The Republiof Ireland were rewarded for their qualification through the play-offs by being paired with the number one ranked team in the world, Belgium, in Group E. Martin O’Neill’s team were given a further tough tasks against Italy, who they met at Euro 2012, from the second pot and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden from the third. “They finished their group on a high and we will have to be careful with them”.
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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. “There will be plenty of research between now and June and we can find out as much as we can before the campaign”.
Group E: Belgium, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Sweden.
Spain’s other opponents in Group D are Turkey and Croatia, while coach Didier Deschamps’ France also takes on newcomer Albania and Switzerland in Group A.
“Croatia have extraordinary players that play in the best teams in Europe and we saw their value in the last European Championships”, warned Spain coach Vicente del Bosque. “This is a very important experience for us”.
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.
Sadly, Euro 2016 won’t just be about soccer. “We are the favourites and want to win the group”.
Meanwhile, Russia and Slovakia complete a tough-looking Group B that is likely to go to the wire, and promises some thrilling games.
He also urged fans of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to travel to France, insisting that security will be a priority.
It will be the 102nd meeting between England and Wales since they first clashed in 1879.
The tournament, being staged in 10 cities, sees 16 teams advance from the group stage – the top two in each section and the best four third-placed sides – with the final in Paris on July 10.
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Coach Gianni de Biasi, who will lead Albania at their first major tournament finals, said: “I’m not anxious because I knew we would come up against quality sides”.
