The recent past of the national team is condensed, full of joys and sorrows, in the qualifying draw for the European Championship in Germany 2024 that was held this morning at the 'Festhalle Exhibition Centre' in Frankfurt. Italy will face England, their opponent in the final of EURO 2020, but also North Macedonia, who ousted us from the World Cup last March in Palermo. Completing the Azzurri's group are Ukraine and Malta, in what seems a not too lucky draw despite Roberto Mancini's national team appearing as reigning European champions and in the first group according to the overall ranking of the 2022/2023 Nations League. And having qualified for the Final Four on par with the other three finalists (Croatia, the Netherlands and Spain), the Azzurri were placed in a five-team group in order to participate in the Nations League Finals scheduled for next June.

Drawing the balls from the ballot box were four exceptional ambassadors: former Germany and Italy players Jürgen Klinsmann, Karl-Heinz Riedle, Gianluca Zambrotta and the current president of the FIGC Technical Sector Demetrio Albertini. In the second group, Italy 'drew' who, along with France was considered the most uncomfortable opponent, England, and then found Ukraine (third group), North Macedonia (fourth group) and Malta (fifth group).

A draw on which head coach Roberto Mancini, who was present in Frankfurt with federal president Gabriele Gravina and general secretary Marco Brunelli, commented as follows: "I was sure that we would have drawn one of England or France, but it's OK. It is a group of five, it's manageable, they are not easy matches but it's all the play for". The sweet memories with England are contrasted by the bitter one with North Macedonia: "Italy and England is a great classic now, I think it will be a good match. A rematch with North Macedonia? "With them" - the coach's words - "we had one of those matches that happen once in a while, but the Palermo match is the proof that all matches, even the easiest ones, are unpredictable. With Ukraine it will be a special match, there will be some emotion. And then they are a good national team".

The long history of meetings between Italy and England (30 matches, with 11 wins for our national team, 11 draws and 8 defeats) will therefore be enriched by new chapters. The most recent are, of course, the EURO 2020 final and the two group matches of the last Nations League: a goalless draw in Wolverhampton and win for Italy in September in Milan thanks to a goal from Giacomo Raspadori. The Azzurri are unbeaten against Ukraine (6 wins and 2 draws, including a 1-1 draw in the last friendly played in October 2018 in Genoa) and Malta (8 wins out of 8 matches), while the balance of confrontations with North Macedonia is perfectly even: one win, one draw and one defeat, the one that last March at the 'Renzo Barbera' stadium in Palermo cost us a place at the World Cup in Qatar 2022.

In the coming hours, UEFA will announce the schedule for the qualifying matches from March to November 2023, with Italy, as mentioned, skipping the June 2023 window as they will be engaged in the Nations League Final Four. The ten group winners and ten runners-up will qualify directly for the final phase, while the last three places will be decided in March 2024 through play-offs (semi-finals and finals).

Twelve national teams will qualify for the play-offs, which will compete for a ticket to the final phase of the European Championship by playing three separate rounds of four teams each. The play-offs will be entered by the winners of the Nations League groups (from League A to League C) unless they have already qualified for the final stage of the tournament directly from the European group stage. If a winner of the UEFA Nations League groupings of Leagues A, B and C has qualified directly for the final phase, the next best-placed team in the league standings in question will enter the play-offs.

The EURO 2024 qualifying groups

Group A: Spain, Scotland, Norway, Georgia, Cyprus
Group B: Netherlands, France, Republic of Ireland, Greece, Gibraltar
Group C: ITALY, England, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Malta
Group D: Croatia, Wales, Armenia, Turkey, Latvia
Group E: Poland, Czech Republic, Albania, Faroe Islands, Moldova
Group F: Belgio, Austria, Svezia, Azerbaigian, Estonia
Group G: Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Lithuania
Group H: Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Northern Ireland, San Marino
Group I: Switzerland, Israel, Romania, Kosovo, Belarus, Andorra
Group J: Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Liechtenstein.

EURO 2024 dates

23–25/03/2023 matchday 1
26–28/03/2023 matchday 2
16–17/06/2023 matchday 3 (Italy will be engaged in the Final Four of the Nations League)
19–20/06/2023 matchday 4 (Italy will be engaged in the Final Four of the Nations League)
07–09/09/2023 matchday 5
10– 12/09/2023 matchday 6
12–14/10/2023 matchday 7
15–17/10/2023 matchday 8
16–18/11/2023 matchday 9
19–21/11/2023 matchday 10

Play-offs
21/03/2024 play off semi-finals
26/03/2024 play off finals

Euro 2024 Finals
14/06/2024-14/07/2024