Draw for the qualifying stages of Euro 2004 on Friday

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Draw for Euro 2004 on Friday at around 11. This gives the background info Euro 2004 According to the BBC website The seedings have been based on performances in qualifying for Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup. All this does not add up - by my calculations - England should have been in the first tier - ahead of The Czech Republic (failed to qualify world cup), Romania (failed to qualify world cup), and England are certainly superior to Belgium (Belgium finished second in their world cup qualifying group, and did not have to qualify for 2000) and Turkey (Turkey finished second in their world cup qualifying group) ! Reminder England won their world cup group ! Can someone explain to me why England are not in the top 10 seeds ! Also in the FIFA World rankings Belgium and Turkey are both below England. Belgium also did not have to qualify last time round for 2000 as co-hosts, and in the World Cup group they finished second to Croatia - who are in the second tier along with England. It just does not make sense ! what are Belgium doing in the first tier ! The Czech Republic and Romania are also in the top seeded pot - and both failed to qualify for the World Cup ! England qualified for both Euro 2000 and World cup 2002 ! [So unless the BBC website is wrong with the criteria- then a big mess up has happened with the seeding] Summary UEFA have mucked up, and the gutless/disorganised English FA have let them get away it ! They should have protested! Anyway it will interesting to see how the draw ends up. On a side note I hope that Wales end up with a fair draw, because after 8 years in decline, [since 1994 when they just failed to qualify for the World Cup] - I think Wales will improve over the next few years, particularly with young players such as Craig Bellamy, Matt Jones and Simon Davies coming through. I hope that a draw like this comes up for Wales: Belgium
Slovenia
Hungary
Wales
Liechenstein

― DJ Martian, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Reminder draw happems at 11am GMT.

― DJ Martian, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

it was all explained this morning on Radio5, unfortunately I was only half awake and didn't quite take it in. I know the Czech republic were undefeated in one of their recent qualifying tournaments so that would explain their presence, Belgium, however is just plain odd.

― chris, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

here comes the draw..........

― chris, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Scotland get the Cod War group with Iceland, the Faroes, Lithuania and Germany, Tough group.

England have a decentish group, Turkey being the big problem, Slovakia dark horses and Macedonia and Liechtenstein being straightforward.

Goodnight Wales, can't see themm getting past Yugoslavia and Italy, with Finland being tricky too.

Ronan's boys get Russia and Switzerland, which could be tricky alongside Georgia and Albania.

Other highlights = Denmark vs Norway and France having another easy group, is there no justice?

― chris, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

For more information see BBC Sport - with the draw details

― DJ Martian, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Scotland v Germany will be great.Hopefully we'll win 5-1 and get to see the goals endlessly repeated. Or is that just the case when England win ; ) ?

― Jonnie, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Donn't feel too pissed off about France's easy group. Previous winners didn't even have to qualify.

― Pete, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes they did!

― Jonnie, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Scotland v Germany will be great.Hopefully we'll win 5-1 and get to see the goals endlessly repeated. Or is that just the case when England win ; ) ?

Oh, I dunno - I've seen that Archie Gemmill strike vs Holland a fair few times over the years despite the fact that [a] it was a very good, but not great goal (i.e. gets featured in Great World Cup Goals run-down with Maradona, Carlos Alberto, Haan, Bergkamp, and looks a bit daft in that company) and [b] it was essentially meaningless - effectively wiped out as soon as Rep hit Holland's second (within 5 minutes or so?) to put Scotland out. And didn't Scotland need to win by three clear goals anyway?

Actually, I quite like this aspect of the Gemmill goal - it didn't win anything, it merely proffered the possibility of rescuing a miserable WC campaign and then only for a few short minutes. A bit like Sammy McIlroy's equaliser in the 1979 Cup Final - something impossible is happening, despair has turned to joy, but it will all be extinguished in 60 seconds' time.

I think the 5-1 vs Germany will fade over the years, as it's either eclipsed by events in the summer (unlikely) or rendered similarly meaningless by England's failure to make much of their WC qualification. See: declining status of 4-1 vs Holland in Euro96.

― Michael Jones, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Previous winners didn't even have to qualify.

Only the hosts have ever been exempt from Euro qualification, Pete. I think they're changing the holders-qualify-automatically rule in the WC though.

― Michael Jones, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Our group is a little tough and we have something of a hex with the European Championships but having said that after every draw my friends criticise me for saying "we'll never get out of that group". I mean come on! Holland and Portugal? I was never to know.

― Ronan, Friday, 25 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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