Bulgaria has been drawn in Group G of the UEFA Euro 2012 competition, in the qualifying draw held on Sunday in the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland.

The five-nation Group G also includes England, Switzerland, Wales and Montenegro, all of whose national teams are highly regarded.

Bulgaria will play eight games, two against each team - at home and away. The European Championships will comprise the winning team from each group and the best second ranking nation of any group. The remaining eight group runners-up will face pay-offs to eliminate four teams.

The EURO 2012 European football championship will kick off in June 2012, in Poland and Ukraine, with the opening match at the National Stadium in Warsaw scheduled on June 8. Elimination matches will begin in September 2010 and continue until autumn 2011.

England

Undoubtedly the biggest name in the group is that of England. Their greatest success was to gain the world title against Germany in 1966, and other notable achievements were in the European Championship semi-finals in 1968 and 1996. England is in 9th place in the FIFA rankings.

Bulgaria last faced England in the European qualifications. In 1999, Bulgaria managed recorded two draws. First in London, the game was a no-score draw, but in the next clash at "Bulgarska Armia" Stadium it was 1:1 at the final whistle. Georgi Markov scored for Bulgaria, with Alan Shearer replying for England.

Switzerland

Switzerland has participated eight times in world championships, in which they have reached the quarter-finals on three occasions. They have competed in three European Championships, each time from the group stages. In FIFA’s rankings, the team is in 21st place.

Switzerland and Bulgaria played each other in Basle in February 2009, in a match that ended 1:1 after a goal by Ivelin Popov. This was Stanimir Stoilov’s first game after his appointment as coach of the Bulgarian national team.

Wales

Wales is the second team from Britain to face Bulgaria in the European qualification rounds. Wales reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup once, in 1958. At the European Championships, Wales also has participated in the European championships on one occasion - in 1978. Wales is 77th in the FIFA rankings.

In August 2007, Bulgaria lost 0:1 against Wales, in a match played at the ”Lazur” stadium in Burgas. In other recent encounters between the two nations, Bulgaria has achieved two wins over the Welsh.

Montenegro

Montenegro is one of the newest FIFA members, ranked in 72nd position, and the Balkan country has participated as an independent state only in qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa. Montenegro was in the same group as Bulgaria. The first match ended 2:2 in Podgorica, while in the return game Bulgaria latter we achieved victory with 4:1.

The full FIFA Euro 2012 draw is:

Group A

Germany?Turkey?Austria?Belgium?Kazakhstan?Azerbaijan

Group B

Russia?Slovakia?Republic of Ireland?FYR Macedonia?Armenia?Andorra

Group C

Italy?Serbia?Northern Ireland?Slovenia?Estonia?Faroe Islands

Group D

France?Romania?Bosnia-Herzegovina?Belarus?Albania?Luxembourg

Group E

Holland?Sweden?Finland?Hungary?Moldova?San Marino

Group F

Croatia?Greece?Israel?Latvia?Georgia?Malta

Group G

England?Switzerland?Bulgaria?Wales?Montenegro

Group H

Portugal?Denmark?Norway?Cyprus?Iceland

Group I

Spain?Czech Republic?Scotland?Lithuania?Liechtenstein.

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