2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

The 19 U -21 Football Championship was held in the Netherlands from 10 to 23 June 2007. The hosts were able to successfully defend her title from last year.

It was the first final, the venue was chosen before the qualification. Thus, the Netherlands did not have to participate in the qualification, but was set as host.

• 4.1 Group A
• 4.2 Group B

• 5.1 semifinals
• 5.2 playoff for the Olympic Games
• 5.3 final

Qualification

Mode

The qualification for the U -21 Football Championship in 2007 denied a total of 50 national teams. Because of the change of the 2-year mode on odd years now, a shortened version of qualifying for the finals of the European Championship was held.

First, the 16 weakest teams had in a pre-qualification, a knockout round with back and leg. The eight winners qualified for the group stage, where they met with the 34 seeded teams. The 42 teams determined in 14 groups of three teams, the group winners. The group stage was held without a return game, instead, each team had a game at home and one away.

The 14 group winners contested thereafter Play-off for Final Tournament. The seven winning teams from the round-trip games and organizer Netherlands were eligible to participate in the final competition.

These eight representative teams were drawn into two groups of four teams each. Within the groups played each team once against every other team. The group winners and runners reached the semi-finals.

The semi-final winners play in the final of the European Champion. In addition, the four semi-finalists will qualify for the Olympic Football Tournament Beijing 2008.

Cutting off the German teams

Germany

Germany finished second in qualifying Group 10 relatively confident the first place. A 3-2 win against Northern Ireland was the young German a 5:1 follow against Romania and was therefore unable to qualify for the round of decisions. There Germany was drawn against the strong English team that won the duel 1-0 in the round and 2-0 in the return match for himself and thus was allowed to go to the finals.

Austria

Austria met in qualifying Group 5 on Iceland and Italy. After a 0-0 draw at home to Iceland and a 0-1 defeat in Italy Austria resigned as group runners out already in the qualification.

Switzerland

The Switzerland succeeded in qualifying Group 8 to kick off a 3-1 victory in Moldova. However, the home match against England was lost, so that Switzerland also finished only second place in the group at the end of qualifying and was eliminated with 2:3.

Preliminary round

For the first round matches in the stadiums of Groningen ( EUR Borg, 20,000 seats), Heerenveen ( Abe Lenstra Stadium, 26,000 seats), Arnhem ( Gelredome, 28,000 seats) and Nijmegen ( Goffertstadion, 12,000 seats) were held were the winners of the playoffs qualified. These were dissolved in two groups.

Group A

The group winners and runners-up qualify for the semifinals

Group B

The group winners and runners-up qualify for the semifinals

Final round

Semifinals

At drama hard to beat was the semi-final between the hosts and England. The guests had one minutes to accept the compensation by a spectacular overhead kick before the end of normal time and - Nedum Onuoha after was injured and the exchange quota had already been met - the subsequent extension contest with only ten players. After the extension did not yield any decision was followed by a penalty shootout, which was not decided until the 32nd penalty. In the 16th passage Anton Ferdinand awarded with the English, while Gianni Zuiverloon held his nerve in the low countries and transformed. Thus, a new record for competition matches of UEFA were prepared.

Playoff for the Olympic Games

As the English team can not qualify for the Olympic Games, the third placed the preliminary round groups had to play each other the fourth qualifying spot for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

Although 75 minutes Giuseppe Rossi was sent off with a yellow and red, the Italians were able to save into overtime. Portugal did not succeed there, too, to bring about the decision, so a penalty shootout had to decide. While Manuel Fernandes and Vitorino Antunes awarded on the part of the Portuguese, the Italians turned all their penalty kicks and thus secured the part in the Olympics.

Final

Team of the Tournament

England Scott Carson Portugal Paulo Ribeiro

Serbia Branislav Ivanović Serbia Dusko Tošić Giorgio Chiellini Italy Leighton Baines England England Steven Taylor Portugal Manuel da Costa Netherlands Gianni Zuiverloon

Royston Drenthe Netherlands Netherlands Otman Bakkal England Nigel Reo -Coker Portugal Miguel Veloso Portugal Manuel Fernandes Belgium January Vertonghen Alberto Aquilani Italy

Belgium Kevin Mirallas Netherlands Maceo Rigters Netherlands Ryan Babel England Leroy Lita England David Nugent England Ashley Young Italy Alessandro Rosina

Royston Drenthe Netherlands