Dansk Boldspil-Union, Denmark
July 18 2005
Finalists fixed on U19 crown
There will be a new name on the UEFA European Under-19 Championship
trophy at the end of the finals, which kick off in Northern Ireland
tonight.
By Andrew Haslam in Belfast
The finals of the 2004/05 UEFA European Under-19 Championship kick
off in Northern Ireland this evening, with eight sides hoping to lift
the trophy for the first time.
Group lineups
Hosts Northern Ireland are joined in Group A by Greece, Germany and
Serbia and Montenegro, while Group B consists of first-time
qualifiers Armenia, England, France and Norway. None of the eight
have emerged victorious in this event since it changed from a U18 to
a U19 competition ahead of the 2001/02 season, with Germany coming
the closest by reaching the inaugural final in Norway, only to lose
to Spain.
Final failures
That marked the third time Germany had reached the final since
starting to compete as a unified state in autumn 1990, with Portugal
and the Republic of Ireland inflicting defeats in 1994 and 1998
respectively, although West and East Germany did lift the U18 trophy
in 1981 and 1986 respectively. France, meanwhile, had an enviable
record at U18 level, claiming the continental crown in 1983, 1996,
1997 and 2000, but have failed to qualify for the finals again since
the last of those triumphs.
Long wait
England are the only other side in Northern Ireland to have tasted
success at U18 level, emerging victorious on home soil 12 years ago.
They too have struggled in the latter stages since the tournament was
reclassified and missed out on the finals altogether last year;
indeed, of the eight qualifiers in Switzerland in 2003/04, only
Germany are also present in Northern Ireland. Norway reached these
finals in 2002 as hosts and 2003, but lost out to Belgium in the
Elite round in last season’s edition.
Lengthy absences
Serbia and Montenegro have not qualified for this event since
finishing fourth in the final U18 event in 2001, when the country was
known as Yugoslavia, while Greece have consistently fallen in
qualifying, having not appeared in the final tournament since the
1999 event in Sweden – although they did finish fourth on that
occasion.
Tournament debuts
These finals take on special significance for the hosts and Armenia,
both of whom are appearing at this stage for the first time. The two
sides also have extra reason to celebrate; Northern Ireland are
serving as the host nation of a final tournament for the very first
time, while no Armenian side at any level has previously reached the
finals of a major international competition.
Opening fixtures
All eight sides, therefore, having their own reasons for wanting to
make an impact over the next 12 days. England and France get the
tournament under way as they meet at The Oval in Belfast at 17.00
local time, with the other Group B match, between Norway and Armenia,
taking place at Mourneview Park, Lurgan, two hours later. Serbia and
Montenegro and Germany contest the first fixture in Group A at The
Showgrounds in Newry, also kicking off at 19.00, before back in
Belfast the hosts take on Greece at Windsor Park.
Latter stages
The four teams in each section play each other once, with the top two
sides progressing to the last four. The semi-finals take place on 26
July in Lurgan and at The Showgrounds in Ballymena, with the two
winners meeting at Windsor Park in the final three days later.