EURO 2012 fixture draw in Tel Aviv

A draw will determine the fixture schedule in the four UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying groups where the competing nations have been unable to agree a schedule between themselves.

A draw will take place in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv next week to determine the fixture schedule for four groups in the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying competition.
The draw will be made during the UEFA Congress activities, when all of the UEFA member national associations will be present for Europe's football parliament on 25 March.
The groups in question are Group B (Russia, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland, FYR Macedonia, Armenia and Andorra), Group F (Croatia, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Georgia and Malta), Group G (England, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales and Montenegro) and Group H (Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Cyprus and Iceland).
No agreement was reached in relation to a fixture list for these four groups by the deadline of Tuesday 16 March.
For associations in a group that has been unable to reach agreement, matches will be played according to the standard fixture list. The position of each association in the standard fixture list (A, B, C, D or E for groups of five teams and A, B, C, D, E and F for groups of six teams) will be drawn.
Further information on the draw in Tel Aviv will be given in due course.

England could play Wales in Swansea

The possibility of England playing Wales in Swansea has increased with Uefa set to decide the fixtures for the 2012 European Championship qualifying campaign.
The five nations drawn in Group G were unable to reach agreement on the fixtures, despite a meeting lasting nearly five hours in Zurich yesterday. Fabio Capello, the England manager, and John Toshack, his Wales counterpart, attended the meeting with representatives from Switzerland, Bulgaria and Montenegro.
Toshack’s prediction that it would be difficult to reach an agreement that would suit every country proved correct. Bulgaria and Montenegro were keen to ensure prime dates for the matches against England, because of the additional revenues that it would generate from television and sponsorship. England and Wales were unable to agree their fixtures.
The countries’ fate will be decided with a random draw at the Uefa Congress in Tel Aviv next week. Uefa’s decision is important because, for example, Wales would prefer to play England at the Millennium Stadium. The venue in Cardiff has already been booked for several dates, notably in October. The qualifying match would then have to be switched to Cardiff City’s new stadium or the Liberty Stadium, in Swansea.
The Football Association of Wales said: “At the Group G Euro 2012 fixtures meeting today the teams failed to reach agreement on a match schedule. All sides needed to be in agreement and this did not happen. Uefa will now make the draw in Tel Aviv, next week at the Uefa Congress.”