:00:33. > :00:38.Hello, a very good evening to you, the countdown to Euro 2016 starts
:00:39. > :00:42.right here. The long-awaited draw will be taking place in just a few
:00:43. > :00:47.minutes in Paris. 24 teams in the pot for next summer Buzz in France,
:00:48. > :00:51.and we shall be keeping a very close eye on England, Northern Ireland,
:00:52. > :00:58.Wales and not forgetting the Republic of Ireland. For two of the
:00:59. > :00:59.home nations, it has been quite a while since they have packed their
:01:00. > :01:40.bags for a major finals. It took the best team in the world
:01:41. > :01:49.to knock us out. COMMENTATOR: Oh, it has gone in! Great goal, and
:01:50. > :01:56.Northern Ireland go out! Wales will be in France next summer.
:01:57. > :02:01.We can Wales will be in France next summer.
:02:02. > :02:06.generation. The Northern Ireland players raise their arms in
:02:07. > :02:15.So, exciting times for Northern of us.
:02:16. > :02:18.So, exciting times for Northern Ireland and Wales. The draw is
:02:19. > :02:24.imminent and the great and the good are at the Palais days, in Paris --
:02:25. > :02:29.the Palais des Congres in Paris and we will go their lives as they get
:02:30. > :02:34.the balls out of the pots. Jamie Ward has been enjoying his role in
:02:35. > :02:41.Northern Ireland's first ever European finals qualifications. Mark
:02:42. > :02:46.Lawrenson is here, because quite frankly he loves a major final
:02:47. > :02:51.straw, don't you mark? Correct. Lovely to see you, how are you
:02:52. > :02:57.feeling about the draw, John? Fairly excited. Wales, first time in 15
:02:58. > :03:00.years they have achieved going to a major parliament. There will be
:03:01. > :03:02.exciting to see who they come out with. Personally,
:03:03. > :03:03.exciting to see who they come out to see them playing up against
:03:04. > :03:08.England. I know Chris to see them playing up against
:03:09. > :03:12.said no, but I think it would be a fantastic fixture for the
:03:13. > :03:13.said no, but I think it would be a television, for the fans, it is like
:03:14. > :03:17.said no, but I think it would be a a little bit of a derby game, if you
:03:18. > :03:19.like. There are some weaker teams in there, some strong teams but
:03:20. > :03:21.ultimately if you are going to progress
:03:22. > :03:26.ultimately if you are going to going to have to beat the strong
:03:27. > :03:32.teams at some stage. Now there are more teams qualifying, 24 from what
:03:33. > :03:35.was it, 16? That is great. I am not being disrespected because I am
:03:36. > :03:38.talking about Republic as well as Northern and Wales, giving them a
:03:39. > :03:43.chance of being in the finals. Europe has been split up for a few
:03:44. > :03:47.years in terms of the Eastern bloc so there are more countries to
:03:48. > :03:51.qualify. When we all pooh-poohed it, saying how many teams, you are
:03:52. > :03:57.joking, now we are thinking absolutely great, well done Michelle
:03:58. > :04:02.Makro. Northern Ireland did very well, Republic would not have been
:04:03. > :04:07.in a play-off, Wales would have been in a play-off, and that is a bit of
:04:08. > :04:12.a lottery. Admitted his more countries an opportunity to qualify.
:04:13. > :04:16.Jamie, congratulations to you, lovely to see you, we are all here
:04:17. > :04:20.as pundits as presenters and fans, but you are actually going to be
:04:21. > :04:24.there. Definitely, we are very excited about it, the whole team.
:04:25. > :04:29.Did we really expected it, I don't think we did, but we gained momentum
:04:30. > :04:34.game after game, and in the end we put some good performances on show
:04:35. > :04:38.and we got the results. We made everyone proud of the country, which
:04:39. > :04:47.is great for us because we go over there and everyone loves you, they
:04:48. > :04:52.don't leave you alone. I think all three countries have played above
:04:53. > :04:57.themselves. But with the Republic and North. We have not got a bail,
:04:58. > :05:03.we haven't got a Ramsey. You are the same. That is what I was going to
:05:04. > :05:06.ask Jamie, what was it that Paul Jewell through, because Michael
:05:07. > :05:10.O'Neill has really got you playing as a team. The lads are very
:05:11. > :05:17.together, we like the social side of stuff as well. That has brought us
:05:18. > :05:21.together. And we have Kyle Lafferty scoring goals. Michael had a good
:05:22. > :05:24.chat with him, probably told him a few home truths and he has repaid
:05:25. > :05:35.Michael with his goals and some form. What you mean by social side
:05:36. > :05:39.of it? Irish! Golf. You know exactly, it is black and it has a
:05:40. > :05:45.bit of white at the top! Jamie, who do you fancy? I would like to get
:05:46. > :05:49.England, myself, like John said, it is a bit of a derby. It would be
:05:50. > :05:54.great for my family. They would love watching that. Italy. I would love
:05:55. > :06:02.to go and play the best teams it is possible to claim. It might be the
:06:03. > :06:06.only time we are able to play. Portugal, Switzerland and Hungary, I
:06:07. > :06:11.have worked it out already. I would like England, I have explained why,
:06:12. > :06:17.but best case situation for Wales would be Portugal, Ukraine and
:06:18. > :06:22.Hungary. Best case. Thank you very much indeed. Let's get the views of
:06:23. > :06:29.Paris of some of the key people playing a role in the draw. It is
:06:30. > :06:35.new territory for us, we have to be careful that we don't get
:06:36. > :06:40.overexcited and not just along for the right and the experience. Has to
:06:41. > :06:47.be more than that. I have looked at the different teams in the different
:06:48. > :06:50.pots. I would not say there is a team I would want especially, one I
:06:51. > :06:54.would like to avoid especially, so we will see what comes tomorrow. As
:06:55. > :06:57.I say, we have played a lot of big teams in the last three or four
:06:58. > :07:02.years but we will be ready for whoever comes out. We don't really
:07:03. > :07:05.want England in that group stage, because I just think you get lost in
:07:06. > :07:10.that, Wales against England, everyone wants to beat England, they
:07:11. > :07:13.are a great team. Those first three games it is not just about winning
:07:14. > :07:17.one game, no matter how we do it, we have to get enough points to get out
:07:18. > :07:20.of the group. That is what it is all about. I just think if it was
:07:21. > :07:26.England in the group stages, maybe we would get sidetracked a little
:07:27. > :07:29.bit. It is not a game I would really like, it is just the nature of it,
:07:30. > :07:34.maybe it would overshadow the other two games. At the end of the day,
:07:35. > :07:37.three points are available for every game and we have to aspire to get
:07:38. > :07:43.enough points to get out of the group. It is not a game I would pick
:07:44. > :07:46.but equally if we are drawing England than we would look forward
:07:47. > :07:51.to it. Are you looking forward to the draw, Greg? Yes, and to the
:07:52. > :07:58.tournament even more because we are going to win. Great stuff from Greg
:07:59. > :08:01.Dyke. Don't worry, Alan Shearer is on his way, he is getting ready for
:08:02. > :08:06.Match of the Day, so exciting. Time to go to Paris where Jonathan Pearce
:08:07. > :08:13.is at the Palais des Congres to guide us through the draw.
:08:14. > :08:22.Yes, a warm welcome to you, and the business end of proceedings here at
:08:23. > :08:25.the Palais des Congres. No Michel Platini here, the Uefa president
:08:26. > :08:32.banned from all footballing activities. Europe is not ruling
:08:33. > :08:36.body represented on stage any moment now by General Secretary, Gianni
:08:37. > :08:48.Infantino, as we hear him being welcomed onstage by one of the
:08:49. > :08:54.co-hosts, Ruud Gullit. Possible new president of Fifa next year. Good
:08:55. > :09:00.evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to be with you the light, as
:09:01. > :09:07.we conduct the draw for Uefa Euro 2016 final tournament. We are in
:09:08. > :09:13.Paris, and iconic city which, just a few weeks ago, witnessed deeply
:09:14. > :09:19.tragic events. Therefore, before we start draw proceedings, I would like
:09:20. > :09:23.to take this opportunity, in the name of Uefa, to express my
:09:24. > :09:27.solidarity towards all French people during these difficult times. Our
:09:28. > :09:28.thoughts are with all of those affected by the attacks of the 13th
:09:29. > :09:49.of November. APPLAUSE Tonight putter is an historic
:09:50. > :09:54.occasion, as for the first time ever 24 teams are taking in a Euro finals
:09:55. > :09:57.tournament. The decision to expand the European Championship has
:09:58. > :10:01.already proven its worth, as we all saw a thrilling qualifying
:10:02. > :10:06.competition, notable for a series of unpredictable results and an
:10:07. > :10:10.expected final group standings. Consequently, several nations will
:10:11. > :10:15.be making their first ever appearance at a Euro, and we are all
:10:16. > :10:21.firmly convinced that this will be a fantastic tournament for everyone
:10:22. > :10:24.involved. But now it is time for us to take a look at the technical
:10:25. > :10:38.seizure governing today's. 24 teams will participate in the
:10:39. > :10:44.Uefa 2016 finals tournament. The host nations France and the 23 teams
:10:45. > :10:51.that progressed from the qualifiers. They will be drawn into six groups
:10:52. > :10:56.of four teams, they are classified on the basis of the national team
:10:57. > :11:01.coefficient rankings and divided in the four seeding pots. Pot one, five
:11:02. > :11:14.teams, since France has already been allocated to position a one. It
:11:15. > :11:25.starts with pot one. One ball is drawn, and assigned to position B1.
:11:26. > :11:32.And so on until Group F. The draw continues with pot for. -- pot four.
:11:33. > :11:40.The position of this within Group A is also determined by a draw. A
:11:41. > :11:44.second drawn from pot four. Again, the position is one, and this
:11:45. > :11:50.procedure is repeated for all teams in pot four. The draw continues with
:11:51. > :11:57.pot three and continues with pot too. Each time a team is drawn, the
:11:58. > :12:01.position is determined by a draw. At the end of the draw, each final
:12:02. > :12:10.tournament group will be composed of one team from each pot. -- pot two.
:12:11. > :12:25.So that is the procedure. Here is a look at all five teams in
:12:26. > :12:35.the pot coming up, and that look will start with the hosts, France.
:12:36. > :12:39.The last host nation to win the title in 84, champions in 2000,
:12:40. > :12:44.captained by the current coach Didier Deschamps. They could win it
:12:45. > :12:47.again. Spain, reigning champions, nine qualifying wins in ten after
:12:48. > :12:53.that Brazil World Cup brought another fine side emerge. On we go
:12:54. > :13:02.to Germany, world champs, favourites here, landing punches. England, only
:13:03. > :13:04.the fifth country to qualify with a 100% record. They can
:13:05. > :13:08.the fifth country to qualify with a than the quarterfinals against
:13:09. > :13:12.Ukraine. Portugal lost against Albania in qualifying, overreliant
:13:13. > :13:16.on Ronaldo perhaps, he is brilliant but they are the weakest of the
:13:17. > :13:21.seeds. Belgium, world number one, greatly talented, but this is their
:13:22. > :13:22.first Euro since flopping as hosts in 2002, and they underachieved in
:13:23. > :13:28.Brazil 2014. So here we are, we are ready to
:13:29. > :13:51.start the draw. We have two first draw this ball. --
:13:52. > :13:53.we have two first draw this ball. We will see who was in the first ball.
:13:54. > :14:07.No great surprise here. France. France. We have known they
:14:08. > :14:28.would be in position a one for six months.
:14:29. > :15:05.Here come the rest of the seeds. The first team drawn, in pop number one,
:15:06. > :15:12.England. England. England, which qualified with ten wins out of ten
:15:13. > :15:17.matches, quite impressive, two-time semifinalist. The last time in 1996,
:15:18. > :15:23.when they were hosts. England will join Group B. 11th of June will be
:15:24. > :15:37.the kick-off date for England. They really wanted
:15:38. > :15:47.would be based. The second team drawn of pot one, Germany.
:15:48. > :16:27.1996, two times goalscorer. Let's continue with the third team drawn.
:16:28. > :16:45.Who has he pulled out here? Spain. The Spain, the champions of Europe.
:16:46. > :16:51.That is a tricky one travelling to Toulouse, Nice and back to Bordeaux.
:16:52. > :17:18.The last two. Belgium, Grown winners. That means
:17:19. > :17:25.they will play runners-up in the second round. Rummersup in D. All
:17:26. > :17:33.the other Groups so far with play a third best team, if they win the
:17:34. > :17:42.Group. -- runners-up. And, the last one.
:17:43. > :17:58.This will be Portugal kicking off on the 14th. Scored nearly half of
:17:59. > :18:09.their goals in qualifying. They lost their owner. Fernando Santos steered
:18:10. > :18:14.them through. Cristiano Ronaldo scored goals which makes him the
:18:15. > :18:18.best ever scorer in Euros history, which is very remarkable. This
:18:19. > :18:23.concludes Pot 1. They are not a remarkable team. They have a good
:18:24. > :18:29.under-21 side coming through. We move on to Pot 4. The four teams
:18:30. > :18:32.making their Euro debut. Albania, Iceland, Northern Ireland and Wales
:18:33. > :18:40.am here is a reminder of all six teams in the pot. Turkey, highest
:18:41. > :18:44.ranking in six years, recovered from a terrible opening three qualifiers
:18:45. > :18:50.to make it a best third placed side. The riefrld, four points taken off
:18:51. > :18:56.Germany to make the play-offs. Dramatic dug-out. Iceland, first
:18:57. > :19:01.Euros, least population lated to make it. Lark lark lark beat hole
:19:02. > :19:08.land twice to get here. Wales, 58 years without a major tournament.
:19:09. > :19:15.Rock sold littled campaign, Bale and Ramsey, free scoring Albania, lowest
:19:16. > :19:18.ranked team. They did win in Portugal. Don't see them winning
:19:19. > :19:22.here again. Northern Ireland, first tournament in 30 years for the
:19:23. > :19:28.lowest seeded side ever to win a qualifying Group, targeting the last
:19:29. > :19:36.16. They can do that. Here we are, back again and after Pot 1, as Ruud
:19:37. > :19:40.said, we have Pot 4. Good question. You rehearsed very well. Yes, we did
:19:41. > :19:47.well. Obviously after Pot 1. Of course. These are the UEFA rules. As
:19:48. > :19:56.always, not clear, but very transparent. Another draw here for
:19:57. > :20:04.their positioning in the group. First team drawn in Pot 4.
:20:05. > :20:14.Albania. Which will join Group A. The first ever participation for
:20:15. > :20:29.al-Bain be ya. They will play France. -- Albania. Where are they
:20:30. > :20:42.playing? They are playing against France.
:20:43. > :20:49.The coach of Albania Gianni de Biasi, very nice name. Italian
:20:50. > :21:07.coach. Second team. Will be playing England
:21:08. > :21:11.at some stage. Wales. Oh. Chris Coleman said he didn't really it at
:21:12. > :21:17.this stage. He thought it would be a bit of a circus. They will play
:21:18. > :21:23.England, as you have already seen. Let's see which position Wales and
:21:24. > :21:28.England - never beat with England in a competitive game drew with them in
:21:29. > :21:35.73, the years of Lleyton James. Beaten in the last two competitive
:21:36. > :21:42.games. Wales will kick-off their campaign on the 11th June in
:21:43. > :21:50.Bordeaux. They will play England on the 16th.
:21:51. > :21:56.Going with Germany. Northern Ireland, they won their Group as
:21:57. > :22:01.well. Their first ever Europe participation. Their last tournament
:22:02. > :22:07.was in 86, in the World Cup. They will play Group C in Germany. They
:22:08. > :22:20.might get tips against Germany from Martin O'Neill and the Republic.
:22:21. > :22:31.They dodged Germany in their opening game. They will kick-off in Nice on
:22:32. > :22:39.the 12th. The last three teams. In Pot 4.
:22:40. > :22:56.Turkey. They qualified as the best third placed team, semi-finalist in
:22:57. > :23:03.2008. The coach watching on, Fatih Terim. We will now it find out in
:23:04. > :23:07.which position. Turkey had a terrible start to qualifying.
:23:08. > :23:17.Conceded just three types their last seven games though. D3. Position 3.
:23:18. > :23:25.D. Spain and Turkey. They dodge the top seeds in their first games. They
:23:26. > :23:33.are against D4. It has not yet come out. Maybe... Yes. Republic of
:23:34. > :23:43.Ireland. The Republic of Ireland. They had a tough draw in qualifying.
:23:44. > :23:49.Play-offs against Bosnia. They play in 2012 in the Euro. They will go
:23:50. > :23:55.with the world number one in Belgium. Slow starters. Conceded
:23:56. > :24:09.eight goals in 12 games, including the play-off. Will they kick-off
:24:10. > :24:15.against Belgium? No, they won't. They will kick-off on the 14th.
:24:16. > :24:30.Iceland. And Iceland will go in with Portugal. They will join Portugal...
:24:31. > :24:36.Look out for Iceland. Conceded a mere six goals. Fewest in the Group.
:24:37. > :24:48.Secured qualification with two games.
:24:49. > :24:55.Lars Lagerback, aexecute manager. Our last fixture. Will meet on the
:24:56. > :25:21.14th June. England v Wales. Let us move on to the next section.
:25:22. > :25:27.Czech Republic beat Holland twice in qualifying. Hungary, first Euros in
:25:28. > :25:31.44 years from this Group. Sweden, they can clear the Group stage,
:25:32. > :25:34.scored 11 of their 19 goals in qualifying. Robert Lewandowski makes
:25:35. > :25:47.them a danger. 30 goals this season for club and country. Romania, fifth
:25:48. > :25:52.final, disciplined. Only won one game at this level. Slovakia have
:25:53. > :25:57.tall enned players, if ageing. Beat Spain in qualifying. Won't be
:25:58. > :26:03.phased. Hungary, surprising winners against Norway. Non-of their players
:26:04. > :26:10.big league regulars. 500-1 for a reason. Back we are with the draw.
:26:11. > :26:19.After Pot 4 we have of course Pot 3. Very good. Right answer, Pot 3. Very
:26:20. > :26:28.good. They are talking about this. Let me remind you, England v Wales,
:26:29. > :26:38.16th, 2.00pm in the afternoon. We will see. He's making it very good
:26:39. > :26:50.as well, everyone tonight? Romania. Romania. They will join France and
:26:51. > :26:56.Albania. Behind Northern Ireland. Their manager, veteran manager.
:26:57. > :26:56.Albania. Behind Northern Ireland. Anghel Iordanescu. Long time in
:26:57. > :27:05.charge. ... The best defence of all. Anghel Iordanescu. Long time in
:27:06. > :27:09.You will tell us where Romania... Anghel Iordanescu. Long time in
:27:10. > :27:16.The opening game against France. Anghel Iordanescu. Long time in
:27:17. > :27:22.is. That will be the Anghel Iordanescu. Long time in
:27:23. > :27:24.the tournament. Euro 2016 kicks off with France against Romania. Stade
:27:25. > :27:50.de France. Next team. Group B. England and
:27:51. > :27:55.Wales. Slovakia. They will have Slovakia in their group. Their
:27:56. > :28:00.second major final in 11 attempts. Their first Euros. They qualified
:28:01. > :28:12.already for the World Cup. Good players.
:28:13. > :28:28.Erik Hamren. It will be tricky, I think. If this is two, it's England
:28:29. > :28:34.in marp say. B4. England, Wales. Wales in Bordeaux. That is Wales'
:28:35. > :28:43.opening game of the Euro Finals. After a 58-year wait. 11th June.
:28:44. > :28:48.Make a date. Going with Germany here and Northern Ireland. Poland. Poland
:28:49. > :29:04.with Germany and Northern Ireland. Poland. They know each other
:29:05. > :29:08.already. Northern Ireland will have to deal with Lewandowski. That is a
:29:09. > :29:14.really tough draw for Northern Ireland. They have gone out of the
:29:15. > :29:22.Group stages in the last four finals. Which position will Poland
:29:23. > :29:27.be with Germany and with Northern Ireland. If it's two it's Germany in
:29:28. > :29:43.Lille. That will be their opener. They will open up against Northern
:29:44. > :29:54.Ireland in Nice. Northern Ireland's opening game is Poland. And Group D,
:29:55. > :30:00.along with Spain and Turkey. Czech Republic. Czech Republic go in with
:30:01. > :30:09.Spain and Turkey. Semifinalists in 2004. The last 84-macro years later.
:30:10. > :30:17.Petr Cech in goal. -- the last eight, four years later.
:30:18. > :30:27.Will they kick off against Spain in Toulouse? If it is two, they will.
:30:28. > :30:39.Two. That will be on the 13th of June. That will be a tough opener
:30:40. > :30:46.for the Czech Republic. Against a Spanish side to be inspired by David
:30:47. > :30:51.Silva again, I would think. Sweden, who will join Belgium and the
:30:52. > :31:05.Republic of Ireland. Erik Hamren, the Swedish manager. Sweden and
:31:06. > :31:08.Belgium. Tough for the Irish. They have never gone as far as they did
:31:09. > :31:23.as hosts in 92 when they reached the semis. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, if it is
:31:24. > :31:28.four, they will play Ireland. So Belgium, Republic of Ireland and
:31:29. > :31:43.Sweden. Ireland will play Sweden in their opener in St Denis. 13th June.
:31:44. > :31:53.Hungary. Hungary, which will join Group F, the Hungary variants also
:31:54. > :32:00.through the play-offs. Storck, the manager, you saw there. They lost
:32:01. > :32:04.four of the opening ten qualifiers. Thomas Kris Kin scored their
:32:05. > :32:16.play-off winner, six clubs in six years for England. -- Tomas Priskin.
:32:17. > :32:19.Portugal, Iceland, and now Hungary. That is a good draw for Cristiano
:32:20. > :32:32.Ronaldo's Portugal so far. Onto our final pot, which include
:32:33. > :32:40.Steven former winners, Italy and Russia. He is a look at all six
:32:41. > :32:45.teams in pot two. The most feared side in this pot, and inspiring,
:32:46. > :32:54.difficult to defeat the Juventus rearguard. Italy. Russia got rid of
:32:55. > :32:58.Capello and won four on the trot. The centre-backs though, old,
:32:59. > :33:00.creaky, could be exposed. Switzerland, though, dark horses for
:33:01. > :33:03.the quarterfinals, even though they have been bottom in three previous
:33:04. > :33:08.finals. Good players in good form at good clubs. Austria, no Euro 's
:33:09. > :33:12.experience outside of home form, they are up to 10th in the world
:33:13. > :33:17.now. Croatia, four successive finals after a chaotic qualifying campaign,
:33:18. > :33:23.very talented team, will they perform though? Ukraine, at 100 to
:33:24. > :33:30.one, rated as the weakest side of the pot having qualified for the
:33:31. > :33:31.first time as hosts for years ago. -- four years ago. Back for the last
:33:32. > :33:52.pot, pot two. David. SPEAKS FRENCH. He will shuffled very
:33:53. > :33:59.well and we will see what team completes the group of France,
:34:00. > :34:03.Romania, Albania. A fairly easy group for the hosts who will have 20
:34:04. > :34:20.rest days. Some of the other groups will only have 14. Switzerland. A
:34:21. > :34:21.gasp from the crowd. Good players, Lichtsteiner, brilliant right back
:34:22. > :34:28.at Juventus. And they will hand a start against
:34:29. > :34:46.Albania. That will be in Lens. France will
:34:47. > :34:49.kick off against Romania. Albania against Switzerland will be the
:34:50. > :34:58.kick-off. The next team that command will give England their opening game
:34:59. > :35:04.in Group B. It will be in Marseille. That is where they beat Tunisia in
:35:05. > :35:12.98, the opener. Scherer starring. -- Alan Shearer starring. Who will
:35:13. > :35:19.England get as their opening opponent in Euro 2016, it is Russia!
:35:20. > :35:24.Russia only really here because they got rid of their former England
:35:25. > :35:30.coach, Fabio Capello. They have only got out of the opening group once in
:35:31. > :35:45.the last six Thames, a combined age of 69 for their centre halves.
:35:46. > :36:11.I think that is an opening game that England will look forward to.
:36:12. > :36:17.Germany's opener, in Lille, very much a northern -based group.
:36:18. > :36:25.Ukraine. They will be against Ukraine. 100 and. -- 100 to one
:36:26. > :36:44.outsiders. Your Milenko. Let's just check that we did
:36:45. > :37:00.everything as to the book, as to the rules. Antonin Panenka, C two. Yes,
:37:01. > :37:09.we did everything right. Northern Ireland kicked off in Putland, as we
:37:10. > :37:25.say, in Nice. -- against Poland. Ukraine will play Germany in Paris
:37:26. > :37:34.at the Parc Des Princes. Croatia. Croatia go in with Spain, Czech
:37:35. > :37:39.Republic and Turkey. Croatia and Spain have already been in the same
:37:40. > :37:50.group in Euro 2012. Quarterfinalists twice, and Oliver will tell us if
:37:51. > :37:56.they are... Perisic, Rakitic, he is a great player, Rakitic, they could
:37:57. > :38:02.be dark horses. They kick off against Turkey. Mandzukic hasn't
:38:03. > :38:06.really been firing for Juventus, hence a little bit
:38:07. > :38:08.really been firing for Juventus, will stop Corluka, Darijo Srna. Who
:38:09. > :38:23.goes in with Ireland? And Belgium. will stop Corluka, Darijo Srna. Who
:38:24. > :38:28.And Sweden. Italy. Dear, oh dear, could it get tougher? Antonio
:38:29. > :38:31.Conte's side, in with Martin O'Neill Republic of Ireland. You have the
:38:32. > :38:44.world number one's in Belgium, and Italy. Oliver will tell us which
:38:45. > :38:49.position. What do you think? Two? CHUCKLING
:38:50. > :38:54.Yes, you should play the Lotto the night. That is some opener in that
:38:55. > :39:04.group, Belgium against Italy in Lyon.
:39:05. > :39:11.Ireland will kick off against Sweden, as we say. They will then
:39:12. > :39:24.play against Belgium in Bordeaux on 18th. Austria. They will finish off
:39:25. > :39:31.against Italy in Lille. Portugal, Iceland, Austria and Hungary. An
:39:32. > :39:35.impressive nine wins and one draw. Under Marcel Koller, they have risen
:39:36. > :39:42.from 72nd to 10th in the world rankings. They took Russia twice in
:39:43. > :39:51.qualifying. Very solid squad, Austria. Some of them ever presents.
:39:52. > :39:54.From my side, that is already all, thank you very much the these
:39:55. > :40:08.European champions, and I pass the ball back to Bixente Lizarazu.
:40:09. > :40:17.England's games, Russia on the 11th, Wales in Lens on 16th. And Slovakia
:40:18. > :40:20.in Saint Etienne on the 20th. Wales kick-off against Slovakia in
:40:21. > :40:30.Marseille, move on to that game against England, and finish with
:40:31. > :40:34.Russia in Toulouse. Northern Ireland kicked off against Poland in Nice on
:40:35. > :40:43.12th, then Ukraine. Five o'clock kick-off in Lyon.
:40:44. > :40:51.The Republic of Ireland face Sweden in St Denis on the 13th, then
:40:52. > :40:58.Belgium, the world number one. Bordeaux on the 18th. Then they face
:40:59. > :41:05.Italy in Lille on 22nd. If Italy get on a roll, they will be difficult to
:41:06. > :41:08.stop. England will be happy with the group, Wales will be happy with the
:41:09. > :41:22.group, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland have real work to do.
:41:23. > :41:30.If England or Wales when that group they will face a third placed team.
:41:31. > :41:37.Very complicated as to which third placed team they will play.
:41:38. > :41:59.That is it. That is the end of proceedings here. Much to mull over.
:42:00. > :42:05.Jonathan, thank you very much indeed, not too sure what you are up
:42:06. > :42:07.to on June 16, but whatever it is, Alan Shearer, you should stop what
:42:08. > :42:12.you're doing because there is only one place to be. I think England
:42:13. > :42:15.could be reasonably happy. I am sick of saying whether it is a World Cup
:42:16. > :42:19.or European champion ship that England will be reasonably happy
:42:20. > :42:23.with a group, I think we should just get there and see what happens! John
:42:24. > :42:29.Hartson is there, Mark Lawrenson and Jamie Ward forced everyone of
:42:30. > :42:33.nations are presented today, England against Wales. Luke I personally
:42:34. > :42:35.wanted that, great for the supporters, great on television, the
:42:36. > :42:38.players will know all about each other. It is not very often you get
:42:39. > :42:45.an opportunity to play against England. I was fortunate, I got it,
:42:46. > :42:49.I think the players on both countries will be delighted with
:42:50. > :42:56.that draw. I think England will be pleased with that role. Steady! It
:42:57. > :43:02.has started already, five minutes into it! You don't know what you
:43:03. > :43:06.will get, New York or New Year when you get there but they will be
:43:07. > :43:11.pleased. Jamie, got asked you about Northern Ireland, it tough, Germany,
:43:12. > :43:18.Poland. Yes, but we will go there, we will try to fit on a performance,
:43:19. > :43:22.and we will try to come out with something. We have just got to be
:43:23. > :43:28.focused and we will be happy with a draw. From a Republic perspective,
:43:29. > :43:33.the big names kept coming. It is a dog 's dinner for us. Belgium,
:43:34. > :43:38.Sweden, Italy, very tough, but we are difficult to beat. Come on, be
:43:39. > :43:41.positive! How do you think the players will be looking at the group
:43:42. > :43:46.now and seeing Wales come out and how will they treat it? Do they
:43:47. > :43:50.really want to play another home nation? Yes, why not? I heard Chris
:43:51. > :43:55.Coleman said beforehand that he didn't really want to play England,
:43:56. > :43:59.but I think deep down both him and Roy will be delighted. John is
:44:00. > :44:02.absolutely right, for the fans, for the players, to play against the
:44:03. > :44:08.players they know very well. I think that will be a game they will look
:44:09. > :44:13.forward to. Wales will be underdogs, not a bad position to be in.
:44:14. > :44:18.Everyone will expect England to win. England under pressure in a
:44:19. > :44:22.tournament normally is not great. Knowing Chris common as I do, the
:44:23. > :44:25.fact that Slovakia are ranked 20th in the world and they kick off
:44:26. > :44:30.against Slovakia, they will fancy their chances. You have to respect
:44:31. > :44:33.for the teams, but when you look at Russia and England, they are
:44:34. > :44:42.stronger than Slovakia. It is another Tunisia to get off the three
:44:43. > :44:47.points. But, as you say, that might be enough. Third place out of four,
:44:48. > :44:51.the six groups, go through. So one when might be enough to take you
:44:52. > :44:54.through. That is a really good point, there are only eight of the
:44:55. > :44:58.teams who don't go through to the knockout stages. As John says, a win
:44:59. > :45:04.might be enough, and maybe nick a point somewhere else and Albie good
:45:05. > :45:07.enough. When you see all the groups, Alan, and look at England's
:45:08. > :45:11.prospects, it is wide open. I can't think of another major finals we
:45:12. > :45:16.have had in recent times, both European Championships and World Cup
:45:17. > :45:19.finals, that have been at open? You are absolutely right, and that might
:45:20. > :45:22.work in England's favour. For the first time in a long time we
:45:23. > :45:25.probably go into this tournament without being disrespectful to any
:45:26. > :45:28.players but without any real superstars.
:45:29. > :45:36.If we are honest, it might be a little bit early. But having said
:45:37. > :45:38.that, you have Kane, Barkley, Stonings, very, very good
:45:39. > :45:42.goalkeeper. Who knows. We are being looking for progression, aren't we,
:45:43. > :45:47.with England? France had a bit of luck, didn't they. Did you see their
:45:48. > :45:51.Group. Albania, Romania and Switzerland. Happy days. Do you
:45:52. > :45:55.fancy them to win it? What the Group? The whole thing? I do fancy
:45:56. > :45:59.them to win the whole thing, yeah. I do. I think, you know, the other
:46:00. > :46:03.thing about what is happening in Paris. When the tournament starts I
:46:04. > :46:09.think that will be massive for the home nation. How do you think
:46:10. > :46:12.Michael O'Neill will be feeling now? He will be pretty excited.
:46:13. > :46:18.Obviously, he'll think about the game. Where we can take points. You
:46:19. > :46:22.would look at Ukraine in that aspect. These are live pictures.
:46:23. > :46:26.Chris Coleman is laughing, smiling anyway. For Wales the Republic and
:46:27. > :46:31.the North it would be tough because they are in the last Pot much you
:46:32. > :46:35.are looking for a little bit of luck and what you perceive to be the
:46:36. > :46:40.worst teams in the Group that is are higher. That will always be tough.
:46:41. > :46:46.England anded Wales have been drawn with Russia and Slovakia in Group B.
:46:47. > :46:51.They will meet in their second Group on June 16th. England start their
:46:52. > :47:00.campaign five days earlier fence against Russia and Wales will meet
:47:01. > :47:04.Slovakia. -- against. The winners of that Group will meet one of the
:47:05. > :47:12.third placed qualifiers of the last 16? This is England. Let us not talk
:47:13. > :47:18.about qualifying just yet. Let us enjoy and hope we have a good Group.
:47:19. > :47:22.It will be an epic match, isn't it? It's a mouth-watering tie to come up
:47:23. > :47:27.against England for the players. We beat them in the rugby. We have to
:47:28. > :47:32.do it in the football now. Pity it's a different sport, isn't it? How do
:47:33. > :47:37.you cope with Gareth Bale? Kick him hard! He's a top player, isn't he.
:47:38. > :47:41.His record in qualifying, both him and Ramsey, they will be the major
:47:42. > :47:46.threats to us. That is the problem for Wales and Chris Coleman. If they
:47:47. > :47:50.get an injury to Gareth Bale or Aaron Ramsey they are in trouble.
:47:51. > :47:55.With you talk about team spirit, they are the two world-class players
:47:56. > :47:59.in the side? You can. Can say that when you take one or two players out
:48:00. > :48:02.of the England squad. You need luck to win any tournament. You need luck
:48:03. > :48:06.between now and the tournament to keep your best players fit. Momentum
:48:07. > :48:11.is a big thing in this competition. If you get a positive result in the
:48:12. > :48:15.first game and build that momentum. Don't forget, as well, massive
:48:16. > :48:19.support from these four teams. Massive support. How crucial have
:48:20. > :48:23.the fans been, Jamie? Incredible all the way through. Obviously, they
:48:24. > :48:28.have not had good times before this tournament. It's been great for the
:48:29. > :48:33.fans now to have something to cheer about. They have been incredible.
:48:34. > :48:38.They got behind us every game and travelled away in bigs numbers as
:48:39. > :48:43.well. The Northern Ireland kick-off their first ever European
:48:44. > :48:48.Championship campaign against Poland on June 12th. They face Ukraine and
:48:49. > :48:52.Germany. A tough Group for the Northern Ireland lads. Basically,
:48:53. > :48:56.beat Germany and who knows, it comes down to that final match. No
:48:57. > :49:00.pressure whatsoever? No pressure at all. You will be top of the table by
:49:01. > :49:04.then anyway. It will be great. We have a chance to obviously go and
:49:05. > :49:07.play against some of the best players in the world now. We will
:49:08. > :49:11.give it our best shot. Hopefully, our spirit can get us through. Mark
:49:12. > :49:16.and Alan. We saw it in the World Cup, Germany got better as the
:49:17. > :49:22.tournament progressed? They time their run right, don't they. They
:49:23. > :49:26.are well-prepared. They are always going to be a threat and stuff. The
:49:27. > :49:30.In terms of qualification, they weren't great, but they are good
:49:31. > :49:34.enough. You know, when the tournament comes around, on 10th
:49:35. > :49:38.June, they will be ready. Let us look at Group E. Martin O'Neill,
:49:39. > :49:42.Republic of Ireland are up against Sweden, Belgium and Italy in that
:49:43. > :49:45.order. The womeners of that Group will face a runnerup from one of the
:49:46. > :49:53.other groups. Martin O'Neill's side will have to do it the very hard
:49:54. > :49:58.way, even if they do? We are better as under dogs you mentioned the
:49:59. > :50:02.rugby. That is the way the Republic of Ireland - when we are favourites
:50:03. > :50:07.we collapse. We are underdogs in our three games. The great thing for the
:50:08. > :50:11.Republic. We have no star players. This is the least talented squad who
:50:12. > :50:16.have ever qualified. That speaks volumes for the manager and Roy
:50:17. > :50:20.Keane and the coaching staff. They work like stink. Because they have
:50:21. > :50:25.no stars they are very, very difficult to beat. Great dynamic in
:50:26. > :50:32.the dressing room. They will have a real go. The last time in the Euros
:50:33. > :50:36.we seriously bombed. They look like tough games on paper. They have met
:50:37. > :50:43.before in European Championships, Mark? Balotelli scored. Look. You
:50:44. > :50:47.never know. The other thing is, it's a long, long way off until we play.
:50:48. > :50:53.The players will get injured. Players will have loss of form. It's
:50:54. > :50:57.easy to sit here and say we can do this and that, you never know. In
:50:58. > :51:02.Belgium, John, you followed the campaign with Wales right up until
:51:03. > :51:07.the final game as well. Let us not forget Wales beat Belgium at the
:51:08. > :51:11.Cardiff City Stadium. Then - They are not playing, it's us. The point
:51:12. > :51:16.I'm making they are beatable. They are beatable? They are beatable.
:51:17. > :51:22.They are the number one ranking team in the world. We were chatting about
:51:23. > :51:26.the Fifa rankings earlier on. I'm sure Martin O'Neill will have a
:51:27. > :51:30.quiet word with Chris Coleman to see how maybe they can plot their way
:51:31. > :51:35.through and try and get a great result against Belgium like Wales
:51:36. > :51:39.showed, of course. The imindustry, Wales played against boss knee why
:51:40. > :51:42.in their Group. The Republic drew Bosnia in the play-offs. The two of
:51:43. > :51:45.them were in contact with each other. If England or Wales win their
:51:46. > :51:48.Group they could face Northern Ireland in the last 16. A
:51:49. > :51:53.quarter-final meeting will be likely against Portugal or Italy. These are
:51:54. > :51:58.the per pa takeses we are putting together. France or Spain await in
:51:59. > :52:03.the semi-finals. If they win Group B England or Wales cannot meet Germany
:52:04. > :52:07.until the final. So the winners of the Group... I like how you lumped
:52:08. > :52:12.Wales with England there. You have done well there. It's optimistic.
:52:13. > :52:18.Nothing to fear, is there, John, in England? Well, of course, they have
:52:19. > :52:23.got good players. It's a great game. You said earlier on in Final Score
:52:24. > :52:27.like a local Derby. Chris won't have to say nothing to his players. They
:52:28. > :52:30.will know the opposition very well. They play against them week in and
:52:31. > :52:33.week out in the Premier League. They will be up for it. Two sets of fans
:52:34. > :52:37.will be up for it. I think it's a brilliant draw for both England
:52:38. > :52:44.anded Wales. Where do they play, Jason? Where is the game England and
:52:45. > :52:49.Wales. North-east. Not that hot. Which is a massive factor if you are
:52:50. > :52:58.playing it down south. Qualifying Group. Bosnia, that was it. What
:52:59. > :53:01.about the pressure on England. We know what happens especially within
:53:02. > :53:06.television and newspapers. There is this hype that when England go off
:53:07. > :53:11.to a European Championships or World Cup will it be as expectants this
:53:12. > :53:15.year? No, I don't because I think people now realise that England
:53:16. > :53:19.shouldn't expect to win tournaments going into them. We are not as good
:53:20. > :53:22.as people probably think we are. I think there is an understanding of
:53:23. > :53:26.that now in our country. What people want is they want to see
:53:27. > :53:33.improvement. That will not be hard from the last World Cup. We now won
:53:34. > :53:37.all our qualifying games. Young players are coming through. I think
:53:38. > :53:44.it will be too early for us to win it. If we go and give a good account
:53:45. > :53:47.of ourselves and everybody gives it all people will accept it. As far as
:53:48. > :53:53.strikers are concerned, Roy Hodgson is likely to take four strikers. Who
:53:54. > :53:58.do you think those strikers will be? Rooney, Vardy. Wayne Rooney go as a
:53:59. > :54:07.striker for you? I think so. Harry Kane. Sturridge. If he's fit. Danny
:54:08. > :54:11.Welbeck? A big "if." Wonderful position for Roy Hodgson. England
:54:12. > :54:14.have options am you have players who are not guaranteed places, fighting
:54:15. > :54:17.for places, that hasn't be been the case for a long time. From that
:54:18. > :54:21.point of view that is exciting also. England are healthy. I think they
:54:22. > :54:26.will be as well when they come into the competition. . In competition
:54:27. > :54:30.for places all over the place, which is, as Alan says, good for England.
:54:31. > :54:33.From a players perspective it's about staying fit in the final end
:54:34. > :54:38.of the season? Yeah, definitely. It's about running away from the
:54:39. > :54:43.ball from March time onwards. Military So you don't get injured.
:54:44. > :54:48.That is normal! It's fine for me. It's important, you don't want to
:54:49. > :54:53.miss out on a big opportunity for yourself as a player. We can hear
:54:54. > :54:56.from Roy Hodgson and Chris Coleman. Roy, if we can first come to you.
:54:57. > :55:01.It's Wales, it's Chris, how do you feel? Very good about it. Obviously,
:55:02. > :55:06.there was a very good chance we would meet one of the home nations
:55:07. > :55:10.in the draw because it was a 50% chance. We are very pleased that
:55:11. > :55:15.Chris and Wales have done so well. It's been exciting following their
:55:16. > :55:19.progress. Which ever teams we got in that Pot would have been a tough
:55:20. > :55:23.one. Why not have a tough one close to home. You said this morning you
:55:24. > :55:27.wanted to avoid England because of the circus that comes with it with
:55:28. > :55:33.all the media attention We've got them so it will be a great game. I
:55:34. > :55:36.think, you know, two good teams, obviously, Roy, the campaign they
:55:37. > :55:42.had, like we spoke about this morning, win 10 games in the
:55:43. > :55:45.campaign is a a fantastic return. Looking at a lot of teams there is
:55:46. > :55:49.quality. England are one of the best teams. We are looking at it and
:55:50. > :55:59.thinking - if we can avoid it. No, it's fine. It will be a great game.
:56:00. > :56:04.We will look forward to it. I haven't come across those two teams
:56:05. > :56:09.in my international career, Slovakia and Russia. Two newcomers, if you
:56:10. > :56:13.like, on my CV to play against. We respect them. It's going to be a
:56:14. > :56:17.question now of course of doing plenty of research between now and
:56:18. > :56:22.June to make sure we know everything about them as much as we think we
:56:23. > :56:27.will know about Wales. Slow are rack ya had a great victory in qualifying
:56:28. > :56:31.at the start of the campaign. They have beaten Spain and Italy, they
:56:32. > :56:35.have talented players. Russia, creeky at the back. These are teams
:56:36. > :56:38.that Wales and England could beat and get through to the next stage?
:56:39. > :56:44.We can, I think. Roy will tell you, he has had a lot of tournaments,
:56:45. > :56:46.loads of experience. When you get to a tournament it's that 90 minutes.
:56:47. > :56:50.You have to get it right. Sometimes you have an off day, unfortunately.
:56:51. > :56:56.It doesn't matter who you play. Have you to make sure you concentrate on
:56:57. > :56:59.ourselves. Look at Slovakia. They had great results, beating Spain,
:57:00. > :57:02.fantastic. Great campaign for them. Russia is Russia. They have already
:57:03. > :57:05.won it. They are going to be strong. It doesn't matter who you play, they
:57:06. > :57:08.will be strong. They will be prepared and they will be ready. You
:57:09. > :57:12.have to make sure you are the same way. Roy, you know all about one of
:57:13. > :57:16.the main threats, their threats, Bale, Ramsey. So many players we
:57:17. > :57:21.know from Premier League football? Well, we know that. Of course we
:57:22. > :57:25.know the players because all of them play in England. We know most of all
:57:26. > :57:29.is the fact that the teams are very well-organised. They have played
:57:30. > :57:34.very, very well together. They have fantastic team spirit and a strong
:57:35. > :57:38.spine. In Ashley Williams and Ramsey and Gareth Bale. You are talking
:57:39. > :57:42.about three really, really top-class European players right through the
:57:43. > :57:46.spine of the team. Chris has done a good job moulding the rest of the
:57:47. > :57:50.players around that strong spine. You know, we have a lot of respect
:57:51. > :57:55.for Wales. We have respect for the other teams in the Group as well. I
:57:56. > :57:59.think when it comes to draws you just are happy to be here. Happy
:58:00. > :58:02.your name is in the hat. Happy you have are being drawn out to be
:58:03. > :58:06.played against somebody. It's a Lottery when the guy takes a ball
:58:07. > :58:09.out of the pot and twirls it around and your name comes out or doesn't.
:58:10. > :58:13.You take what you get, really. We are more than happy. Chris and I
:58:14. > :58:19.have been friends for a long time. Whatever happens we will be friends
:58:20. > :58:23.after the game as well. Long friendship and Fulham connections.
:58:24. > :58:28.You said it was like Christmas Day. Do you feel like a Christmas Day kid
:58:29. > :58:32.who got the presents? Just watching teams come out of the hat there was
:58:33. > :58:40.so honoured and proud to be here, you know, and representing Wales.
:58:41. > :58:44.Roy and myself and ourself downthan being here and watching it and being
:58:45. > :58:48.involved is a fantastic feeling. I'm very excited. We are in a Group with
:58:49. > :58:54.some hot competition. We know that. We know all about England of course.
:58:55. > :58:56.We know they will be strong, as will Russia and Slovakia. That is why we
:58:57. > :59:01.are here. All the top teams are here. All the teams playing well
:59:02. > :59:06.have earnt the right to be here. The tournament will be a fantastic one.
:59:07. > :59:15.A British-style stadium and accessible for all the supporters?
:59:16. > :59:19.Yes. I have been there before in the late 80s. That dayed we played
:59:20. > :59:25.France. Atangana moss fear was fantastic. We are playing in
:59:26. > :59:29.Marseille and St Etienne. Iconic places to play football. As far as
:59:30. > :59:34.I'm concerned it has been a satisfactory day. As Chris said
:59:35. > :59:41.earlier on it's the question of making certain when the day comes
:59:42. > :59:47.around that when you play your opponent you are in great shape. We
:59:48. > :59:51.can talk about stadia and teams. It boils down to how well you play on
:59:52. > :59:55.the night. Roy, best of luck to you. Chris, best ofs luck to you. Lovely
:59:56. > :00:04.to see you. Thank you, Jonathan. Lovely to see them stadium. --
:00:05. > :00:11.smiling. This is the stadium. 38,000 capacity. There will be very lucky
:00:12. > :00:17.ticket-holders. Opened in 1933. It's had a redevelopment, 70 million
:00:18. > :00:20.Euro. We think, Alan, this was the stadium where you beat Columbia in
:00:21. > :00:24.the 1988 World Cup do you remember that match? I think so. When David
:00:25. > :00:30.Beckham scored the free-kick. Yeah. With that great celebration. Lucky
:00:31. > :00:32.stadium for us. Do you remember the games where you didn't score? I
:00:33. > :00:40.don't think I scored in that game. Great to see Roy Hodgson and Chris
:00:41. > :00:44.Coleman looking forward to the match with a smile on their face. They are
:00:45. > :00:50.not going to say anything else can they? It will be interesting,
:00:51. > :00:55.tomorrow morning's papers. Especially the English take on the
:00:56. > :00:59.draw. As our third in the past, as soon as we have had a draw, we are
:01:00. > :01:07.going to win it, Trasch as Alan said, in the past. For all the
:01:08. > :01:09.teams, trying to match up in the friendlies relatively the teams they
:01:10. > :01:13.are going to play, something very similar. That will start tonight
:01:14. > :01:18.probably, those fixtures, the friendlies, before the convert
:01:19. > :01:21.Ishant. There was suggestion that Wales were wanting to play a
:01:22. > :01:26.friendly against England in the build-up, of course if they didn't
:01:27. > :01:28.get them but when you listen to Roy Hodgson and Chris common saying
:01:29. > :01:34.we're happy to be here when it comes to the draw, the hard work begins
:01:35. > :01:37.now. Yes, it does come you get all of the Scouts going around the world
:01:38. > :01:42.looking at different players, filing their reports back to the managers.
:01:43. > :01:47.But I think overall England have to be very pleased with that particular
:01:48. > :01:50.group they have been drawn against. Russia, Wales, Slovakia. Yes, it
:01:51. > :01:55.will be tough but I think giving and don't get out of that group there is
:01:56. > :01:58.something seriously wrong. The twitter banter has started, Mr
:01:59. > :02:09.Lineker says England against Wales, love it. You are off to Match of the
:02:10. > :02:14.Day now, I was born in Cardiff, it would be pretty tricky to say I was
:02:15. > :02:21.born in England now! I wouldn't be allowed home. Had a great show,
:02:22. > :02:27.let's here from Martin O'Neill. Martin, you knew it would be tough,
:02:28. > :02:30.up against Europe is Mac elite, but Sweden, Ibrahimovic, Belgium the
:02:31. > :02:34.world number one, and Italy the old warhorse is, it couldn't get
:02:35. > :02:37.world number one, and Italy the old tougher, could it? It couldn't.
:02:38. > :02:41.Italy really should be in pot one, I think, they haven't dropped down the
:02:42. > :02:44.rankings that much, but they should be considered as a pot one team.
:02:45. > :02:49.Effectively you are talking about them, the top ranking side in the
:02:50. > :02:52.world and Sweden to boot. So yes, difficult, aims to look forward to
:02:53. > :02:57.for the fans but it couldn't be tougher for us. Raina you need to
:02:58. > :03:00.get momentum going early in a competition finals, and you start
:03:01. > :03:04.off against the Swedes. We start off against Sweden in Paris. We will get
:03:05. > :03:11.big support as well, of course Sweden will as well. Again, a game
:03:12. > :03:16.really to look forward to, let's go for it, let's give absolutely
:03:17. > :03:21.everything, leave nothing behind. Ibrahimovic will get great support
:03:22. > :03:25.there, a Paris Saint-Germain player. They Avon man team? I don't think
:03:26. > :03:28.so. I watched some of their matches in the play-off games and I thought
:03:29. > :03:32.they were quite strong. You would expect all the things that Sweden
:03:33. > :03:37.bring to the table, you would expect that from them, and as you mention,
:03:38. > :03:40.Ibrahimovic is a top-class player. that from them, and as you mention,
:03:41. > :03:44.strengths, solidity at the that from them, and as you mention,
:03:45. > :03:48.team spirit, hang on, you have beaten Germany here, you could beat
:03:49. > :03:53.Belgium, even though they are world number one. I am glad you are
:03:54. > :03:57.showing a really big light in this minute, which helps greatly. Closer
:03:58. > :04:02.to the time, I thought I was going to enjoy the draw. I'm not so sure
:04:03. > :04:04.that I have done, after this, but after Christmas, get my head round
:04:05. > :04:09.it, and really start focusing on it. after Christmas, get my head round
:04:10. > :04:12.What does that mean, how do you focus early in the New Year, what do
:04:13. > :04:16.you do? First of all, I focus early in the New Year, what do
:04:17. > :04:21.that you know who you are up against, you can actually take time
:04:22. > :04:23.out to study players individually at club level as
:04:24. > :04:26.out to study players individually at not just about your own players but
:04:27. > :04:30.also about opposition players, so that by the time you come into these
:04:31. > :04:32.games, the three matches coming in relatively quick succession, that
:04:33. > :04:38.you know absolutely nothing about them. In this day and age there is
:04:39. > :04:41.no reason why you shouldn't. I know you are a great fan of the mystery
:04:42. > :04:45.and the thrillers, have you planned a route through, do you plan a route
:04:46. > :04:50.through this maze, how do you address a championship like this? It
:04:51. > :04:55.is a bit of a maze, I must admit, but we will get down to plotting
:04:56. > :04:59.something, and hope that these plans stay with us. Was it a joy, though?
:05:00. > :05:05.I know you have got a tough draw, but was it a joy to be here, at this
:05:06. > :05:09.stage of your football life, really exciting to be there? About an hour
:05:10. > :05:13.and a half ago I would have said it was an absolute joy to be here, now
:05:14. > :05:17.I am not so sure. Deep down, I am, I am delighted we are here, and that
:05:18. > :05:21.is not giving up. It is a tough draw for us but great excitement for our
:05:22. > :05:24.fans. They won't consider anything else other than going out there and
:05:25. > :05:32.giving everything they have got as well. This is for them, and in terms
:05:33. > :05:38.of expectations, who knows? Martin, it is a joy to see you here and all
:05:39. > :05:42.the best. He is also still smiling as well. These are the fixtures,
:05:43. > :05:45.then, for the Republic of Ireland. Let's be clear, when it comes to
:05:46. > :05:53.Italy, yes they are ranked 15th in the world, but they qualified solid
:05:54. > :05:56.rather than spectacular. A typical Italian qualification. And they are
:05:57. > :06:00.a very good team as well. Martin O'Neill makes a very good point,
:06:01. > :06:05.there are two pot one teams in there, Belgium and Italy. None of us
:06:06. > :06:09.know how Fifa rankings work anyway, but they are certainly not working
:06:10. > :06:14.in the Republic's favour. And the opening game at the Stade the
:06:15. > :06:17.France, so the Irish fans go there for the rugby, six Nations, they
:06:18. > :06:20.will know very well. That is where we got knocked out with the French
:06:21. > :06:25.with a certain hand of you know what. Martin O'Neill just said
:06:26. > :06:30.himself, the Republic will go there and they will have a go. To be fair,
:06:31. > :06:33.they did ever so well to qualify, the way the qualification went, they
:06:34. > :06:37.lost to Scotland at Celtic Park, and then they drew at home to Scotland.
:06:38. > :06:41.Fantastic result against Germany, then they got through a tough
:06:42. > :06:46.play-off against Bosnia, so they are there now, go and enjoy it. It will
:06:47. > :06:50.not be lack of effort or application. We talked about Belgium
:06:51. > :06:53.being eatable, Italy will be difficult to beat, though they are
:06:54. > :06:57.selling work in progress under Antonio Conte. Imagine the way they
:06:58. > :07:02.are looking at it, Belgium and Italy, thinking, happy days. What
:07:03. > :07:07.about the role Troicki has played? Martin O'Neill celebrated the work
:07:08. > :07:11.he had done in qualifications -- the role that Robbie Keane has played.
:07:12. > :07:17.Martin O'Neill has been clever with him -- with Rory Keane.
:07:18. > :07:25.Steve Welford is involved as well, they are quite a tight group, just
:07:26. > :07:29.like the players are. As said before it is all about the summer of the
:07:30. > :07:38.parts. They haven't really got any star players that Wales or England
:07:39. > :07:44.would not take off tough -- Roy Keane.
:07:45. > :07:54.Jamie is going, touch wood. He will absolutely run himself to death. It
:07:55. > :07:58.is your big deal. There are 70 players from Northern Ireland,
:07:59. > :08:04.Republic of Ireland and Wales squads playing with you in the chard. You
:08:05. > :08:06.have a couple at Forest. It is a big opportunity for us. Hopefully we
:08:07. > :08:09.will get managers from the Premier League thinking we will take a
:08:10. > :08:14.chance on the Championship, rather than going abroad and spending
:08:15. > :08:18.millions, get a cheaper player from the Chamakh row who can do it. Let's
:08:19. > :08:22.here from a man who will be keeping a very close eye on you in the next
:08:23. > :08:28.couple of months no doubt, Michael O'Neill. We were talking about
:08:29. > :08:31.outstanding individuals here and outstanding goal-scorers,
:08:32. > :08:33.Lewandowski of Germany being one, Thomas Muller being another of
:08:34. > :08:38.Germany and you have drawn them both. We have indeed. Both showed
:08:39. > :08:42.what they are capable of in qualification. It is a tough group,
:08:43. > :08:47.but we expected that regardless. In many ways it is a good challenge for
:08:48. > :08:50.us. Our strongest options in our team is our centre-backs, so they
:08:51. > :08:53.will be tested. We have three Premier League centre-backs in our
:08:54. > :08:58.squad and I think they will relish the challenge of playing against
:08:59. > :09:04.those two. Northern Ireland have been in tough groups before, they
:09:05. > :09:08.need to resurrect the spirit of 82. We won the group, people don't
:09:09. > :09:11.overlook that, we are not here through a play-off second place, we
:09:12. > :09:14.actually won our group, and top goal-scorers in the group as well.
:09:15. > :09:18.There are a lot of positives we take into this tournament. As I say,
:09:19. > :09:23.throughout my time in charge we have always done better the bigger
:09:24. > :09:29.nations. Portugal, Russia, in the previous campaign, the World Cup
:09:30. > :09:38.hammer -- will campaign. The lowest seediest side -- the lowest seeded
:09:39. > :09:42.side ever to win a group, what does that tell you? The spirit that is in
:09:43. > :09:46.our group, the coefficient is not in our favour and many things appear to
:09:47. > :09:51.be against us but what we have shown in this group is the capability of a
:09:52. > :09:55.tremendous work ethic, team spirit, and as I say we were very difficult
:09:56. > :10:01.to beat, we only lost one game in qualification as well. The best
:10:02. > :10:07.4/3-place teams will go through, so will you target Ukraine in
:10:08. > :10:10.particular? Know, for me, having watched tournament football, and I
:10:11. > :10:14.the Euro is very closely in 2012, I think the most important thing is to
:10:15. > :10:19.try and take something from your first game. I think you are up
:10:20. > :10:22.against it then slightly coming into the second game. I think the
:10:23. > :10:26.fixtures may be work in our favour, the fact that we play Poland and
:10:27. > :10:29.Ukraine before, we are going to have to put a huge amount into every game
:10:30. > :10:32.but perhaps the Germany game might be the most demanding for us
:10:33. > :10:37.physically. Maybe it is better that is game three. Ukraine have the wide
:10:38. > :10:49.players, if you stop the Polish team might be a bit more
:10:50. > :10:53.familiar with, other than the German team. We will do a lot of analysis
:10:54. > :11:00.on the opposition come Junhui will be ready to play. What is it like to
:11:01. > :11:03.be a tournament as Northern Ireland manager and drawn against the
:11:04. > :11:08.champions? The experience of being here, being part of it, has been a
:11:09. > :11:12.phenomenal experience for everyone in the association that has been
:11:13. > :11:17.over. A very exciting 45 minutes. Now the preparation camp start in
:11:18. > :11:20.earnest, because we have the detail of who we play, the venues. In the
:11:21. > :11:25.final game of our group, we play the Germans in Paris. The chief
:11:26. > :11:29.executive said to me, you have to be the Germans at some point if you are
:11:30. > :11:34.going to win the tournament, so we say that tongue-in-cheek, but it is
:11:35. > :11:37.a perfect opportunity for us. These are magnificent games for ask a
:11:38. > :11:40.country of our size, that have not been in a tournament for 30 years to
:11:41. > :11:47.be involved, everyone is looking forward it. I am sure they are. A
:11:48. > :11:50.good question from Jonathan Pierce, would you target Ukraine because the
:11:51. > :11:53.qualified via the play-offs? That would be understandable if we did,
:11:54. > :11:57.but I think it is important, like Michael said, that we get momentum,
:11:58. > :12:02.try to get something out of the first game and carry on with a bit
:12:03. > :12:08.of the Minton going into the Germany game and Ukraine. It is going to be
:12:09. > :12:12.tough, we know that, we are not daft. We have not been there before,
:12:13. > :12:16.I am pretty sure we will run through brick walls together like we have
:12:17. > :12:20.done already in the campaign. Kyle Lafferty tweeting, a lot of players
:12:21. > :12:24.are, Kyle Lafferty says it all starts here. That is probably one of
:12:25. > :12:30.the most sensible things he has ever said! He has a lot of pressure on
:12:31. > :12:33.his shoulders to score goals again, but I'm sure that the players around
:12:34. > :12:39.him are capable of providing chances for him on the big stage. Michael
:12:40. > :12:43.O'Neill made a good point, about the first game, trying to get something
:12:44. > :12:49.from the first game. If you don't, then you are starting to chase.
:12:50. > :12:54.Momentum. And also for the club managers, like Dougie Freedman at
:12:55. > :12:57.Forest, he will want to be in the team every week because he wants to
:12:58. > :13:03.go to the Euros, so there is a knock-on. The Wales fans who are
:13:04. > :13:06.watching who have long memories will remember, 2003, John you were in the
:13:07. > :13:11.side that lost against Russia in a play-off. There is a little bit of
:13:12. > :13:16.bad blood between Wales and Russia. We owe
:13:17. > :13:20.bad blood between Wales and Russia. play-off. But a great first leg.
:13:21. > :13:26.Yes, we drew in Moscow, came back the Cardiff for days later and got
:13:27. > :13:33.beaten 1-0. That is the way it goes. There he is, in action. I pulled
:13:34. > :13:39.that. Should have hit the target, told you that at the time! It will
:13:40. > :13:42.get underway June ten, but that June 16 into your diaries now for England
:13:43. > :13:44.against Wales, can you believe it? We will see you in France, goodbye
:13:45. > :13:47.for now.