The paths of Malta and Italy will cross again in the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign after the two nations were drawn in Group H yesterday.
Malta and Italy were in the same pool in the 2014 World Cup trek with the Azzurri winning both games 2-0.
The qualifying draw for 24-team Euro 2016, to be staged in France, threw up some familiar opponents for Malta as Bulgaria were also in the same World Cup group.
Malta have met Norway and Croatia on other occasions in the past while Azerbaijan, the other team in Group H, beat our national side 3-0 in a friendly last August.
The first meeting with Italy, runners-up to Spain at Euro 2012, will be played at the National Stadium on October 13, 2014 while the away game is scheduled for September 3, 2015.
Before hosting Italy, Malta will play two qualifiers, the first away to Croatia on Sept. 9 and the next at home to Norway on Oct. 10.
While the two matches against Italy promise to be the highlights of our 10-match qualifying marathon, Norway’s presence in Group H will bring back memories of the infamous 4-0 defeat in 2007 which was allegedly rigged by a German-based betting ring.
The outcome of the draw in Nice is likely to have evoked a sense of deja vu for Pietro Ghedin as he will be facing his native country for the second consecutive competition since relinquishing his post as coach of the Italian women’s team to return for a second spell at the helm of Malta in 2012.
“It’s an exciting draw for the team as well as the Maltese public,” Ghedin told Times of Malta.
“The group is very difficult as Croatia, Bulgaria and Norway are very strong while Azerbaijan have improved a lot.
“Maybe we can hope to take something from our matches against Azerbaijan. We certainly need to work very hard to cut a good figure in this tough group.”
A crowd of over 17,000 watched mercurial striker Mario Balotelli score a brace in the home qualifier against Italy on March 26 last year.
“I’m satisfied,” MFA CEO Bjorn Vassallo said.
“We have drawn one of the top five teams which also include Spain, Germany, England and Holland.”
Vassallo expressed hope that Malta will fare better in the Euro 2016 qualifiers than they did in the World Cup campaign where they finished bottom of Group B with three points, secured after a hard-earned 1-0 win away to Armenia.
“It’s a tough group but without doubt not as difficult on paper as the one we were in at the last World Cup qualifiers,” Vassallo said.
“Apart from the two negative performances in the away games against Bulgaria (0-6) and Denmark (0-6), our national team players gave a good account of themselves in most of the other qualifiers.
“The home game against Italy was a spectacle for the Maltese fans.
“Our aim is to gain the respect of our opponents by putting on a strong challenge in every game.”
Malta’s Group H fixtures
| 09/09/2014 | (Tuesday) | 20:45 | Croatia vs Malta |
| 10/10/2014 | (Friday) | 20:45 | Malta vs Norway |
| 13/10/2014 | (Monday) | 20:45 | Malta vs Italy |
| 16/11/2014 | (Sunday) | 20:45 | Bulgaria vs Malta |
| 28/03/2015 | (Saturday) | 18:00 | Azerbaijan vs Malta |
| 12/06/2015 | (Friday) | 20:45 | Malta vs Bulgaria |
| 03/09/2015 | (Thursday) | 20:45 | Italy vs Malta |
| 06/09/2015 | (Sunday) | 18:00 | Malta vs Azerbaijan |
| 10/10/2015 | (Saturday) | 18:00 | Norway vs Malta |
| 13/10/2015 | (Tuesday) | 20:45 | Malta vs Croatia |
Group A
Holland, Czech Republic, Turkey, Latvia, Iceland, Kazakhstan
Group B
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Belgium, Israel, Wales, Cyprus, Andorra
Group C
Spain, Ukraine, Slovakia, Belarus, Macedonia, Luxembourg
Group D
Germany, Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Georgia, Gibraltar
Group E
England, Switzerland, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania, San Marino
Group F
Greece, Hungary, Romania, Finland, Northern Ireland, Faroe Islands
Group G
Russia, Sweden, Austria, Montenegro, Moldova, Liechtenstein
Group H
Italy, Croatia, Norway, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Malta
Group I
Portugal, Denmark, Serbia, Armenia, Albania, France
Notes
• France qualify as hosts, but will play friendlies against teams in Group I. There will be no points awarded for games in which France figure, so these will have no effect on the Group I table.
• The top two teams from each group plus the third-placed team with the best record qualify automatically for the finals. The remaining eight third-placed teams will contest play-offs.
• Qualifiers to be played between September 7, 2014 and October 13, 2015. Play-off matches are scheduled for November 2015.