French ability under scrutiny

By Christian Isnard & Türker Tozar

Following in the footsteps of the France side which won the UEFA European Under-17 Championship on home soil last year is a tough task for this season's squad as they attempt to qualify ahead of hosts Turkey, Scotland and Azerbaijan for this summer's finals in Italy.

'No weakness'
Guy Ferrier has succeeded Philippe Bergeroo as French U17 coach, and led his side through the qualifying round without conceding a goal or a point. However, he said to uefa.com: "We don't have the same brilliant players as last season. Guys like [Jérémy] Menez or [Hatem] Ben Arfa don't come along every year. But the team are very consistent. There is no weakness in the lineup."

Warm-up wins
'Les Mini-Bleus' showed that form in their warm-up friendlies in Greece, defeating their hosts 1-0 and 2-1. AS Monaco FC midfield player Frédéric Nimani Ngalou scored twice on the tour, but so far none of the squad have played more than 12 minutes in Ligues 1 or 2. "It will be their first big competition, their first opportunity to shine," the 53-year-old coach said of the Elite round Group 6 campaign.

Turkish hope
Last season's U17 squad further showed their ability last month in winning all their games in the UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup in Turkey. The hosts too ended with a 100 per cent record, and again on home soil are hoping to upset the holders - who they meet in their opening game in Söke.

Friendly form
Turkey's recent friendly form has been impressive, defeating Italy 3-1 in December, gaining a 2-2 draw and 2-0 win against Ukraine the following month and in February claiming 3-0 and 5-3 victories against the Czech Republic. Tevfik Köse and Özgürcan Özcan are the key forwards and Anil Tasdemir and Murat Duruer are the heart of the midfield.

No fear
Coach Abdullah Avci is not worried about facing the holders, saying: "In youth competitions, France are a strong side both physically and mentally. But at the beginning of last year, our side defeated them 3-0 at the Aegean Cup so we do not have any fear of France. Since taking over in late September, we have spotted the missing pieces of our team such as the lack of players in some positions and match fitness. Now we have reinforced those parts. We believe we will top the group and go to the finals."

Step up
Scotland, like France and Turkey, qualified for this round unbeaten, but coach Ross Mathie is well aware that the mini-tournament represents a step up for his team. "Our preparation has gone very well," he said. "There has been a marked improvement in the team, we have a settled squad and they have gained a lot of experience, but the whole group is in no doubt of the task ahead."

Experienced trio
Mathie continued: "France are a top youth football nation in Europe with a fantastic record of producing players. Turkey as hosts will be determined to do well and they are regular qualifiers, while we have had previous experience of how difficult Azerbaijan can be." Dundee United FC midfield player Greg Cameron, Dundee FC goalkeeper Scott Murray and Aberdeen FC forward Andrew Bagshaw have all appeared for their club's first teams.

Azerbaijan progress
Azerbaijan bettered Luxembourg and Moldova to progress to this level for the first time. Their first game against Scotland in Kusadasi will be a key test of their ability to step up.