By Gary Anderson

April 3 – Defending champions Ukraine and Paralympic champions Russia will be the teams to beat in Maia this summer ©Getty Images Defending champions Ukraine will take on hosts Portugal and England after the groups were revealed for the 2014 Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA) Football 7-a-Side European Championships.

Ukraine won the European title via a penalty shoot-out against Russia in Glasgow in 2010 and will be one of the main contenders for gold after claiming the Intercontinental Cup in Barcelona last year with a 1-0 victory over Brazil in the final.

In between those wins, they took bronze at the World Championships in the Netherlands followed by silver at London 2012.

Hosts Portugal claimed silver at Barcelona 1992 and will be hoping to make home advantage count in Maia, which will stage the event from July 23 to August 2.

Fellow Group C opponents England are currently ranked number 10 in the world.

Reigning Paralympic and world champions Russia will once again be the team to beat as they look to assert their position as the dominant force in major competitions.

They have been drawn in Group B alongside Northern Ireland, Germany and world number eight side Scotland.

Eleven teams will battle it out for the European Championship title in Portugal this summer ©AFP/Getty ImagesEleven teams will battle it out for the European Championship title in Portugal this summer ©AFP/Getty Images



Three-time Paralympic champions the Netherlands headline Group A where they will be up against Ireland, who took bronze last time out in Glasgow, along with Finland and Denmark.

There will be four days of group play in Maia prior to the playoffs, which will culminate with the gold medal match on August 2.

The Championships will act as a qualifier for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, while there are also two places up for grabs at next year's World Championships in St George's Park, England.

For more information on the eventm click here.

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