Russia were sent home after a disastrous tournament that made the country ashamed, both of the incredibly poor performances on the pitch and the unacceptable violence from a selection of hooligans.
The country's football image must be at an all-time low, right before hosting the World Cup in 2018. The timing couldn't have been worse.
At a glance
An absolutely disastrous performance just two years before hosting the World Cup proves that Russia need to build a team from scratch.
Highlight
Euro 2016 didn't really have any highlights, but the dramatic injury-time equaliser by Vasili Berezutski against England was the most exciting moment.
The team didn't deserve to salvage a draw in that game but got a point that made some believe a decent tournament could be possible against all odds. After all, Leonid Slutsky was considered a lucky coach and Artyom Dzyuba was his lucky striker. It wasn't to be, as Russia were soundly beaten by Slovakia and Wales.
One positive aspect is that Slutsky took full responsibility after the Wales fiasco and asked to focus on his mistakes rather than those of the players. That was very different to Fabio Capello's behaviour, and if the Russian does indeed step down, he will depart with dignity. The head of Russia's football federation, Vitaly Mutko, might try to change his mind, however.
Low point
There are so many, but the 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Wales must be the lowest of them all. Russia didn't function at all in Toulouse -- the midfield was nonexistent, the defence collapsed completely and the players simply looked resigned to defeat at 2-0 down.
The fighting spirit that was evident in the games against England and Slovakia disappeared without a trace and the team looked broken. That was the last accord and it was truly awful. It will take time to recover from such a horrific performance.
Another low point was the despicable behaviour from the hooligans. Most of Russia's fans are true supporters, but when the country's Football Association executive Igor Lebedev openly claims that "90 percent of the fans go to football in order to fight, and it is normal," it's clear something is deeply wrong with Russian football culture.
Star man
Igor Akinfeev stood out as the only player who emerged from the tournament with any credit. In fact, the CSKA Moscow goalkeeper actually enhanced his reputation with three quality games. He can't be blamed for any of the goals conceded -- possibly aside from Eric Dier's free kick -- and his efforts kept Russia alive for longer than they deserved.
The phenomenal save of Wayne Rooney in the first fixture was truly world class. Akinfeev was solid against Slovakia, too, and was again up to the task against Wales. Without him, the final result could have been even more humiliating.
The keeper ended the tournament as the captain in bizarre circumstances. As captain Roman Shirokov and his deputy Vasili Berezutski were substituted, nobody wanted to accept responsibility. Aleksei Berezutski and most notably Sergei Ignashevich blatantly refused to take the armband, and it was eventually passed over to the keeper. That was fitting, even amid the farce, because Akinfeev has been the real leader.
Lessons learned
The biggest lesson is that, with the home World cup looming, Russia don't have a team. That's not an exaggeration. Akinfeev aside, there are no players of true international class in the squad.
Ignashevich and the Berezutski twins are able of performing decently in central defence, but the former is almost 37 while the brothers celebrated their 34th birthday during Euro 2016. They are slow now and won't get faster by 2018.
Untimely injuries to Alan Dzagoev and Igor Denisov had a disastrous effect on midfield, but both are hardly world beaters, and the 32-year-old Denisov was even relegated with Dynamo Moscow ahead of the tournament. They are not going to provide the answer ahead of 2018 -- not by a long shot.
The new generation is almost nonexistent. Slutsky's gamble on the 20-year-old Aleksandr Golovin has badly backfired. He really is the brightest young prospect in the country and that sums up the situation. There are no heirs to the ageing stoppers, no exciting young playmakers or wingers and not a single promising striker.
Russia took their best team to France, and were even desperate enough to urgently give citizenship to a depressingly average player like Roman Neustadter. The results were evident for the world to see -- they were the worst team at Euro 2016.
Slutsky offered hope in the grim situation ahead of the tournament, thanks to a positive attitude that was so different to Capello's. Now his own reputation has been damaged, probably beyond repair, and that's dreadful news for Russia because they don't have a better alternative to the departing coach.
Stanislav Cherchesov, a tactically limited specialist who has history of fighting with big egos, seems to be the only realistic choice. It really is a disaster everywhere you look. Russia have never been worse in every possible sense.