World champions Germany’s match-up with France and the Netherlands was perhaps the highlight as the draw for the League Phase of the inaugural UEFA Nations League was made on Tuesday.
The first round of matches for the 2018-19 season will start in September. The format sees four leagues of A, B, C and D, split into four groups of three or four teams, and will hopefully replace the meaningless international friendlies which dot the calendar.
The Nations League, which has promotion and relegation, is designed to allow teams to play against those who are similarly ranked and will offer some who do not qualify for Euro 2020 via the normal route a path to the play-offs.
The Nations League competition will see semi-finals, the final and a third-placed game, held between June 5-9, 2019.
Elsewhere, England have been drawn against Spain and Croatia, while in a mouthwatering Group B4, Wales and Republic of Ireland were paired together — meaning former Manchester United team-mates Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane will face each other on the touchline.
Northern Ireland are in Group B3, and will play Austria and Bosnia-Herzegovina while Scotland, in League Three, will face Israel and Albania.
UEFA Nations League Groups
GROUP A1
Holland
France
Germany
GROUP A2
Iceland
Switzerland
Belgium
GROUP A3
Poland
Italy
Portugal
GROUP A4
Croatia
England
Spain
GROUP B1
Czech Republic
Ukraine
Slovakia
GROUP B2
Turkey
Sweden
Russia
GROUP B3
Northern Ireland
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Austria
GROUP B4
Denmark
Republic of Ireland
Wales
GROUP C1
Israel
Albania
Scotland
GROUP C2
Estonia
Finland
Greece
Hungary
GROUP C3
Cyprus
Bulgaria
Norway
Slovenia
GROUP C4
Lithuania
Montenegro
Serbia
Romania
GROUP D1
Andorra
Kazakhstan
Latvia
Georgia
GROUP D2
San Marino
Moldova
Luxembourg
Belarus
GROUP D3
Kosovo
Malta
Faroe Islands
Azerbaijan
GROUP D4
Gibraltar
Liechtenstein
Armenia
Macedonia
