Featured Image Credit: Getty / BBC Sport
Topics: Gary Lineker, UEFA, Euro 2024, Football
Ryan Smart
Gary Lineker says that he suspects UEFA will take action after calling out what he believes to be a 'flawed system' at Euro 2024.
The group stages of the competition concluded on Wednesday, with the last 16 fixtures now confirmed.
England will take on Slovakia, who finished in third place in Group E, in the knockouts, with that fixture taking place in Gelsenkirchen.
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Their opponents were only confirmed following the end of Wednesday's fixtures, due to the complex nature of UEFA's mathematical process to work out who the third-placed teams will take on.
Slovakia scraped through at the expense of Ukraine, who also finished on four points but had a worse goal difference. They drew 0-0 with Belgium, who finished in second, on the final matchday.
Ukraine had five shots on target during the 90 minutes but could not find a way past Koen Casteels in the Belgium goal.
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Sergei Rebrov's side had the ignominy of recording the most points in the Euro 2024 group stage without qualifying for the knockouts.
To make matters worse, had there been any result in the Slovakia versus Romania game other than their eventual draw, Ukraine would have made it through.
They had a superior record to one of the four third-placed teams - Slovenia - who made it through to the knockouts via that particular criteria.
And Lineker believes that, following Ukraine's misfortune, UEFA should examine their current format for qualification to the last 16.
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Speaking on BBC Sport, Lineker said: "Well, Belgium have got themselves through, but you feel for Ukraine.
"They did everything towards the end there, probably the better side overall, but it's heartbreak for them. The first team not to make it through with four points.
"I do think this system is flawed at the moment. They need to look at it, I suspect, at some point."
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