Italy Drawn In The Group Of Death At The Euros

The draw for the 2016 European Championship, colloquially known as Euro 2016, took place in a glitzy ceremony in Paris this morning. After a heartbreaking, soul-crushing defeat at the hands of Spain - who, you may recall, also ended gli Azzurri's hopes of lifting the trophy in 2008 - la Nazionale will head to France seeking redemption. Alas, Italy's fate has been revealed, and it is the proverbial Group of Death.

Group E #Euro2016 pic.twitter.com/6f5E7mrfPq

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 12, 2015

Italy's group stage foes will be Belgium, Sweden, and Ireland. Ireland are making a return to the competition after missing the tournament in 2008 after that whole "Oui Were Robbed" controversy. Although this is Belgium's first appearance at the Euros in over a decade, they are currently the world's top-ranked team if FIFA's rankings are of any value, and their meteoric rise in recent years would be difficult to ignore. Of course, any team that has Zlatan on it cannot be discounted, either:

Buckle up, kids. It's going to be a bumpy ride. Forza Azzurri!