Seems any country with a team that’s at least half decent got a good draw.
No France?
They are hosts
Gibraltar?
That’s new.
The qualification will become a bore as 23 teams of the 53 can qualify.
Stupid! 16 was the perfect number for the EC.
[quote=“Phil H, post:2182, topic:527”]They are hosts[/quote]Ah right, I thought they had the one after 
24 teams is too much for a European tournament, 16 was okay.
We get a modus with ‘best thirds’ making it to the second round in France; this system was poison to the World Cup tournaments in which it was used (1986-1994) with 16 (!) teams out of 24 qualifying for the next round. Ridiculous.
Can’t understand the Gibraltar thing, it seems that any corner in europe has a team these days, anyway there are so many countries in europe now that for only 16 teams to classify, groups would had to be huge.
Not an easy group for us, Servia (and it means we will be playing agaisnt benfica, cause there are so many serbians players there) and Dinamarc are not easy teams. The Danish have won the trophy, and Serbia is a football country, also playing in Albania and Armenia not easy.
Apart from that we (and the other teams of the group) have to play with France as if they were part of the group, but those matches won’t count for nothing, only for training, how stupid can it get.
[quote=“Phil H, post:2180, topic:527”]World Cup finals not quite with us and we’re already looking towards the Euros.
Draw just finished and they are:
A: Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Iceland, Latvia, Turkey, Czech Republic
B: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Andorra, Cyprus, Wales, Israel, Belgium
C: Spain, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Belarus, Slovakia, Ukraine
D: Germany, Gibraltar, Georgia, Scotland, Poland, Republic of Ireland
E: England, San Marino, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Switzerland
F: Greece, Faroe Islands, Northern Ireland, Finland, Romania, Hungary
G: Russia, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, Austria, Sweden
H: Italy, Malta, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Norway, Croatia
I: Portugal, Albania, Armenia, Serbia, Denmark[/quote]
@ El Topo - Group I seems to be the strongest indeed, group F the weakest (even a bit laughable)
But what is the qualification modus: first two qualified for France, numbers three having playing-offs? In that case even group I looks feasible, it will be quite difficult to end in fourth position …
Not sure if in Group I the third can go to the Play-offs Sherp, its only a five teams group (France doesn’t count), and there’s nine groups, so there’s one team that it won’t classify to the play-offs (maybe the worst third I don’t know), but yes fourth place is impossible for any football nation, on these groups.
Why not group B?
Strongest or weakest?
Both Belgium and Bosnia-Herzegovina play in it, so it’s not the weakest
Neither of the other teams played in a great tounament (World Cup, EURO) in recent memory, so it’s not the strongest either
I wonder how Gibraltar will do. Honestly I didn’t know they had a national team, or even played football overthere 
Weakest of course
Looks good for Slovenia. Hope they will make it.
If they don’t make it to this tournament, national teams had better go looking for another sport.
My idea: skip the qualifications and play the tournament next time with all 54 nations. Start the tournament in January and end it somewhere in July. Midweek games, so the likes of Barcelona, Bayern and Real (all others are out by the time we reach the final stages) can play each other for the Champion’s League. A small tournament in June/July with this three teams (plus a fourth, yet to qualify, would be a team like ManuU, Chelsea, Dortmund or Paris SG I guess), then a similar tournament with, let’s say, Spain, Germany, Holland + a fourth team for the European title. Would be 2-3 weeks of top football.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Indeed, I just hope Slovenia can kick some ass and win two or three games.
They don’t, they have to play in Portugal in the Algarve stadium
Well. Look at it this way Phil - at least you won’t get your head stuffed down the toilet when you visit Bradford in two weeks time 
“Well. Look at it this way Phil - at least you won’t get your head stuffed down the toilet when you visit Bradford in two weeks time :D”
There is no bright side, Rev. I’d have gladly taken my chances in any Bradford toilet for a bit of joy at Brisbane Rd on Saturday. Sadly, it seems we have lost our mojo at just the wrong time. If anyone wants me I’ll be in a small dark room whimpering.
Yeah, I think the opportunity for automatic promotion has (probably) gone now, but I still think the O’s are a good bet to go up, albeit via the pain-in-the-arse way. Still, bright side: Doing it the long way round means a day out at Wembley, and a trophy.