SScotland Women's UEFA European Championship Draw - Press Comments :-

WOMEN’S UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2007/2009 DRAW - Wednesday, 13 Dec 2006

This afternoon in Nyon, Swizerland the live draw for the qualifying group stage of the UEFA Women’s European Championships for 2007/2009 took place. Scotland coach Anna Signeul watched as Lars Christian Olsson, UEFA Chief Executive and Karen Espelund, the Chair of the Women's Committee did the draw in front of a prestigeous group of coaches from the women's game.

Scotland were drawn in Group 5 with Denmark, Ukraine, Portugal and Slovakia.

The group matches , which consist of the 25 best-ranked teams who start the competition directly in the group stage and the five teams who qualified from the preliminary round were drawn into groups of five and will be play their group matches between April 2007 and October 2008, with the 6 group winners earning an automatic place at the Women's EURO finals in Finland in 2009.
The six group runners-up and the four best third-placed teams will contest home-and-away play-off matches to determine the five remaining teams to join the hosts Finland.

Anna Signeul, National Coach said:-

"It is a really difficult group, a tough draw for Scotland. We have previously played the Ukraine and Potrugal so it will be interesting to see how we will compare with these countries again.

We have never met Denmark at a senior competition level, they are a new opponent for us who will provide a formidible challenge for Scotland.. They have already qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup in China 2007. We are really looking forward to the challenge in this exciting group, and will be looking to continue to consolidate the work with the squad, to ensure Scotland can challenge for one of the qualification slots.

Scotland Head Coach Anna Signeul

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World and European champions Germany will meet the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and Wales in the defence of their continental title after the UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ qualifying group draw was made in Nyon by UEFA Chief Executive Lars-Christer Olsson and Karen Espelund, chairwoman of the UEFA Women's Football Committee. Eleven places are up for grabs alongside hosts Finland in the final tournament which has been expanded from eight to 12 teams.

Qualifying system
Thirty countries will compete in the main qualifying phase between April 2007 and October 2008 with only the group winners assured of a berth in Finland. The six runners-up and four third-placed sides with the best records against the nations finishing first, second and fourth in their groups will be drawn into five two-legged play-offs for the remaining spots in the summer 2009 showpiece. While Germany are going for a fifth straight title since 1995 - and seventh overall - 2005 runners-up Norway are hoping for a third European crown. They take on Russia, Poland, Austria and Israel, one of five teams to advance from the new preliminary round, along with Wales.

Swedish task
Another of those pioneers, Romania, have the daunting task of tackling inaugural continental champions Sweden, the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup runners-up, along with Italy, Hungary and the Republic of Ireland. Denmark and England have qualified for the 2007 World Cup with Germany, Sweden and Norway; Kenneth Heiner-Møller's Denmark side are in Group 5 with Ukraine, Scotland, Portugal and Slovakia, while England encounter the Czech Republic, Spain, Belarus and Northern Ireland. France, pipped to the World Cup by England, play Iceland, Serbia, Greece and Slovenia.

UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2009™ qualifying draw :-

Group 1 England Czech Republic Spain Belarus Northern Ireland*	Group 2 Sweden Italy Hungary Republic of Ireland Romania*
Group 3 France Iceland Serbia Greece Slovenia	Group 4 Germany (holders) Netherlands Switzerland Belgium Wales*

Group 5 Denmark Ukraine Scotland Portugal Slovakia*

Group 6 Norway Russia Poland Austria Israel*

*qualified from preliminary round 

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 Women's Football News 13 Dec 2006 - Mixed fortunes for Wales and Scotland
 
Wales have landed reigning Champions Germany and Scotland's qualification chances were boosted from today's draw for the 2009 UEFA Women's Championship qualifying groups.
 
Wales, who pre-qualified for this stage by winning a mini tournament in Macedonia last month, have not been handed a kind draw as they will take on the World Champions as Holland, Switzerland and Belgium.
 
However Scotland are sure to be delighted with their opponents as they bid to reach their first ever major Championships at senior level. Denmark will be hot favourites to win the group but Scotland are also up against Ukraine, Portugal and Slovakia, which will put them in with a chance of a play-off spot.