European Under-21 Championship: Everything You Need to Know
The European Under-21 Championship is set to begin on Wednesday, with England looking to win the tournament for the first time since 1984. Romania and Georgia are co-hosting the tournament, which runs through Saturday, 8 July with the final at Georgia’s Batumi Arena. With four groups of four teams and plenty of talent on display, this tournament is sure to be an exciting one. Here is everything you need to know about the European Under-21 Championship.
Group Structure
Group A: Georgia, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands
Group B: Romania, Spain, Ukraine, Croatia
Group C: Czech Republic, England, Germany, Israel
Group D: Norway, Switzerland, France, Italy
The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals. England are in Group C along with defending champions Germany, the Czech Republic and Israel.
England Squad
Lee Carsley’s England have qualified for nine championships in a row but went out in the group stage two years ago. They will have to cope without their six-goal top scorer from qualifying, Folarin Balogun. The Arsenal striker has since switched international allegiance to the United States and made his senior debut. But Cameron Archer managed four goals in qualifying, at a rate of one every 35 minutes, netting with all four shots on target.
England’s 23-man squad features four players from Manchester City, more than any other club. There is plenty of experience in the squad, with Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey, Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott among players who are Premier League regulars. Lille midfielder Angel Gomes is the only player based outside England.
Venues
The tournament will be held across six venues in Romania and Georgia. In Georgia, games will be held at Batumi Arena, Shengelia Arena and Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi as well as Paichadze Stadium in Tbilisi. In Romania, games will be held at Giulesti Stadium and Steaua Stadium in Bucharest as well as CFR Cluj Stadium and Cluj Arena in Cluj-Napoca.
Favourites
Five-time winners Spain are favourites to win the tournament again, with Germany and France the other two countries with shorter odds than England.
Olympic Qualification
The Euro U21s also act as qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games men’s football tournament. The top three teams in Georgia and Romania – excluding France and England – will book their place at next year’s showpiece in Paris. England cannot qualify because Great Britain are the country’s Olympics team, while France automatically qualify as hosts.
Conclusion
The European Under-21 Championship promises to be an exciting tournament with plenty of talent on display. With England looking to win the tournament for the first time since 1984 and Olympic qualification up for grabs, this tournament is sure to be one to watch.