Defending champion France has gotten a relatively easy qualifying draw for the 2004 European football championships in Portugal. The French will be matched up against Slovenia, Israel, Cyprus and Malta in Group-1. Qualifying play starts this September.

Three-time champions Germany will get to face Scotland in Group-5, meaning Berti Vogts, tipped to be the new Scottish manager, could face the German team he took to the 1996 title. The other Group-5 teams are Iceland, Lithuania and Faroe Islands.

Italy heads Group-9, which also includes Yugoslavia, Finland, Wales and Azerbaijan. The Czech Republic will face the Netherlands, Austria, Belarus and Moldova in Group-3.

Group-8 sees a rematch of World Cup 2002 qualification teams Belgium and Croatia, who will also play Bulgaria, Estonia and Andorra.

The other groups drawn were:

Group 2: Romania, Denmark, Norway, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luxembourg

Group 4: Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, San Marino

Group 6: Spain, Ukraine, Greece, Northern Ireland, Armenia

Group 7: Turkey, England, Slovakia, Macedonia, Liechtenstein

Group 10: Ireland, Russia, Switzerland, Georgia, Albania

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.

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