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The draw for the Euro 2020 football groups (from 12 June to 12 July) took place in Bucharest, Romania on Saturday 30 November. France, finalist in 2016 and reigning world champion, fell in Group F with Portugal, reigning European champion, Germany, three times crowned in the Euro.
The Blues knew: this Saturday, November 30, they would not escape a draw at least a bit full-bodied. The famous "luck" of Didier Deschamps, familiarly called "cha *** à DD", which has several times allowed the French team to avoid big opponents entry competition, could not be as effective at Bucharest, Romania, where the six groups of the first round of Euro 2020 took place from June 12th to July 12th.
And indeed, chance has not spared the world champions a difficult draw. France has fallen in Group F. Next summer, she will have to do battle with Portugal, the team against which she lost in the final in 2016, Germany (which co-holds with Spain the record of victories at the Euro with three seals), and the winner of the A league (Bulgaria, Hungary, Iceland or Romania)
This is commonly called "the group of death".
Reunion with Germany and Portugal, four years later
The draw was made by former glories of European football: the Frenchman Marcel Desailly, the Spaniard Iker Casillas, the Russian Andrei Arshavin, the Italian Francesco Totti, the Portuguese Ricardo Carvalho, the Czech Karel Poborsky, the Dane John Sivebaek, the German Philip Lahm, the Greek Theodoros Zagorakis, the Dutchman Ruud Gullit ... All had the heavy hand with France, placed in the group F.
Due to a very particular competition format (see below), the France team knew it would fall on Italy, England, Germany or Spain among the top hat teams. these four, the Squadra Azzurra appeared as the team a priori the least dangerous because in reconstruction. The balls and men designated for the draw decided otherwise. The Blues will find their old German rivals, the same against which their dreams have often broken ... But Antoine Griezmann and his teammates have not forgotten that in 2016, they had defeated the Nationalmannschaft during a beautiful evening in Marseille in the semifinals of the last Euro.
They will also remember their last meeting with Portugal ... In the final of Euro 2016, the Cristiano Ronaldo striker beat France in overtime. A heartbreaker that the Blues always have in mind, even if, two years later, they went up on the roof of the world. Germany and Portugal as opponents in the first round: it was one of the worst draws possible for the Tricolores. And that's the one they're entitled to.
The last opponent will come from the dams planned for the end of March 2020. They will be the winner of the A league, Bulgaria, Hungary, Iceland or Romania. In 2016, France beat Romania in the group stage, before winning against Iceland in the quarter-finals. Iceland was also in the same group as France in the qualifiers for Euro 2020. The Blues had beaten their opponents in Saint-Denis (4-0) and Reykjavik (1-0).
A draw not spared by the critics
Even before the draw began, the Blues and other nations already qualified already knew a lot about their future. First, France found in hat 2 because of its results during the playoffs. So she was sure to fall in a group with a hat team 1, the one bringing together the six best playoff teams: Belgium, Italy, England, Germany, Spain and Ukraine. Beautiful people, then.
However, this Euro 2020 is complex. It will not take place in one or two countries, as usual, but in twelve countries (see below). And between teams guaranteed to play their home games (examples: England is guaranteed to play its first round at the Wembley Stadium in London, Spain is guaranteed to play its first round at the stadium San Mamès Bilbao ...) and geopolitical restrictions that prevent Russia from facing Ukraine and Kosovo, chance has been seriously undermined.
Thus, France already knew that she could not face Belgium and Ukraine, two of the six nations of hat 1. Belgium was even more fixed: the Red Devils knew they would be in the group of Russia and Denmark! They had only one opponent to discover. And again ... Belgium could only end up facing Wales or Finland. " For me, it's a kind of falsification of the competition. It removes all the pleasure of a draw. This is a scandal, honestly, "said Belgian international Kevin De Bruyne at the microphone of the channel VMT November 19.
COMPLETE DRAW DRAW
Group A
Turkey
Italy
Wales
Swiss
Group B
Denmark
Finland
Belgium
Russia
Group C
Netherlands
Ukraine
Austria
Winner of the D League Dam
Group D
England
Croatia
Winner of the League C Dam
Czech republic
Group E
Spain
Sweden
Poland
Winner of the league B
Group F
Winner of the A League Dam
Portugal
la France
Germany
The first and second of each group, as well as the best four thirds, will qualify for the round of 16.
The twelve stadiums and cities where the matches will take place
Germany: Allianz Arena (Munich)
England: Wembley (London)
Azerbaijan: Olympic Stadium (Baku)
Denmark: Parken Stadium (Copenhagen)
Scotland: Hampden Park (Glasgow)
Spain: San Mames (Bilbao)
Hungary: Puskas Arena (Budapest)
Ireland: Aviva Stadium (Dublin)
Italy: Stadio Olimpico (Rome)
Netherlands: Johan-Cruyff Arena (Amsterdam)
Romania: National Arena (Bucharest)
Russia: St Petersburg stadium (St. Petersburg)
20 countries have already qualified for Euro 2020. Four tickets remain to be awarded at the dams from March 26th to 31st.
Dam of League A : Bulgaria-Hungary and Iceland-Romania (March 26th), then the final between the two winners (March 31st). The winner of the final will be qualified.
League B barrage: Bosnia-Herzegovina-Northern Ireland and Slovakia-Ireland (26 March), then the final between the two winners (31 March). The winner of the final will be qualified.
Dam League C : Norway-Serbia and Scotland-Israel (March 26), then the final between the two winners (March 31). The winner of the final will be qualified.
Dam D League : Georgia-Belarus and Macedonia North-Kosovo (26 March), then the final between the two winners (31 March). The winner of the final will be qualified.