Joachim Loew during the Uefa Euro 2016 final draw ceremony in Paris.
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They may have beaten Germany on the way to qualifying, but the Republic of Ireland’s record of just one win in 20 previous competitive games against Euro 2016 Group E rivals seemed to do more to inform Belgian, Italian and Swedish reaction to Saturday evening’s draw in Paris.
Wales have also been paired with Slovakia and Russian Federation in Group B, but the England match is the one everyone is talking about.
“I have a certain experience of that happening and disrupting your plans – Chris has been able to put together a more settled team than us”.
The Northern Ireland boss said: “They (Germany) were maybe the pot one team that I didn’t want but, having been drawn in it and got my head around it, I think it’s a fantastic game for us”.
The Football Association will make a decision on Hodgson’s future after Euro 2016 – but have made it clear they will want to keep him in position for the World Cup campaign if England show signs of progress at the European Championship in France. The team playing for England now is quite different from 2014 and completely different from 2012.
“Well, we’ve got them”, he said.
“The past is the past and if the players continue to perform like they have over the past 18 months… our form is quite good and there are good players coming through”. Another of the major tournament newcomers are Iceland, who will come up against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in their first game in Group F before also facing Austria and Hungary.
Wales are in Group B along with England, Russia and Slovakia, whom they face in their opening game on 11 June.
Four years after losing 4-0 to Spain in the final, the Azzurri will face Belgium in Lyon on June 13, before hosting Sweden four days later in Toulouse and Ireland on June 22 in Lille. Wales-who will be appearing at their first European Championship-and England will meet in the northern French city of Lens on June 16. “It means we must be fully concentrated from the first game”, Loew said.
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He added: “I don’t know for the life of me what that squad will look like when I name it in May because I don’t know what players will be available”.
