EURO 2016: Things to know about Group C

The draw for the group stages of Euro 2016 will take place this Saturday, with the home nations set to find out who will they meet in the first round of the tournament in France.

The draw for Euro 2016 will take place in Paris on Saturday, 12 December at 6pm CET (5pm GMT). The 24 teams were drawn into six groups.

With pot one consisting of holders Spain world campions Germany and the hosts France, the possibility of seeing anyone of those teams drawn against the likes of Italy, Croatia or Russian Federation, would certainly be a fascinating tussle. Five countries will be making their debut at the championship: Slovakia, Albania, Iceland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

WIth Sweden and Poland, pot C contains two of Europe’s deadliest strikers in Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robert Lewandowski, potential opponents all fans will be keen to avoid.

France were victorious when hosting the European Championships in 1984 and the World Cup in 1998.

England won every qualifier, only the sixth time this has been achieved.

Sadly, Euro 2016 won’t just be about soccer. UEFA president Michel Platini was not present-he is now suspended from his duties by FIFA-but there was support for the Frenchman when footage of player-turned-politician helping France win Euro 1986 was met with applause in the draw auditorium.

Whether Platini will be in attendance at the ceremony in Paris hinges on him winning his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a 90-day ban from all footballing activities while an investigation goes on into a payment he received from Federation Internationale de Football Association in 2011. The case centres on FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s approval of $2 million of FIFA money that Platini got in 2011 as backdated salary.

“The draw has also thrown up a ‘Battle of Britain” with England paired with Wales in Group B, alongside Russian Federation and Slovakia.

Away from politics, the hosts are also facing the likelihood of playing without one of their best players.

With or without Benzema, there will be plenty of star power throughout the expanded 51-match schedule. “It’s normal, it never won a major title”, Ronaldo said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.