March 28, 2024

Euro 1996 Football Championship – Irish Qualifiers

In qualifier Group 6 for the 1996 European Football Championship the Republic of Ireland were drawn with Portugal, Northern Ireland, Austria, Latvia, and Liechtenstein, with only one team to qualify automatically. Second placed teams would also qualify except the two worst runners-up who would meet each other in a play off match. The 1996 qualifying campaign saw the introduction of three points for a win for the first time in Euro qualifiers.

Great Start to the 1996 Irish European Championships Qualifiers

As with the Euro 92 qualifiers Ireland got off to a promising start by beating Latvia 0-3 in Riga. Group 6 favourites Portugal also got off to a good start by beating Northern Ireland 1-2 in Belfast. Ireland followed this first victory up with two four-nil wins at Lansdowne Road (now Aviva Stadium) over Liechtenstein and in Windsor Park, Belfast, over near neighbours Northern Ireland. After three soccer matches Ireland had a maximum nine points had scored eleven goals and conceded none.

Liechtenstein Cause Upset

The first disappointing qualifier result of the Irish Euro 96 campaign came at the end of March 1995 when the Republic stumbled to a 1-1 draw in Dublin against Northern Ireland. This was recovered in the next match when Ireland inflicted a 1-0 defeat on Portugal at Lansdowne Road. This was the first, and as it turned out, the only defeat that the Portuguese suffered in Group 6. Unfortunately this excellent result was completely undone by a hugely frustrating 0-0 draw away to soccer minnows Liechtenstein. To put this result in to context; Liechtenstein conceded 40 goals in their ten matches in the group; Portugal scored seven goals without reply in Liechtenstein; and the only point that Liechtenstein gained was from the draw with Ireland.

Ireland’s Euro 96 Automatic Qualification Derailed

This was followed up by three defeats out of the four remaining football matches in the group. A home win over Latvia was sandwiched between two 3-1 defeats at the hands of Austria and 3-0 loss away to Portugal. After a very promising start to Euro 96 Group 6 the Irish performances on the pitch tailed off really badly from June 1995. Ireland finished level with Northern Ireland on 17 points at the completion of the group but ahead in the table based upon the results achieved against the team from the North.

Euro 96 Play Off Match Against the Netherlands

By finishing in second place in Group 6 Ireland qualified for a play off match against the Netherlands who were second in Group 5. At Anfield in Liverpool in front of 40,000 fans, evenly split between Irish and Dutch, the Netherlands soundly beat Ireland with two goals from Patrick Kluivert. In an emotionally charged evening the Irish fans bid farewell Jack Charlton, Ireland’s football manager, who had reached the end of his adventure with the Irish football team.

Euro 96 Qualifiers – Group Table

1996 European Football Championship – Qualifying Group 6
Nation
Played
Won
Drew
Lost
Goals F
Goals A
Points
Portugal
10
7
2
1
29
7
23
Ireland
10
5
2
3
17
11
17
Northern Ireland
10
5
2
3
20
15
17
Austria
10
5
1
4
29
14
16
Latvia
10
4
0
6
11
20
12
Liechtenstein
10
0
1
9
1
40
1

Republic of Ireland Euro 1996 Qualifiers – Match Results

20/09/94: Windsor Park, Belfast: Northern Ireland 4 – 1 Liechtenstein

07/09/94: Riga: Latvia 0 – 3 Ireland
John Aldridge 16, 75 Pen, John Sheridan 29
07/09/94: 1994, Liechtenstein 0 – 4 Austria
07/09/94: Windsor Park, Belfast: Northern Ireland 1 – 2 Portugal

09/10/94: Riga: Latvia 1 – 3 Portugal

12/10/94: Austria 1 – 2 Northern Ireland
12/10/94: Lansdowne Road, Dublin: Ireland 4 – 0 Liechtenstein
Tommy Coyne 2, 4, Niall Quinn 30, 82

13.11/94: Portugal 1 – 0 Austria

15/11/94: Liechtenstein 0 – 1 Latvia

16/11/94: Windsor Park, Belfast: Northern Ireland 0 – 4 Ireland
John Aldridge 6, Roy Keane 11, John Sheridan 38, Andy Townsend 54

18/12/94: Portugal 8 – 0 Liechtenstein

29/03/95: Lansdowne Road, Dublin: Ireland 1 – 1 Northern Ireland

29/03/95: Austria 5 – 0 Latvia

26/04/95: Riga: Latvia 0 – 1 Northern Ireland
26/04/95: Austria 7 – 0 Liechtenstein
26/04/95: Lansdowne Road, Dublin: Ireland 1 – 0 Portugal
Baia 44 og

03/06/95: Portugal 3 – 2 Latvia
03/06/95: Liechtenstein 0 – 0 Ireland

07/06/95: Windsor Park, Belfast: Northern Ireland 1 – 2 Latvia

11/06/95: Lansdowne Road, Dublin: Ireland 1 – 3 Austria
Ray Houghton 65 / Polster 69, 78, Ogris 72

15/08/95: Liechtenstein 0 – 7 Portugal

16/08/95: Riga: Latvia 3 – 2 Austria

03/09/95: Portugal 1 – 1 Northern Ireland

06/09/95: Austria 3 – 1 Ireland
Stöger 3, 64, 77 / Paul McGrath 74

06/09/95: Riga: Latvia 1 – 0 Liechtenstein

11/10/95: Austria 1 – 1 Portugal
11/10/95: Lansdowne Road, Dublin: Ireland 2 – 1 Latvia
John Aldridge 61 Pen, 64 / Rimkus 78

11/10/95: Liechtenstein 0 – 4 Northern Ireland

15/11/95: Portugal 3 – 0 Ireland
Rui Costa 60, Postiga 74, Cadete 89

15/11/95: Windsor Park, Belfast: Northern Ireland 5 – 3 Austria

Euro 96 Qualifier Play Off Match
13/12/1995: Anfield, Liverpool, England: Netherlands 2-0 Ireland

Irish World Cup Qualifying Group Results

World Cup 1950 Qualification
World Cup 1954 Qualification
World Cup 1958 Qualification
1962 World Cup Qualifying
1966 World Cup Qualifying
1970 World Cup Qualifying
1974 World Cup Qualifiers
1978 World Cup Qualifiers
1982 World Cup Qualifiers
1986 World Cup Qualification
1990 World Cup Qualification
1994 World Cup Qualification
1998 World Cup Qualifiers
2002 World Cup Qualifiers
2006 World Cup Qualifiers
World Cup 2010 Qualification
World Cup 2014 Qualifiers
World Cup 2018

Number of Appearances and Goals Scored in Irish World Cup Qualifying Campaigns

World Cup 1938 Appearances
World Cup 1950 Appearances
World Cup 1954 Appearances
1958 World Cup Appearances
1962 World Cup Appearances
1966 World Cup Appearances
1970 World Cup Appearances
1974 World Cup Appearances
1978 World Cup Appearances
1982 World Cup Appearances
1986 World Cup Appearances
1990 World Cup Appearances
1994 World Cup Appearances
1998 World Cup Appearances
2002 World Cup Appearances
World Cup 2006 Appearances
World Cup 2010 Appearances
World Cup 2014 Appearances

Irish European Championship Qualifying Group Results

Irish European Championship Qualifying Group Results

European Nations Cup 1960
European Nations Cup 1964
European Nations Cup 1968
European Championship 1972
Euro Championship 1976
Euro Championship 1980
European Championship 1984
Euro 1988
Euro 1992
Euro 1996 Qualifiers
Euro 2000 Qualifiers
2004 Euro Qualifiers
Euro 2008 Qualifiers
Euro 2012 Qualifiers
Irish Euro 2012 Play Offs
Euro 2016 Qualifiers
Euro 2020 Qualifiers
Euro 2024 Qualifiers

Number of Appearances and Goals Scored in Irish Euro Championship Finals Qualifying Campaigns

Euro 1960 Appearances
Euro 1964 Appearances
World Cup 1968 Appearances
Euro 1972 Appearances
Euro 1976 Appearances
Euro 1980 Appearances
Euro 1984 Appearances
Euro 1988 Appearances
Euro 1992 Appearances
Euro 1996 Appearances
Euro 2000 Appearances
Euro 2004 Appearances
Euro 2008 Appearances
Euro 2012 Appearances
Euro 2016 Appearances
Ireland Euro 88
Irish Squad Euro 88
Ireland v England Euro 88
Ireland v Soviet Union Euro 88
Ireland v Holland Euro 88
Ireland & 1990 World Cup Finals
Irish Squad World Cup 1990
Ireland V England 1990
Ireland V Egypt 1990
Ireland V Holland 1990
Ireland V Romania 1990
Ireland V Italy 1990
Ireland & 2002 World Cup Finals
2002 World Cup Irish Squad
2002 World Cup Irish Group Matches
Ireland V Cameroon 2002
Ireland V Germany 2002
Ireland V Saudi Arabia 2002
Ireland V Spain 2002
Ireland & 1994 World Cup Finals
Irish Squad World Cup 1994
Ireland V Italy 1994
Ireland V Mexico 1994
Ireland V Norway 1994
Ireland V Netherlands 1994
Ireland Euro 2012
Euro 2012 Fixture List
Ireland Euro 2012 Squad
Euro 2012 Warm-up Matches
Ireland V Croatia 2012
Ireland V Spain 2012
Ireland V Italy 2012
Fields of Athenry at Euro 2012
Ireland’s Play Off Matches
Ireland Spain Play Off
Ireland Holland Play Off
Ireland Belgium Play Off
Ireland Turkey Play Off
Ireland Iran Play Off
Ireland France Play Off
Ireland Estonia Play Off
All Irish Football Results
Ireland Austria Football Results
Ireland Croatia Football Results
Ireland England Football Results
Ireland England Football Results
Ireland Faroe Islands Football Results
Ireland Germany Football Results
Ireland Italy Football Results
Ireland Kazakhstan Football Results
Ireland Spain Football Results
Ireland Sweden Football Results

Irish International Match Results 1924 – 1939
Ireland Soccer Results 1940 – 1959
Republic of Ireland Results 1960 – 1969
Irish International Soccer Results 1970 – 1979
Republic of Ireland Soccer Results 1980 – 1984
Irish International Soccer Results 1985 – 1989
Irish Soccer Team Results 1990 – 1994
Republic of Ireland Football Results 1995 – 1999
Irish International Football Results 2000 – 2004
Republic of Ireland Soccer Results 2005 – 2009
Republic of Ireland Football Fixtures & Results 2010
Republic of Ireland Fixtures & Results 2011
Republic of Ireland Fixtures & Results 2012
Republic of Ireland Fixtures & Results 2013

Irish International Soccer Results Index Page

Irish Soccer Information
Irish Football Club Directory Irish Soccer Leagues Women’s Soccer in Ireland
Dublin Football Clubs Football Association of Ireland Irish Soccer Players
Dublin Football Clubs by Area Irish Football Club Websites Futsal in Ireland
Irish Soccer Managers Irish Soccer Results
Irish Football History Football Pundits
Irish Soccer Referees Republic of Ireland Managers
League of Ireland Irish Football Statistics