WITH Republic of Ireland having been placed into Pot 4 for next month’s Euro 2016 draw for the group stages of the competition, it is impossible for Martin O’Neill’s men to face either Northern Ireland or Wales in the opening stages of the tournament.
However, with in-form England placed in Pot 1, there is a fair chance the Republic could be pitted with arguably their biggest rivals.
On December 12, the teams will be drawn into six groups of four teams, with the top two in each plus the four best third-placed sides advancing to the knockout phase. The group stage runs from 10–22 June, 2016.
In case you missed it, here's the seedings for #Euro2016 group stages pic.twitter.com/YWk70JLxRl
— Irish Post Sport (@IrishPostSport) November 18, 2015
Here, we’ve used FIFA’s dubious rankings systems to, in theory, pick Ireland’s best and worst case scenarios for the group stages.
BEST CASE SCENARIO
FRANCE (Pot 1, ranked No.24)
UKRAINE (Pot 2, ranked No.28)
SWEDEN (Pot 3, ranked No.45)
REP. OF IRELAND (Pot 4, ranked No.42)
According to the rankings system, this is the best possible outcome for Martin O’Neill’s men, but although France are weaker than usual right now, they are the host nation and will command the large majority of support. Despite being consistent qualifiers, Ukraine tend to under-perform on the big stage, while Sweden are heavily reliant on one man – Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
WORST CASE SCENARIO
BELGIUM (Pot 1, ranked No.1)
AUSTRIA (Pot 2, ranked No.10)
ROMANIA (Pot 3, ranked No.14)
REP. OF IRELAND (Pot 4, ranked No.42)
Yes, the consistent Belgians are ranked first in the world, despite Germany holding the World Cup, Spain being the European Championship holders and Chile being Copa America champions. But this is how the rankings stand at present. Whether or not these are actually Ireland’s best and worst case scenarios is open to interpretations, so let us know who you want the Boys in Green to get yourself.
See More: England, Euro 2016, Featured, Group Stage Draw, Ireland, ROI
