UEFA European Under-21 Championship
(English UEFA Under21 Championship ), short even called the U -21 Football Championship U-21 European Championship, is an aligned by UEFA tournament for national teams, whose players have 21 years not yet completed. The U -21 Football Championship has been held since 1978 and is the successor competition of the U -23 Football Championship, which was conducted from 1972 to 1976. A tournament extends over two years and also serves all four years as a qualification for the football competition of the Olympic Games.
The final round of the 21 U -21 Football Championship was held in June 2011 in Denmark. The qualifying measures except hosts Denmark, who had automatically qualified for the first time all remaining 52 UEFA member associations part. European champions Spain. A 2-0 final win against Switzerland, which could qualify in history for the final for the first time For Spain, this was the third title after 1986 and 1998.
- 4.1 Ranking of U-23/U-21 European Champion
- 4.2 Ranking of Appearances
Mode
From 1972 to 1992, the entire competition including the final was played in home and away matches. The preliminary round was thereby denied in qualification groups. From the quarter- finals was played in the knockout system.
1994 and 1996, the first round was contested in qualifying groups with back and leg from which the participants had to qualify to the quarter-finals. The quarter final was played with return game. The four winning teams were qualified for participation in the final round. The final round (from the semi-final ), which was carried out in the knockout system, took place in a host country. 1998 already found the quarter-finals place in a host country.
Since 2000 there is the qualification of a group stage and play-offs, followed by a final round with two groups. Since 2007, the host country is already fixed before the qualification and the host saves the qualification. Thus, currently qualify the best 14 teams in the group stage for the play (forward and return ). The resulting remaining seven teams and the host country are qualified to participate in the finals. In the final round is started initially with the group stage. Four teams each constitute two groups. The group winners and runners-up qualify for the semifinals. The winners of the semifinal contest the final.
In every other host the UEFA ( three associations at the Olympic Games in Europe ) determines the four associations that Europe in the Olympic football tournament represented.
Participant
At the U-21 European Championships are all national associations which are members of UEFA, eligible. Smaller organizations refrained especially in the early years because of financial reasons for their participation. Nevertheless, were constantly recorded rising numbers of participants. Participated in the U-21 European Championship in 1978 only 24 teams, so fought at the U- 21 European Championship in 2009 a total of 52 national selections for the title. At the U-21 Championship 2011 for the first time took all member associations - currently 53 - part.
Finals Erstteilnahmen
By 2011, there was always at least one football team that participated for the first time at a U-21 European Football Championship finals. The highest number of first-time participants was reached in 1998 when the increase from four to eight participants. For the first time in 2013, there is no first-time participants. Below is a list of first-time participants, each with the flags and names then in force. Serbia was first appointed as a Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The statistics of UEFA, the results of both teams are summarized.
- Fat spelled teams were in their first appearance at the finals tournament winner.
- Italics teams were at their first participation in a tournament organizer. Until 1992 there were no finals in a country, but the competition was held to the final with return game.
The tournaments at a glance
Rankings
Ranking of U-23/U-21 European Champion
4
Rank List of Appearances
From 1972 to 1992, played to the final with return game. A real finals in a country first took place in 1994 with four teams.
Notes:
Golden player
Since 1978, for each tournament uefa.com the "Golden Player " named. Previous winners are: