All but two of the Groups in European Zone qualifying for Brazil 2014 have had their fixtures finalised, with England, France, Italy and Spain starting out away to Moldova, Finland, Bulgaria and Georgia respectively.
FIFA.com hears from Bernd Stange, the German coach currently masterminding the meteoric rise of a Belarus side currently challenging France for a place at UEFA EURO 2012.
“I’m not euphoric but I’m not sad either. We need to accept it because that’s the way fate wanted it, and we’ll live with the consequences,” Vicente del Bosque, Spain coach.
On the road to Brazil 2014, all eyes will be on the heavyweight battle between France and Spain in qualifying Group I of the European region, while Belarus, Georgia and Finland complete the section.
The draw for the European zone yielded some potentially thrilling sections, with local rivalries set to be stirred and the world champions left to do battle with another winner of football's ultimate prize.
Holders Spain were handed a daunting opponent in France at Saturday's Preliminary Draw but their coach Vicente del Bosque told FIFA.com that his world champions would be wrong to focus just on the French in Group I.
