European Women's Football Championship 2009

European Women's Football Championship 2009
UEFA Women's Euro
Number of nations	12  (of 46 applicants)
European champion	Germany (7th title)
venue	Finland
Opening game	August 23, 2009
Endgame	September 10, 2009
Games	25th
Gates	75  (⌀: 3 per game)
spectator	129,905  (⌀: 5,196 per game)
Top scorer	Inka Grings (6 goals)
yellow cards	34  (⌀: 1.36 per game)
Yellow-red cards	0
Red cards	1  (⌀: 0.04 per game)

The European Football Championship Women 2009 ( English UEFA Women's Euro ) was the tenth playout of the European continental championship in women's football and took place from 23 August to 10 September for the first time in Finland instead. For the first time, twelve teams took part in the final.

Defending champion Germany won the final against England 6-2 and became European champions for the seventh time after 1989 , 1991 , 1995 , 1997 , 2001 and 2005 and for the fifth time in a row. As in 2005, the top scorer was the German striker Inka Grings .

Award

At the end of the application period on February 22, 2006, the associations of Finland and the Netherlands had applied to host the 2009 European Championship. According to UEFA General Secretary Lars-Christer Olsson, both candidates made “excellent applications, which only differed in details”. On July 11, 2006, UEFA awarded the 2009 European Championship to Finland at its congress in Berlin . According to Olsson, the Executive Committee was of the opinion that UEFA's tournaments should take place in as many countries as possible. The Netherlands hosted the U-21 European Championships for men in 2007 and set up together with Belgium , the European Championship Men 2000 from. Finland hosted the U-19 European Women's Championship in 2004 and hosted the U-17 Junior World Championship in 2003 .

qualification

→ Main article : 2009 European Women's Football Championship / Qualification

The participating nations according to placement

The draw for the European Championship finals was held on November 18, 2008 at 2 pm local time in the Finlandia Hall in Helsinki. For the draw, the twelve qualified teams were divided into three pots. The first pot included hosts Finland, defending champions Germany and Sweden as the best team in the qualification. The remaining group winners of the qualification were assigned to the second pot. The winners of the third qualifying round went into the third pot. Thus the three pots contained the following teams:

• Pot 1: Finland (hosts), Germany (defending champions), Sweden (best team in qualification)
• Pot 2: Denmark, England, France, Norway
• Pot 3: Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Ukraine

The draw resulted in the following groups:

Group A	Group B	Group C
Finland	Germany	Sweden
Ukraine	Iceland	England
Denmark	Norway	Russia
Netherlands	France	Italy

Venues

The European Championship finals were played in five stadiums in four different cities in Finland.

Tampere	Helsinki Lahti Tampere Turku Venues 2009 in Finland	Lahti
Tampere Stadium		Lahti stadium
Capacity: 17,000		Capacity: 14,500
4 preliminary round games 1 quarter-finals 1 semi-finals		3 preliminary round games 1 quarter-finals
Turku	Helsinki	Helsinki
Turku Stadium	Helsinki Olympic Stadium	Helsinki football stadium
Capacity: 9,000	Capacity: 40,000	Capacity: 11,000
4 preliminary round games 1 quarter-finals	4 preliminary round finals	3 preliminary round games 1 quarter-finals 1 semi-finals

• With 17,000 seats, the Ratina Stadium in Tampere is the second largest stadium in the European Championship. The arena was built in 1965 and last renovated in 2004. The stadium is the home of Tampere United and the northernmost venue of the tournament. Four preliminary round matches and a quarter-finals were played here. During the tournament, the arena was called Tampere Stadium .
• The Lahti stadium in Lahti is the third largest stadium of the European Championship with 14,465 seats. The home ground of FC Lahti was built in 1981 and last renovated in 2003. The stadium is right next to the Salpausselkä ski jump . During the European Championship, the arena was named Lahti Stadium and converted into a stadium with seats for 8,000 spectators. Three preliminary round matches and a quarter-finals were played in this stadium.
• The smallest stadium in the tournament is the Veritas Stadium in Turku . The home ground of the clubs Turku PS and Inter Turku can accommodate 9,000 visitors. The arena was built in 1952 and was last renovated in 2003. Four preliminary round matches and a quarter-finals were played in Turku. During the tournament, the arena was called Turku Stadium .
• The Helsinki Olympic Stadium is the largest stadium in the country with 40,000 seats. It was previously the venue for the 1952 Summer Olympics and the World Athletics Championships in 1983 and 2005 . The stadium is currently mainly used as a venue for the Finnish men's national team . Four preliminary round games, including all three host games and the final, will take place in the Olympic Stadium.
• The second venue in Helsinki was the Finnair Stadium . Opened in 2000, the arena can seat 10,770 spectators and is the home of HJK Helsinki . In 2003 the final of the U-17 soccer world championship was held here. As the stadium bears the name of a sponsor, it was referred to as the Helsinki Football Stadium during the tournament . In the arena three preliminary round matches, a quarter-finals and a semi-finals were played. During the tournament, the existing artificial turf was replaced with natural turf .

mode

In the final round, the twelve participants formed three preliminary round groups with four teams each, of which the first two and the two best thirds qualified for the quarter-finals. In the group stage, each team played against every other team in their group according to the championship mode .

If several teams have equal points in the group matches, the results from the direct encounters will decide the placement. First the total points, then the goal difference and then the number of goals scored were compared. If this did not result in a placement, the goal difference and the number of goals scored from all group matches were used. If after that still no decision has been made, the fair play behavior of the teams decided. If two or more teams were tied here too, the lot decided. This regulation ensured that Finland and Germany were already group winners after two games and that Finland could afford a defeat in the third game against the Ukrainians who had already been eliminated.

A special case would have arisen if two teams faced each other on the last matchday of the group stage who played a draw after the end of regular time and had the same number of points, the same goal difference and the same number of goals scored. If there hadn't been another team that could score as many points, the decision about placement in the group would have been made on penalties . But this situation did not arise.

From the quarter-finals, the tournament continued through semi-finals and finals in the knockout system , with the winner of a game qualifying for the next round. If the game ended in a draw after the end of normal playing time, there was an extension of 15 minutes twice. If no decision was made after extra time, the winner of the match was determined on penalties . In contrast to the world championships , there has been no match for third place at the European championships since 1993.

Preliminary round

Group A

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points
1.	Finland	3	2	0	1	003: 200	+1	06th
2.	Netherlands	3	2	0	1	005: 300	+2	06th
3.	Denmark	3	1	0	2	003: 400	−1	03
4th	Ukraine	3	1	0	2	002: 400	−2	03

Sunday 23 August 2009, 2:45 p.m. * in Turku
Ukraine	-	Netherlands	0: 2 (0: 2)
Sunday, August 23, 2009, 7:30 p.m. * in Helsinki (Olympic Stadium)
Finland	-	Denmark	1: 0 (0: 0)
Wednesday, August 26th 2009, 5:30 p.m. * in Helsinki (football stadium)
Ukraine	-	Denmark	1: 2 (0: 0)
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009, 8:00 p.m. * in Helsinki (Olympic Stadium)
Netherlands	-	Finland	1: 2 (1: 1)
Saturday, August 29, 2009, 5:30 p.m. * in Helsinki (Olympic Stadium)
Finland	-	Ukraine	0: 1 (0: 0)
Saturday, August 29, 2009, 5:30 p.m. * in Lahti
Denmark	-	Netherlands	1: 2 (0: 0)

* Local time ( CEST + 1 )

Finland won the group early after two narrow victories over Denmark and the Netherlands. The match winner in the game against the Netherlands was Laura Österberg Kalmari , who scored both Finnish goals with a header. In the last group game, the selection of the host country was able to afford one defeat against the already eliminated team from Ukraine.

Third place went to the Danish team , which fell short of expectations. An unfortunate loss to Finland was followed by a happy win against Ukraine by a late goal from Maiken With Pape . In the final duel against the Netherlands for second place, the Danish selection failed due to the Dutch defense around goalkeeper Loes Geurts .

Only the last place remained for the group's second newcomer from the Ukraine . After a 2-0 defeat against the Netherlands and the unfortunate 1-2 against Denmark, the team was eliminated after the second game. The final victory over the hosts, however, made for a conciliatory end.

Group B

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points
1.	Germany	3	3	0	0	010: 100	+9	09
2.	France	3	1	1	1	005: 700	−2	04th
3.	Norway	3	1	1	1	002: 500	−3	04th
4th	Iceland	3	0	0	3	001: 500	−4	00

Monday, August 24, 2009, 5:00 p.m. * in Tampere
Germany	-	Norway	4: 0 (1: 0)
Monday, August 24th, 2009, 8:00 p.m. * in Tampere
Iceland	-	France	1: 3 (1: 1)
Thursday, August 27, 2009, 5:30 p.m. * in Tampere
France	-	Germany	1: 5 (0: 3)
Thursday, August 27, 2009, 8:00 p.m. * in Lahti
Iceland	-	Norway	0: 1 (0: 1)
Sunday, August 30, 2009, 4:00 p.m. * in Tampere
Germany	-	Iceland	1: 0 (0: 0)
Sunday, August 30, 2009, 4:00 p.m. * in Helsinki (football stadium)
Norway	-	France	1: 1 (1: 1)

* Local time ( CEST + 1 )

Germany in the game against Norway

With three wins from three games, defending champion Germany was able to achieve first place in the heavily occupied Group B. The German team found it difficult to exploit chances, especially in the first game. Three of the four goals came in the 90th minute and added time. After the clear 5: 1 over France, the group victory was already certain. In the last game against Iceland, the national coach Silvia Neid spared numerous regular employees. With Inka Grings' second tournament goal , the German team won 1-0 against Iceland.

France finished second in Group B. With two penalty goals, the Équipe tricolore was able to turn the opening game against Iceland after falling behind. After a clear defeat against Germany, the third matchday against Norway was about second place in the group. The Norwegian leadership was able to equalize Camille Abily . Thus, France survived the preliminary round at a European Championship for the first time.

On the other hand, the Norwegian team disappointed . In the opening game, the team suffered a clear 4-0 defeat against Germany. This was followed by a happy 1-0 win against Iceland thanks to a goal from 18-year-old Cecilie Pedersen . Finally, the Norwegian team separated from France 1: 1. With four points, Norway qualified as one of two thirds in the group for the quarter-finals.

At its EM premiere, Iceland only finished fourth in Group B. In all three games, the Northerners showed that they could keep up with the opposing teams, but had to accept narrow defeats in each case.

Group C

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points
1.	Sweden	3	2	1	0	006: 100	+5	07th
2.	Italy	3	2	0	1	004: 300	+1	06th
3.	England	3	1	1	1	005: 500	± 0	04th
4th	Russia	3	0	0	3	002: 800	−6	00

Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 5:30 p.m. * in Lahti
England	-	Italy	1: 2 (1: 0)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 8:00 p.m. * in Turku
Sweden	-	Russia	3: 0 (2: 0)
Friday, August 28, 2009, 5:30 p.m. * in Turku
Italy	-	Sweden	0: 2 (0: 2)
Friday, August 28, 2009, 8:00 p.m. * in Helsinki (football stadium)
England	-	Russia	3: 2 (3: 2)
Monday, August 31, 2009, 7:00 p.m. * in Helsinki (Olympic Stadium)
Russia	-	Italy	0: 2 (0: 0)
Monday, August 31, 2009, 7:00 p.m. * in Turku
Sweden	-	England	1: 1 (1: 1)

* Local time ( CEST + 1 )

Sweden won the group unbeaten . After convincing victories against Russia and Italy, the "three-crown team" was certain of the group winners ahead of time. Only in the last game, which was insignificant for Sweden, there was no victory for the co-favorites. The last matchday was all the more important for the other teams, all of whom were still eliminated or made progress.

Somewhat surprisingly, Italy finished second in Group C. In the opening game, the Azurra managed to turn a deficit against England before coach Pietro Ghedin's team looked slightly overwhelmed against Sweden after conceding two quick goals. With a 2-0 win over Russia, Italy survived the preliminary round for the first time since 1997 .

England was able to survive the preliminary round for the first time. In the opening game, the English gave up a 1-0 lead against Italy that had been outnumbered. England were already 2-0 down against Russia and were practically eliminated. The team managed to equalize before Kelly Smith was able to score the winning goal with a shot from the center circle. The final 1-1 draw against Sweden was enough for the British to advance.

Russia was bottom of the group . Despite losing to Sweden and England in their first two games, the Russians still had a chance of finishing second in the group. In the last game against Italy, coach Igor Shalimov's team missed numerous chances before Italy caused the Russian side to be eliminated with two late goals.

Ranking of third party groups

Pl.	country	Sp.	S.	U	N	Gates	Diff.	Points	group
1.	England	3	1	1	1	005: 500	± 0	04th	C.
2.	Norway	3	1	1	1	002: 500	−3	04th	B.
3.	Denmark	3	1	0	2	003: 400	−1	03	A.

Final round

	Quarter finals				Semifinals				final
	Finland	2
	England	3
					England	22 2
					Netherlands	1
	Netherlands	10 ( 5 ) 1
	France	0 (4)
									England	2
									Germany	6th
	Germany	2
	Italy	1
					Germany	3
					Norway	1
	Sweden	1
	Norway	3

¹ win on penalties,
² win after extra time

Quarter finals

Thursday, September 3, 2009, 4:00 p.m. * in Turku
Finland	-	England	2: 3 (0: 1)
Thursday, September 3, 2009, 8:00 p.m. * in Tampere
Netherlands	-	France	0: 0 a.d., 5: 4 in E.
Friday, September 4, 2009, 4:00 p.m. * in Lahti
Germany	-	Italy	2: 1 (1: 0)
Friday, September 4, 2009, 8:00 p.m. * in Helsinki (football stadium)
Sweden	-	Norway	1: 3 (0: 2)

With a narrow victory, England was able to reach a semi-finals at a European Championship for the first time since 1995 . Eniola Aluko put her team in the lead after 14 minutes. Finland pushed for equalizer after half-time but fell 2-0 after 49 minutes with a goal from Fara Williams . The first goal of Annica Sjölund (66 minutes) answered Aluko with her second gate to 3: 1 lead in the direct return. Linda Sällström made it again in the 79th minute.

Euro newcomer Netherlands surprisingly prevailed against favorites France. No goals were scored either in regular time or in extra time. The subsequent penalty shoot-out was strange. The first four shooters on both sides were able to convert their attempts successfully before three French women and two Dutch women failed. Anouk Hoogendijk then converted her penalty and made the decision.

Thanks to two goals from Inka Grings, Germany made it into the semifinals. After just four minutes, Grings brought the DFB selection into the lead. Germany determined the game, but, as in the preliminary round, could not use the numerous goal chances. The second hit was not made until after 47 minutes. The Italians came up again with a goal from Patrizia Panico in the 63rd minute. While the German team was pushing for the third goal, goalkeeper Nadine Angerer was able to prevent the possible equalization with a parade in stoppage time.

The second surprise of the quarter-finals came from the Norwegian selection by defeating Sweden. An own goal by Stina Segerström in the 39th minute put Norway in front, before Anneli Giske increased to 2-0 just before half-time whistle. After an hour, Cecilie Pedersen , who had just been substituted, made it 3-0. Sweden came through Victoria Sandell Svensson , for whom it was the last game in the national team, in the 80th minute only to the consolation goal .

Semifinals

Sunday, September 6, 2009, 7:00 p.m. * in Tampere
England	-	Netherlands	2: 1 a.d. (1: 1, 0: 0)
Monday, September 7th, 2009, 7:00 p.m. * in Helsinki (football stadium)
Germany	-	Norway	3: 1 (0: 1)

England moved into a European Championship final for the first time since 1984 with a 2-1 win after extra time . For a long time, however, the English women struggled to find a suitable remedy against the defensive Dutch team. On 61 minutes, Kelly Smith gave England the lead. Just three minutes later, Marlous Pieëte scored the equalizer. England increased the pressure in extra time and had numerous good scoring opportunities. The winning goal came in the 116th minute. After a Karen Carney corner , Jill Scott headed on target. The ball slipped through the hands of the otherwise secure goalie Loes Geurts into the goal net.

After England, Germany made it into the final for the fifth time in a row. Norway got off to a better start. Isabell Herlovsen took advantage of a carelessness of the German back team after ten minutes and headed the 1-0 lead. In the following years, the Norwegians made the game, but could not convert the field advantage into goals. The second half was determined by the German team, which increased the pressure and created numerous opportunities. After 59 minutes, Simone Laudehr equalized after a cross from Melanie Behringer . Two minutes later, Célia Okoyino da Mbabi gave Germany the lead with a header from Simone Laudehr. Fatmire Bajramaj got the final score in stoppage time. Substitute players scored all three goals of the German team.

final

Ceremony before the final

Thursday, September 10, 2009, 7:00 p.m. * in Helsinki (Olympic Stadium)
England	-	Germany	2: 6 (1: 2)

* Local time ( CEST + 1 )

In front of 15,877 spectators, both teams offered an offensive and, especially in the first half, an even game with scoring chances on both sides. Germany took a 2-0 lead in the 20th minute through Birgit Prinz and in the 22nd minute through Melanie Behringer . England scored a goal through Karen Carney in the 24th minute and the team even had the opportunity to equalize in the first half. In the 50th minute Kim Kulig increased for Germany to 3-1, just five minutes later Kelly Smith managed to reconnect. In the course of the second half, England lost their strength a little. Germany had more chances to score and increased through goals from Inka Grings (62nd, 73rd) and again Birgit Prinz (76th) to 6: 2. This is the highest European Championship final victory in history.

European Champion Germany

Press comments on the final “A galactic show, an unforgettable evening in Helsinki.” Express, Germany “The title hamsters have struck again.” Focus, Germany "Golden Germany destroys England's hopes for the European title." The Guardian, Great Britain "Despite the painful ending, it was without a doubt a successful tournament for England." BBC, Great Britain "Germany achieved the rare success of their fifth title in a row by easily knocking England 6-2 away in the final." L'Équipe, France “German women outclass England in the European Championship final - Germany easily demonstrated its exceptional position in Europe in the European Championship final. The Germans outclassed England with no less than 6-2 ” AD, the Netherlands "There wasn't even a penalty shoot-out - it was still a horror for Hope Powell's team" The Sun, England

→ Main article : European Women's Football Championship 2009 / Germany

With the final whistle of the Helsinki finals, Germany became European champions for the seventh time after 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2005. It was the fifth title in a row. The squad of national coach Silvia Neid and her assistant Ulrike Ballweg included 22 players, 19 of whom were deployed.

• Goal: Nadine Angerer , Ursula Holl , Lisa Weiß
• Defense: Saskia Bartusiak , Sonja Fuss , Ariane Hingst , Annike Krahn , Babett Peter , Bianca Schmidt , Kerstin Stegemann
• Midfield: Linda Bresonik , Kerstin Garefrekes , Kim Kulig , Simone Laudehr , Jennifer Zietz
• Storm: Fatmire Bajramaj , Melanie Behringer , Inka Grings , Anja Mittag , Martina Müller , Célia Okoyino da Mbabi , Birgit Prinz

The goalkeepers Ursula Holl, Lisa Weiß and the only field player Jennifer Zietz were not used.

The German team won all six games and was also the most goal-hungry team with 21 goals. Her particular strengths included the versatility of a number of women - for example, Kerstin Garefrekes and Linda Bresonik also took the position on the right defensive flank in one game, and ten players were able to enter their scorers' list - as well as the "heavily occupied substitute bench", which was able to turn the match especially in the semi-final game against Norway with three goals by substitute players. As in the 2007 World Cup , goalkeeper Nadine Angerer was usually a sure source of support for the team. Before her, the defense mostly played with Babett Peter, Ariane Hingst and Annike Krahn. Somewhat surprisingly, the young Bianca Schmidt ousted Kerstin Stegemann on the right full-back position. After Hingst sustained a knee injury in the quarter-finals against Italy, Saskia Bartusiak joined the defense.

In midfield, 19-year-old Kim Kulig, who was voted player of the game in the opening game against Norway, attracted particular attention. In addition to Kulig, the German team played with Linda Bresonik, Birgit Prinz a little earlier and Melanie Behringer on the left and Kerstin Garefrekes on the right. Fatmire Bajramaj scored three goals as a substitute. Inka Grings was the tournament's top scorer. With this title she crowned her comeback in the national team. Due to differences with the national coach, Grings was not considered for three and a half years and only returned to the DFB selection in February 2009. At the European Championships, Grings was elected player of the game three times.

On September 11, 2009, the team returned to Frankfurt am Main by plane . From the airport it went by bus to the Frankfurt Römer , where the players signed the city's golden book . Then the players went to the town hall balcony, in front of which around 8,000 enthusiastic fans had gathered on Römerplatz. Each player received a bonus of 12,000 euros for winning the title .

Because of this success, the team was voted Team of the Year for the second time since 2003 .

Best goalscorers

→ Main article : European Women's Football Championship 2009 / list of goalscorers

The top scorer in the final round was the German Inka Grings with six goals, two of them in the final against England. She defended her title as top scorer in the European Championship. The six hits mean a new record in the European Championship finals. Four players shared second place. In addition to the German Fatmire Bajramaj, these were the two English women Eniola Aluko and Kelly Smith and the Swede Victoria Sandell Svensson, for whom it was the last tournament with the national team. Eleven players scored two goals each. Among them were four Germans: Melanie Behringer, Linda Bresonik, Simone Laudehr and Birgit Prinz. Prinz scored their two goals in the final while Bresonik scored their two goals from penalties. 34 players scored a goal in the tournament, including the Germans Annike Krahn, Kim Kulig, Anja Mittag and Célia Okoyino da Mbabi. Eight penalties were awarded during the tournament, seven of which were successfully converted. The Icelander Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir made the only miss .

rank	Player	Gates
1	Inca grings	6th
2	Eniola Aluko	3
	Fatmire Bajramaj	3
	Victoria Sandell Svensson	3
	Kelly Smith	3

In addition, there was an own goal by Sweden's Stina Segerström .

The top scorer of the overall competition was Viðarsdóttir with a total of 12 goals, which she achieved exclusively in qualification.

Referees

UEFA selected nine referees , twelve assistant referees and three fourth officials for the 25 European Championship matches . The Czech referee Dagmar Damková chaired the final .

Referees	Assistants	Fourth official
Natalia Avdonchenko	Ella de Vries	Efthalia Mitsi
Dagmar Damková	Maintain Steinlund	Christina Pedersen
Cristina Dorcioman	Corinne Lagrange	Yulia Medvedeva
Gyöngyi Gaál	Judit Kulcsár
Kirsi Heikkinen	Tonja Paavola
Alexandra Ihringova	Natalie Walker
Kateryna Monsul	Lada Rojc
Jenny Palmqvist	Helen Karo
Bibiana stone house	Marina Wozniak
	María Luisa Villa Gutiérrez
	Mária Lisická
	Romina Santuari

Varia

Organizing Committee

The tournament was organized by UEFA and the Finnish Football Association Suomen Palloliitto . The ten-person local organizing committee was led by Pekka Hämäläinen, chairman of the Finnish association. The tournament director is Outi Saarinen. Former goalkeepers Antti Niemi and Satu Kunnas have been appointed as EM ambassadors . Between May 15 and September 30, 2009, the Helsinki Sports Museum will host an exhibition on the history of Finnish women's football from the start of the Finnish league to the present day.

logo

The logo of the tournament was created by the British design agency The Works and presented on February 5, 2008. It includes the contours of the trophy for the winning team, the UEFA arched lettering, the lettering for the European Women's Championship and “Finland 2009” for the host. The new logo is intended to reflect the dynamic growth of women's football.

tickets

On May 4, 2009, ticket sales began. Single tickets cost 15 or 20 euros for adults and 5 or 10 euros for young people between the ages of six and 16. For the final, the most expensive tickets cost 30 euros for adults and 15 euros for young people. Children under six years of age have free entry when accompanied by an adult. The association offers so-called “family tickets” for families. Here up to two adults and up to three children can watch a game for 25 euros. Finally, the so-called “stadium pass” gives you the opportunity to watch all the games in a specific stadium. The stadium pass costs 60 euros. In Lahti, the pass costs only 48 euros, as only four games take place there. All members of the Finnish Football Association receive a two-euro discount per card.

reporting

In Germany , ARD and ZDF broadcast the German team's games live. The private television broadcaster Eurosport broadcast 21 of the 25 tournament games live, three more were shown with a time delay. In the Netherlands, the semi-final against England was the first women's football match to be shown live on public television after Eurosport achieved a high level of audience participation in the quarter-final match between the Netherlands and France. The Dutch daily newspapers also expanded their reporting after the surprising success. In England the final was broadcast live on BBC2 . In Germany, 4.14 million viewers (22.9%) saw the semi-finals on ARD and 7.47 million viewers (36.5%) saw the final on ZDF .

Cue ball

For the first time, a match ball was designed for a European women's championship . The TERRAPASS ball , designed by the German sporting goods manufacturer adidas , was presented during the final draw on November 18, 2008 in Helsinki. As a reference to the host country, adidas used a bright shade of blue that was inspired by the northern lights . Similar to the match ball of the 2008 Men's European Championship , TERRAPASS has a fine surface structure that is supposed to help the ball to better flight characteristics and better controllability.

EM song

For the first time, an official song was composed for a European championship for women. The title “Champions of the Day” is sung by Geir Rönning and Karoliina Kallio . Both musicians have already taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest : Rönning in 2005 as a solo artist, Kallio in 2009 as the singer of the band Waldo's People . The song was composed by Geir Rönning, André Noël Chaker and Jukka Karjalainen.

Conclusion

The UEFA Technical Study Group, made up of coaches from the national teams of Scotland , Spain , Switzerland and Belgium , was pleased with the increased sporting level of the tournament. The expansion of the field of participants has proven to be a success and the newcomers to the European Championship have enriched the tournament. It was positively noted that many young players drew attention to themselves at the tournament.

In terms of sport, the Dutch team surprised, reaching the semi-finals straight away when they participated in the European Championship. After the successful tournament, the Dutch association wanted to apply to host the 2013 European Championship. On the other hand, the teams from Denmark and Sweden, who started as co-favorites in the tournament, but had to go home after the preliminary round and the quarter-finals, disappointed.

With 129,905 spectators, a total of 12,521 more came than at the previous European Championship in 2005. Due to the increase in the field of participants and the associated increase in the number of games, the average attendance fell from 7,826 to 5,196. The organizing committee's ambitious goal of welcoming a total of 250,000 spectators to the games was clearly missed. The best-attended game was Finland's opening encounter against Denmark, which was seen by 16,334 spectators. With this number, a new Finnish attendance record was set for a game between two women's teams.

Web links

Commons : European Women's Football Championship 2009  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ uefa.com: Two applicants for the 2009 Women's European Championship
2. ↑ uefa.com: Ideal destination for young players
3. ↑ uefa.com: Information on the draw for the Women's European Championship
4. ↑ uefa.com: Germany versus old rival Norway
5. ↑ uefa.com: Tampere Stadium
6. ↑ uefa.com: Lahti Stadium
7. ↑ uefa.com: Turku Stadium
8. ↑ uefa.com: Helsinki Olympic Stadium
9. ↑ uefa.com: Helsinki Football Stadium
10. ↑ uefa.com: UEFA European Women's Championship Regulations , page 18
11. ↑ express.de: We are European champions!
12. ↑ focus.de: The fight against unprofitable victories
13. ↑ guardian.co.uk: Golden Germany crush England's hopes of European Championship glory
14. ↑ bbc.co.uk: Defeat shouldn't mask England's progress
15. ↑ lequipe.fr: L'Allemagne encore sacrée ( Memento of the original from September 12, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
16. ↑ ad.nl
17. ↑ thesun.co.uk: IT did not get to penalties - but this was still a horror for Hope Powell's side.
18. ↑ zdf.de: European champions mix up Helsinki ( memento of the original from September 14, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
19. ↑ focus.de: DFB women storm to the seventh title
20. ↑ dfb.de: Steinhaus and Wozniak on the women's EM 2009 ( Memento from July 30, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
21. ↑ uefa.com: Finland appoints EM ambassador
22. ↑ uefa.com: Women's EURO logo presented
23. ↑ uefa.com: Tickets for the UEFA Women's European Championship available
24. ↑ womensoccer.de: TV broadcasts of the women's football championship in Finland
25. ↑ thefa.com: Women's Final live on BBC
26. ↑ dfb.de: DFB women give ARD good quota ( Memento from September 12, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
27. ↑ Like a steamroller
28. ↑ uefa.com: Northern lights for the WOMEN'S EURO
29. ↑ uefa.com: “Champions of the Day” in Helsinki
30. ↑ uefa.com: Experts enthusiastic about the finals
31. ↑ focus.de: Netherlands show interest in women's EM 2013