FRANCK FIFE / AFP
This Sunday, October 9, France will join the Netherlands in Group B after qualifying for the European Championship 2024. (Photo: French coach Didier Deschamps in Copenhagen, September 25, 2022.)
FOOT- A rather tricky draw. France, World champion in title, this Sunday, October 9, inherited from the Netherlands, Ireland and Greece in its group of qualifiers for Euro-2024, scheduled from March to November 2023.
Deprived of seeded status after the recent underperformance in Nations League, the French team was paid in Group B of the qualifiers for the draw. The same lot was reserved for The Netherlands van Virgil van Dijk and Memphis Depay, against whom the Blues faced in 2017 in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup and then the League of Nations in 2018, and that Ireland and Greece.
Undoubtedly the duel against the “Orange”, seeking a trophy since Euro 1988, will be the culmination of Kylian Mbappé’s partners’ qualifying course. As for the encounter against Ireland, it will inevitably bring back the memory of the 2010 World Cup qualifying barrage, tainted by the hand of Thierry Henry who had a lot of talk. Since then, the Blues have challenged the Irish twice, for two wins.
Bad luck for England
“It’s a pretty dense group, a group of value”said coach Didier Deschamps at the microphone of the L’Equipe channel. “We will have to win as usual and be better than our opponents.” However, it is not certain that the coach is still in charge of the Blues for a 5th qualifying stage of a great competition. Much will depend on their performance in Qatar as his contract expires in December after 10½ years in charge.
If the two qualifiers seem affordable in the meantime, the first place won’t be as easy to get, according to the site Foot Mercato. England had an even tougher draw and were dropped into the group of Italy, Ukraine, North Macedonia and Malta.
UEFA announced on Friday, October 7, that the final of the European Championship 2024 will be played in Berlin on July 14, 2024, while the opening match will take place in Munich on June 14, 2024.
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