World champions face tough task in Euro finals

World champions Italy face a tough task if they are to add the European soccer title to their world crown after being grouped with the Netherlands, France and Romania in the finals of Euro 2008.

Today's draw was not kind to the co-hosts either with Switzerland facing the Czech Republic, Portugal and Turkey in their group while Austria meet Croatia, Germany and Poland.

Holders Greece kick off the defence of their title against Sweden and also face Spain and Russia.

Switzerland open the tournament against the Czechs in Basel on June 7 with the final taking place in Vienna on June 29.

Italy, who beat France on penalties to win the World Cup final in Berlin last year and also faced France in the qualifying competition, will meet them again in their last Group C match in Zurich on June 17.

Italy and France have met three times in the Euro finals – with France winning twice, including the 2000 final in Rotterdam which they won 2-1, with one match drawn.

Italy last won the European title in 1968 when they hosted a four-team finals.

The group will see at least one major title hopeful eliminated as it also contains the Netherlands and Romania who met each other in the qualifying round.

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni told reporters at Lucerne's Congress and Culture Centre: "We didn't have an easy qualification group and we haven't been lucky here either. I had a gut feeling on the way here it would turn out like this."

France coach Raymond Domenech was extremely unhappy at the outcome.

"I have to say the way the seedings are worked out is madness. Not to have Italy, as the world champions, in the first pot is crazy. I would have also preferred to have played in Austria and not Switzerland because we would have been hassled less. I am not happy, nothing I wanted has worked out.

"We would love to have avoided the three other teams but now we've got it we'll have to deal with it."

After meeting the Czech Republic, Switzerland face Turkey on June 11 in Basel, a game that recalls an ugly incident two years ago when Turkish and Swiss players were involved in a brawl at the end of a World Cup playoff in Istanbul, leading to severe sanctions for both sides.

Switzerland coach Koebi Kuhn said: "There is no problem between Switzerland and Turkey. Too many people have been fixating on things that should have been long forgotten. I think we will see a fair game with no spectator problems."

Fatih Terim, the Turkish coach added: "I think it's a very competitive group, a really serious group. What happened on the pitch (in Istanbul) remains on the pitch. "

Fellow hosts Austria, taking part in the Euro finals for the first time, will meet highly-fancied Croatia in their opening match in Vienna on June 8 and then face Poland in Vienna on June 12 before a match against old rivals and three-times European champions Germany on June 16.

The two countries have met 10 times in the finals of either the European championship or World Cup with Germany's eight victories including, as West Germany, an infamous 1-0 win in the 1982 World Cup in Spain – a scoreline which allowed both to advance at the expense of Algeria.

Germany will play two matches in Klagenfurt, with thousands of their fans descending on the smallest of the eight venues.

The Germany v Poland match there on June 8 will prompt organisers to review security arrangements due to possible trouble between rival fans.

Champions Greece start against Sweden in Salzburg on June 10, play Russia there four days later and Spain in the same venue on June 18.

Their group is almost a replica of Group A in Portugal in 2004 when Greece, Spain and Russia were drawn together along with Portugal.

Source: stuff.co.nz