O’Neill’s side were placed in the same group as world champions Germany, Poland and Ukraine at the draw in Paris on Saturday.
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Quite apart from assessing the opposition, Ireland have shown enough in the latter stages of this campaign, particularly in both legs of the play-off with Bosnia, that they are a team on the ascendancy.
“Whatever team we would have got out of that pot it would have been a tough one so why not have a tough one close to home”, Hodgson added.
England and Wales have been drawn in the same group for Euro 2016 with managers Roy Hodgson and Chris Coleman welcoming the clash.
“I was so honoured and proud to be here, representing Wales was a fantastic feeling”.
Italy won eight of their 13 previous games against the Republic of Ireland, including a 2-0 win in Poznan on their way to the Euro 2012 final against Spain.
“We know all the Wales players – nearly all of them play in England”. We’ll be friends before and after the game but during the game we’ll be doing our level best to make sure our teams come out on top. “Now we know who we are up against, we can study players individually”. I’ve got a great record against them, I think I only lost one out of five.
‘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.
“I think Denmark proved that you can go far and I think that Wales will progress and go a long, long way”.
“To get the opportunity to play the world champions in Paris in a major tournament is going to be a great occasion”.
Russian Federation will be the final Group B opponents for Wales in Toulouse, and Coleman insisted it would be a mistake to focus too much on their match against England in Lens, with three points vital in the opening match against Slovakia in Bordeaux.
Italy will have to tangle with Sweden, Belgium, and the Republic of Ireland in Euro 2016.
Martin O’Neill said last night that the draw could hardly have been more hard.
It was 2004 and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic hit an 85th minute equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw and rob the Azzurri of a possible three points in their penultimate group game.
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Belgium and Italy were pitted against each other in the “Group of Death” while hosts France will kick off the 24-team tournament against Romania on June 10, according to the draw of the Euro 2016 football tournament.
