UEFA Euro 1996 Group B

Group B of UEFA Euro 1996 was one of four groups in the final tournament's initial group stage. It began on 9 June and was completed on 18 June. The group consisted of France, Spain, Bulgaria and Romania.^[1][2]

1996 Azerbaijani postage stamps depicting the first two Group B games: Spain versus Bulgaria on 9 June and Romania versus France on 10 June

France won the group and advanced to the quarter-finals, along with Spain. Bulgaria and Romania failed to advance.

On the second matchday, on 13 June, the match between Bulgaria and Romania featured a ghost goal by Dorinel Munteanu: in the first half, with Romania already 1–0 down to an early Hristo Stoichkov goal, Munteanu's shot hit the crossbar, crossed the goal line by about a foot, after which it bounced back. Referee Peter Mikkelsen and his assistants did not notice and the goal was not awarded.^[3]

Teams

Draw position	Team	Method of qualification	Date of qualification	Finals appearance	Last appearance	Previous best performance	FIFA Rankings May 1996
B1 (seed)	Spain	Group 2 winner	15 November 1995	5th	1988	Winners (1964)	6
B2	Bulgaria	Group 7 runner-up (2nd best runner-up)	15 November 1995	1st	—	Debut	28
B3	Romania	Group 1 winner	15 November 1995	2nd	1984	Group stage (1984)	16
B4	France	Group 1 runner-up (6th best runner-up)	15 November 1995	4th	1992	Winners (1984)	5

Standings

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	France	3	2	1	0	5	2	+3	7	Advance to knockout stage
2	Spain	3	1	2	0	4	3	+1	5
3	Bulgaria	3	1	1	1	3	4	−1	4
4	Romania	3	0	0	3	1	4	−3	0

Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

In the quarter-finals,

• The winner of Group B, France, advanced to play the runner-up of Group A, Netherlands.
• The runner-up of Group B, Spain, advanced to play the winner of Group A, England.

Matches

All times British Summer Time (UTC+1)

Spain vs Bulgaria

9 June 1996 (1996-06-09)

14:30

Spain	1–1	Bulgaria
Alfonso 74'	Report	Stoichkov 65' (pen.)

Elland Road, Leeds

Attendance: 24,006

Referee: Piero Ceccarini (Italy)

Spain

Bulgaria

GK 1 Andoni Zubizarreta (c) RB 3 Alberto Belsué CB 4 Rafael Alkorta CB 5 Abelardo  90' LB 12 Sergi  39' DM 6 Fernando Hierro RM 15 José Luis Caminero  27'  82' LM 18 Guillermo Amor  42'  70' AM 8 Julen Guerrero  51' AM 21 Luis Enrique CF 9 Juan Antonio Pizzi  75' Substitutions: FW 7 José Amavisca  51' FW 11 Alfonso  70' MF 10 Donato  82' Manager: Javier Clemente

GK 1 Borislav Mihaylov (c) SW 5 Petar Hubchev  72' RB 2 Radostin Kishishev  55' CB 3 Trifon Ivanov LB 4 Iliyan Kiryakov  72' DM 6 Zlatko Yankov  77' RM 7 Emil Kostadinov  73' LM 11 Yordan Letchkov AM 10 Krasimir Balakov CF 8 Hristo Stoichkov  29' CF 9 Lyuboslav Penev  78' Substitutions: DF 18 Tsanko Tsvetanov  72' MF 15 Ivaylo Yordanov  73' MF 16 Daniel Borimirov  78' Manager: Dimitar Penev

Man of the Match: Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)[4] Assistant referees: Enrico Preziosi (Italy) Fabrizio Zanforlin (Italy) Fourth official: Alfredo Trentalange (Italy)

Romania vs France

10 June 1996 (1996-06-10)

19:30

Romania	0–1	France
	Report	Dugarry 25'

St James' Park, Newcastle

Attendance: 26,323

Referee: Hellmut Krug (Germany)

Romania

France

GK 1 Bogdan Stelea SW 6 Gheorghe Popescu CB 4 Miodrag Belodedici CB 16 Gheorghe Mihali  49' RWB 2 Dan Petrescu  78' LWB 13 Tibor Selymes  71' CM 5 Ioan Lupescu CM 11 Dorinel Munteanu AM 10 Gheorghe Hagi (c) CF 7 Marius Lăcătuș  56' CF 9 Florin Răducioiu  46' Substitutions: FW 20 Viorel Moldovan  46' FW 19 Adrian Ilie  90'  56' DF 17 Iulian Filipescu  78' Manager: Anghel Iordănescu

GK 1 Bernard Lama RB 15 Lilian Thuram CB 8 Marcel Desailly CB 5 Laurent Blanc LB 3 Éric Di Meco  20'  68' CM 7 Didier Deschamps (c) CM 6 Vincent Guérin CM 19 Christian Karembeu AM 10 Zinedine Zidane  80' AM 9 Youri Djorkaeff CF 13 Christophe Dugarry  68' Substitutions: FW 11 Patrice Loko  68' DF 12 Bixente Lizarazu  68' DF 20 Alain Roche  80' Manager: Aimé Jacquet

Man of the Match: Youri Djorkaeff (France)[4] Assistant referees: Klaus Plettenberg (Germany) Egbert Engler (Germany) Fourth official: Hermann Albrecht (Germany)

Bulgaria vs Romania

13 June 1996 (1996-06-13)

16:30

Bulgaria	1–0	Romania
Stoichkov 3'	Report

St James' Park, Newcastle

Attendance: 19,107

Referee: Peter Mikkelsen (Denmark)

Bulgaria

Romania

GK 1 Borislav Mihaylov (c) CB 2 Radostin Kishishev  48' CB 3 Trifon Ivanov CB 18 Tsanko Tsvetanov DM 6 Zlatko Yankov CM 7 Emil Kostadinov  32' CM 11 Yordan Letchkov  90' RW 15 Ivaylo Yordanov LW 10 Krasimir Balakov CF 8 Hristo Stoichkov CF 9 Lyuboslav Penev  72' Substitutions: MF 16 Daniel Borimirov  64'  32' FW 14 Nasko Sirakov  72' MF 13 Boncho Genchev  90' Manager: Dimitar Penev

GK 1 Bogdan Stelea SW 6 Gheorghe Popescu  78' CB 3 Daniel Prodan CB 4 Miodrag Belodedici RWB 2 Dan Petrescu LWB 13 Tibor Selymes CM 5 Ioan Lupescu  46' CM 11 Dorinel Munteanu AM 10 Gheorghe Hagi (c) CF 7 Marius Lăcătuș  29' CF 9 Florin Răducioiu Substitutions: FW 20 Viorel Moldovan  29' MF 14 Constantin Gâlcă  46' FW 19 Adrian Ilie  78' Manager: Anghel Iordănescu

Man of the Match: Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)[4] Assistant referees: Jens Larsen (Denmark) Henning Knudsen (Denmark) Fourth official: Knud Erik Fisker (Denmark)

France vs Spain

See also: France–Spain football rivalry

15 June 1996 (1996-06-15)

18:00

France	1–1	Spain
Djorkaeff 48'	Report	Caminero 85'

Elland Road, Leeds

Attendance: 35,626

Referee: Vadim Zhuk (Belarus)

France

Spain

GK 1 Bernard Lama RB 2 Jocelyn Angloma  65' CB 8 Marcel Desailly CB 5 Laurent Blanc  43' LB 12 Bixente Lizarazu CM 7 Didier Deschamps (c) CM 6 Vincent Guérin  81' CM 19 Christian Karembeu  60' AM 10 Zinedine Zidane AM 9 Youri Djorkaeff  63' CF 11 Patrice Loko  74' Substitutions: DF 20 Alain Roche  65' FW 13 Christophe Dugarry  74' DF 15 Lilian Thuram  81' Manager: Aimé Jacquet

GK 1 Andoni Zubizarreta (c) CB 2 Juanma López CB 4 Rafael Alkorta CB 5 Abelardo RWB 16 Jorge Otero  56'  59' LWB 12 Sergi DM 6 Fernando Hierro CM 15 José Luis Caminero RW 21 Luis Enrique  12'  55' LW 7 José Amavisca  53' CF 11 Alfonso  83' Substitutions: FW 17 Javier Manjarín  55' FW 14 Kiko  59' FW 19 Julio Salinas  83' Manager: Javier Clemente

Man of the Match: José Luis Caminero (Spain)[4] Assistant referees: Yuri Dupanov (Belarus) Aleh Chykun (Belarus) Fourth official: Kazimir Znaydinsky (Belarus)

France vs Bulgaria

18 June 1996 (1996-06-18)

16:30

France	3–1	Bulgaria
Blanc 21' Penev 63' (o.g.) Loko 90'	Report	Stoichkov 69'

St James' Park, Newcastle

Attendance: 26,976

Referee: Dermot Gallagher (England)^{[note 1]}

France

Bulgaria

GK 1 Bernard Lama RB 15 Lilian Thuram CB 8 Marcel Desailly  3' CB 5 Laurent Blanc LB 12 Bixente Lizarazu CM 7 Didier Deschamps (c) CM 6 Vincent Guérin CM 19 Christian Karembeu AM 10 Zinedine Zidane  62' AM 9 Youri Djorkaeff CF 13 Christophe Dugarry  36'  70' Substitutions: MF 18 Reynald Pedros  62' FW 11 Patrice Loko  70' Manager: Aimé Jacquet

GK 1 Borislav Mihaylov (c) SW 5 Petar Hubchev RB 17 Emil Kremenliev  14' CB 3 Trifon Ivanov  8' LB 18 Tsanko Tsvetanov DM 6 Zlatko Yankov  79' RM 15 Ivaylo Yordanov LM 11 Yordan Letchkov AM 10 Krasimir Balakov  82' CF 8 Hristo Stoichkov CF 9 Lyuboslav Penev Substitutions: MF 16 Daniel Borimirov  79' FW 20 Georgi Donkov  82' Manager: Dimitar Penev

Man of the Match: Laurent Blanc (France)[4] Assistant referees: Phil Joslin (England) Mark Warren (England) Fourth official: Paul Durkin (England)[note 1]

Romania vs Spain

18 June 1996 (1996-06-18)

16:30

Romania	1–2	Spain
Răducioiu 29'	Report	Manjarín 11' Amor 84'

Elland Road, Leeds

Attendance: 32,719

Referee: Ahmet Çakar (Turkey)

Romania

Spain

GK 12 Florian Prunea SW 6 Gheorghe Popescu CB 15 Anton Doboș CB 3 Daniel Prodan  86' RWB 2 Dan Petrescu LWB 13 Tibor Selymes CM 18 Ovidiu Stîngă CM 14 Constantin Gâlcă  77' AM 10 Gheorghe Hagi (c)  21' CF 19 Adrian Ilie  47'  66' CF 9 Florin Răducioiu  77' Substitutions: MF 11 Dorinel Munteanu  66' FW 21 Ion Vlădoiu  77' MF 5 Ioan Lupescu  86' Manager: Anghel Iordănescu

GK 1 Andoni Zubizarreta (c) RB 2 Juanma López CB 4 Rafael Alkorta CB 5 Abelardo  64' LB 12 Sergi CM 20 Miguel Ángel Nadal  59' CM 6 Fernando Hierro RW 17 Javier Manjarín LW 7 José Amavisca  72' CF 14 Kiko  36' CF 9 Juan Antonio Pizzi  57' Substitutions: FW 11 Alfonso  57' MF 18 Guillermo Amor  64' FW 8 Julen Guerrero  72' Manager: Javier Clemente

Man of the Match: Sergi (Spain)[4] Assistant referees: Akif Uğurdur (Turkey) Turgay Güdü (Turkey) Fourth official: Oğuz Sarvan (Turkey)

See also

• Bulgaria at the UEFA European Championship
• France at the UEFA European Championship
• Romania at the UEFA European Championship
• Spain at the UEFA European Championship

Notes

1. Gallagher suffered an injury in the 28th minute and was replaced by fourth official Paul Durkin (England).