A shock against the Netherlands, Ireland and Greece on the program: France inherited, Sunday, October 9, a raised chicken between three former European champions in qualifying for Euro-2024, while the England and Italy, finalists of the last European Championship, will face each other in the same group.
Six weeks before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Blues probably do not have these upcoming qualifiers as a priority.
But they now know what their year 2023 will look like.
From March until November, the world champions therefore have an appointment for eight meetings across Europe, including trips to Greece and Ireland, but also an unprecedented opposition against Gibraltar.
But the duel against the "Oranje", in search of a trophy since Euro-1988, will undoubtedly be the highlight of the qualifying course of Kylian Mbappé's partners.
At the end of the day, two tickets for Euro-2024 in Germany will go to the first two of this pool B.
"The Netherlands remain a great nation of European football. They are on an upward slope with what they have been able to do in recent matches," reacted coach Didier Deschamps to AFP.
“The group is quite dense, obviously with our results we knew that we had a good chance of falling on a big one.
Handicapped by their poor performance in recent months - only one victory in the last six matches - the French have indeed approached the ceremony in hat no. 2, deprived of seeded status, as for the qualifications of the European Cup world 2014 and 2018.
And inevitably, the risk of inheriting a flagship nation of the Old Continent was very real, at random salad bowls and balls, mixed on Sunday by the innocent hands of the former Mannschaft striker, Jürgen Klinsmann, and the ex-Italy defender Gianluca Zambrotta.
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The fears quickly materialized with this opposition against the Netherlands of Memphis Depay and Virgil Van Dijk, a much tougher opponent than Hungary or Poland, also seeded.
In hat n°3, that of Ukraine, Sweden or Erling Haaland's Norway, it is finally Ireland that Antoine Griezmann and his partners will face, inevitably reviving the memory of the qualifying play-off at the 2010 World Cup. , marred by a hand from Thierry Henry who had caused a lot of talk.
Since then, the Blues have twice challenged the Irish, for two victories.
And in pot n°4, Turkey, the main threat already crossed on the road to the last Euro, was returned to the Croatia group, the Blues inheriting Greece, 2004 European champions in search of their past glory. .
Group C will be the other attraction of this qualifying phase with an Italy-England clash, a remake of the Euro final won by the Italians on penalties.
Ukraine is also in this difficult group.
Netherlands, Ireland, Greece, Gibraltar: Deschamps is fixed.
But will the coach still be in charge of the Blues for a 5th qualifying phase of major competition?
Much will depend on their performance in Qatar, as his contract expires in December, after 10½ years in charge.
"I don't even ask myself the question. It will be for after the World Cup. The most important thing for me, the players, my staff, is what awaits us in November", assured the technician.
Germany, the host country, can for its part focus only on the World Cup, because it is already qualified for the Euro as an organizing nation.
In addition to the twenty tickets awarded via these qualifications, three nations will obtain their sesame in March 2024 during play-offs between twelve teams, on the basis of their classification in the League of Nations.
The only certainty is that Russia will not be part of it: it was excluded after the invasion of Ukraine.
With AFP
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