Spain steeled for Germany test

Holders Spain will continue their bid for a third successive UEFA European Under-19 Championship title against Germany, Bulgaria and Hungary at the final tournament in the Czech Republic in July.

Prague draw
The draw, conducted in Prague by the 1st vice-chairman of the UEFA Youth and Amateur Football Committee Jim Boyce and senior Czech internationals Petr Čech and Martin Fenin who appeared in this tournament in 2000 – when it was an U18 event – and 2006 respectively, put four-time winners Spain in Group A. There they will play Germany, beaten by Greece in the 2007 semi-finals, first-time qualifiers Bulgaria and Hungary who have never reached the final tournament before but who qualified for the European U17 Championship in 2006. Spain have not lost a game in this competition since being beaten by France in the 2004/05 Elite round, 22 games ago.

Hosts challenge
Group B comprises the Czech hosts, semi-finalists in 2003 and 2006, England - finalists in 2005 but who have not qualified since - Greece, runners-up to Spain in last season's competition, and Italy, winners in 2003 and back in the finals for the first time since 2004. The tournament kicks off on Monday 14 July, with the second round of group matches being played three days later and the two sections concluding on 20 July. The Group A winners and runners-up meet the runners-up and winners respectively in Group B in the semi-finals, which will take place in Plzen and Mlada Boleslav on 23 July with the final to be held in Jablonec three days later.