The Turkish national team’s campaign to qualify for EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine kicked off with Sunday’s group draw despite there being no coach to represent the team in Warsaw.

Turkey was drawn in Group A of the European football championship’s qualifying group stage together with Germany, Austria, Belgium, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

Defending champion Spain will have the Czech Republic and Scotland among its rivals, while Lithuania and Liechtenstein completed Group I.

Reigning World Cup champion Italy will play Serbia, Slovenia, Northern Ireland, Estonia and the Faeroe Islands in Group C.

England was drawn in Group G, along with Switzerland, Wales, Bulgaria and Montenegro.

Russia is in Group B along with Slovakia, the Republic of Ireland, Macedonia, Armenia and Andorra.

Group D brings together France, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Albania and Luxembourg.

EURO 2004 champion Greece has Croatia and Israel as its rivals in Group F, along with Latvia, Georgia and Malta.

Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Greek Cyprus make up Group H.

The Netherlands, meanwhile, will play Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Moldova and San Marino in Group E.

As co-hosts, Poland and Ukraine qualify for the tournament automatically.

The group winners and the runner-up with the best record qualify directly for the final tournament. The remaining eight runners-up will conduct a home-and-away playoff round to be played in November 2011 with four teams in those playoffs to be seeded.

The Turkish national team has been without a coach since Fatih Terim’s departure last October following a failed 2010 World Cup campaign.

Some figures have been lined with the post, including Italian Giovanni Trapattoni, who coaches Ireland, and Russia’s Dutch coach, Guus Hiddink. Both, however, have said they are not interested in the position.

Mahmut Özgener, president of the Turkish Football Federation, or TFF, said in November the new coach would sign before the EURO 2012 draw but was unable to deliver on his promise.

Turkey can be considered lucky for being pitted with Germany. Thanks to over 2 million people of Turkish descent living in the country, the Turkish national team will have a largely friendly atmosphere for its fixture there.

Germany coach Joachim Loew said his side will face a tough test Turkey.

"We are favourites in this group along with Turkey and I think we will qualify for EURO 2012," Loew was quoted as saying by the Agence France-Presse.

Loew led Germany to the final of EURO 2008, where it was beaten by Spain, but his side had to dig deep to beat Turkey 3-2 in the semifinals.

Loew said he expects some tough games in Group A.

"Things will not be simple against Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in terms of logistics or on the pitch," said Loew. "Otherwise it is a German-speaking group with many German coaches."

Azerbaijan is coached by former Germany boss Berti Vogts while Kazakhstan's coach is also a German, Bernd Storck.

Loew’s future uncertain

Germany will be playing in the World Cup in South Africa in June, but is preparing for the EURO 2012 qualifiers with its own coaching problems.

Talks about extending the contract Loew and his staff, long considered a formality, collapsed unexpectedly Thursday and will not be resumed until after the World Cup. The failure of the talks exposed a deepening rift between the German Football Federation, or DFB, and Loew as the three-time world champion prepares for the World Cup, Associated Press reported.

Loew said his priority now was to concentrate on getting ready for the South African tournament and that he would not consider his future until the tournament is over.

"First we have to see if we'll still be asked and if we would still be ready to talk," Loew said.

DFB president Theo Zwanziger said he still considered Loew his top candidate for the job of coach.  "I want to keep him. If we have a successful World Cup, I will talk to him. If we don't, I will still talk to him," Zwanziger told the Sueddeutsche newspaper. "He remains my first choice."

Loew and Zwanziger met in Frankfurt before flying to Warsaw, where they attended the draw. Loew, however, may not be in charge by the time the qualifying stars in September.

The German trainer described the meeting as "brief" and said there had been "irritations and interpretations" after the talks broke down Thursday.

The DFB has not given a precise reason as to why the talks collapsed but German media reports said Loew and national team manager Oliver Bierhoff, a member of Loew's staff, had demanded "signing fees" equivalent to an annual salary for Loew and his entire staff. Bierhoff also reportedly wanted to given the right to pick the next coach, a demand refused by the DFB.