Berlin: The Euro 2020 finalists will meet again in the qualifiers for Euro 2024, as defending champions Italy have been pitted in the same group with England in Sunday’s draw.
After beating England in a penalty shootout in the Euro 2020 final last year, Italy failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after a shock defeat in their qualifying playoff against North Macedonia. The reigning European champions have been drawn in qualifying Group C with England, Ukraine, North Macedonia and Malta for Euro 2024.
“I knew that we would get either England or France, but it’s OK. It’s a decent five-team group, no easy matches, all ones we can have a go at,” said Italy head coach Roberto Mancini. The other big clash is in Group B as reigning world champions France will face the Netherlands, Ireland, Greece and Gibraltar.
Euro 2024 finals will feature 24 teams including host nation Germany, who qualify automatically. 53 UEFA member teams have been allocated into 10 qualifying groups, with the top two teams in each group getting direct qualifications for Euro 2024. The remaining three teams will be decided through a series of playoffs.
Every team in a group will play each other twice, with the top two in each section qualifying automatically for the finals alongside hosts Germany. That’s 21 of the 24 finals places taken care of, with a further three filled via the play-offs.
Three of the 24 places in Euro 2024 will be determined by play-off spots via the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League, as per the regulations.
Twelve teams will be selected based on their performance in the 2022/23 Nations League — nominally the group winners of Leagues A, B and C, but if they have already qualified, they will be replaced by the next best-ranked team in their league. If there are not enough non-qualified teams in the same league, then it filters down to the next league, finishing with League D.
UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying groups:
Group A: Spain, Scotland, Norway, Georgia, Cyprus;
Group B: Netherlands, France, Republic of Ireland, Greece, Gibraltar;
Group C: Italy, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Malta;
Group D: Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Türkiye, Latvia;
Group E: Poland, Czechia, Albania, Faroe Islands, Moldova;
Group F: Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Estonia;
Group G: Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Lithuania;
Group H: Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland, San Marino;
Group I: Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kosovo, Belarus, Andorra;
Group J: Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Liechtenstein.
–IANS