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Gareth Southgate acknowledged that England is fully focused on the upcoming European Championship, following the Nations League draw which paired them with the Republic of Ireland.
The two teams will face each other in a competitive match for the first time since March 1991. They are also competing against Greece, the winners of Euro 2004, and Finland in Group B2.
In the autumn, the Nations League matches will take place. At this time, there is a possibility that Southgate may not be the coach, depending on the outcome of the summer tournament in Germany. He acknowledged that it is currently challenging to look beyond the Euros.
He informed Sky Sports that we are completely dedicated to the Euros.
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“I am aware that we are currently here for a separate competition, however our focus is solely on preparing for Germany and we are eagerly anticipating the upcoming event.”
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“We were the second-place team in our previous competition. Our team has consistently been ranked within the top five in the world for four to five years, indicating our strength and capability.”
In tournaments, we are aware that there are many talented teams in Europe who have the potential to defeat each other on any given day. Additionally, there are some formidable squads as well.
In the Euro 92 qualifier at Wembley, England and the Republic faced each other in a competitive match. Niall Quinn scored a goal to equalize after Lee Dixon’s opening goal.
The 1995 friendly match at Lansdowne Road was disrupted by unruly fans, resulting in its abandonment. The most recent encounter between the teams was a friendly in November 2020.
Marc Canham, the director of football for the Football Association of Ireland, expressed that the upcoming games will be challenging but thrilling. He also mentioned the excitement of playing against England for the first time in a while.
This presents an excellent chance for our players, team, and incredible supporters to anticipate a memorable experience.
In Group B4, Wales will compete against Iceland, Montenegro, and Turkey.
Rob Page, the manager of Wales, stated that they are familiar with Turkey’s playing style as they faced them in the Euro qualifiers last year. He acknowledged that there are no easy matches in international football, but if given the choice, they would have chosen Turkey as their opponent.
“I mean no offense to them, but we want to ensure that we have the best chance for success.”
Scotland, led by Steve Clarke, will face Croatia, Portugal, and Poland in Group A1.
Northern Ireland, led by Michael O’Neill, were placed in Group C3 and will face Luxembourg, Bulgaria, and Belarus.
O’Neill expressed that the upcoming matches will be beneficial for our young team. They will serve as a challenge for their growth as international players.
The initial stage of the league will occur from September to October, followed by the League A quarter-finals and the promotion/relegation play-offs in March 2025.
In June 2025, there will be one-leg semi-finals and a final.
The source is the website “independent.co.uk”.
