Euro 2016 draws: Conte cautious as Italy handed difficult draw
Belgium, Sweden, Ireland pitted together in Group E along with the Azzurri.
A total of 24 teams, divided in six groups, will vie for silverware in France when the Euros kick off in June next year. PHOTO: AFP
MILAN:
Italy coach Antonio Conte said his side won’t expect an easy ride at next summer’s Euro 2016 in France after being drawn in Group B with Belgium, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.
Four years after losing 4-0 to Spain in the final, the Azzurri will face Belgium in Lyon on June 13, before taking on Sweden four days later in Toulouse and Ireland on June 22 in Lille.
Conte saw his side overcome a few ups and downs to secure qualification with a game to spare, but the Italian — who succeeded Cesare Prandelli after last summer’s disastrous World Cup — already sees trouble ahead.
“Belgium are an excellent team, I think they will be among the favourites for the final stages,” said Conte, whose side lost 3-1 to Marc Wilmots’ men in Brussels last month.
Italy fans will also remember the last time they came up against Sweden in the tournament.
It was 2004 and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic hit an 85th minute equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw and rob the Azzurri of a possible three points in their penultimate group game.
Despite a subsequent 2-1 win over Bulgaria, Italy were left third in Group C and on their way home as Sweden and Denmark, who drew their final game 2-2, advanced due to a better head-to-head record.
“We all know about the strength of Zlatan and have to be extremely wary,” said Conte.
Hodgson happy to avoid ‘familiar faces’
England coach Roy Hodgson welcomed Saturday’s draw for Euro 2016 made in Paris that threw up three unfamiliar opponents for the much-travelled Three Lions boss.
England, who have twice reached the semi-finals of the European Championship in 1968 and 1996, were placed in Group B alongside Russia, Slovakia and fellow home nation Wales.
“Despite having coached over 100 matches at this level with three teams [Finland, Switzerland and England], I have never come up against Russia, Slovakia or Wales,” said Hodgson. “I’m looking forward to having new acquaintances. I’m quite happy not to be coming up against the same faces, which has happened to me in qualifications.”
Undoubtedly, the group’s standout fixture is England’s June 16 clash with tournament debutants Wales in the northern French city of Lens.
Wales coach Chris Coleman had previously admitted he would prefer not to be placed in the same group as England, citing fears that a ‘Battle of Britain’ could act as a distraction, but remained confident his players would rise to the challenge.
“It was more to do with the hype surrounding the game. There are three games to play and we can’t get caught up with just playing England,” Coleman explained. “We’ve been waiting for this moment and whatever group we were in, and I’m not being flippant, I think we can beat any team on our day.”
Deschamps singles out Swiss as main group rivals
France coach Didier Deschamps singled out Switzerland as the Euro 2016 host nation’s main rivals in Group A after the draw for next year’s finals was made in Paris on Saturday.
Deschamps, who captained Les Bleus to the 1998 World Cup before lifting the European Championship trophy two years later, saw his side drawn alongside neighbours Switzerland, Romania and newcomers Albania as they target a third European crown.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2015.
Italy coach Antonio Conte said his side won’t expect an easy ride at next summer’s Euro 2016 in France after being drawn in Group B with Belgium, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.
Four years after losing 4-0 to Spain in the final, the Azzurri will face Belgium in Lyon on June 13, before taking on Sweden four days later in Toulouse and Ireland on June 22 in Lille.
Conte saw his side overcome a few ups and downs to secure qualification with a game to spare, but the Italian — who succeeded Cesare Prandelli after last summer’s disastrous World Cup — already sees trouble ahead.
“Belgium are an excellent team, I think they will be among the favourites for the final stages,” said Conte, whose side lost 3-1 to Marc Wilmots’ men in Brussels last month.
Italy fans will also remember the last time they came up against Sweden in the tournament.
It was 2004 and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic hit an 85th minute equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw and rob the Azzurri of a possible three points in their penultimate group game.
Despite a subsequent 2-1 win over Bulgaria, Italy were left third in Group C and on their way home as Sweden and Denmark, who drew their final game 2-2, advanced due to a better head-to-head record.
“We all know about the strength of Zlatan and have to be extremely wary,” said Conte.
Hodgson happy to avoid ‘familiar faces’
England coach Roy Hodgson welcomed Saturday’s draw for Euro 2016 made in Paris that threw up three unfamiliar opponents for the much-travelled Three Lions boss.
England, who have twice reached the semi-finals of the European Championship in 1968 and 1996, were placed in Group B alongside Russia, Slovakia and fellow home nation Wales.
“Despite having coached over 100 matches at this level with three teams [Finland, Switzerland and England], I have never come up against Russia, Slovakia or Wales,” said Hodgson. “I’m looking forward to having new acquaintances. I’m quite happy not to be coming up against the same faces, which has happened to me in qualifications.”
Undoubtedly, the group’s standout fixture is England’s June 16 clash with tournament debutants Wales in the northern French city of Lens.
Wales coach Chris Coleman had previously admitted he would prefer not to be placed in the same group as England, citing fears that a ‘Battle of Britain’ could act as a distraction, but remained confident his players would rise to the challenge.
“It was more to do with the hype surrounding the game. There are three games to play and we can’t get caught up with just playing England,” Coleman explained. “We’ve been waiting for this moment and whatever group we were in, and I’m not being flippant, I think we can beat any team on our day.”
Deschamps singles out Swiss as main group rivals
France coach Didier Deschamps singled out Switzerland as the Euro 2016 host nation’s main rivals in Group A after the draw for next year’s finals was made in Paris on Saturday.
Deschamps, who captained Les Bleus to the 1998 World Cup before lifting the European Championship trophy two years later, saw his side drawn alongside neighbours Switzerland, Romania and newcomers Albania as they target a third European crown.
“The objective is to finish first in the group. Switzerland are a good team and are the strongest opposition in this group without meaning to offend the other two teams,” said Deschamps.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2015.