Euro 2008: Italy, France, Dutch in same group

Spanish tenor Jose Carreras performs during the draw for the final round of the Euro 2008 in Lucerne.

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Lucerne (Switzerland): World Cup champion Italy were drawn on Sunday with France, the Netherlands and Romania in what appears to be the most difficult group for the 2008 European Championship.

Italy defeated France on penalty kicks in last year's World Cup final, then played the French twice in European Championship qualifying, losing 3-1 at Saint-Denis and drawing 0-0 in Milan. Group C will be based in Switzerland, and Italy and France will meet in their final first-round match, on June 17 in Zurich.

"We didn't have an easy qualification and now we have a very difficult group," Italy coach Roberto Donadoni said. "We were unfortunate in the draw, but I had a gut feeling this morning that it would turn out like this."

Italy and the Netherlands met in the Euro 2000 semi-finals, with the Italians winning a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. Italy went on to lose to France in the final.

France, whobeat the Dutch team in a shootout after a 0-0 draw in the 1996 quarter-finals, must also meet Romania in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"I think there are coaches who are happier today than the four here (in Group C)," France coach Raymond Domenech said. "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."

The Netherlands coach Marco van Basten, whose team is struggling for form, also said it was not the draw he wanted.

"A very tough group. Two World Cup finalists," he said. "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."

Defending champion Greece were drawn into Group D with Russia, Spain and Sweden, a group based in Austria.

At Euro 2004 in Portugal, the Greeks drew 1-1 with Spain and lost 2-1 to Russia in group play, but beat all their other opponents on the way to a surprise title triumph.

"It is certainly not an easy group," Greece coach Otto Rehhagel said. "We must be careful against Sweden, who have 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."

Spain, who have only ever won the 1964 European Championship when they hosted the event, are also in a difficult group, according to their veteran coach Luis Aragones.