Euro 2012 – Ukraine and Poland

Armenia, who were drawn in the same Euro 2012 qualifying group as the Republic of Ireland, have appointed a new manager.

Armenia’s football federation announced today that Vardan Minasyan, a former skipper of the national side, was appointed to the post today until the end of the qualifying campaign.

Minasyan had been assistant to Denmark’s coach Jan Povlson and has won the Armenian national title eight times as a player.

The 36-year-old said his side hopes to finish fourth in the Euro 2012 qualifying group, but that “Russia are clear favourites. Slovakia and Ireland are also very strong opponents.”

The head of national soccer’s governing body has for the first time since 2002 formally entrusted a homebred coach with management of the national soccer squad, it emerged on Thursday.

The Football Federation of Armenia (www.ffa.am) announced that FFA President Ruben Hayrapetyan had issued a decree appointing caretaker manager Vardan Minasyan as Armenia’s head coach until 2012, meaning that he will coach the team until the end of the Euro-2012 qualifying campaign.

Minasyan has become the 15th national head coach since Armenia joined international football as an independent nation in 1992. The team has had six foreign head coaches before Minasyan took over Denmark’s Jan Poulsen’s duty at the beginning of last year. He stayed in that capacity until his formal appointment today.

All of Minasyan’s foreign predecessors, except Ian Porterfield (2006-2007), were fired by the Armenian federation over the team’s poor performance record. The team achieved its arguably best record and form under the Scotsman, who, however, died of cancer in September 2007.

Armenia is currently ranked 102nd on the FIFA list of over 200 nations. The nation’s rivals in Group B of Euro-2012 qualification are Russia, Slovakia, the Republic of Ireland, FYR Macedonia and Andorra.

It was also reported this week that Armenia will travel to Cyprus to play a friendly on March 3 as part of preparations for the official matches starting in September.

AS REPUBLIC of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni heads to Warsaw today for the Euro 2012 Championship qualifying draw, scheduled to take place in the city’s Palace of Culture tomorrow morning, the blazers in Uefa must wish the veteran Italian was in a position to stay at home.

Three years ago, the joint bid by Poland and Ukraine to stage the tournament only just managed to scrape its way onto the shortlist put before members of the organisation’s Executive Committee for the second round of the selection process.

The eventual winners finished third behind Italy and Croatia/Hungary in the first round of voting but, crucially, one vote ahead of Turkey which kept them in the race. In the final round they crushed the world champions by eight votes to four with the others nowhere to be seen.

In his quieter moments, Michel Platini must wonder sometimes just what he and the rest of the Executive Committee were thinking. He can, at least, take some consolation from the fact that on the eve of the draw for the qualifiers it does actually seem certain that the tournament will take place in the two countries and that each is set to provide the four-match venues they initially committed to.

It hasn’t always looked so likely. At various stages, the Poles have been threatened with losing their share of the event because of political interference in their association and the Ukrainian end of things has looked set to sink into a sea of financial and organisational chaos.

Some 18 months ago the Scots made it clear that they would be prepared to step in should a fall-back plan be required but, somewhat hamstrung by the image he has cultivated as the champion of the underdog, Platini stuck to his guns with Uefa issuing a succession of deadlines, many of which the organisers failed to meet.

With just short of two and a half years to go before kick-off, however, the Poles do have stadiums (enough, in fact, for it to be suggested on more than one occasion that they might host the entire shebang) although they remain well short of where it had hoped they would be in terms of transport infrastructure and hotels.

The Ukrainians, meanwhile, continue to test the nerve of Platini and co with work continuing (a little sporadically) on two of their venues, Lvov and Kiev. Uefa has actually become directly involved in overseeing some of the work but Ukrainian tournament director Markiyan Lubkivskiy recently observed that ongoing funding problems mean that the “implementation of the (Lvov) project is in jeopardy”.

This, despite the fact that some €3.8 million in direct funding has been allocated by national and local government with related spending boosting the figure considerably. Already a couple of the venue cities have been changed and the renovation of Kiev’s massive Olympic Stadium has become mired in legal disputes with contractors.

The problems, of course, have been exacerbated by the economic downturn. In the good times a government can usually sell a major football tournament to sceptics amongst its population as a much needed overhaul of national infrastructure with some matches, watched by an awful lot of tourists, to celebrate all the openings. But when the coffers are empty, it’s all a little harder to defend.

In Poland, where the investment also runs into billions, the only upside of the downturn has been the return of many skilled construction workers from abroad, something that has averted the need to import a replacement labour force from elsewhere as the pace of work on road and rails projects is stepped up.

Uefa and Fifa like to talk about the legacy that these tournaments leave in countries where they have been staged and there is no doubt that the two countries will end up with some very fine stadiums. The Polish clubs that will inherit them, however, attract nothing like the crowds that will be required to make them pay and, once again, deals made with foreign operators at the height of the boom have the potential to become fairly contentious.

As it happens, the bidding process for the hosting of the 2016 tournament starts to get serious later this month when formal proposals have to be handed in for consideration. A final decision is then due to be taken in May and there will be no joint bids on the table this time around.

The expansion of the next tournament to 24 teams has also been a factor in shaping the line-up of would-be hosts and Ireland’s chances of qualifying for a tournament they have only participated in once previously, will improve very substantially when the enlargement takes effect.

In the meantime, though, Trapattoni faces much the same sort of challenge he did two years ago when Ireland were also third seeds for the World Cup qualifying campaign and ended up being drawn with Italy and Bulgaria.

During the veteran coach’s first two years in charge, the team’s performances and results have both been stabilised and having done well to reach the play-offs, Thierry Henry’s handball provided another hard luck story to soften the blow of elimination.

On Thursday, Marco Tardelli suggested he would fancy getting the French again but then thought better of it, insisting: “No, once it’s over, it’s over.” Still, there would be worse outcomes for Trapattoni and his men tomorrow than to be handed an early rematch with what is currently Raymond Domenech’s side.

The real pity of the last campaign is it did not yield enough ranking points to haul Ireland back into the second tier of nations and so, as well as a Spain, Germany or England, we will have to do battle with the likes of Greece, Sweden or Romania.

Five of tomorrow’s second seeds will be at the World Cup finals this summer and few even of the nine in Pot Two could be expected to mount quite as tame a challenge for qualification as Bulgaria did in Ireland’s group last time out. A little bad luck tomorrow and Trapattoni’s second campaign could prove a good deal more challenging than his first.

Having taken over in the wake of the chaotic end to Steve Staunton’s brief reign, the Italian restored composure by falling back upon a fairly rudimentary system. But the expectations of supporters may be a little higher this time and there is little to suggest that the team will be any better. The group is not old but a number of key players are getting older and the terrible lack of depth remains a major concern.

Platini said recently “there are considerable hoops to be jumped through” by the organisers of the 2012 tournament. And the fact is there will be some tricky ones to be negotiated too by Trapattoni and his players if Ireland are to make it to Poland and Ukraine.

The draw for Euro 2012 is live on RTÉ Two and on RTÉ.ie to users in the Republic of Ireland only.

Watch the draw here from as Peter Collins will be joined live in studio by analysts John Giles and Ronnie Whelan for reaction on Ireland’s qualification hopes.

Text commentary here is provided by Rory Houston.

11.59 That brings our text commentary to a close, we’ll have reaction to the draw throughout the day. Thanks for following.

11.53 When you look at Scotland and Northern Ireland, who were in our pot, Ireland can be very pleased with this outcome.

11.51 The draw for the UEFA European Championship 2012 qualifying draw is as follows:

Group A

Germany
Turkey
Austria
Belgium
Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan

Group B

Russia
Slovakia
Republic of Ireland
FYR Macedonia
Armenia
Andorra

Group C

Italy
Serbia
Northern Ireland
Slovenia
Estonia
Faroe Islands

Group D

France
Romania
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Belarus
Albania
Luxembourg

Group E

Holland
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
Cyprus
Iceland

Group I

Spain
Czech Republic
Scotland
Lithuania
Liechtenstein

11.49 John Giles pleased with the draw. There is no glamour ties for the Republic with a lot of travelling to come.

11.48 Northern Ireland have been drawn with Italy, Serbia, Slovenia, Estonia and Faroe Islands.

11.47 Scotland drawn with Czechs and Spain. Ouch.

11.46 England drawn with Swiss, Bulgaria, Wales and Montenegro.

11.45 Netherlands in Group E

11.44 Russia, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland, FYR Macedonia, Armenia, Andorra.

11.43 RUSSIA DRAWN WITH REPUBLIC OF IRELAND IN GROUP B.

11.43 Germany out first for Group A.

11.44 The Czechs are last out for Pot 2 so we’ll start the all-important Pot 1 now.

11.43 Switzerland drawn with Wales.

11.42 Greece drawn in F.

11.42 Sweden in Group E.

11.41 Serbia drawn with Northern Ireland in Group C.

11.40 SLOVAKIA DRAWN IN GROUP B WITH REPUBLIC OF IRELAND.

11.39 Turkey in A.

11.38 Scotland in with Lithuania and Liechtenstein.

11.37 Wales in with Bulgaria and Montenegro.

11.37 Northern Ireland drawn in Group C, including the Faroe Islands.

11.36 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND DRAWN IN GROUP B WITH ARMENIA, MACEDONIA AND ANDORRA.

11.35 Austria draw Group A.

11.35 Here we go. Ireland set to be drawn.

11.34 Georgia in F. Sorry for missing some out, it is a very fast pace. Wales in a five-team group with Montenegro, Cyprus in the same with Iceland. No thanks.

11.33 Belarus join Group D.

11.31 Now we are onto Pot 4 so Ireland will be in the next pot. Beligum the first out in Group A to play Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. FYR Macedonia drawn in Group B with Armenia and Andorra.

11.30 Georgia in with Malta. We’re into the five team groups now so Montenegro on their own so far in G. Iceland on their own in H. Lichenstein are in Group I.

11.29 Albania drawn with Luxembourg, Estonia with Faroes and Moldova with San Marino.

11.28 Armenia are the first side out but they are now allowed play Azerbaijan for political reasons so they go into Group B.

11.28 That didn’t take long at all. We’re onto Pot 5 now, a reminder Ireland are in Pot 3.

11.27 San Marino in E, Malta in F.

11.27 Faroes in Group C and Luxembourg in Group D.

11.25 The Faroe Islands are in Pot 6, I’m sure Brian Kerr would love to draw his home nation. Azerbaijan in Group A, Andorra in Group B.

11.24 Pot 6 will lead determine the groups, here we go.

11.23 Now we’ll learn how the draw works. This will be handy!

11.21 The usual formalities are still going on, the hosts are taking us through the cities where games will be played.

11.15 There will be nine groups, six with six countries and three with five.

11.13 Andrey Shevchenko and Zbigniew Boniek will help conduct the draw.

11.12 Apparently Ireland drew France in the rehearsal yesterday.

11.10 The draw will start in a matter of minutes. Users in Ireland can watch the draw by clicking on the link above.

10.48 We’re about 20 minutes away from the start of the programe and the draw will not be too long after that. Here is Pot 2:

Greece, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Turkey, Denmark, Slovakia and Romania.

10.41 Looking at all the pots, there is no such thing as any easy group when you are not among the top seeds. There are some very tricky scenarios that the Republic could find themselves in.

10.40 Pot 1 is scary. We will draw one of these teams:

Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, England, Croatia, Portugal, France and Russia.

10.30 Phew, it is one busy day of sport but better concentrate on the draw now. The Republic are in Pot 3, along with the following teams:

Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Norway, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

That means we cannot draw any of those sides.

09.45 Welcome to our coverage of the Euro 2012 Qualifying draw.