2017 Under-21 qualifying group stage draw
Thursday, February 5, 2015
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Italy and Serbia, who played in the 2004 final and are both in this summer's final tournament, will meet again in 2017 qualifying following Thursday's draw.
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The qualifying draw for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship has been made in Nyon, Switzerland.
Qualification for the final tournament – which takes place in Poland and will feature an expanded field of 12 teams – consists of seven groups of six nations and two of five.
Only one section drawn out on Thursday contains two countries competing at this summer's finals in the Czech Republic: Group 2 with Italy and Serbia, who also met in the 2004 final, the Azzurri prevailing 3-0 against what was then Serbia and Montenegro. Also in that pool are Slovenia, the Republic of Ireland, Lithuania and Andorra.
The Czechs, meanwhile, will start life after hosting the 2015 edition in qualifying Group 1, alongside Belgium, Montenegro, Moldova, Latvia and Malta.
Draw pots
Group 1: Czech Republic*, Belgium, Montenegro, Moldova, Latvia, Malta
Group 2: Italy*, Serbia*, Slovenia, Republic of Ireland, Lithuania, Andorra
Group 3: France, Ukraine, Scotland, Iceland, FYR Macedonia, Northern Ireland
Group 4: Portugal*, Israel, Greece, Hungary, Albania, Liechtenstein
Group 5: Denmark*, Romania, Armenia, Wales, Bulgaria, Luxembourg
Group 6: Spain, Sweden*, Croatia, Georgia, Estonia, San Marino
Group 7: Germany*, Russia, Austria, Finland, Azerbaijan, Faroe Islands
Group 8: Netherlands, Slovakia, Turkey, Belarus, Cyprus
Group 9: England*, Switzerland, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan
* teams competing at the 2015 finals in the Czech Republic from 17–30 June
• The nine group winners will qualify automatically for the 2017 finals to join hosts Poland.
• The four runners-up with the best records against the sides first, third, fourth and fifth in their group will go into the play-offs and be drawn into two ties to decide the last two qualifiers for the expanded 12-country finals.
Road to Poland: match dates
Qualifying group stage
23–31 March 2015
8–16 June 2015
31 August–8 September 2015
5–13 October 2015
9–17 November 2015
21–29 March 2016
29 August–6 September 2016
3–11 October 2016
Play-offs
7–15 November 2016
