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Draw sets up heavyweight contests
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Didier Deschamps shows Germany to the crowd
(¿Getty Images)
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Former winners the Netherlands, Italy and France will meet
in Group C of UEFA EURO 2008T, after a finals draw at the Culture and
Convention Centre in Lucerne which served up a number of mouthwatering
contests, notably co-hosts Austria against neighbours Germany in Group
B.
Old foes
France and Italy are all-too familiar rivals having faced off the 2006
FIFA World Cup final, a match won by the Azzurri, and also in qualifying
for these finals. Romania, who finished ahead of the Netherlands on the
road to Austria and Switzerland, complete the most testing of the groups.
Meanwhile, Austria and Germany, the three-time winners, were drawn alongside
Croatia and a Poland team who - like the Austrians - are making their
debut at this level.
Opening match
Switzerland will open the 13th UEFA European Championship on 7 June with
a Group A game against the Czech Republic at St. Jakob-Park in Basel.
Turkey and Portugal make up that section. Holders Greece find themselves
in Group D alongside Sweden, Spain and Russia. Matches will be played
at eight stadiums across as many cities in the two countries, with the
tournament reaching a climax at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna on
30 June. Click here for the full UEFA EURO 2008T match schedule.
Lavish event
The Culture and Convention Centre on the shore of Lake Lucerne was the
setting for the draw, which was conducted by Swiss actress Melanie Winiger
and Austrian television presenter Rainer Pariasek. The duo were joined
on stage by representatives of the teams that have lifted the trophy previously:
Valentin Ivanov (USSR, 1960), Luis Suarez (Spain, 1964), Dino Zoff (Italy,
1968), Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany, 1972), Anton Ondrus (Czechoslovakia,
1976), Bernard Dietz (West Germany, 1980), Michel Platini (France, 1984),
Marco van Basten (Netherlands, 1988), Peter Schmeichel (Denmark, 1992),
Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany, 1996), Didier Deschamps (France, 2000), and
Theodoros Zagorakis (Greece, 2004). Eight of those players participated
in making the draw together with UEFA's Gianni Infantino.
Summer days
There were also performances from Jose Carreras, the Vienna Boys' Choir
and Swiss alphorn player Eliana Burki among others. Threads of golden
Christmas lights will illuminate the streets of Lucerne after dark today
but already thoughts are turning to the stars and showdowns that will
light up the long days of next summer.
| Group A |
Group B |
| Switzerland |
Austria |
| Czech Republic |
Croatia |
| Portugal |
Germany |
| Turkey |
Poland |
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| Group C |
Group D |
| Netherlands |
Greece |
| Italy |
Sweden |
| Romania |
Spain |
| France |
Russia |
UEFA.com,
2 December 2007
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