England Women have been handed a nightmare draw ahead of their European Championship defence in Switzerland next year.
Sarina Wiegman’s side were placed in Pot 2 for the draw because of their poor performance in the UEFA Nations League.
And it proved detrimental for the Euro 2022 winners, as they were paired against former semi-finalists France from Pot 1.
Things didn’t get much better for England though, as next out of the hat were the Netherlands – Wiegman’s home nation and former employers.
Much like she did with England in 2022, Wiegman won the Euros with the home nation with the Netherlands in 2017.
It could prove an awkward reunion for Wiegman, who will set England up against the Dutch in their second game of the tournament.
The Lionesses open their campaign against France, but home nation interest will be piqued for the final game of Group D, with England playing Wales.
Wales qualified for their first-ever major women’s tournament with a victory over the Republic of Ireland earlier this month, but will likely struggle to leave their mark against some heavy-hitting opponents.
The Lionesses will enter the tournament as reigning champions after waltzing their way to victory in the home tournament two years ago.
Held a year later because of Covid restrictions, Wiegman’s side negotiated a group containing Norway, Austria and fellow home nations outfit Northern Ireland.
They continued their strong form into the knockout stages, beating Spain in the quarter-final, before demolishing Sweden in the semi-final.
England picked up their first-ever major tournament with a victory over old foes Germany in front of a packed-out Wembley Stadium.
Chloe Kelly was the eventual winning goalscorer, netting from close range deep into extra time to secure a historic title on home soil.
England Euro 2025 schedule:
Match 1 vs France (date and time TBC)
Match 2 vs Netherlands (date and time TBC)
Match 3 vs Wales (date and time TBC)
Confirmed Euro 2025 draw:
Group A – Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Finland
Group B – Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy
Group C – Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden
Group D – France, England, Netherlands, Wales
Content Source: www.express.co.uk