LUCERNE, Switzerland: Roberto Donadoni saw it coming.
Once again, his
Italian team faces France
in a major soccer tournament, this time in the group stage of next year's
European Championship.
The two
powerhouses, who met in last year's World Cup final when Italy won a penalty shootout in Berlin, also faced each
other home and away in qualifying for Euro 2008.
They also met in
the final of Euro 2000 when the Italians were waiting to celebrate victory in Rotterdam only for the
French to equalize in the final minute and then score a title-clinching winner.
Although both
teams could well go through to the knockout stage, there is the chance of even
more drama to go with those matches. Zinedine Zidane's headbutt of Italy defender
Marco Materazzi at the World Cup final is still a
sore point between the teams.
"I can only
say that in order to avoid any controversies or venom between Italy and
France, those who are involved should rely on common sense," Donadoni said after Sunday's draw.
"We didn't
have an easy qualification and now we have a very difficult group. We were
unfortunate in the draw, but I had a gut feeling this morning that it would
turn out like this."
With the Netherlands
also in the group, it means three former European champions face each other and
there could even have been a fourth. Romania
was the other team drawn out at Lucerne's
Culture and Convention Center but it could easily have been three-time champion
Germany.
"I think
there are coaches who are happier today than the four here," said France coach Raymond Domenech,
whose team also faces Romania
in qualifying for World Cup 2010. "I would have preferred to avoid all of
the other three teams in the group, but that's what we got and we have to live
with it."
Marco van Basten, whose Dutch team is struggling for form and lost
2-1 to modest Belarus
in its last qualifying game, also said it was not the draw he wanted. His team
also finished behind Romania
in qualifying.
"A
very tough group.
Two World Cup finalists," he said of the Italians and French. "These
are great teams, great players, teams with a lot of
experience. It's going to be very difficult for us, we
have to play Italy first,
then France."
Italy and the Netherlands met in the Euro 2000
semifinals, with the Italians winning a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. The
French then beat the Italians 2-1 in the final after Italy led going into the final
minute.
The Dutch will
play both of its big rivals in Bern.
They face Italy on June 9
and France
four days later.
Defending
champion Greece has a far easier
task in Group D, starting its defense against Sweden
in Salzburg on June 10 before facing Russia and Spain in the same Austrian city.
At Euro 2004 in Portugal, the Greeks drew 1-1 with Spain and lost 2-1 to Russia in group play, but beat all
of its other opponents on the way to a surprise title triumph.
"It is
certainly not an easy group," said Greece coach Otto Rehhagel, the German who masterminded the team's 2004
triumph. "We must be careful against Sweden, which has one of the
world's best forwards in Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
"There's
always lots of talk before games. I am a man of action. The most important
thing is to have all players in good condition. As defending champions, we have
an obligation to do well in the tournament."
Co-host Switzerland, which plays all of its group games
in Basel, is in Group A with Turkey, Portugal
and the Czech Republic.
The Portuguese and the Czechs, who open the championship against the Swiss in Basel, will be strongly
favored to advance to the quarterfinals from this group.
Austria, the other co-host and making its debut,
is in Group B with three-time champion Germany,
Poland and Croatia, a
group which could pose security problems for organizers. The co-hosts are both
based at home.
Previous matches
between Germany and Poland have led to fan violence, while UEFA has
warned Croatia
it will be kicked out if there are any repeats of racist chanting and
misbehavior by its fans.
"I wouldn't
necessarily say that we had a lucky draw," Germany coach Joachim Loew said. "Austria will be playing with the
entire nation behind it, that shouldn't be underestimated. Croatia eliminated England
and how tough it is to play against Poland we found out at the World
Cup."
The tournament
begins on June 7 in Basel,
with the Swiss hosting the Czechs. The final is at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna
on June 29.