World champion Germany will face a reunion with Poland, which it edged for the top spot in their qualifying group, with Northern Ireland and Ukraine completing Group C, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal have been handed a far simpler group against Iceland, Hungary and Austria, which excelled during qualifying.
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Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is wary of the threat posed by Croatia after being paired alongside the 1998 World Cup semi-finalists, Czech Republic and Turkey in the draw for Euro 2016 on Saturday. The UEFA president is fighting a ban from football that kept him out of the draw ceremony.
The other teams in their group are Albania and Switzerland. Then, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino took over, explaining the draw.
On opening the championship against the hosts in Paris on June 10, Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu said: “I would have preferred not to play at the beginning of the competition, and not against France”.
The high-energy show contrasted with the heavy security outside the draw venue, reinforced in the wake of the November 13 terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.
“We have to be careful (in this group) and not be over confident”.
Spain, who were also drawn in the same section as Croatia and Turkey, open up against Group D opponents Czech Republic in Toulouse on June 13. “We are the favourites and want to win the group”.
It will be the 102nd meeting between England and Wales since they first clashed in 1879.
Iceland, like Albania playing in their first major tournament finals, face Portugal, Austria and Hungary in Group F.
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Famed DJ David Guetta, who wrote the official Euro 2016 song, has just announced to the VIP crowd that he will host a big free concert in Paris before the tournament starts June 10.
