Ireland seeded for today’s play-off draw

The Republic of Ireland, Portugal, Croatia and the Czech Republic will be the seeded teams in today’s draw for the Euro 2012 play-offs, UEFA have announced.

The four teams were chosen based on their national team coefficients ahead of the draw in Krakow. Turkey, Bosnia, Estonia and Montenegro are the four un-seeded teams.

Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni told reporters his players can handle whatever is thrown at them in the draw.

Ireland secured second place in Group B with a 2-1 win over Armenia at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday.

While the play-offs have often been unkind to Ireland in the past, especially two years ago when Thierry Henry’s handball played a key role in their World Cup play-off defeat against France, Trapattoni believes his team are capable of holding their own against any of their potential rivals.

“All the second-placed teams are very important. We must accept whichever team,” he said.

“The first and second teams in the table are always great teams. But I think it would be better to play the first game away and the second at home.

“We have only done 50 per cent of the job because there is now the play-off.

“All opponents are not the same. Maybe the next won’t be as good as Armenia.”

Ireland reached the play-offs in controversial fashion with a hard-fought victory over Armenia, who caused them problems throughout despite having goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky harshly sent off after just 26 minutes.

Berezovsky was dismissed when he blocked Simon Cox’s shot outside his penalty area.

Spanish referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez decided the Armenian had handled, although replays suggested he had used his chest to stop the shot and that Cox had himself controlled the ball with his arm before shooting.

The first leg of the play-offs will be played on November 11 and 12, with the return legs on November 15.

Already through to the finals, alongside co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, are holders Spain, Germany, Russia, Italy, France, Holland, Greece, England, Denmark and Sweden.

The finals draw is on December 2 in Kiev and the tournament runs from June 8 until July 1 next year at eight venues.

The draw
Seeded teams: Croatia, Portugal, Ireland, Czech Republic.
Unseeded teams: Turkey, Bosnia, Montenegro, Estonia.