Football tournament
The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial football competition contested by the European men ‘s under-21 national teams of the UEFA extremity associations. Since 1992, the competition besides serve as the UEFA qualification tournament for the Summer Olympics.
Reading: UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Italy and Spain are the most successful teams in this rival, having won five titles each. Germany are the current champions .
history [edit ]
trophy of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under-23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970. A true Under-23 championship was then formed, starting in 1973. The tournament ran parallel to already existing main UEFA young person tournament that existed after the World War II ( today the under-19 competitions ). Around 1980, the UEFA has been reforming its junior squad competitions and reorganized them based on age specify lone. The age terminus ad quem was reduced to 21 for the 1978 backing and it has remained then since. To be eligible for the campaign ending in 2021, players need to be born in or after 1998. many can be actually 23 years erstwhile by the time the finals tournament takes place ; however, when the qualification serve began ( 2019 ) all players would have been 21 or under. Under-21 matches were typically played on the day before senior internationals and where possible, the same stipulate groups and fixtures were played out. This has changed since shortened 2006-2007 Championship. This tournament serves as qualifier for the Summer Olympics since the 1992 tournament. It has been considered a stepping stone toward the aged team and reducing a political converse that existed before around the Olympic Games about players ‘ use status outside of sports. Players such as 2014 World Cup winner Mesut Özil, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Luís Figo, Petr Čech, 2010 World Cup winner Iker Casillas, 2006 World Cup winners Francesco Totti, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon, Alberto Gilardino and Andrea Pirlo, and Euro 2004 winner Georgios Karagounis began their international careers in the youth teams. Germany are the reigning champions, defeating Portugal 1–0 in the 2021 final examination. The finals of the 2021 competition were hosted by Hungary and Slovenia .
format [edit ]
Up to and including the 1992 competition, all entrants were divided into eight qualification groups, the eight winners of which formed the quarter-finals batting order. The remaining fixtures were played out on a two-legged, home and away footing to determine the eventual winner. For the 1994 competition, one of the semi-finalists, France, was chosen as a host for the ( single-legged ) semi-finals, third-place playoff and final. similarly, Spain was chosen to host the last four matches in 1996. For 1998, nine qualification groups were used, as engagement had reached 46, about double the 24 entrants in 1976. The top seven group winners qualified mechanically for the finals, whilst the eighth- and ninth-best qualifiers, Greece and England, played-off for the final spot. The remaining matches, from the quarter-finals forth, were held in Romania, one of the eight qualifiers. The 2000 contest besides had nine groups, but the nine winners and seven runner-up went into a two-legged playoff to decide the eight qualifiers. From those, Slovakia was chosen as host. For the beginning clock, the companion finals group stage was employed, with the two winners contesting a final, and two runner-up contesting the third-place playoff. The structure in 2002 was identical, except for the introduction of a semi-finals round after the finals group phase. Switzerland hosted the 2002 finals. In 2004, ten qualification groups were used, with the group winners and six best runner-up going into the playoff. Germany was horde that class. For 2006, the top two teams of eight large reservation groups provided the 16 teams for the playoffs, held in November 2005. Portugal hosted the finals. then followed the switch to odd years. The change was made because the elder teams of many nations much chose to promote players from their under-21s team as their own qualification campaign intensified. Staggering the tournaments allowed players more clock to develop in the under-21 team rather than get promoted excessively early and end up becoming reserves for the seniors. The 2007 competition actually began before the 2006 finals, with a qualification round of golf to eliminate eight of the lowest-ranked nations. For the first time, the host ( Netherlands ) was chosen ahead of the qualification part. As hosts, Netherlands qualified mechanically. Coincidentally, the Dutch team had won the 2006 competition – the holders would normally have gone through the qualification degree. The other nations were all drawn into fourteen three-team groups. The 14 group winners were paired in double-leg play-off to decide the seven qualifiers alongside the hosts. From 2009 to 2015, ten reservation groups were used, with the group winners and four best runner-up going into the two-legged playoffs. The 2015 finals was to be the last eight teams edition, as UEFA expanded the tournament to twelve teams starting from the 2017 version. [ 1 ] On 6 February 2019, UEFA ‘s Executive Committee increased the number of participants in the finals to sixteen teams, starting from the 2021 edition. [ 2 ]
Results [edit ]
Under-23 championships [edit ]
Held alone three times before it was relabelled by UEFA .
Under-21 championships [edit ]
Performances by countries [edit ]
- ^ Includes West Germany
- ^ Includes the Soviet Union
- ^ Includes Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro
Comprehensive team results by tournament [edit ]
- Legend
- 1st – Champions
- 2nd – Runners-up
- 3rd
Read more: Lille OSC
– Third place
- 4th – Fourth place
- SF – Semi-finalists
- QF – Quarter-finals
- GS – Group stage
- q – Qualified
- — Hosts
- • – Did not qualify
- × – Did not enter
- × – Withdrew before qualification / Banned
Teams
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021
Total
Albania
×
×
×
QF
•
•
•
•
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1
Austria
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
•
1
Belarus
function of USSR
×
•
•
•
•
GS
•
•
GS
3rd
•
•
•
•
•
3
Belgium
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
•
•
SF
•
•
•
•
•
GS
•
3
Bulgaria
SF
•
•
•
•
•
QF
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
2
Croatia
separate of Yugoslavia
×
×
•
•
GS
•
GS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
QF
4
Czech Republic4
QF
QF
•
•
•
QF
QF
QF
QF
QF
•
2nd
1st
•
•
GS
•
4th
•
GS
GS
•
GS
14
Denmark
QF
•
•
•
QF
•
•
SF
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
•
•
GS
•
SF
GS
GS
QF
9
East Germany
2nd
2nd
•
•
•
•
•
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
2
England
SF
SF
1st
1st
SF
SF
•
•
•
•
•
GS
GS
•
•
SF
2nd
GS
GS
GS
SF
GS
GS
16
Finland
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
•
•
•
•
•
•
1
France
•
•
QF
QF
QF
1st
•
•
4th
3rd
•
•
2nd
•
SF
•
•
•
•
•
•
SF
QF
10
Germany2
×
×
2nd
•
•
•
QF
QF
•
QF
QF
•
•
GS
GS
•
1st
•
GS
SF
1st
2nd
1st
13
Greece
•
•
•
•
•
2nd
•
•
QF
•
2nd
•
GS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
4
Hungary
QF
QF
•
•
SF
•
•
•
•
QF
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
5
Iceland
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
•
•
•
•
GS
2
Israel
Member of OFC
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
•
•
GS
•
•
•
•
2
Italy
QF
QF
QF
SF
2nd
QF
SF
1st
1st
1st
•
1st
SF
1st
GS
GS
SF
•
2nd
GS
SF
GS
QF
21
Netherlands
×
•
•
•
•
SF
•
QF
•
•
4th
GS
•
•
1st
1st
•
•
SF
•
•
•
SF
8
North Macedonia
separate of Yugoslavia
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
•
•
1
Norway
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
3rd
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SF
•
•
•
•
2
Poland
•
•
QF
QF
QF
•
•
QF
QF
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
GS
•
7
Portugal
•
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
2nd
QF
•
•
GS
3rd
GS
GS
•
•
•
2nd
GS
•
2nd
9
Romania
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
QF
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SF
GS
3
Russia3
•
1st
SF
•
•
•
1st
•
QF
•
QF
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
•
•
•
GS
7
Scotland
•
QF
SF
QF
•
QF
•
SF
•
4th
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
6
Serbia1
1st
SF
•
SF
•
•
2nd
•
×
×
•
•
•
2nd
SF
2nd
GS
•
•
GS
GS
GS
•
11
Slovakia
separate of Czechoslovakia
•
•
4th
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
•
•
2
Slovenia
part of Yugoslavia
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
1
Spain
•
•
QF
2nd
1st
QF
QF
•
3rd
2nd
1st
3rd
•
•
•
•
GS
1st
1st
•
2nd
1st
SF
15
Sweden
•
•
•
•
QF
•
SF
2nd
•
•
QF
•
•
4th
•
•
SF
•
•
1st
GS
•
•
8
Switzerland
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SF
GS
•
•
•
2nd
•
•
•
•
GS
4
Turkey
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
GS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1
Ukraine
part of USSR
×
•
•
•
•
•
2nd
•
•
GS
•
•
•
•
•
2
Total
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
12
12
16
- Notes
Awards [edit ]
player of the tournament [edit ]
The Golden Player award is awarded to the player who plays the most outstanding football during the tournament. Since 2013 an official Player of the Tournament has been selected by the UEFA Technical Team. [ 3 ]
Golden Boot [edit ]
The UEFA european Under-21 Championship adidas Golden Boot award will be handed to the musician who scores the most goals during the tournament. Since the 2013 tournament, those who finish as runner-up in the vote receive the Silver Boot and Bronze Boot awards as the second and third top goalscorer players in the tournament respectively .
EURO Under-21 pipe dream team [edit ]
On 17 June 2015, UEFA revealed an all-time best xi from the previous Under-21 final tournaments. [ 32 ]
See besides [edit ]
References [edit ]
Read more: Swansea City A.F.C.