Débonnaire ready to turn on the style

Different approach
As he considers their finals campaign in Turkey, Débonnaire appreciates the irony of how they got there in view of their exit three years ago. "It was an interesting game back then in Italy," Débonnaire told uefa.com. "We played very well but lost. Croatia scored two super goals then, they capitalised on almost all of their chances. This time, we tried a different approach. I heard from colleagues that they had very good forwards this year and thus we played more defensively and in the end had the luck to score in the final minute. Such is football. Football is such a beautiful sport!"

New spirit
Débonnaire's team, who play holders Spain, the Republic of Ireland and France in Group B from 4 May in Antalya, have had some ups and downs in their time but the coach is clear about their potential. "This team has some very good individual players, who can make a difference in a moment, be it on attack or in defence," he said. "We are very compact and strong in defence. Last year, as U16s, this team won a big tournament in France and they thought they had already achieved it all, they thought they were on the way to becoming big stars. The first months at U17 level were difficult because of that, but suddenly there was a new spirit in the team. The Croatia game gave us a new fighting spirit, and now this team's biggest asset is their team spirit, the group fits nicely together."

Tough group
This tournament gives teams the chance to play sides from throughout Europe, and it is this aspect that Débonnaire feels benefits players the most. "The goal for an Under-17 team always has to be to gain new experiences. We gained experience in the first qualifying round against the likes of Kazahkstan and Luxembourg, later we played Croatia and earned more experience, now we want more against Spain, Ireland and France. Of course, the players and coach always want to win, but a win counts for nothing if it just happens by accident and you didn't perform. So I always expect my players to perform. It will be hard against France and Spain, they are always difficult to play, but we have been drawn in a great group."