England, Netherlands rematched in Under-17 draw
Thursday, April 2, 2015
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England and the Netherlands will replay their 2014 final after being drawn in the same group, with hosts Bulgaria opening the 16-team tournament against Croatia.
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England and the Netherlands will replay their 2014 final after being placed in the same group for the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Bulgaria.
In the draw in Pomorie, made by tournament ambassador Dimitar Penev and UEFA Youth and Amateur Football Committee chairman Jim Boyce, holders England and two-time winners the Netherlands were pitted together in Group D with Italy and the Republic of Ireland.
The final tournament will feature 16 teams for the first time since 2002. Hosts Bulgaria, in their first U17 finals. will start against Croatia in Stara Zagora on 6 May before playing Spain and Austria.
Final tournament draw
Group A (6, 9, 12 May): Bulgaria (hosts), Croatia, Spain, Austria
Group B (6, 9, 12 May): Czech Republic, Slovenia, Belgium, Germany
Group C (7, 10, 13 May): Greece, Russia, Scotland, France
Group D (7, 10, 13 May): Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Italy, England (holders)
• Full schedule and kick-off times to be confirmed.
• Venues: Bourgas, Sozopol, Stara Zagora, Sliven.
• Matches in Bourgas and Stara Zagora will be shown on Eurosport.
• The top two from each section progress to the last eight.
• The competition will also act as a qualifier for the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, UEFA having been allocated six berths. These will go to the four semi-finalists and the winners of two play-offs involving beaten quarter-finalists.
Knockout schedule:
Quarter-finals
15 May – Bourgas
1 Winner Group A v Runner-up Group B
2 Winner Group B v Runner-up Group A
16 May – Stara Zagora
3 Winner Group C v Runner-up Group D
4 Winner Group D v Runner-up Group C
World Cup play-offs (19 May)
1 Defeated teams QF1 v QF3 – Sliven
2 Defeated teams QF2 v QF4 – Sozopol
Winners qualify to join semi-finalists in World Cup
Semi-finals (19 May)
1 Winner QF1 v Winner QF3 – Bourgas
2 Winner QF2 v Winner QF4 – Stara Zagora
Final (22 May)
Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 – Bourgas
2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Chile
• Draw: 6 August, Santiago
• Matches: 17 October–8 November
• Qualifiers: Chile (hosts), Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, New Zealand, Australia, North Korea, South Korea, Syria, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria (holders), South Africa, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, United States + 6 European teams tbc