Vieira’s French arsenal await England
The defending champions were drawn alongside England, Switzerland and Croatia in Pool B and the Anglo-French clash will be both team's opening game in the newly-refurbished Stadium of Light in Lisbon on June 13.
"I think it's going to be an open game, it's going to be an open group and anyone can beat anybody. It's going to be difficult for us," the Arsenal captain said. "The first three points will be important. We are quite confident in ourselves but we know it will be a difficult game."
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has warned fans not to be fooled by France's poor showing in their last major competition.
Eriksson, who admitted Vieira, Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry and Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane are the men England must be wary of, said: "The France that you saw in Japan was not the real France and I should think that at Euro 2004 you will see them back at their best.
"They have a good chance and I think that if you take their squad as a whole they have the best football players of any side in the competition.
"With France they don't just have one or two good individuals but many many players who play in all the best leagues across Europe."
Eriksson said he was not under-estimating the other two teams in the group, but he was relieved to avoid Group D where Holland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Latvia will battle it out.
"I am pleased though was even more pleased before France was drawn with us, that's for sure, but you can't expect any easy games.
In Group A, there will be a tantalising Iberian derby with neighbours Portugal and Spain drawn together with Russia and Greece, while Group C with Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Bulgaria looks very well balanced.
The runners-up in Group A will play the winners of Group B and vice-versa in the quarter-finals, and the same will happen with the winners and runners-up in groups C and D. The final itself takes place on July 4 in Lisbon.
Germany coach Rudi Voller had no doubts his side were in the hardest group after being paired with Holland. "That is without doubt a strong group.
"Certainly there were quite a few other combinations which would have been much easier on paper. It was clear beforehand that at this tournament there would be no easy preliminary groups," Voller said.
Meanwhile Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni breathed a sigh of relief after avoiding France and hosts Portugal.
The finals will be staged between June 12 and July 4.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
