UEFA Euro 2012 in October 2011, the nine group winners qualified automatically, along with the highest ranked second placed team. The remaining eight-second placed teams contested two-legged play-offs, and the four winners qualified for the finals. Twelve of the sixteen finalists participated at the previous tournament in 2008. England and Denmark made their return to the Euro, having last participated in 2004, while Republic of Ireland returned after a twenty-four-year absence to make their second appearance at a European Championship. One of the co-hosts, Ukraine, made their debut as an independent nation (before 1992 Ukraine participated as part of the Soviet Union). With
2014 AFL finals series both reached the preliminary finals after finishing outside the top four, and top-four finishers and were eliminated at the semi finals stage. and lost their respective elimination finals. Reigning premiers appeared in their fifth straight finals appearance, finishing second on the ladder. In the previous year's final series, Hawthorn defeated in the Grand Final to claim their 11th premiership. also qualified for their fifth straight finals appearance after becoming minor premiers of the 2014 season. qualified third, appearing in their eighth straight finals series. Fremantle finished fourth, appearing in their third straight finals, after defeating in the final round of