Sep 15, 2009, 12:58 GMT
Nyon, Switzerland - A nine-group qualifying stage for the 2012 European Championships was agreed by football's European governing body UEFA on Tuesday.
The group will consist of six groups of six teams and three groups of five teams. The group winners and the best runner-up will qualify directly for the final tournament, while the eight remaining runners-up will contest play-off matches.
The draw for the qualifiers will be held at the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw on February 7, 2010, when 51 teams taking part in the qualifying stage will be allocated to six pots.
Co-hosts Ukraine and Poland are automatic qualifiers, while title-holders Spain will be seeded in Pot 1, the executive committee agreed.
Seeding will be based on UEFA national team rankings on completion of the qualifying programme for the 2010 World Cup on November 18.
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