Right, we have a report on the draw live on the site now. Each team will play two or three qualifiers in March before the summer’s European Championship. The dates are as follows:
Matchday 1: 24–25 March 2021
Matchday 2: 27–28 March 2021
Matchday 3: 30–31 March 2021
The fixtures will be released at some point in the future. Thanks for reading. Bye!
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Italy didn’t make it to the 2018 World Cup after a disastrous qualifying campaign under Giampiero Ventura in which they lost a play-off to Sweden. Back then they had Spain their group for company. With Switzerland the other big dog in Group C, fans must be much confident they won’t slip up again this time. Northern Ireland’s chances of qualification look slim but their games against Switzerland will be key.
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Maybe a win for Stephen Kenny in Luxembourg might not be so cut and dried actually:
@GreggBakowski I dunno about a rare Irish win at Luxembourg. Small country they may be but they've improved a lot in the last few years and were unlucky not to be promoted into group B of the Nations League.
— Alex Perring (@Al_Perring) December 7, 2020
Luxembourg’s form in the past eight games reads: Won 3, Lost 4, Drawn 1
Republic of Ireland’s reads: Won 0, Lost 4, Drawn 4
Group J looks like a nice one for Germany, despite their recent travails. I’m guessing Jogi Löw will rebuild his reputation over the course of those qualifiers. And one man who will likely get some press before Poland play England is Jan Tomaszewski, the goalkeeper who denied England a place at the 1974 World Cup with a brilliantly eccentric display at Wembley in October 1973. Here’s some further reading for you:
And thanks for your explanations as to why Sweden wasn’t on the bad-weather list:
@GreggBakowski Sweden's national arena has a roof so maybe they can play even if it is artic conditions🤣
— James Sargeant (@jamesAsargeant) December 7, 2020
Let’s be honest, there’s no group of death. But which is the toughest? Scotland haven’t got it easy in Group F. Denmark, Austria and Israel are evenly matched with the much-improved Scots. Israel and Scotland have played each other more often than Rangers and Celtic in recent years, too. Poland v England should be fun but that group looks like a nice one for Gareth Southgate. Republic of Ireland have a chance in Group A if they can finally find some form and Group G, with Netherlands, Turkey and Norway together could be entertaining. And if you’re Welsh, how do you feel about playing Belgium again?
The draw is over: here are the final groups
The minnows in Pot 6 are emptied. And that’s the end of the draw. It looks like this:
Group A: Portugal, Serbia, Rep of Ireland, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan
Group B: Spain, Sweden, Greece, Georgia, Kosovo
Group C: Italy, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, Lithuania
Group D: France, Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan
Group E: Belgium, Wales, Czech Republic, Belarus, Estonia
Group F: Denmark, Austria, Scotland, Israel, Faroe Islands, Moldova
Group G: Netherlands, Turkey, Norway, Montenegro, Latvia, Gibraltar
Group H: Croatia, Slovakia, Russia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta
Group I: England, Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra, San Marino
Group J: Germany, Romania, Iceland, North Macedonia, Armenia, Liechtenstein
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It’s the one you’ve all been been waiting for, Pot 5! And it throws up Faroe Islands v Denmark. What about that, eh?
Group A: Portugal, Serbia, Rep of Ireland, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan
Group B: Spain, Sweden, Greece, Georgia, Kosovo
Group C: Italy, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, Lithuania
Group D: France, Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia, Kazakhstan
Group E: Belgium, Wales, Czech Republic, Belarus, Estonia
Group F: Denmark, Austria, Scotland, Israel, Faroe Islands
Group G: Netherlands, Turkey, Norway, Montenegro, Latvia
Group H: Croatia, Slovakia, Russia, Slovenia, Cyprus
Group I: England, Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra
Group J: Germany, Romania, Iceland, North Macedonia, Armenia
This is fast-paced edge-of-the-seat football admin, right here. Pot 4: Rep of Ireland will fancy a rare win against Luxembourg:
Group A: Portugal, Serbia, Rep of Ireland, Luxembourg
Group B: Spain, Sweden, Greece, Georgia
Group C: Italy, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria
Group D: France, Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia
Group E: Belgium, Wales, Czech Republic, Belarus
Group F: Denmark, Austria, Scotland, Israel
Group G: Netherlands, Turkey, Norway, Montenegro
Group H: Croatia, Slovakia, Russia, Slovenia
Group I: England, Poland, Hungary, Albania
Group J: Germany, Romania, Iceland, North Macedonia
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Pot 3 is emptied and Scotland will face Austria and Denmark in Group F. England are joined by Hungary:
Group A: Portugal, Serbia, Rep of Ireland
Group B: Spain, Sweden, Greece
Group C: Italy, Switzerland, Northern Ireland
Group D: France, Ukraine, Finland
Group E: Belgium, Wales, Czech Republic
Group F: Denmark, Austria, Scotland
Group G: Netherlands, Turkey, Norway
Group H: Croatia, Slovakia, Russia
Group I: England, Poland, Hungary
Group J: Germany, Romania, Iceland
We’re on to Pot 3. Northern Ireland’s group looks a bit tricky and we only have three teams in it:
Group A: Portugal, Serbia, Rep of Ireland
Group B: Spain, Sweden, Greece
Group C: Italy, Switzerland, Northern Ireland
Group D: France, Ukraine, Finland
Group E: Belgium, Wales, Czech Republic
Group F: Denmark, Austria
Group G: Netherlands, Turkey
Group H: Croatia, Slovakia
Group I: England, Poland
Group J: Germany, Romania
Harry Maguire will have to do his best to keep Robert Lewandowski quiet. Eek. Poland join England in Group I:
Group A: Portugal, Serbia
Group B: Spain, Sweden
Group C: Italy, Switzerland
Group D: France, Ukraine
Group E: Belgium, Wales
Group F: Denmark, Austria
Group G: Netherlands, Turkey
Group H: Croatia, Slovakia
Group I: England, Poland
Group J: Germany, Romania
The first five teams are drawn from Pot 2, which includes Wales. They draw Belgium. Oof! They did beat Belgium twice in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, mind. Switzerland cosy up with neighbours Italy in Group B:
Group A: Portugal, Serbia
Group B: Spain, Sweden
Group C: Italy, Switzerland
Group D: France, Ukraine
Group E: Belgium, Wales
Group F: Denmark
Group G: Netherlands
Group H: Croatia
Group I: England
Group J: Germany
The next batch of five teams are emptied from Pot 1, so here is how it looks now:
Group A: Portugal
Group B: Spain
Group C: Italy
Group D: France
Group E: Belgium
Group F: Denmark
Group G: Netherlands
Group H: Croatia
Group I: England
Group J: Germany
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Uefa has decided to play murder mystery-style music as each ball is plucked out. It’s already tiring after just five:
Group A: Portugal
Group B: Spain
Group C: Italy
Group D:
Group E:
Group F: Denmark
Group G: Netherlands
Group H:
Group I:
Group J:
Right, the banter on the sofa is over. Van De Vaart and De Rossi are suitably socially distant. Let’s pluck some balls!
More weather chat:
@GreggBakowski the weather issues are intriguing, not sure how Sweden isn’t on the list when Norway & Finland are. Not checked my junior atlas to check latitudes of individual stadia though...
— Andy Hamilton (@AndyHam08180661) December 7, 2020
I’ll leave you to do that, Andy. Glasgow in March is cold enough for me.
Daniele De Rossi and Rafael van De Vaart are in situ on a fancy sofa for some red-hot chat before the actual ball-plucking takes place. Van De Vaart reckons Belgium can win the big one in Qatar. “[Belgium] have the experience and know what you need to win something. When you have De Bruyne, Hazard, Lukaku hey have to be one of the favourites.”
There are political reasons that teams might not be drawn together but, perhaps less well known, are meteorological ones. This off the Uefa website: “Ten countries have been defined as venues with a risk of severe winter conditions and a maximum of two such countries can be drawn in the same group.” Here those countries:
Belarus
Estonia
Faroe Islands
Finland
Iceland
Latvia
Lithuania
Norway
Russia
Ukraine
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“Conversely to Justin, we’d like teams our friends and family support to come to us in France,” writes Richard Hirst. Ah, do you remember the days when you could travel?
“I’m hoping the Republic of Ireland get grouped against countries I’ve got family in or at least friends good enough to put me up for a night out next year,” writes Justin Kavanagh. “So here’s hoping for France, Romania, Georgia, Lithuania, and Malta for the Boys in Green.” The Kavanaghs have really got around haven’t they Justin?
It’s almost 5pm so it’s time for … The Fiver! You’ll have time to read it because these draws always take a ridiculous amount of time to get going:
In case you’re pining for the day of the Home Championship and can’t get enough of British and Irish clashes, it is possible for England to be drawn in a group with Wales and one of Scotland, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.
Uefa has got a 10-minute countdown clock ticking on its website now. It’s a bit much isn’t it? Perhaps Daniele De Rossi is going to jump out of a velvet bag when it ticks down to zero.
Meanwhile in Qatar, companies have failed to pay “hundreds of millions of dollars” in salaries and other benefits to low-wage workers since the coronavirus outbreak, according to new research by the human rights group Equidem. Read the full report here:
Preamble
Hello. We still haven’t had the 2020 European Championship but that isn’t stopping Uefa from cracking on with its plans for the qualifiers because, lord knows, they just can’t wedge enough football into this most brutal of seasons. Three rounds of qualifying group games will take place in March, before the Euros kick off (pandemic-allowing) in the summer. If you’re wondering how today’s tombola will work we have put together a handy guide here.
The key information is as follows:
There are six pots: 10 nations in each of pots 1-5 and five in pot 6. They will be drawn into 10 groups: five groups of five (A-E) and five of six (F to J). Teams will play each other home and away between March and November next year. The 10 group winners qualify for Qatar, 10 runners-up go into the play-offs along with the two best-placed unqualified sides from the Nations League (yes, that again!).
Pot 1 Belgium, France, England, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands
Pot 2 Switzerland, Wales, Poland, Sweden, Austria, Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey, Slovakia, Romania
Pot 3 Russia, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Czech Republic, Norway, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, Greece, Finland
Pot 4 Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Israel, Belarus, Georgia, Luxembourg
Pot 5 Armenia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Latvia, Andorra
Pot 6 Malta, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, San Marino
The pandemic means this won’t be an all-singing, all-dancing ceremony with national representatives and an audience. We will, however, have Rafael van De Vaart and Daniele De Rossi to add a bit of ball-plucking star-dust. Van De Vaart’s a darts player these days.
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