The Czechs just can't get away from the Dutch -- the team everyone wants to avoid.
For the third straight time in a major competition, the Czech Republic and the talented, but unpredictable Netherlands were brought together by Friday's draw for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.
The Czechs beat the Dutch to win their Euro 2004 qualifying group -- and were also placed together at next year's European Championship in Portugal.
"At least we'll know perfectly well how to get there," said Dutch coach Dick Advocaat.
"It's a group with few easy countries, it includes Romania and Finland. But we shouldn't complain, it's just as tough for the Czechs."
The Dutch have lost two World Cup finals, in 1974 to Germany and 1978 to Argentina.
While other coaches let out a collective sigh of relief, Czech coach Karel Brueckner was undecided about the outcome. Group 1 also has Romania, Finland, Macedonia, Andorra and Armenia.
"It's difficult to say if it's a piece of good luck or bad luck," Brueckner said after his seeded team was placed with the Dutch by the hand of Michael Schumacher, the Formula One champion who helped draw the lost in Frankfurt's Festhalle.
The procedure began the 917-day countdown to the biggest single-sport event that takes place every four year.
Germany, as host, is the only team that doesn't have to qualify. It also hosted the 1974 tournament, when it won the second of its three titles. Defending champion Brazil, with a record five titles, has to qualify this time after FIFA changed its rules.
Brazil's 10-team South American zone already has four qualifying rounds behind it.
The qualifying cycle around the world will end after more than 850 games in late 2005 and produce the 31 other finalists that will join Germany.
The tournament kicks off June 9, 2006, in Munich and ends one month later in Berlin.
Europe, which has won eight of 17 previous tournaments, will send 13 teams to the finals, plus Germany. Only eight group winners and the two best runners-up qualify directly from Europe. The six other runners-up will go into a playoff to produce the last three qualifiers.
Friday's draw also put England, the 1966 champion, against Wales and Northern Ireland, while three-time champion Italy goes against Slovenia, Scotland and Norway in Group 5, which is completed by Belarus and Moldova.
"Northern European teams are physically strong and often made us suffer ... there are more difficult groups than ours, no doubt. But I would have liked to finish in Group 4, in the place of France," said Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni.
Star-studded France, the 1998 champion at home, has Ireland, Switzerland and Israel among its rivals in Group 4.
"We have to show respect, they will all be motivated against us," said French coach Jacques Santini.
England's Group 6 has Wales and Northern Ireland, plus Poland, Austria and Azerbaijan.
"Northern Ireland and Wales. Interesting, very interesting. England has played against Poland many times in these circumstances and did well. I think it's a rather good draw, interesting," said England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Traditional neighboring rivals Greece and Turkey, which was third last year, will clash in Group 2, while Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina, two former Yugoslav republics, also have Spain and Belgium in Group 7.
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