Confident Austria aiming high

By Raimund Fabi

Austria are hoping to continue their recent proud UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying record when they stage Elite round Group 5, which starts on Saturday, but their opponents Greece, Romania and Israel are all in high spirits as they chase a berth in Italy in May.

Confident mood
For the last two seasons Austria have won their Elite round groups, progressing to finish third in 2002/03 and only being pipped to the last four by Portugal on goal difference last season. This year's crop, who topped qualifying round Group 12 against Azerbaijan, Moldova and hosts Luxembourg, have home advantage this time round and team manager Renato Gligorski is in confident mood.

'Good future'
"Finishing third in 2003 and fifth in 2004 was excellent for us," he said. "We are used to this now and we expect this again, maybe even a little more. There are some players who could very soon be in Austria's senior team."

Kovlac impresses
Indeed, those that impress could yet play in UEFA EURO 2008™ on home soil, including 16-year-old Veli Kovlac, who scored twice for SK Rapid Wien in January's prestigious indoor Hallencup. "He is one of the best midfield players for his age with an eye for goal," Gligorski said.

Friendly defeat
Other prospects are defender Michael Madl, a veteran of last season's team, and striker Marc Sand, 16, compared by the coach to "a young Toni Polster". Despite a 3-1 defeat by the Netherlands in a recent friendly, Gligorski warned: "I am sure we will do better in the mini-tournament."

'Talented' Israel
But they must get past Israel, whose 2002/03 crop also reached the finals. Coach Ze'ev Zeltzer told uefa.com: "We have a very talented team, which won their qualifying group and finished ahead of Scotland, Norway and the Faroe Islands. We hope and believe that this group of players can reach the final round."

'Lethal finisher'
In January, Israel lost 1-0 and won 2-1 in a two-game friendly series with Russia, and last month gained 2-1 and 1-0 victories against Finland. Midfield player Maor Bar Buzaglo scored twice in those fixtures and is described by Zeltzer as "a lethal finisher". Bebars Natcho and centre-back Gil Kain are also singled out as players to watch.

Greek ambition
Last season, Greece - who open their campaign against Austria in Leoben - missed out on the U17 finals by a single goal in a tight three-way tie with Portugal and Wales, but coach Georgios Semertzidis is determined to reverse that this time around. "Greek football has not been represented in the U17 finals in recent years," he said. "If we perform as we can do in Austria, then we have nothing to fear."

Denmark win
Having qualified unbeaten from a group involving Finland, Georgia and F.Y.R. Macedonia, Greece defeated Denmark 1-0 in a recent friendly with the goal scored by Ioannis Papadopoulos of Iraklis FC, the club whose youth system has been a boon to Greece in recent years.

Romanian preparations
Romania, who staged their Elite round group last year only to see Austria win through, have been preparing hard with training camps in Antalya and Arad, and in recent friendlies with Slovakian club FK VTJ KOBA Senec gained a 1-1 draw and 2-1 win.

Ganea goals
Coach Florin Cheran, whose side begin against Greece in Kapfenberg, said: "We are optimistic but aware that it will be very difficult." Forwards Liviu Ganea and Florin Neaga are particular talents, Ganea having scored in all three qualifying round games against Bulgaria, Estonia and Poland.

Additional reporting by Ofer Ronen-Abels, Vassiliki Papantonopoulou & Paul-Daniel Zaharia