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
2012 Copa Libertadores Finals 2012 Copa Libertadores Finals The 2012 Copa Libertadores de América Finals were the final two-legged tie that decided the winner of the 2012 Copa Libertadores de América, the 53rd edition of the Copa Libertadores de América, South America's premier international club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. It was the fourth Libertadores decisive-match Final to be held at the Pacaembu as well as the tenth Final to be held in São Paulo and the seventeenth Final to be held in Brazil. While Corinthians progressed to the knockout stages by finishing top of their group, Boca progressed to the knockout stages by