Countdown on for new Under-17 season

The 2015/16 UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying round kicks off on 22 September as the entrants aim for the 16-team final tournament in Azerbaijan next May with France having to wait until next month to start their title defence.

Qualifying round: 22 September–31 October 2015

• The top two in each qualifying round group along with the five third-placed teams with the best records against the leading pair will join Germany in the elite round in spring 2016. That will eventually decide the 15 sides to join hosts Azerbaijan in the finals that May.

*Hosts

Group 1 (22–27 October): Switzerland, Netherlands, Albania, Wales*
Group 2 (30 September–5 October): Belarus*, Russia, Montenegro, Cyprus
Group 3 (24–29 September): Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Malta, Finland*
Group 4 (24–29 October): Hungary*, Georgia, Romania, Slovakia
Group 5 (24–29 October): Serbia, Austria, Luxembourg*, Lithuania
Group 6 (25–30 October): Poland, Spain, Latvia*, Andorra
Group 7 (26–31 October): Croatia, Czech Republic, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein*
Group 8 (22–27 September): Denmark, Iceland*, Greece, Kazakhstan
Group 9 (29 September–4 October): England, Portugal*, San Marino, Armenia
Group 10 (24–29 September): Turkey, Belgium, Faroe Islands, Slovenia*
Group 11 (20–25 October): Norway, France (holders), Israel*, Northern Ireland
Group 12 (21–26 October): Italy, Scotland, Bulgaria*, FYR Macedonia
Group 13 (26–31 October): Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova*, Estonia

Bye to elite round: Germany

Bye to finals: Azerbaijan (hosts)

Season calendar
Elite round draw: 3 December
Elite round: spring 2016
Final tournament draw: tbc
Final tournament: 5–21 May 2016