Poll reveals French football fans really don’t want to play Ireland at Euro 2016

French football fans would rather face anyone but Ireland (and Turkey) in the group stages of Euro 2016.

French sport publication L'Equipe have a poll running on their website ahead of the Euro 2016 draw later this evening in Paris, asking fans to select who they'd prefer the hosts to play next summer. France are in the top pot, alongside the other seeded teams, and the voters want France to draw Austria from pot two, Hungary from pot three and Albania in pot four. The Republic of Ireland, and Turkey, are the two teams French fans would least like to play from pot four. They'd rather take their chances against Gareth Bale and Wales. Over 100,000 have voted in the poll, and it's possible many are worried about playing Ireland again after the last encounter between the pair. You may not have heard, but Thierry Henry handled the ball in the November 2009 play-off second leg to prevent Ireland from qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. The event has rarely being spoken about since but French football fans are probably worried it could be Ireland who get a stroke of luck if the pair meet again next summer.