Spain to open against Italy

KIEV (AP) ― Defending champion Spain avoided its biggest challengers in the first round of the 2012 European Championship, leaving Germany and the Netherlands together in the toughest group of the tournament.

Attempting to become Europe’s first repeat champion, Spain will begin its title defense against Italy on June 10 and then meet Ireland and Croatia in first-round Group C, which will be based in Poland.

“It’s a complicated group,” Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said after Friday’s draw. “We’ve got an important team like Italy and two teams that got through the playoff easily. We have to worry about ourselves and preparing well so we arrive in best shape.”

Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni will oppose his home country, which he coached at Euro 2004.

“It’s impossible to say which group is better,” Trapattoni said. “You have to think that in football all is possible. I am confident.”

The rest of the draw had Czech Republic, Greece, co-host Poland and Russia in Group A; Denmark, Germany, Netherlands and Portugal in Group B; and England, France, Sweden and co-host Ukraine in Group D.

England, which has never won the tournament, opens against old rival France. England and France also met in their first games at Euro 2004, when Zinedine Zidane scored twice in second-half stoppage time to give Les Bleus a 2-1 win.

“It’s always complicated between France and England,” French coach Laurent Blanc said. “It’s always very, very competitive, and there’s a lot of danger.”

England will be without Wayne Rooney, who will try to have his three-match suspension reduced on appeal at a hearing Thursday.

“If we get out of the group we could play Spain or Italy,” England coach Fabio Capello told Spanish TV station Cuatro. “The options we face if we get out of the group will be tremendous not just for us, but for them also.”

Three-time champion Germany starts against Portugal, then plays 1988 champion Netherlands.

“I think it’s probably the strongest group, the most interesting, and of course the closest,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said.