© EuroFootball.com
On Friday, in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, the draw for the group stage of the 2012 European Championship to be held in this country and in Poland will take place.
Seventeen of the strongest teams on the Old Continent were divided into four groups of four. Each team will receive 8 million euros just for participating, an additional 0.5 million euros for each match drawn in the group stage, and 1 million euros for a victory.
The team finishing in third place in the group will receive an additional 1 million euros, the quarter-finalists - 2 million euros, and the semi-finalists - 3 million euros. The winner will be paid 7.5 million euros, while the losing finalist will receive 4.5 million euros. In total, UEFA will distribute 196 million euros - 12 million more than in the 2008 championship.
It is worth noting that there are 189 days left until the start of the tournament - the first match between Poland and Greece will be played on June 8. The final match in Ukraine will take place on July 1.
Defending champion Spain will face a tough challenge in Group C against the highly-rated teams of Italy, Ireland, and Croatia, while England in Group D will compete against the host Ukraine, as well as the resurgent France. Sweden, led by Zlatan Ibrahimović, will try to upset them.
However, the "group of death" is already being referred to as Group B, where the team of the Netherlands, the runner-up in the world, will play alongside Denmark, the impressive Germany, and Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal.
A politically intriguing match will take place between Poland and Russia in Group A, promising a lot of work for law enforcement officers - both countries are notorious for their hooligans. Overall, this group has avoided favorites: alongside the mentioned teams, it will also feature the mid-ranking Greece and the former Lithuanian opponents in the qualifying stage, the Czech Republic.
GROUPS:
Group A:
Poland
Greece
Russia
Czech Republic
Group B:
Netherlands
Denmark
Germany
Portugal
Group C:
Spain
Italy
Ireland
Croatia
Group D:
Ukraine
Sweden
France
England
SCHEDULES:
Group A schedule:
June 8
Poland - Greece (Warsaw)
Russia - Czech Republic (Wroclaw)
June 12
Greece - Czech Republic (Wroclaw)
Poland - Russia (Warsaw)
June 16
Czech Republic - Poland (Wroclaw)
Greece - Russia (Warsaw)
Group B schedule:
June 9
Netherlands - Denmark (Kharkiv)
Germany - Portugal (Lviv)
June 13
Denmark - Portugal (Lviv)
Netherlands - Germany (Kharkiv)
June 17
Portugal - Netherlands (Kharkiv)
Denmark - Germany (Lviv)
Group C schedule:
June 10
Spain - Italy (Gdansk)
Ireland - Croatia (Poznan)
June 14
Italy - Croatia (Poznan)
Spain - Ireland (Gdansk)
June 18
Croatia - Spain (Gdansk)
Italy - Ireland (Poznan)
Group D schedule:
June 11
France - England (Donetsk)
Ukraine - Sweden (Kiev)
June 14
Sweden - England (Kiev)
Ukraine - France (Donetsk)
June 19
England - Ukraine (Donetsk)
Sweden - France (Kiev)
Knockout stage schedule:
Quarter-finals:
June 21
1st place Group A - 2nd place Group B (Warsaw)
June 22
1st place Group B - 2nd place Group A (Gdansk)
June 23
1st place Group C - 2nd place Group D (Donetsk)
June 24
1st place Group D - 2nd place Group C (Kiev)
Semi-finals:
June 27
Winner of Match 1 - Winner of Match 3 (Donetsk)
June 28
Winner of Match 2 - Winner of Match 4 (Warsaw)
Final:
July 1
Winner of Semi-final 1 - Winner of Semi-final 2 (Kiev)
7:40 PM STARTS!
7:37 PM The ceremony will begin with the draw of the remaining two teams from the first pot - without Poland (Group A) and Ukraine (Group D) - then the teams from the fourth pot, then the teams from the third, and finally - the second pot.
7:36 PM Remembering the unexpected loss of Wales national team coach Gary Speed, who passed away last week. A painful loss for the football world.
7:28 PM Videos introducing the teams participating in the championship. The draw is approaching!
7:23 PM Spanish team, the 2008 European champions, represented on stage by full-back Joan Capdevilla. Undoubtedly, a key figure in their victories.
7:20 PM Introducing the history of the European Championships, with legends such as Marco van Basten, Peter Schmeichel, and others taking the stage.
7:15 PM Organizers of the draw always have to think about how to fill the time of the ceremony. It is possible to draw those 16 balls in about 3 minutes, so now we have the opportunity to listen to music. Well, at least the politicians have left the stage.
7:11 PM TV commentators emphasized the great news - the matches will take place at very convenient times for Lithuanian viewers. The first match - at 7 PM, the second - at 9:45 PM. Ladies, get ready, your men will have something to do. Although why am I saying this, Cristiano Ronaldo will be playing, so clearly the eyes of the female audience will be fixed...
7:07 PM The most interesting part of the draw - the speeches by politicians - has begun. Everyone has been waiting for this for a long time.
7:06 PM By the way, it’s already clear that Poland will compete in Group A, and Ukraine in Group D. But who put them in the first pot..? Next to Spain and the Netherlands? As our English colleagues say: really?!
7:05 PM While Ukrainian dancers present local traditions to the ceremony participants, let's remember the pots:
Pot 1: Poland, Ukraine, Spain, Netherlands
Pot 2: Germany, Italy, England, Russia
Pot 3: Croatia, Portugal, Greece, Sweden
Pot 4: France, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland
7:00 PM Hello to all football fans! We are embarking on another journey towards the European Championship, but unfortunately the Lithuanian national team will not be there. Today we will find out which teams will face each other in the group stage.
