PARIS - You could almost hear the footballing gods sniggering mischievously after the draw for the Euro 2008 finals produced the latest chapter in France and Italy’s international rivalry.

All the talk before December’s draw in Lucerne was centred on how the peculiar seeding system had left the way open for the mother of all groups of death featuring the 2006 World Cup finalists.

And sure enough, to the delight of impartial fans at least, it emerged, with France and Italy being joined by fellow European heavyweights the Netherlands and Romania in Group C (for complex).

All three are former European champions, with France edging out Italy with a golden goal in the Euro 2000 final.

The Azzurri gained their revenge and how sweet it was six years later in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, beating Raymond Domenech’s side on penalties to capture the world title.

Their paths crossed once again in qualifying.

Europe’s big guns are out to restore the natural order of things next year after Euro 2004 saw the underdogs have their day with Otto Rehhagel’s Greece sweeping all before them.

If the Greeks are to carry out a repeat performance they will first have to survive an opening group comprising Sweden, Spain and Russia.

Guus Hiddink’s young Russian side will be hoping history repeats itself as Russia were the only side to get the better of Greece at the same stage four years ago.

That didn’t stop Rehhagel’s upstarts tearing up the football formbook and lifting the title at the main expense of hosts Portugal.

Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Portuguese have the chance to go one better after making it through as one of the 14 qualifiers.

They’ve been drawn in Group A with the Czech Republic, Turkey, and co-hosts Switzerland.

The Czechs meeting with Portugal in Geneva on June 11 will revive memories of their encounter at Euro 96 when Karel Poborsky’s famous lobbed winner booked his side’s semi-final ticket.

The Swiss and Turks will be praying for a less heated encounter compared to their last meeting in a 2006 World Cup qualifier in Istanbul which ended in mayhem with fights between players and officials.

The Turks won’t need reminding that Switzerland won that tie on away goals to qualify for Germany at Turkey’s expense.

Switzerland’s fellow hosts Austria have the dubious distinction of being the lowest ranked team ever to appear in the finals.

Josef Hickersberger’s men are placed 94th in the world, behind Equatorial Guinea but at least two rungs higher than St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Austria are in Group B with the only other newcomers to a European championships, Poland, Slaven Bilic’s impressive Croatia, and dual winners Germany.

The last time Germany and Austria met competitively was at the 1982 World Cup when the then West Germany won 1-0 — a result which conveniently saw both sides through to the second round at the expense of Algeria.

Like a celebrity wedding guest list there’s been as much interest on those teams that failed to make it to the Euro 2008 finals as those who did, with England’s absence a bit like the bride’s mother-in-law going AWOL.

It’s hard to imagine a Euro finals without England fans adding their own special colour to proceedings.

The tortuous process of qualifying spelled the end of the road for not only England’s Steve McClaren but a cluster of other coaches, 16 in all, with one failed qualifier, Bulgaria, changing their manager three times.

Armenia changed their coach but that was only after the tragic death of Ian Porterfield, the Scotsman who succumbed to cancer in September.

Sapa-AFP