Background	On 16 December 1988, Sweden were chosen to host Euro 1992, following a decision made by the UEFA Executive Committee. Spain, their only rivals, had already been chosen to host the EXPO 1992 in Seville and the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona.

The Draw	Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4

The Build-Up	England sent to Sweden the weakest squad they had ever assembled for a major international tournament.  Injuries had robbed the squad of several top players--including those chiefly responsible for providing the team's creative impulses in midfield--and underscored the paucity in talent available to the national side.

Notes

With manager Graham Taylor, at his first major tournament, desperately shuffling players, positional assignments and team formations, England struggled to scoreless draws with latecomers and eventual champions Denmark and the much-fancied France before succumbing to Sweden as two second half goals erased an early lead.  In that last match, Taylor took off national hero Gary Lineker, making his 80th and final international appearance, with almost 30 minutes to go and the score still level, stripping him of his chance to equal Bobby Charlton's England goal record of 49 and, as it turned out, England of any chance they had of advancing.  
The next day the Sun carried the notorious headline which is almost always resurrected when Taylor's England tenure is mentioned--"Swedes 2, Turnips 1," and the following day the infamous picture of Taylor's head superimposed on a turnip.  It was the beginning of the end for Taylor, who never recovered, in part because the relentless press never allowed him to. - PY