Football News - 2012 European Championships Warshaw - England optimistic after draw
Last updated 07/02/2010 18:11:03
2012 European Football Championships Warshaw
After a tumultuous week which saw John Terry stripped of the captaincy England had cause to think optimistically of the future when the draw was made for the for the 2012 European Championships to be held in Poland and the Ukraine.
England, despite the necessary shaking of heads and praising of the opposition, have a wonderful draw in a shorter group which pitches them against local rival Wales, World Cup finalists Switzerland , Bulgaria and Montenegro.
Fabio Capello's team head Group G after the draw in Warsaw which will delight Premiership managers as it gives England two games fewer to fit in.
Scotland were not so fortunate and were paired with the European Champions Spain and the Czech Republic. Northern Ireland will face the traditional might of Italy, while the Republic of Ireland are thrown in with Russia.
There are 14 places available alongside the co-hosts for the tournament which runs from 8 June to 1 July. The qualifying competition kicks off in September through to October 2011 with the nine group winners automatically qualifying for the tournament together with the runner-up with the best overall record. The eight other runners-up will then face play-offs over two legs in November 2011.
Poland and Ukraine are only the third co-hosts of the European Championship, following in the footsteps of Belgium and the Netherlands in 2000 and Austria and Switzerland in 2008. With the competition growing in terms of teams and entries it would be difficult for some of the smaller and Eastern European teams staging such a big competition on their own.
England manager Fabio Capello claimed that his team had been drawn in one of the two toughest groups, but he must have been delighted to avoid more difficult second seeds such as Turkey, Sweden and Serbia.
Switzerland, who topped their group to qualify for World Cup 2010, are 18th in Fifa's world rankings and are no pushovers, while Bulgaria are 30th and Montenegro 72nd.
England last played a "derby" against Wales back in 2005 in a World Cup qualifier, claiming a 1-0 win in Cardiff.
"All four opponents are really dangerous," Capello said. "Wales will be my first derby as manager of an international team. It will be interesting. They are really young but the value of the players is high.
"I prefer a smaller group because we have less games but the group is very tough. Switzerland qualified for the World Cup, they are one of the best teams. I remember when I played against them it was not easy to win away.
"I have big confidence in my team and I am sure we will play a fantastic qualifying tournament for 2012."
Wales last qualified for the finals of a major championship at the 1958 World Cup when Pele claimed they might have beaten Brazil had the great John Charles been fit. They also reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship in 1976 when the tournament was decided on a knockout basis.
But they have had a thin time since in the two major competition with such a small pool of players from which to select their squads.
"Without doubt, drawing England will please all the Welsh fans - plenty of history there and we like nothing better than another chance against the old enemy," said Wales's manager John Toshack.
"I know Fabio Capello quite well, so will look forward to being able to pit our talents against a powerful England team later in the year."
Scotland's group presents a daunting first challenge for new manager Craig Levein, who revealed in the build-up to the draw that he would love to face England.
As well as top-ranked Spain and the Czechs, the Tartan Army also face trips to Liechtenstein and Lithuania.
"It's exciting, especially with Spain coming out of the hat," said Levein.
"I am pretty sure that the Scotland fans will be looking forward to Spain coming to Hampden and to a little holiday over there.
"It is no secret that Spain should be favourites to win the group if they play as they can but it might be easier in a five-team group to get that second place.
"We need to get some momentum between now and then, if we can do that then we are more than capable of causing problems for everyone in the group. We are in with a fighting chance."
Joining Northern Ireland in Group C are world champions Italy, World Cup qualifiers Serbia, Slovenia, Estonia and the Faroe Islands.
The Republic, denied a place in the 2010 World Cup in part by Thierry Henry's handball, take on the Russians, Slovakia, Macedonia, Armenia and Andorra.
Euro 2000 winners France are up against Romania and Belarus, Croatia and Greece were paired together, while Portugal will take on the Scandinavian duo Norway and Denmark.
Holland, who last won the European Championships in 1988, have a moderately difficult group against Hungary, Finland and Moldova.
Euro 2012 qualifying draw:
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