Euro 2008 comes into view with qualifying draw

Euro 2008 may be more than two-and-a-half years away but the focus will briefly switch away from this year's World Cup when the draw for the qualifying round of the European Championship is held today

Just seven weeks after the draw for the World Cup finals in Germany was held in Leipzig, 50 European nations will be drawn into seven groups with the top two in each going through to join co-hosts Austria and Switzerland in the finals in June 2008.

There will be six groups of seven teams and one group of eight teams with no play-offs at the end of the qualifying matches, which begin later this year.

Greece, who surprisingly won the European title in Portugal in 2004 yet failed to even qualify for this year's World Cup, are among seven top seeds along with the Netherlands, Portugal, England, Czech Republic, France and Sweden.

The second tier of teams is almost as formidable, containing slumbering giants Germany and Italy plus World Cup qualifiers Croatia, Poland and Spain, along with Turkey and Romania.

Pot Three comprises Serbia & Montenegro and Ukraine, who have both qualified for the World Cup for the first time, with Russia, Denmark, Norway, Bulgaria and Slovakia all underlining the strength in depth of the international game in Europe.

New trophy

A new trophy has been created for the 2008 tournament, 18 centimetres higher and two kilos heavier than the famous trophy first presented in 1960 and named after Henri Delaunay. The former president of the French FA was given the honour after being the driving force behind the competition.

The new trophy, which is close in design to the original and retains the name of Delaunay, was unveiled by UEFA president Lennart Johansson yesterday.

Swiss TV presenter Jacques Deschenaux will host the draw to be conducted by former Austria and Switzerland internationals Andreas Herzog and Stephane Chapuisat along with the presidents of the respective FA's, Friedrich Stickler and Ralph Zloczower.

Although the build-up to this stage of Euro 2008 has been blighted by the usual rows over new stadiums, the tournament is due to start on June 7 in Basel with the final at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna on June 29.

Zurich, Geneva and Berne are the other Swiss cities hosting games in Switzerland's first major soccer event since it hosted the World Cup in 1954. Salzburg, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt, as well as Vienna, will stage matches in Austria.

It will be only the second time in the tournament's 48-year history that the finals will take place in two countries after Belgium and the Netherlands co-hosted the 2000 event.

Austria will be taking part in the finals for the first time after having never previously qualified.