hahahaha ~ there comes my fave group ~ GROUP C <333

my prediction for the next round XD

Group A: Portugal, Czech Republic

Group B: Germany, Croatia

Group C: Holland, France

Group D: Greece, Spain

well the hardest gropu is def group c

be good to see what happens, but to have 4 times world champions Italy and current runners up France in the same group seems a little harsh..

however i really think that a team from group C will win the euro 2008.

we shall see.

forza azzurri..

we still have France messin around, we'll never get rid of them
Domenech will be happy

I, like many of you, think the seeding system is perhaps one of the most stupid ever. I know it's a UEFA competition, but the most reasonale thing to do in any case is to apply the current ranking table, instead of a pathetic coefficent (which only takes in consideration a limited number of results, and not real overall team ability over a period of time, which the FIFA ranking tries to do).

I can understand having Austria and Switzerland in the top seed, but (even if they got reasonable groups) wouldn't it have been more probable for them to get better groups had both teams been in different pots?

I just had a look at some betting odds, and (if these were ever to be 100% right), these would be the quarter finals:

POR - CRO
GER - CZE
ITA - GRE
SPA - FRA

The semis would only see the group A/B teams content for a place in the final, and the C/D teams content for a place in the final... which means one team from group A or B will be in the final, and one team from group C or D will be in the final. Which mean an ITALY-FRANCE final is impossible, or HOLLAND-SPAIN (or any other combination from A-B or C-D).

Why aren't the groups being "mixed" at QF and SF stages (which is what happens at World CUp level)? That would make ANY combination possible in the final.

I'd be happy to see an ITALY-FRANCE semi final (or maybe ITALY-SPAIN!) and a GERMANY-ITALY final!

Whats that about?

Group A: Portugal, Switzerland

Group B: Germany, Croatia

Group C: Holland, Italy

Group D: Spain, Russia

This is very realistic, hopefully it will be this way
I'd be sorry for Czech Republic tho

RAYMOND Domenech had been a fierce critic of the seeding system in the days leading up to the Euro 2008 finals draw, so it came as no surprise yesterday when the French coach described being grouped with Italy, the Netherlands and Romania as "madness".

Group C stood out from all the rest when the 16 teams were drawn into four sections for next summer's championship in Austria and Switzerland. The Italians are world champions, France were the World Cup finalists last year, the Netherlands were the top seeds for yesterday's proceedings, while stylish Romania came through their qualifying group three points ahead of the Dutch.

"I have to say the way the seedings are worked out is madness," said Domenech after a draw that was about as unkind as he could have feared. "Not to have Italy, as the world champions, in the first pot is crazy. I am not happy. Nothing I wanted has worked out."

UEFA had calculated the seedings on the basis of results in the qualification tournaments for the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008 and not taken into account performances in the World Cup finals themselves. That meant Domenech's men were among the four bottom seeds and suggested a Group of Death was always likely. Furthermore, the top seeds, for once, did not contain the strongest teams because three of the four spaces were reserved for joint hosts Austria and Switzerland and reigning European champions Greece.

While the French at least have good memories of playing Italy in the European Championship - they beat the Italians in the final of Euro 2000 in the Netherlands and Belgium to win the tournament for the second time - Les Bleus are still smarting from losing to the Azzurri in Berlin at the 2006 World Cup final. Italy also finished above France in the recent qualifying section for Euro 2008 in a group that included Scotland.

"We would love to have avoided the three other teams but now we've got it we'll have to deal with it," continued Domenech, before also lamenting the fact that the Group C fixtures will be played in Switzerland rather than Austria.

The French play Romania in Zurich, the Netherlands in Berne and finish up back in Zurich on 17 June. "I would also preferred to have played in Austria and not Switzerland because we would have been hassled less," explained Domenech."

Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier, now France's technical director, was disappointed but bullish. "We'll have to be very good from the first game and it may all come down to the one against Italy," he said. "I think Italy will be eliminated because the Netherlands will be better."

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni, whose side needed a win over Scotland last month to secure their place at Euro 2008, told reporters at Lucerne's Congress and Culture Centre that he was disappointed to be in another tough section.

"We didn't have an easy qualification group and we haven't been lucky here either," he said. "I had a gut feeling on the way here it would turn out like this."

The Netherlands, European champions in 1988, also had bad luck in the draw for the 2006 World Cup finals, where they came through a group featuring Argentina and Serbia & Montenegro. Dutch coach Marco van Basten said: "At the last World Cup we were already in the 'group of death'. I don't know what we're going to call this one. But I think everything went normally and legally in the draw so what can you say?"

Agreed:P

The practice of two host countries to be placed into the first pot results in all these problems Domenech is complaining of - and also in considerable lowering of the level of the event on the whole if these two are on the level of Switzerland (to a much lesser extent) and Austria. The same may happen in 2012 (in case of deepening of Ukraine's crisis).

Not true

For this draw didn't matter who was top seeded because too many top teams were spread in all four pots.

You could have seen the pots this way:

POT 1 : top seeded
Romania Portugal Germany Spain
POT 2
Italy Croatia Czech Republic Sweden
Pot 3
Russia France Poland Turkey
Pot 4
Austria Switzerland Greece Netherlands

and still it would have been crap even tho 3 top teams would be top seeded

So at end the problem has been the criteria used to decide the pots, not who was top seeded.

[quote="Italianduke"]
So at end the problem has been the criteria used to decide the pots, not who was top seeded.[/quote]

It is not easy to develop such criteria, since "a top team" is not an objective term, and it is rather difficult to express it in figures or otherwise formalise it in the form applicable to seeding. Who doubts that, say, Spain is a top team - but in terms of pure statistics they would never be considered as such.

I think the fair would be:

Pot 1: Switzerland, Austria, Germany (biggest winner of Euro, 3 times) and Italy (world champions)
Pot 2: Spain (good record and won Euro once), France (second biggest winner of Euro, twice), Portugal (finalist in last edition) and Netherlands (UEFA tournaments record and also former champion)
Pot 3: Czech, Greece, Sweden and Croatia
Pot 4: Russia, Poland, Turkey and Romania

i no the greeks woud complain about being so lowered seeded, but, cmon, what have they ever achieved apart the last Euro?

Of the draw, i'd like to see the following qualified:

Czech Republic
Switzerland

Germany
Croatia

Netherlands
Romania

Spain
Greece/Sweden


I'd guess at it ending up as:

Portugal
Turkey

Germany
Croatia

Italy
France

Greece
Sweden

If we were to go by UEFA rankings, the pots should've been:

Italy Spain Germany Czech Republic
France Portugal Netherlands Croatia
Greece Romania Turkey Russia
Poland Sweden Switzerland Austria

To be honest, that looks okay to me. I think it's quite fair. Two tough teams in each group, and mainly weaker teams left over in ALL groups. And, no, I'm not trying to offend and am not discrediting any of the teams from the lower ranking positions. It's the figures that speak for themselves.

So, we want to help the host nations? Then do this...

Switzerland Austria Italy Spain
Germany Czech Republic France Portugal
Netherlands Croatia Greece Romania
Turkey Russia Poland Sweden

I can't see it helping them much, though. However, using this method, we already risk very tough groups (because the Netherlands end up in the third pot, when they are clearly worth much more than that, as do Croatia).

I can't understand Greece being put in the top group, though. If you wanted to give them any credit for winning the previous edition, they should've qualified automatically, otherwise the rule of "coefficiency" should've been applied to them, also.

Then from the quarter finals, I would've:

QF1 winner A vs runnerup B
QF2 winner B vs runnerup A
QF3 winner C vs runnerup D
QF4 winner D vs runnerup C

SF1 winner QF1 vs winner QF3
SF2 winner QF2 vs winner QF4

That way, the groups are really mixed when it comes to the advanced stages of the tournament, meaning that ANY final is possible.

Anyone agree?

I agree that the 2 blocks from quarters to semifinals aren't good.

I would have done

1)WA vs RC
2)WC vs RA
3)WB vs RD
4)VD vs RB

ad then 1vs2 and 3vs4

Well im a Pole, just to get it out of the wat

And mark my words Poland will avenge your misfortune at wembley, hope youz cheer for the Poles !!!

I think its great we made it in considering we have a mediocre squad of individuals... But in Leo Beenhakker we got a coach that puts a high emphasis on playing as a team and he has really performed a miracle here in helping Poland make it in.

But now that the 'miracle' is forgotten Leo has said we arn't in it to make the numbers and hopefully we can ruffle some feathers. The Germany game will be massive and i am really looking forward to it. I just hope we win so that those two traitors Klose and Podolski will burn!!!!

So who will make it through:

Group A: Portugal, Czech Republic

Group B: Poland, Germany

Group C: Holland, Italy

Group D: Spain, Sweden

Early winner prediction for me is Holland. with Poland picking up tha bronze (dreams)

Heres the up-to-date fixtures....

1 07/06 Grp A Switzerland 18:00 Czech Republic Basel
2 07/06 Grp A Portugal 20:45 Turkey Geneva
3 08/06 Grp B Austria 18:00 Croatia Vienna
4 08/06 Grp B Germany 20:45 Poland Klagenfurt
5 09/06 Grp C Romania 18:00 France Zurich
6 09/06 Grp C Netherlands 20:45 Italy Berne
7 10/06 Grp D Spain 18:00 Russia Innsbruck
8 10/06 Grp D Greece 20:45 Sweden Salzburg
9 11/06 Grp A Czech Republic 18:00 Portugal Geneva
10 11/06 Grp A Switzerland 20:45 Turkey Basel
11 12/06 Grp B Croatia 18:00 Germany Klagenfurt
12 12/06 Grp B Austria 20:45 Poland Vienna
13 13/06 Grp C Italy 18:00 Romania Zurich
14 13/06 Grp C Netherlands 20:45 France Berne
15 14/06 Grp D Sweden 18:00 Spain Innsbruck
16 14/06 Grp D Greece 20:45 Russia Salzburg
17 15/06 Grp A Switzerland 20:45 Portugal Basel
18 15/06 Grp A Turkey 20:45 Czech Republic Geneva
19 16/06 Grp B Poland 20:45 Croatia Klagenfurt
20 16/06 Grp B Austria 20:45 Germany Vienna
21 17/06 Grp C Netherlands 20:45 Romania Berne
22 17/06 Grp C France 20:45 Italy Zurich
23 18/06 Grp D Greece 20:45 Spain Salzburg
24 18/06 Grp D Russia 20:45 Sweden Innsbruck
25 19/06 QF Winner Grp A 20:45 Runner-up Grp B Basel
26 20/06 QF Winner Grp B 20:45 Runner-up Grp A Vienna
27 21/06 QF Winner Grp C 20:45 Runner-up Grp D Basel
28 22/06 QF Winner Grp D 20:45 Runner-up Grp C Vienna
29 25/06 SF Winner #25 20:45 Winner #26 Basel
30 26/06 SF Winner #27 20:45 Winner #28 Vienna
31 29/06 F Winner #29 20:45 Winner #30 Vienna

This is bizarre. 8, 16 and 23 are actually my three lucky numbers (or at least the ones most prominent in my life). I don't really believe in these things, but if we end up qualifying from our group i may be forced to re-examine my beliefs.

Group A: Portugal, Turkey

Group B: Germany, Croatia

Group C: France, Italy

Group D: Spain, Greece