In the end, it will neither be the Group of Debt nor the Group of Death for Giovanni Trapattoni’s Ireland team in next summer’s European Championships tournament, but they have a tough task nonetheless. The Republic will face European and World Champions Spain, Italy and Croatia (if it had been Greece in that last slot, even non-soccer fans would eventually have gotten to hear about the Group of Debt). The Group of Death, and there’s always a designated one, is B involving Denmark, who must somehow hope to finish in the top two of a group that also has Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands.
Group A comprises co-hosts Poland, Greece, Russia and the Czech Republic, while Group D has co-hosts Ukraine, Sweden, France and England.
The fixtures for Ireland’s Group C are: June 10: Spain vs. Italy in Gdansk; Ireland vs. Croatia, in Poznan. June 14: Italy vs. Croatia in Poznan; Ireland vs. Spain in Gdansk. June 18: Croatia vs. Spain in Gdansk; Italy vs. Ireland in Poznan.
