LUCERNE, Switzerland (AFP) - See you soon was all France manager Raymond Domenech could mutter through gritted teeth when he bumped into his Italian counterpart, Roberto Donadoni, after Sunday's Euro 2008 draw.

France and Italy have become a standing dish on the international menu, and it seemed almost inevitable the pair would once again find themselves united by the lottery in Lucerne which determined the shape of next year's finals.

They clashed in the Euro 2000 final, with France taking the honours. They clashed again at last year's World Cup final, with Italy prevailing on penalties.

They were then pitted together in the same Euro 2008 qualifying group with Italy edging their old foes.

And now here they go again, this time with the Netherlands and Romania joining the Franco-Italian party in Group C - the group of death.

"I'm not especially enchanted. We can't be thrilled to be drawn in this group. It's complicated, difficult, but now the draw's made we've just got to live with it," shrugged Les Bleus' manager.

Donadoni, sporting a resigned smile, for his part reflected: "It hasn't been easy to qualify for this Euro and now this....

"I had a feeling it might happen, I don't know if that's positive or negative for what lies ahead."

The Italians, who failed to make it past the group stages at Euro 2004, open their campaign against the Dutch in Bern on June 9, with the French waiting for them in Zurich four days later.

The top seeds in the group however are the Dutch, European champions in 1988, and manager Marco Van Basten said it could not have been a tougher draw for his side.

"That really is a hard one," he said. "We will go back up against the Romanians who posed us so many problems in the qualifiers and before that we will have to open against Italy and then have France. At least we know what we are up against."

Sunday's draw was preceded by a ceremony featuring the Vienna Boys Choir and Jose Carreras but for Romania, having the three European superpowers as company was hardly music to their ears.

Quarter-finalists in 2000 they will not thank UEFA's balls for pitting them against three teams that have won four European titles between them.

"It's an easy group," Romania manager Victor Piturca said playfully before adding in a more serious vein: "It's the hardest group, but also the most attractive.

"Romania has already proved against tough opponents that we can win. I hope we'll be in the best psychological and physical form and make it through the group stage. I'm sure we can do that."

There was a Christmas mood on the streets outside the conference hall where the draw was staged and that festive spirit was present inside too - at least as far as Germany were concerned.

Joachim Loew's side avoided all the big guns and the Mannschaft will be hardly quaking in their boots at the prospect of facing debutants Poland and Austria, the co-hosts who at 91st are rated below St Vincent and the Grenadines (population 121,000) in FIFA's world rankings.

Croatia though, the fourth members of Group B, will demand respect after their impressive showing in qualifying as their group leaders, knocking out England in the process.

Germany's general manager Oliver Bierhoff said that he was happy with the draw.

"They are three good teams and they have won the right to play in the finals," he said.

"It will be tough for us to play the hosts Austria but we are happy because we have avoided the group of death.

"Our opening game against Poland will be tough. We played against them in the 2006 World Cup and we must not underestimate them. But it is Croatia who are the biggest threat to us."

Greece, who turned the formbook upside down by beating hosts Portugal to lift the crown in 2004, will come up against Spain, Russia and Sweden in Group D with their manager, Otto Rehhagel, saying: "All these teams are first class, they've all proved their strength in qualifying."

Luis Aragones, Spain's veteran coach, was typically playing his cards close to his chest, simply saying: "There's nothing for it but to compete."

The June 7-29 competition is co-hosted in Austria and Switzerland with matches being staged in eight cities - Basel, Zurich, Berne and Geneva, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, and Vienna's Ernst-Happel stadium where the final will be played.

The official motto for Euro 2008, which opens with Switzerland and 1976 winners the Czech Republic (in Group A with Portugal and Turkey) in Basel, is 'Expect Emotions' - and after Sunday's draw that now looks guaranteed.