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
UEFA Euro 2024 bids On 24 April 2018, the DFB officially submitted their bid book to UEFA. In April 2014, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced they would not bid for the semi-finals and final for UEFA Euro 2020, but rather plan a bid for hosting UEFA Euro 2024. On 15 February 2017, the TFF confirmed Turkish bid. Turkey has only previously hosted one major football tournament, the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. However, the country previously attempted to host the European Championship in 2008 (in a joint bid with Greece), 2012, and 2016, but failed on all occasions. On 20 October 2017, the