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BREAKING NEWS: The UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying draw is out

UEFA EURO 2016

UEFA EURO 2016

The UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying draw took place at the Palais des Congrès Acroprolis, Nice moments ago.

A total of record 53 national teams will compete in the qualifiers for the continental championship to be hosted by France.

Presented by UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino and former EURO winners Ruud Gullit and Bixente Lizarazu, the draw was carried out by 13 goalkeeping greats, including ex-French international and UEFA EURO 2000 champion Fabien Barthez, who brought the Henri Delaunay Cup on stage inside the convention centre.

The qualifiers will kick-off in September 2014.

Meanwhile, UEFA have decided to hand France a “wild card” in the qualifiers as host nations regularly struggle to arrange friendly matches. France will face the teams from Group I on qualifying matchdays, while the matches involving the Les Bleus won’t count towards qualification.

UEFA EURO 2016 | QUALIFYING GROUPS

Group A
Netherlands, Turkey, Iceland, Czech Republic, Latvia, Kazakhstan

Group B
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, Cyprus, Belgium, Wales, Andorra

Group C
Spain, Slovakia, FYR Macedonia, Ukraine, Belarus, Luxembourg

Group D
Germany, Poland, Georgia, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Gibraltar

Group E
England, Slovenia, Lithuania, Switzerland, Estonia, San Marino

Group F
Greece, Romania, Northern Ireland, Hungary, Finland, Faroe Islands

Group G
Russia, Austria, Moldova, Sweden, Montenegro, Liechtenstein

Group H
Italy, Norway, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Bulgaria, Malta

Group I
Portugal, Serbia, Albania, Denmark, Armenia