Group C: Germany

                                                  Home Kit                      Away Kit

Nickname: Nationalelf (national eleven)
                 DFB-Elf (DFB Eleven)
                Die Mannschaft (The Team)

FIFA Ranking: 4th

Elo Ranking: 1st

Head Coach: Joachim Löw (Euro 2008, 2012) (World Cup 2010, 2014)
 

Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Win %
129	86	22	21	66.67

Captain: Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger who plays for Manchester United in England's Barclay's Premier League.

Qualified: Winners of Group D
 

Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals For	Goals Against	Goal Diff	Points
6	3	1	11	4	7	21

Qualification Highest Scorer: Forward Thomas Müller who plays for Bayern Munich in Germany's Bundesliga scored 9 goals.

European Championship History: This is Germany's 12th appearance in the European Championships. They have won the tournament 3 times (1972, 1980, 1996).

European Championship 2012: Finished top of Group B with 3 victoies. Eliminated in the Semi-Finals by Italy 0-2.

Group B: Wales

                                                      Away Kit                     Home Kit

 Nickname: Y Dreigiau (The Dragons)

FIFA Ranking: 17th

Elo Ranking: 47th

Head Coach: Chris Coleman 
 

Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Win %
31	11	7	13	35.5

Captain: Center Back Ashley Williams who plays for Swansea City in England's Barclay's Premier League.

Qualified: Runners-Up in Group B

Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals For	Goals Against	Goal Diff	Points
6	3	1	11	4	7	21

Qualification Highest Scorer: Winger Gareth Bale who plays for Real Madrid in Spain's La Liga scored 7 goals.

European Championship History: This is Wales first time at a European Championship.

European Championship 2012: Failed to qualify.

Group B: Slovakia

                                               Home Kit                                           Away Kit

Nickname: Repre

FIFA Ranking: 26th

Elo Ranking: 35th

Head Coach: Ján Kozák
 

Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Win %
29	17	7	5	58.62

Captain: Center Back  Martin Škrtel who plays for Liverpool in England's Barclay's Premier League.

Qualified: Runners-Up in Group C

Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals For	Goals Against	Goal Diff	Points
7	1	2	17	8	9	22

Qualification Highest Scorer: Attacking Midfielder Marek Hamšík who plays for Napoli in Italy's Serie A scored 5 goals.

European Championship History: 2016 is Slovakia's first European Tournament as an Independent Nation. As part of Czechoslovakia, they finished 3rd in 1960 and 1980, and won the tournament in 1976.

European Championship 2012: Failed to qualify.

Group B: Russia

                                        Home Kit                                           Away Kit

Nickname: ?

FIFA Ranking: 23rd

Elo Ranking: 27th

Head Coach: Leonid Slutsky
 

Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Win %
8	6	0	2	75

Captain: Midfielder Roman Shirokov who plays for CSKA Moscow in the Russian Premier League.

Qualified: Runners-Up in Group G
 

Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals For	Goals Against	Goal Diff	Points
6	2	2	21	5	16	20

Qualification Highest Scorer: Striker Artyom Dzyuba of Zenit St. Peterburg in the Russian Premier League scored 8 goals.

European Championship History: This is Russia's 5th European Championship, 10th if you count their years as the U.S.S.R. In the modern era, Russia has reached the Semi-Finals one time, in 2008 where they lost 0-3 to Spain. As the U.S.S.R, they won the first ever European Championship in 1960, a tournament that was also hosted by France.

European Championship 2012: Russia failed to qualify for the knockout stages finishing 3rd in Group A behind Czech Republic, and Greece.

Group B: England

                                       Home Kit                                            Away Kit

Nickname: The Three Lions

FIFA Ranking: 9th

Elo Ranking: 9th

Head Coach: Roy Hodgson (World Cup 1994 w/Switzerland, Word Cup 2014 w/England) (Euro 1996 w/Switzerland, Euro 2012 w/England)

Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Win %
49	29	13	7	59.18

Captain: Forward Wayne Rooney who plays for Manchester United in England's Barclay's Premier League.

Qualified: Winners of Group E
 

Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals For	Goals Against	Goal Diff	Points
10	0	0	31	3	28	30

Qualification Highest Scorer: Captain Wayne Rooney with 7 goals.

European Championship History: This is their 9th appearance at a European Championship. They finished 3rd in 1966, and reached the Semi-Finals for a second time in 1996.

European Championship 2012: England finished top of Group D with 2 wins and a draw. They were eliminated in the Quarter-Finals by Italy losing on penalties 2-4.

Group A: Switzerland

                                             Home Kit                                     Away Kit

Nickname: Schweizer Nati (Swiss Nationals)
                 La Nati (The Nationals)
                Rossocrociati (Red Crusaders)

FIFA Ranking: 12th

Elo Ranking: 23rd

Head Coach:  Vladimir Petković
 

Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Win %
17	9	2	6	52.94

Captain: Central Midfielder Gökhan Inler who plays for Leicester City in England's Barclay's Premier League.

Qualified: Runners-Up in Group E
  

Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals For	Goals Against	Goal Diff	Points
7	0	3	24	8	16	21

Qualification Highest Scorer: Winger Xherdan Shaqiri of Stoke City in England's Barclay's Premier League scored 4 goals on the road to France.

European Championship History: Three previous tournaments finishing fourth in the group stage each time.

European Championship 2012: Failed to Qualify.

Group A: Romania

                                                      Away Kit                         Home Kit

Nickname: Tricolorii (The Tricolours)

FIFA Ranking: 16th

Elo Ranking: 28th

Head Coach: Anghel Iordănescu (World Cup 1994, 1998) (Euro Cup 1996)
From October 2014 to Present

Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Win %
11	5	6	0	45.45

Captain: Left Back Răzvan Raț  who plays for  Rayo Vallecano in Spain's La Liga.

Qualified: Runners-Up in Group F
 

Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals For	Goals Against	Goal Diff	Points
5	5	0	11	2	9	20

Qualification Highest Scorer: 3 players scored 2 goals apiece in Group F Qualifying matches.
Paul Papp, a right back and center back for Steaua București in Romania's Liga I.
Constantin Budescu, an attacking midfielder for Dalian Yifang in China's League One.
Bogdan Stancu, a striker for Gençlerbirliği in Turkey's Süper Lig.

European Championship History: Four previous tournaments finishing as Quarter-Finalists in 2000 losing 0-2 to Italy.

European Championship 2012: Failed to qualify.

Group A: France

                                        Home Kit                                     Away Kit

Nickname: Les Bleus (The Blues)
                 Les Tricolores (The Tri-colors)
                 La Sélection (The Selection)

FIFA Ranking: 24th

Elo Ranking: 6th

Head Coach: Didier Deschamps (World Cup 2014)
 

Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Win %
46	27	8	11	58.7

Captain: Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris who plays for Tottenham Hostpurs in England's Barclay's Premier League.

Qualified: Automatically as the Hosts of UEFA Euro 2016.

Centralized Friendlies Highest Scorer: 3 Players scored 3 goals each in France's friendly matches with Qualifying Group I as preparation for the Final Tournament. They are:
Karim Benzema, a striker for Real Madrid in Spain's La Liga.
Antoine Griezmann, a forward for Atletico Madrid in Spain's La Liga.
Olivier Giroud, a striker for Liverpool FC in England's Barclay's Premier League.

European Championship History: 8 Previous Tournaments finishing as Champions in 1984 and 2000.

European Championship 2012: Finished 2nd in Group D to England. Eliminated by Spain 0-2 in the Quarter-Finals. 

Group A: Albania

                                            Third Kit               Home Kit             Away Kit

Nickname: Kuq e Zinjtë  (The Red and Blacks)
                 Shqiponjat  (The Eagles)

FIFA Ranking: 35th

Elo Ranking: 59th
                                                      
Head Coach: Gianni De Biasi 

Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Win %
38	15	10	13	39.47

        
Captain: Defender Lorik Cana  who plays for FC Nantes in France's Ligue 1
                                                         
Qualified:  Runners-Up in Group I   
  

Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals For	Goals Against	Goal Diff	Points
4	2	2	10	5	5	14

Qualification Highest Goal Scorer: 6 different players each scored 1 goal apiece. A seventh goal was scored as an own goal. The final three goals were awarded in a 3-0 win against Serbia after the game had to be cancelled due to Serbia's fans.

European Championship History: 2016 is their debut. 

European Championship 2012: Failed to qualify.

And the Winner Is....!

The Third Place playoff match ended in 0 points for all our contestants. No one picked the United Arab Emirates to win or predicted the correct score.

As for the final, everyone but Praeceptor picked Australia to win. That was good for 5 points for those that did, but again, no one predicted the score.

Day 19's Bonus Bonanza asked what gift Scriptor received on his 30th birthday. Praeceptor guessed correctly earning 5 points. For being the one to give the gift to Scriptor, she also earned another 5 points.

Day 20's Bonus Bonanza was answered only by Artifex. So she gains the 3 points.

Day 21's Bonus Bonanza saw 4 points to Artifex for her boisterous answer. The other 1 point went to IoannexNix because her choice for Wrestler name and Wrestling finisher name were better.

Day 22's Bonus Bonanza saw 5 points go to Praeceptor. "I'm Too Sexy" is a song you would sing to serenade yourself, not someone else. "I'm A Thug" is sort of Scriptor's theme song, and surely the way to get his attention.

Obviously, Scriptor was awarded a point for his birthday.

Sadly, not a one of you took a gander at the 20 Bonus Bonanza points the final day provided. There were enough points there for anyone to win the tournament.

FINAL STANDINGS:

FIFTH PLACE: 26 POINTS  6 BONUS POINTS

FOURTH PLACE: 28 POINTS  20 BONUS POINTS

THIRD PLACE: 34 POINTS  10 BONUS POINTS

SECOND PLACE: 38 POINTS  16 BONUS POINTS

ASIAN CUP CHAMPION:  39 POINTS  9 BONUS POINTS

An exciting debut for Quaesitor. You played valiantly.

The Winner is the one for whom this tournament was held. It is the closest finish to any tournament we have ever seen.

We would also like to take the time to award the Golden Oracle to the player with the most bonus points. The top three finishers were:

3) IoannesNix 10
2) Artifex 16
1) Praeceptor 20

Congratulations Praeceptor, you are the Golden Oracle Winner.

Thank you Players for your participation. I hope that you have enjoyed the festivities. We look forward to seeing you all in the summer of 2016 for the European Championship.

The Grand Salmon Alapac