Malta were drawn to face former European and world champions Spain in the 2020 European Championship qualifiers during a ceremony in Dublin on Sunday.

Ray Farrugia’s team will also be up against Nordic opposition in the form of Sweden and Norway, Romania and the Faroe Islands, who the national team faced during the just concluded UEFA Nations League campaign.

The clash against Spain will surely evoke bad memories for the national team following their controversial clash in Seville in December 1983 when the Spaniards thrashed Malta 12-1 to book their place in the 1984 European Championships.

Sweden and Norway are familiar opposition for Malta.

The Swedes were drawn with Malta in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers while Norway were up against our national team for the qualifiers for the 2008 European Championship qualifiers.

The Netherlands and Germany were grouped together in qualification for the 2020 European Championship at Sunday's draw in Dublin, one of 12 host cities for the finals that will be staged across the continent for the first time.

Germany, the team everyone wanted to avoid after their poor showing in UEFA's new Nations League competition pushed them into the second pot of seeds, will also play Northern Ireland, Estonia and Belarus in Group C when the qualification competition begins in March.

Holders Portugal must face Ukraine and Serbia in a tricky five-team Group B while world champions France drew Iceland and Turkey in Group H.

England, one of the other in-form teams from the Nations League, face the Czech Republic and Bulgaria in Group A.

The top two teams from each group qualify automatically. Unlike previous tournaments, the playoffs to decide the four other spots will be contested between the most successful teams from the four divisions of the Nations League who have not already qualified.

The new format offers a potential back door for any top side that struggles in qualifying, while also handing the leading minnows from the lowest division -- Kosovo, Georgia, Belarus and Macedonia -- a crack at the last qualification place.

The finals will take place in 12 different cities stretching from Bilbao in Spain to Baku in Azerbaijan. For the first time in the competition's history, the tournament will be hosted by more than two countries to mark its 60th anniversary.

No team will qualify automatically as hosts, although every host country that qualifies will be guaranteed two home games in the group phase. The Euro 2020 final will be held at London's Wembley Stadium.

THE DRAW

Group A

England; Czech Republic; Bulgaria; Montenegro; Kosovo

Group B

Portugal; Ukraine; Serbia; Lithuania; Luxembourg.

Group C

Netherlands; Germany; N. Ireland; Estonia; Belarus

Group D

Switzerland; Denmark; Ireland; Georgia; Gibraltar

Group E

Croatia; Wales; Slovakia; Hungary; Azerbaijan

Group F

Spain; Sweden; Norway; Romania; Faroe Islands; Malta

Group G

Poland; Austria; Israel; Slovenia; Macedonia

Group H

France; Iceland; Turkey; Albania; Moldova; Andorra

Group I

Belgium; Russia; Scotland; Cyprus; Kazakhstan; San Marino

Group J

Italy; Bosnia; Finland; Greece; Armenia; Liechtenstein

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