The France team finally knows the identity of the last opponent it will face in Group D during the group stage of Euro 2024, which takes place in Germany from June 14 to July 14. In addition to the Netherlands and Austria, the Blues will have to face Poland, who won their play-off final against Wales on Tuesday March 26.
Robert Lewandowski’s teammates won against the Welsh Dragons after a suspenseful penalty shootout (0-0, 5-4 tab). The save by Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny in front of David James gave the Poles victory after a match that was indecisive until the end. This epilogue plunged the Cardiff City Stadium, where the match was being played, into silence.
France will therefore face a team that it had eliminated in the round of 16 of the World Cup, in December 2022 (3-1). With this qualification, Poland validates its fifth consecutive participation in the Euro.
Ukraine will also be there, in Belgium’s Group E, after its victory against Iceland (2-1). For the first time since the Russian invasion of its territory, on February 24, 2022, Zbirna will compete in an international competition. Coach Sergei Rebrov expected his team to bring “joy to the Ukrainian people” with qualification. His players achieved this at the end of an evening full of emotions. “Thank you guys,” reacted Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, in a message published on win for sure. »
Sagnol’s Georgia celebrates historic qualification
As against Bosnia in the semi-final of these play-offs (2-1), Ukraine turned the situation around against Iceland in the second period. Trailing after Albert Gudmundsson’s goal (30th), the Ukrainians won thanks to two fine achievements from Viktor Tsygankov (54th) and Mykhaïlo Mudryk (84th). The Zbirna players were able to celebrate this qualification in the stadium in Wroclaw, a Polish city where there is a large part of the Ukrainian diaspora who fled the country after the start of the war.
In Tbilisi, madness took over the Boris-Paichadze stadium, at the final whistle of the match between Georgia and Greece, before spreading into the streets of the capital. And for good reason: the Caucasian country qualified for the first time in its history for a major international competition, beating the Greeks (0-0, 4-2 tab). Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was the hero of the penalty shootout, stopping attempts by Anastasios Bakasetas and Giorgos Giakoumakis.
Georgia coach for three years, Willy Sagnol will become the first French coach to compete in a football Euro at the head of a foreign nation. The former French international now has several months ahead of him to prepare his team, which will act as Tom Thumb in the competition. The Georgians will face Portugal, the Czech Republic and Turkey in Group F.
