UEFA has approved expansion of Europe Championship since 2016
 UEFA executive office has approved expansion of Europe Football Championship final from 16 to 24 teams since 2016.
On the first meeting day of UEFA executive office in Bordeaux the journalists were informed of future reform by Frantz Bekkenbauer, executive office member. On Friday the proposal got official approval.
According to official site of UEFA final stage format will be the next: 24 teams are divided in 6 groups, 4 in each. Those teams, winning first and second places in the group pass to 1/8 of the final, plus group of four best having won third places. Then is working standard Olympic system: quarterfinal, semifinal, and final. Amount of matches of final championship will rise from 31 to 51.
The UEFA decision will first of all be good for medium level teams - with the new format they’ll have more chances to make their way to the final championship. As to qualifying round of Europe Championship, there will work 5-6 team groups scheme.
For the first time Europe Championship was expanded in 1980 when instead of 4 select teams there played 8. In 1996 amount of participants increased up to 16 (4 teams in 4 groups and then follows play-off). This scheme will be preserved by 2012 inclusive.