros, was the 11th European Championship for women's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held in Sweden from 10 to 28 July 2013, became the most-watched in the history of the Women's Euros. It concluded with Germany, the defending champions, winning their sixth consecutive and record-extending eighth overall Women's Euro title after defeating Norway in the final.

Sweden was selected as hosts by UEFA's Executive Committee in 2010, meaning their team automatically qualified for the final tournament. The other eleven finalists were decided by a qualifying competition, featuring 44 teams, staged between March 2011 to October 2012. It was the last time the finals featured twelve teams, as from 2017 onwards they would be expanded to include sixteen teams.

Host selection

Sweden was awarded the hosting of the tournament on 4 October 2010 at a meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee in Minsk, Belarus. The only rival host bid came from the Netherlands. Several other European national associations, including Switzerland, Bulgaria and Poland, had shown interest in staging the tournament but did not submit final applications. Sweden had previously co-hosted the tournament in 1997 alongside Norway.

Qualification

A total of 44 teams entered the qualification process to compete for the eleven available places in the final tournament, alongside host nation Sweden, who qualified automatically. Six teams were firstly eliminated during an eight-team preliminary round staged in Macedonia and Malta on 3–8 March 2011.

On 14 March 2011 38 teams – the 36 top-ranked nations (according to their UEFA coefficient) and the two teams advancing from the preliminary round – were then drawn into seven qualifying groups at a draw in Nyon, Switzerland. Matches in these qualifying groups began in September 2011 and concluded a year later. The seven group winners automatically qualified for the final tournament along with the best-ranked runners-up. The remaining six runners-up entered into two-legged play-offs held in October 2012 to determine the final line-up. The following twelve teams participated in the final tournament:

TeamMethod of qualificationDate of qualificationFinals appearanceLast appearancePrevious best performanceFIFA ranking at start of event
SwedenHosts4 October 20109th2009Champions (1984)5
ItalyGroup 1 winner16 June 201210th2009Runners-up (1993, 1997)12
GermanyGroup 2 winner16 June 20129th2009Champions (1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009)2
NorwayGroup 3 winner19 September 201210th2009Champions (1987, 1993)11
FranceGroup 4 winner15 September 20125th2009Quarter-finals (2009)6
FinlandGroup 5 winner15 September 20123rd2009Semi-finals (2005)21
EnglandGroup 6 winner19 September 20127th2009Runners-up (1984, 2009)7
DenmarkGroup 7 winner19 September 20128th2009Semi-finals (1984, 1991, 1993, 2001)13
NetherlandsBest runner-up19 September 20122nd2009Semi-finals (2009)14
SpainPlay-off winner24 October 20122nd1997Semi-finals (1997)18
RussiaPlay-off winner25 October 20124th2009Group Stage (1997, 2001, 2009)22
IcelandPlay-off winner25 October 20122nd2009Group Stage (2009)15

Venues

The tournament was staged at seven venues in seven different towns with each group being staged at two different venues. At some venues, the capacity was reduced during the championship.

GothenburgSolnaNorrköping
Gamla UlleviFriends ArenaNya Parken
Capacity: 16,600Capacity: 50,000Capacity: 10,500
3 group matches, 1 semi-finalFinal3 group matches, 1 semi-final
LinköpingHalmstadVäxjöGothenburgSolnaKalmarNorrköpingLinköpingUEFA Women's Euro 2013 (Southern Sweden)Kalmar
Linköping ArenaGuldfågeln Arena
Capacity: 7,300Capacity: 10,900
3 group matches, 1 quarter-final3 group matches, 1 quarter-final
HalmstadVäxjö
Örjans VallMyresjöhus Arena
Capacity: 7,500Capacity: 10,000
3 group matches, 1 quarter-final3 group matches, 1 quarter-final

Final draw

The final draw for the tournament group stage took place on 9 November 2012 at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg. The ceremony was conducted by the UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino, with the teams drawn out by tournament ambassadors Patrik Andersson and Steffi Jones.

As hosts, Sweden were automatically placed in the top-seeded pot, though they would have been in any case owing to their UEFA coefficient ranking. The eleven qualifiers were placed into the three final draw pots according to their UEFA coefficient ranking. It was decreed in advance the groups into which the three top-seeded teams would be placed.

Seedings

Top-seeded teams
TeamCoeffRank
Sweden H (A1)42,5032
Germany TH (B1)43,4601
France (C1)40,2513
Seeded
TeamCoeffRank
England38,9034
Norway37,1935
Italy37,0576
Unseeded
TeamCoeffRank
Denmark34,9717
Iceland34,5248
Finland34,4369
Russia33,69710
Netherlands33,66111
Spain32,99912

Match officials

Twelve referee trios were announced by the UEFA on 19 June 2013. All officials were based in Jönköping.

Squads

The twelve national teams involved in the tournament were required to register a squad of 23 players by 3 June 2013 at the latest. Only players in these squads were eligible to take part in the tournament.

Results

Participating teams and their result

The final match schedule for the tournament was confirmed on 6 December 2012. All twelve finalists began the tournament at the group stage, with those not eliminated then advancing to the knockout stage.

Group stage

The group winners and runners-up would qualify for the knockout stage, along with the best two third-placed teams; the remaining four teams would be eliminated.

Tie-breaking criteria

If two or more teams were equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following tie-breaking criteria were applied:

  1. Higher number of points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question;
  2. Superior goal difference resulting from the matches played between the teams in question;
  3. Higher number of goals scored in the matches played between the teams in question;
  4. Superior goal difference in all group matches;
  5. Higher number of goals scored in all group matches;
  6. Position in the UEFA national team coefficient ranking system as at the final draw;

However, the normal tiebreaking rules do not apply if two teams tie (following the application of tiebreakers 1–5) after having met in their final fixture of the group stage, then their ranking will be determined by penalty shoot-out;

Notes

Group A

PosTeamvtePldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Sweden (H)321092+77Advance to knockout stage
2Italy311134−14
3Denmark302134−12
4Finland302116−52
Italy0–0Finland
Sweden1–1Denmark
Fischer 36'Knudsen 26'

Italy2–1Denmark
Gabbiadini 55' Mauro 60'Brogaard 66'
Finland0–5Sweden
Fischer 15', 36' Asllani 38' Schelin 60', 87'

Sweden3–1Italy
Manieri 47' (o.g.) Schelin 49' Öqvist 57'Gabbiadini 78'
Denmark1–1Finland
Brogaard 29'Sjölund 87'

Group B

PosTeamvtePldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Norway321031+27Advance to knockout stage
2Germany311131+24
3Iceland311124−24
4Netherlands301202−21
Norway1–1Iceland
Hegland 26'M. Viðarsdóttir 87' (pen.)
Germany0–0Netherlands

Norway1–0Netherlands
Gulbrandsen 54'
Iceland0–3Germany
Lotzen 24' Okoyino da Mbabi 55', 84'

Germany0–1Norway
Isaksen 45+1'
Netherlands0–1Iceland
Brynjarsdóttir 30'

Group C

PosTeamvtePldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1France330071+69Advance to knockout stage
2Spain31114404
3Russia302135−22
4England301237−41
France3–1Russia
Delie 21', 33' Le Sommer 67'Morozova 84'
England2–3Spain
Aluko 8' Bassett 89'Boquete 4' Hermoso 85' Putellas 90+4'

England1–1Russia
Duggan 90+2'Korovkina 38'
Spain0–1France
Renard 5'

France3–0England
Le Sommer 9' Nécib 62' Renard 64'
Russia1–1Spain
Terekhova 44'Boquete 14'

Ranking of third-placed teams

The best two third-placed teams advanced to the knockout stage, with teams being ranked using points as the only criterion. UEFA introduced this principle to avoid teams entering their final matches and "playing on" the previous results, and also to negate the factor of the potentially different strengths of the groups by eliminating goal difference from the calculation. As both Denmark and Russia finished with two points, in accordance with the regulations, UEFA conducted a drawing of lots on 18 July following the completion of the group matches to determine which of these two teams would advance: Denmark was selected and so advanced.

PosGrpTeamPldPtsQualification
1BIceland34Advance to knockout stage
2ADenmark32
3CRussia32

Knockout stage

The eight advancing teams entered the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament. In the knockout stage (including the final), if a match was level at the end of 90 minutes, extra time of two periods (15 minutes each) was played. If the score was still level after extra time, the match was decided by a penalty shootout.

Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
21 July – Halmstad
Sweden4
24 July – Gothenburg
Iceland0
Sweden0
21 July – Växjö
Germany1
Italy0
28 July – Solna
Germany1
Germany1
22 July – Kalmar
Norway0
Norway3
25 July – Norrköping
Spain1
Norway (p)1 (4)
22 July – Linköping
Denmark1 (2)
France1 (2)
Denmark (p)1 (4)

All times are local (UTC+2)

Quarter-finals

Sweden4–0Iceland
M. Hammarström 3' Öqvist 14' Schelin 19', 59'

Italy0–1Germany
Laudehr 26'

Norway3–1Spain
Gulbrandsen 24' Paredes 43' (o.g.) Hegerberg 64'Hermoso 90+3'

France1–1 (a.e.t.)Denmark
Nécib 71' (pen.)Rasmussen 28'
Penalties
Nécib Thiney Le Sommer Delannoy2–4Røddik Rydahl Nadim Nielsen Arnth

Semi-finals

Sweden0–1Germany
Marozsán 33'

Norway1–1 (a.e.t.)Denmark
Christensen 3'Knudsen 87'
Penalties
Gulbrandsen Dekkerhus Mjelde Rønning4–2Røddik Nielsen Nadim Brogaard

Final

Germany1–0Norway
Mittag 49'

Statistics

Goalscorers

5 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

Own goal

Awards

UEFA Squad of the Tournament

Golden Boot

Miscellany

Anthem

Saade unveiling "Winning Ground"

The official anthem of the tournament was "Winning Ground", composed by Stefan Örn and performed by Swedish pop star Eric Saade. The title of the song was also the slogan of the final tournament. The song was presented on 27 May 2013 at the Friends Arena in an event also featuring Tyresö players Lisa Dahlkvist of Sweden, Denmark's Line Røddik Hansen, Spain's Verónica Boquete and the Netherlands' Kirsten van de Ven.

Tickets

Tickets for the finals were released on 14 February 2013, available to buy via UEFA's online sales portal or from the Ticnet agency in Sweden. The pricing structure was the same for all venues: SEK 200 (approximately €23.50) for Category 1 matches, SEK 150 (≈€17.60) for Category 2 and SEK 100 (≈€11.75) for Category 3. Youth tickets, for those aged up to 16, cost SEK 50 (≈€5.85) for all categories. A so-named Follow Your Team Ticket which gave entrance to all three group matches of a selected team was also sold.

The tournament soon surpassed the previous ticket sales record of 129,000 set in 2009, which prompted the organisers to open up the entire 50,000 seats of the Friends Arena for the final, in contrast to the original plan to place only 30,000 tickets on sale. The final set a new attendance record for a Women's Euros fixture (41,301) and helped bring the total number of tickets sold for the tournaments to 216,888. In addition to attending the matches, the tournament became the first Women's Euros event to feature fan zones where fans could gather together to view matches on big screens.

References and notes

External links