Euro 2016 pots (draw on December 12th)

Rooney in Paris

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After the playoffs, we now have all the teams at the Euros next summer and their pots:



For those that can't see the image:

• Hosts France take position one in Group A so will not be involved in the draw, meaning Pot 1 will have five teams allocated to the remaining groups. The other three pots have six teams each, with one side from each pot allotted to all six groups.

Pot 1: Spain (holders), Germany, England, Portugal, Belgium

Pot 2: Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Ukraine*

Pot 3: Czech Republic, Sweden*, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary*

Pot 4: Turkey, Republic of Ireland*, Iceland, Wales, Albania, Northern Ireland
 

sewey89

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Best Case For England:

Switzerland, Romania, Albania

Worst Case For England IMO:

Italy, Sweden, Wales*/Turkey

*I think they'd be right up for it and if Bale turned up, I think he'd destroy England.
 

saivet

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How good are Austria? Heard good things about them..
 

Angelinho

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With just 8 of the 24 teams being eliminated at the group stage, the draw should hold few fears for England.
 

Balu

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How good are Austria? Heard good things about them..
They have a great generation in my opinion. They easily dominated their group while Alaba was injured, so I expect them to be even stronger at the Euros with him fit and back at his best. I don't think they're good enough to reach the semifinals, but I could see them upsetting one of the big nations and maybe reach the quarterfinals if everything goes well.
 

Scarecrow

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So what's the draw based on then? Neither UEFA nor FIFA rankings by the looks of it.

Edit: UEFA rankings. I've been looking at the one with the coefficients for the club competitions.
 

Kasper

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Best Case For England:

Switzerland, Romania, Albania

Worst Case For England IMO:

Italy, Sweden, Wales*/Turkey

*I think they'd be right up for it and if Bale turned up, I think he'd destroy England.
Poland is better than Sweden and I'd see Iceland as a harder opponent than Wales/Turkey given how they played in the qualifies.
So England/Italy/Poland/Iceland would be my group of death.

Agreed with your best case tho
 

Scarecrow

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Surely you'd prefer Hungary to Romania? The latter haven't lost an official game in the last two years, plus finished 4 points above Hungary in their qualifying group.
 

Zebs

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England, Ukraine and Romania please.(For Ireland)
 

The Purist

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Hoping Ireland get Belgium, Austria and Hungary to give us a chance of going through.

Or maybe we should take Germany from Pot 1 just to eliminate one of the favourites early...
 

ctp

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Hoping Ireland get Belgium, Austria and Hungary to give us a chance of going through.

Or maybe we should take Germany from Pot 1 just to eliminate one of the favourites early...
Austria have a strong side, I consider them the second best team in pot 2, behind only Italy.
 

The Purist

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Austria have a strong side, I consider them the second best team in pot 2, behind only Italy.
We'll have to agree to disagree on that one. I'd equally take Switzerland, though.
 

Arruda

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Exactly same format as World Cup 1994, the first major competition I saw attentively.
 

Snow

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Hoping for a Pot A draw. Would be nice to play the hosts. Not be drawn into a group with the Czech Republic because that would be boring. I like the locations in Group E. Anything with Nice would be nice.
 

Rooney in Paris

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Hoping for a Pot A draw. Would be nice to play the hosts. Not be drawn into a group with the Czech Republic because that would be boring. I like the locations in Group E. Anything with Nice would be nice.
Nice stadium as well. Marseille will be cool, new Vélodrome is insane. And Bordeaux's stadium is nice as well and it's probably the best location.
 

Snow

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Nice stadium as well. Marseille will be cool, new Vélodrome is insane. And Bordeaux's stadium is nice as well and it's probably the best location.
Spent two weeks in Southern France last year. Would like to spend some time there next year as well.

Are the spots themselves random or will the opener be between France and a team from Pot 2?
 

Rooney in Paris

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Spent two weeks in Southern France last year. Would like to spend some time there next year as well.

Are the spots themselves random or will the opener be between France and a team from Pot 2?
I seem to recall the spots are random, could be against a team of pot 3 or 4.

You'd like a France/Iceland opener wouldn't you? :D
 

Sarni

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I don't want to get Turkey, all other teams from pot 4 are considerably weaker than us. In pot 2 all teams would be tricky but beatable (Italy included, lost to Costa Rica at the World Cup and aren't in very good shape). Don't want Spain, France and Germany from pot 1, would actually be pleased with Portugal.

That said we got the easiest group possible at Euro which we hosted and still finished bottom, at home to Greece, Czech Republic and Russia.

We'll be the team to avoid in pot 3, won't we?
 

JamesB__

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International tournaments are ace, love them!

Can't wait for this, great nation to host it in too.
 

Snow

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I seem to recall the spots are random, could be against a team of pot 3 or 4.

You'd like a France/Iceland opener wouldn't you? :D
Of course. The biggest match Iceland could get in the group stages would be against France in Stade de France. The group is is a bit tricky though. 1 game way up north, one in the capital and then half the teams play way down south. Not the best for traveling fans who want to see 2 or more games.
 

Gio

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I don't want to get Turkey, all other teams from pot 4 are considerably weaker than us. In pot 2 all teams would be tricky but beatable (Italy included, lost to Costa Rica at the World Cup and aren't in very good shape). Don't want Spain, France and Germany from pot 1, would actually be pleased with Portugal.

That said we got the easiest group possible at Euro which we hosted and still finished bottom, at home to Greece, Czech Republic and Russia.

We'll be the team to avoid in pot 3, won't we?
Definitely.
 

dead joe

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No Netherlands just doesn't feel right.

I look forward to seeing how the likes of Iceland, Wales and Northern Ireland fare in this though.

I think France stand a good chance despite the off-field issues, as most European teams are in reconstruction. Spain and Germany are the only two real scarecrows here.
It looks like the perfect year for a dark horse, too. Most Pot 2 teams could go very far.
 
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Ish

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Aye, in paper, Belgium should go far, but I'm probably in the minority who's been more disappointed then not, when watching them. Like their coach is way too conservative or something.

Off the top of my head, fullback is the only position they're light in (to my knowledge at least) - and even then someone like Vertonghen can step in.

CF: Lukaku, Benteke
AM/WF: Hazard, de Bruyne, Mertens, Chadli, Mirallas
CM/DM: Witsel, Defour, Naingollan, Fellaini, Dembele
DF: Kompany, Vertonghen, Aldeweireld, Vermaelen
GK: Courtois, Mignolet

That's without Januzaj & a couple others. Very good team/squad that. Appoint SAF at the Euros & they'll be champions :drool:
 

Rooney in Paris

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Of course. The biggest match Iceland could get in the group stages would be against France in Stade de France. The group is is a bit tricky though. 1 game way up north, one in the capital and then half the teams play way down south. Not the best for traveling fans who want to see 2 or more games.
I'll make a thread in a little while but it's not THAT difficult to travel around France. And you'd get to see some great places!
 

ThierryHenry

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Nice stadium as well. Marseille will be cool, new Vélodrome is insane. And Bordeaux's stadium is nice as well and it's probably the best location.
Any idea how easy it'll be for me to get tickets in the final draw? I've got one second round game in Lille at the moment.
 

Snow

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I'll make a thread in a little while but it's not THAT difficult to travel around France. And you'd get to see some great places!
Maybe not in general but with the amount of people going there at the same time it will be more difficult to travel by train or flight or to find a place to sleep.
 

Spiersey

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Aye, in paper, Belgium should go far, but I'm probably in the minority who's been more disappointed then not, when watching them. Like their coach is way too conservative or something.

Off the top of my head, fullback is the only position they're light in (to my knowledge at least) - and even then someone like Vertonghen can step in.

CF: Lukaku, Benteke
AM/WF: Hazard, de Bruyne, Mertens, Chadli, Mirallas
CM/DM: Witsel, Defour, Naingollan, Fellaini, Dembele
DF: Kompany, Vertonghen, Aldeweireld, Vermaelen
GK: Courtois, Mignolet

That's without Januzaj & a couple others. Very good team/squad that. Appoint SAF at the Euros & they'll be champions :drool:
Their manager is just clueless. There's a very good chance they could waste their golden generation due to having an incompetent manager which would be a shame.

Albania are underrated, won't be walkovers. No really poor sides in it for a change this year, Iceland will be a banana skin for every team they face.
 

Kostur

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I don't want to get Turkey, all other teams from pot 4 are considerably weaker than us. In pot 2 all teams would be tricky but beatable (Italy included, lost to Costa Rica at the World Cup and aren't in very good shape). Don't want Spain, France and Germany from pot 1, would actually be pleased with Portugal.

That said we got the easiest group possible at Euro which we hosted and still finished bottom, at home to Greece, Czech Republic and Russia.

We'll be the team to avoid in pot 3, won't we?
Dream scenario would be Portugal or England/Ukraine (or Russia, we'd step up)/ Albania I guess.
 

BBRBB

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The pots are well balanced this time, with 24 teams that means there will be no group of death. That's good for making the playoffs but the group stage will be a little less exciting and there will be less matches between top nations overall.
 

Ish

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Their manager is just clueless. There's a very good chance they could waste their golden generation due to having an incompetent manager which would be a shame.

Albania are underrated, won't be walkovers. No really poor sides in it for a change this year, Iceland will be a banana skin for every team they face.
Aye, I didn't want to go as far as clueless (because I don't know too much about him) but yeah, he's too scared of losing as opposed to trying to win, IMO.
 

RedDevil@84

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Hoping for a Pot A draw. Would be nice to play the hosts. Not be drawn into a group with the Czech Republic because that would be boring. I like the locations in Group E. Anything with Nice would be nice.
Isn't the group made from 1 team from each pot. France got selected to Group A from Pot 1 I believe. England cant be drawn with them is my understanding.
 

Angelinho

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Isn't the group made from 1 team from each pot. France got selected to Group A from Pot 1 I believe. England cant be drawn with them is my understanding.
You are correct, however the poster you are quoting is from Iceland not England.