By Samindra Kunti
November 10 – England and Scotland will meet in their opening Women’s Euro 2017 game after they were paired together in Group D at the draw ceremony in Rotterdam.
Euro 2017 in the Netherlands will be the biggest women’s European championship to date with 16 participants, up from 12 teams in 2013, when Germany won the tournament. ”The 2017 UEFA European Women’s Championship is an event that will write another important chapter in the flourishing history of women’s football,” said UEFA president Alexander Ceferin at the Luxor Theatre.
Dutch women’s national team’s all-time top scorer Manon Melis and Nadine Kessler, a member of Germany’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2013-winning side, conducted the draw.
Mark Sampson’s side, who were Europe’s top finishing nation in third place at last year’s Women’s World Cup in Canada, were unbeaten in qualifying. They will play Scotland in their opening game on July 19 in Utrecht. England were also drawn with Spain and Portugal. Both Scotland and Portugal are making their debut at the finals.
Reigning champions Germany, who have won the last six editions of the tournament – a run stretching back to 1995 – face Sweden in their first match of the competition, a repeat of the 2013 semi-final, and will also play Italy and Russia in Group B. The hosts will start their campaign against 2013’s beaten finalists Norway, with Denmark and Belgium completing Group A.
UEFA also announced that tickets for the tournament are now on sale through its website. Ticket prices range from €5 to €75. The Netherlands will kick off the tournament on July 16 against Norway in Utrecht. Euro 2017 will culminate with the final on August 6 in Enschede.
WOMEN’S EURO 2017 Groups
Group A: Holland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium
Group B: Germany, Sweden, Italy, Russia
Group C: France, Iceland, Austria, Switzerland
Group D: England, Scotland, Spain, Portugal
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