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Italy gets France, Dutch at Euros

By ROBERT MILLWARD -- AP Soccer Writer

LUCERNE, Switzerland (AP) World Cup champion Italy was drawn Sunday into what appears to be the most difficult of the four first-round groups for next year's European Championship and will face France, the Netherlands and Romania in the first round.

Italy defeated France on penalty kicks in last year's World Cup final, then played the French twice in European Championship qualifying, losing 3-1 at Saint-Denis and tying 0-0 in Milan. Group C will be based in Switzerland, and Italy and France will meet in their final first-round match, on June 17 in Zurich.

Defending Greece was drawn into Group D with Russia, Spain and Sweden, a group based in Austria.

Co-host Switzerland is in Group A with Turkey, Portugal and the Czech Republic. Austria, the other co-host, is in Group B with three-time champion Germany, Poland and Croatia. The co-hosts are both based at home.

The tournament begins June 7 in Basel, with the Swiss hosting the Czech. The final is in Vienna on June 29.