Holders Italy draw Spain and Croatia in Euro 2024 group of death

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Leonardo Spinazzola of Italy celebrates with The Henri Delaunay Trophy following his team's victory in the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on July 11, 2021 in London, England.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Leonardo Spinazzola of Italy celebrates with The Henri Delaunay Trophy following his team's victory in the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on July 11, 2021 in London, England. Credit: Michael Regan - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

Holders Italy have been drawn in the Euro 2024 group of death alongside 2012 champions Spain, Croatia and Albania.

It’s a near repeat of the group that yielded the two finalists of the 2012 competition - the Spanish and Italians - who faced Croatia and Ireland in Poland that year.

And three of the pre-tournament favourites will again have their work cut out with only two automatic knockout spots - and four for best third-placed side - on offer from Group B.

2021’s beaten finalists, England, have a somewhat more straightforward path as they will face Denmark, Serbia and Slovenia in Group C.

Scotland, who qualified second behind Spain in their group, have been drawn alongside hosts Germany, Hungary and Switzerland.

Munich's Allianz Arena will be the venue for the opening game of the tournament on June 14th as Germany host the Scots in the hotly anticipated clash between Julian Nagelsmann and Steve Clarke's sides/

France and the Netherlands, who came first and second respectively in Ireland’s qualifying group, will face off again in Group D along with Austria and the winner of play-off A.

Poland face Estonia and Wales tackle Finland in the semi-finals of path A, with the winner of the final making up the fourth team in Group D.

Belgium, Slovakia and Romania will face the winner of play-off B, which will be contested by Israel and Iceland in the first semi-final and Bosnia & Herzegovina and Ukraine in the second.

And Portugal have been drawn alongside Türkiye, Czechia and the winner of play-off C, which sees Georgia face Luxembourg and Greece against Kazakhstan in the semis in March.



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