Liechtenstein withdraw team from U17 finals

An extra qualifying place has been made available in May's UEFA European Under-17 Championship final tournament after hosts Liechtenstein withdrew their team from the competition.

The Liechtenstein Football Association (LFV) made the request to give up their automatic place in the final tournament after losing six players from what they described as "an already small squad", leaving them with a selection of 15 of who only nine were born after 1995.

Therefore the LFV concluded that their team would not be competitve and requested to the UEFA Youth and Amateur Football Committee that they withdraw from the forthcoming finals, though they will compete in 2010/11 qualifying as scheduled.

Following the request of the LFV, the UEFA General Secretary has decided in these exceptional circumstances – in application of paragraphs 32.01 and 33.01 of the 2009/10 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Regulations and as recommended by the UEFA Youth and Amateur Football Committee at its meeting of 12 February – to replace the Liechtenstein team with the runners-up with the best record against the teams finishing first and third in their group in the Elite round, which runs from 17 March until 1 April.

Liechtenstein still host the Under-17 final round from 18 until 30 May and the LFV will do its utmost to satisfy the expectations and requirements of the eight participating teams, referees and UEFA. The draw for the final tournament will be held at 19.30CET on 7 April in the Kunstmuseum in Vaduz.