Vicente del Bosque, the coach of Spain, said: “We’ve drawn two teams who played in the same group as the Netherlands and eliminated them, Turkey and Czech Republic”.
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Spain will begin their bid for an unprecedented third successive European Championship title against Czech Republic while hosts France will open the 2016 tournament against Romania after the draw was made on Saturday.
The Stade de France, targeted in the Paris attacks last month, will be the venue for the first match as well as the final on July 10.
The hosts will be thrilled with the results of the draw, considering they will be meeting the likes of Romania, Albania, and Switzerland.
Infantino’s boss, UEFA president Michel Platini, was barred from attending the proceedings after he failed Friday to have his 90-day provisional ban from football lifted. We’ll watch their matches in March and ensuing games.
The holders were pitted against Czech Republic, Turkey and Croatia in Saturday’s draw in Paris, with their opening game scheduled for June 13 against Pavel Vrba’s men in Toulouse. While this ensures that no one group is stronger than the rest, there will always be a “Group of Death” waiting to spoil some team’s dream run. “They have excellent players”.
World Cup winners Germany, who landed the last of their three European Championship titles in 1996, start against Ukraine in Lille on June 12 before facing Poland and Northern Ireland in Paris.
In Euro 2008, the Turkish team had an exhilarating ride that involved two of their Euro 2016 group rivals. Wales and Slovakia round out that group.
“We are the favorites and we want to win the group”, said German coach Joachim Low.
The other sides in Group A are Albania, taking part in their first major tournament finals, and Switzerland.
England, who enjoyed a ideal record in qualification, will meet neighbours Wales – a match-up which Chris Coleman admitted he was eager to avoid given the media “circus” which could surround the encounter.
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The European Championship has 24 teams for the first time, and will feature a new second round that includes the best four third-place finishers.
