European U21 Championship

European Under-21 Championship

European Under-21 Football Championship is the international football competition among the European youth national football teams. European U-21 Championship is held by the European football governing body UEFA. Allowed to participate in U-21 championship are the youth (under the age of 21 years) male national soccer teams of all UEFA member countries. The final stage of the tournament is held every 2 years.

The first European championship among youth teams was held in 1972, the trophy was won by Czechoslovakian football team. Until 1978, the age of players eligible to participate in the championship was 23 years. Since 1978 due to the clarification in the rules of the tournament the player of the national football team should be under 21 years at the time of the first match of the qualifying round. By the time when final U-21 Championship matches begin some players might become 22 or even 23 years old.

UEFA U21 Championship History

Through the time the competition rules of the championship have changed repeatedly. Initially the organizers of the U21 championship preferred the combination of circular and ‘olympic’ drawing system, when top eight teams were defined in groups, which then revealed the strongest teams in the two-legged based fixtures. The final was then also played at home and away basis. Such combined system existed until 1994 when UEFA decided to hold the final games within one country – the host of the U21 Championship. In 1998 with the purpose of improving the status and entertainment potential of the European U21 Championship UEFA adjusted the rules by increasing the number of the participants in the final matches from four to eight teams. Since 2000, the final stage of the tournament matches were held in 2 groups of 4 teams in each, subsequently releasing the two winners to compete in the final. Since 1992 the Europena U21 Championship is at the same time a selection tournament for the next Olympic football tournament if the cycle ends in the year of the next Olympic Games.

In 2006 UEFA initiated the switch to odd years.

The change was made because the senior teams of many nations often chose to promote players from their under-21s team as their own qualification campaign intensifies. Staggering the tournaments will allow players more time to develop in the under-21 team rather than get promoted too early and end up becoming reserves for the seniors.

U21 Championship Winners

Italy is the most successful team in the European U21 Championship having won 5 times. The Soviet players have celebrated the victory three times. Spain, Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia) and Netherlands have won the trophy two times each. Netherlands have one the previous two U21 Championships – 2006 and 2007.

U-21 Championship Players

Dozens of fooball players who have participated in the UEFA U21 Championship have later become the players of their national teams, and grew up to be outstanding football players. The most famous of them are: the Italians Dino Baggio, Demetrio Albertini, Francesco Toldo, Fabio Cannavaro, Christian Panucci, Alessandro Nesta, Francesco Totti, Christian Abbiati, Gennaro Ivan Gattuzo, Andrea Pirlo, Alberto Gilardino; the French players Laurent Robert Blanc, Éric Daniel Pierre Cantona, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Sidney Govou; the Spanish players Guti, Valeron; the Czech Miroslav Gajdůšek, the Yugoslavian Stojkovic, the Soviet football players Kipiani, Gazzaev, Kanchelskis, Shalimov, Kolyvan and others.

2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship

The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship began on 31 May 2007, and is the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.

Sweden will host the final tournament in June 2009; therefore, their under-21 team qualify automatically.

Players born on or after 1 January 1986 are eligible to play in this competition.

2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualified teams are: Sweden (as a host nation), Belarus, England, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Serbia.