The next edition of the Nations League will mark the first competitive meeting between England and the Republic of Ireland since 1991.
England’s team, led by Gareth Southgate, and the Republic will face off against Euro 2004 champions Greece and Finland in Group B2. Due to Uefa’s strict travel restrictions, they were able to avoid a lengthy journey to Kazakhstan and instead, the former Soviet republic was placed in Group B3.
The most recent match between England and the Republic was a friendly in November 2020, which ended in a 3-0 victory for England. The previous competitive encounter was a Euro 92 qualifier at Wembley, where Niall Quinn’s goal equalized Lee Dixon’s opening goal. In 1995, a friendly match at Lansdowne Road had to be called off because of issues with the crowd.
Wales will be up against Iceland, Montenegro and Turkey in Group B4. Steve Clarke’s Scotland face Croatia, Portugal and Poland in Group A1. Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland were drawn in Group C3, where they will take on Luxembourg, Bulgaria and Belarus.
The initial stage of the league will occur in September and October, followed by the League A quarter-finals and promotion/relegation play-offs in March 2025. The semi-finals and final will take place in June 2025 with single-leg matches.
Gareth Southgate, the manager of England’s team, stated that their goal is to move up to League A. In an interview with Sky Sports, he acknowledged that they will face challenging opponents, including teams they have not played in some time. While dropping down to League B was disappointing for the country, Southgate emphasized that it does not guarantee easier matches. Their primary objective is to win the group and secure promotion back to League A.
Southgate acknowledged that England’s track record in the Nations League has been inconsistent: “We’ve had a range of experiences. The first time we came in third place, but the last two have posed challenges for us. However, in all three editions, we have utilized it as an opportunity to evaluate new players.”
“Finding a balance between scouting new players and winning games is crucial, but we struggled with that in our previous attempt. The tournament pits the top teams against each other and my experience with it has been positive. However, the second one brings back memories of Covid and in the third one, we did not perform well due to the pressure of the upcoming World Cup, making it a challenging situation for us.”
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Prior to the start of the Nations League, the upcoming European Championship will be held in Germany during the summer. England came in second place at Euro 2020 and Southgate emphasizes that his main priority is still on this year’s tournament. In an interview with Sky Sports, he stated, “Our main focus is on [the Euros]. I understand that we are here for a draw for a separate competition, but our sole focus is on preparing for Germany and we are eagerly anticipating the competition.”
“We are extremely satisfied with our team. We are confident in the work we have accomplished in the past six to seven years, but ultimately it is crucial to execute and deliver when it truly matters.”
Source: theguardian.com
