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France lead way in draw

France have been pitted against Slovenia in Group 1 of the qualification draw for EURO 2004™.

Eusebio involved
Portuguese football legend Eusebio, today celebrating his 60th birthday, drew the balls from the pot together with UEFA Chief Executive Gerhard Aigner and France, the reigning European and world champions, were pitted with Slovenia, Israel, Cyprus and Malta in Group 1. France and Slovenia have only met once – the French winning 3-2 in a friendly shortly before EURO 2000™. Israel and Cyprus also met in the EURO 2000™ qualifiers, when both won their respective home games.

Scandinavian meeting
In Group 2 top seeds Romania will face 1992 winners Denmark together with the Danes’ Scandinavian rivals Norway. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Luxembourg are the group’s other teams. Romania met Denmark in the qualifiers for the 1976 finals – and had a resounding 6-1 win in Bucharest. If Denmark have struggled in the past against Romania, they have a long record of success against Norway in a rivalry dating back to 1912, with 51 wins from 82 matches.

Czechs face Netherlands
The Czech Republic, who as part of Czechoslovakia, were champions in 1976, will renew their rivalry with the Netherlands, winners of EURO 88, in Group 3. The sides met in the group stages of EURO 2000™, a match the Dutch won 1-0 through a last-minute penalty - revenge for a 3-1 defeat in Prague in the EURO 96™ qualifiers. Austria, Belarus and Moldova will provide the other opposition.

Poles on a high
Sweden, the top seeds in Group 4, will meet Poland – who have just ended a long period of underachievement by qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals – together with Hungary, Latvia and San Marino. Sweden beat Poland home and away in the qualifying round for EURO 2000™ but may find it tougher this time round. 

Possible reunion
In Group 5, Germany – European champions twice, in 1980 and 1996, could well be up against their former national team coach, Berti Vogts, if, as expected, he accepts the job of Scotland coach. Vogts led Germany to their EURO 96™ success during his eight years as Germany coach. Iceland, Lithuania and the Faroe Islands make up the rest of the group. The Faroes will hope to give Scotland an equally difficult match to the one they gave them in their last meeting, a 1-1 home draw in a EURO 2000™ qualifier.

Ukraine test for Spain
Group 6 pits Spain, consistently strong in qualifying tournaments, against Ukraine, Greece, Northern Ireland and Armenia. Ukraine missed out on EURO 2000™ qualification in a play-off against Slovenia and will be expected to push the Spanish, whose one major tournament success came in the 1964 UEFA European Championship on home soil.

Turkey look to end jinx
Another of the top seeds, Turkey, will meet England in Group 7, where they will be chasing a first victory, and indeed a first goal, against the English. In eight meetings they managed just one draw and have failed to score - a problem not applicable to England, who recorded an 8-0 home win over Turkey in a EURO 88 qualifier. Slovakia, F.Y.R. Macedonia and Liechtenstein provide the other opposition.

Belgium v Croatia catches the eye
Belgium and Croatia meet again in Group 8 following their confrontation in the World Cup qualifiers last year, where Croatia won the last match 1-0 to qualify as group winners. Bulgaria – who finished fourth in the 1994 FIFA World Cup – Estonia and Andorra are the group’s other sides.

Memories of 1968
Group 9 brings together Italy, Yugoslavia, Finland, Wales and Azerbaijan. Italy’s meetings with Yugoslavia will remind some of their encounter in the 1968 European Championship final in Rome, Italy emerging winners after a replay. Meanwhile, Italy and Wales met in the qualifying round for the last European Championship, when Italy won both matches.

Russia face Irish
Group 10 pits top seeds the Republic of Ireland against Russia, Switzerland, Georgia and Albania. The Russians, as part of the former USSR, were the winners of the first European Championship in 1960. They drew 1-1 with Ireland in the group stage of the 1988 finals, a tournament where they finished runners-up to the Netherlands.

The draw in full:

Group 1Group 2
FranceRomania
SloveniaDenmark
IsraelNorway
CyprusBosnia-Herz.
MaltaLuxembourg
Group 3Group 4
Czech Rep.Sweden
NetherlandsPoland
AustriaHungary
BelarusLatvia
MoldovaSan Marino
Group 5Group 6
GermanySpain
ScotlandUkraine
IcelandGreece
LithuaniaN. Ireland
Faroe IslandsArmenia
Group 7Group 8
TurkeyBelgium
EnglandCroatia
SlovakiaBulgaria
F.Y.R. MacedoniaEstonia
LiechtensteinAndorra
Group 9Group 10
ItalyRep. of Ireland
YugoslaviaRussia
FinlandSwitzerland
WalesGeorgia
AzerbaijanAlbania