The International break is now in full swing with qualification for the 2020 European Championships heading towards the business end, with the tournament next summer likely to be a cracker. Qualifying doesn’t always go to plan though for some of the major nations with plenty of banana skins possible at this stage.
Some shocks are bigger than others though and we have picked out some of the most famous upsets in recent Euro qualifying history…
November 2014 – Greece 0-1 Faroe Islands
There is only one place to start and that is in Greece…
Claudio Ranieri has resurrected his career in stunning circumstances after one of the biggest shocks in football history which saw his Greece side lose to the Faroe Islands at home.The Greeks were expected to sweep aside one of the worst teams in the world but they were unable to respond to a goal from Joan Simun Edmundsson in a result that went down in infamy.
A result that still hasn’t been forgotten and one that almost ruined the career of the Italian gaffer…almost.
September 2010 – France 0-1 Belarus
A result that many may have forgotten as France lost at home to a very poor Belarus team in one of the darkest periods in recent memory for Les Bleu.
The French were missing one or two players through suspension when the started qualifying for Euro 2012 but were still packed with big names and were expected to win comfortably, especially at home. The eastern European team hadn’t read the script though with Syarheh Kislyak popping up with the winning goal.
Sacre bleu!
September 2006 – Northern Ireland 3-2 Spain
We rewind the clock back to September 2006 for our next shock with Northern Ireland causing a huge upset in the build up to Euro 2008.
The Spanish would go on to win that Euros but that wasn’t before they given a bloody nose by a David Healy inspired Northern Ireland at Windsor Park. Healy scored a memorable hat-trick against a Spain team that included Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Xavi, Fernando Torres and Raul.
Healy was a talisman for his country and this was perhaps his greatest night in the famous green shirt. This Spanish team were on the path to becoming one of the greatest international teams of all time but not before they slipped up in Belfast, what a night!