Turkey to face Germany in Euro 2012 qualifiers

Turkey, the losing semifinalist at the Euro 2008, was drawn in Group A against Germany, Austria, Belgium, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan after the draw for the 2012 European Soccer Championship in Poland and Ukraine was held in the Polish capital, Warsaw, on Sunday. The Turks eliminated Austria on the way to reaching the Euro 2008 semis, before losing to 3-2 to Germany, the runner-up to Spain, in the dramatic semifinal.


Turkey has a large number of fans among its expatriate workers in Germany and so the Turkish national team will draw great crowds at home and on the road when it plays the Germans.

“I am neither shocked nor pleased. Logistically, it’s not going to be simple,” Germany coach Joachim Löw said of the long trips to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. “It’s a German-speaking group with many German coaches.” Azerbaijan is coached by former Germany boss Berti Vogts, while Kazakhstan’s coach is also a German, Bernd Storck.

Defending champion Spain will have the Czech Republic and Scotland among its rivals in the qualifying round. Lithuania and Liechtenstein completed Group I in Sunday’s draw, meaning Spain, the top-ranked team in the world, will not have to face any team that qualified for this year’s World Cup in South Africa.

Reigning World Cup champion Italy will play two teams that have qualified for this year’s tournament in South Africa -- Serbia and Slovenia. Italy, which won the European title in 1968, also faces Northern Ireland, Estonia and the Faeroe Islands in Group C. As co-hosts, Poland and Ukraine qualify for the tournament automatically.

Draw.................

Group A: Germany, Turkey, Austria, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan
Group B: Russia, Slovakia, Ireland, Macedonia, Armenia, Andorra
Group C: Italy, Serbia, Northern Ireland, Slovenia, Estonia, Faeroe Islands
Group D: France, Romania, Bosnia, Belarus, Albania, Luxembourg
Group E: Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Moldova, San Marino
Group F: Croatia, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Georgia, Malta
Group G: England, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales, Montenegro
Group H: Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Greek Cyprus, Iceland
Group I: Spain, Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania, Liechtenstein




Source :Wires