This Sunday, Nice hosted the draw for the Euro 2016 qualifiers. Automatically qualified as the host country, France was placed in Group I with five other nations, including Portugal, to play friendly matches. These qualifiers will begin in September 2014 and extend until October 2015. A recap of the draw.
There are 53 teams at the starting line. There will be 23 (plus France) that can hope to succeed Spain as champions. With 23 qualifiers, the top two from each group will advance, plus the best third place. The other eight third-placed teams will compete in playoffs which will take place in November 2015.
The draw was conducted by twelve former goalkeepers such as Peter Schmeichel, Dino Zoff, Antonis Nikopolidis, and Ivo Viktor, while Fabien Barthez brought the trophy at the start of the ceremony. As the master of ceremony, the Acropolis Palace had Ruud Gullit and Bixente Lizarazu.
Among the teams in pot 1, the Netherlands (Group A) and Portugal (Group I) have the least easy groups. As defending champions, the Spanish (Group C) have everything at hand to come defend their trophy in France. Group F, comprised of Greece, Hungary, Romania, Finland, Northern Ireland, and the Faroe Islands, remains the most open.
We can also note Gibraltar’s first participation in the qualifiers. Placed in Group D with notably Germany, Gibraltar will strive mainly to grow through these qualifiers.
France has thus ended up with Portugal, Serbia, Armenia, Albania, and Denmark. A fairly difficult group, but the French team will play all these matches as friendlies. Already qualified, they will serve as preparation matches for Didier Deschamps’ team.
In addition to the 24 qualified teams, UEFA offers another innovation with the football week. Matches will take place from Thursday to Tuesday to offer even more football to fans. When weeks feature two qualifying matches, teams will play Thursday-Saturday, Friday-Monday, Saturday-Tuesday.
