Portugal

Portugal have quite a reputation at youth level but this is their first UEFA European Under-17 Champonship finals appearance since 2004, when they finished third having won on home soil the year before. With eight different goalscorers in qualifying, there are threats from throughout the team and there is a decent omen: when the 2003 U19 finals were held in Liechtenstein, Portugal were runners-up.

Qualifying round: Georgia 2-0, Cyprus 2-1, Scotland 2-2 (Group 10 winners)

Elite round: Romania 4-1, Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-1, Croatia 2-0(Group 2 winners)

Key players
Tobias Figueiredo (defender, Sporting Clube de Portugal), João Mário (midfielder, Sporting Clube de Portugal), Ricardo Esgaio (forward, Sporting Clube de Portugal)

Coach: Rui Bento

Date of Birth: 14 January 1972
Nationality: Portuguese
Playing career: SL Benfica, Boavista FC, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Académico de Viseu FC
Coaching career: Académico de Viseu FC, FC Barreirense, FC Penafiel, Boavista FC, Portugal U17

Rui Bento was a product Benfica's youth system and was part of the Portugal team that won the 1991 FIFA U-20 World Cup on home soil in front of 127,000 fans at Benfica's home stadium. By then he had spent a year in the Eagles' senior squad but in 1992 moved to Boavista. There he became captain and won the 1997 Portuguese Cup and was an inspiration behind the club's Liga victory in 2000/01, the only championship secured by any team other than the 'big three' since 1946. After Boavista's title success he joined Sporting, winning another championship, and in 2004/05 he ended his playing career at Académico Viseu.

He was then appointed coach before spells at Barreirense and Penafiel. In 2008 he was hired by Boavista, then in the second division, but they struggled and were relegated for financial reasons. However, Bento was named Portugal U17 coach and ended their six-year wait to qualify for the European finals in his first season.

Team records

Qualifying top scorers
Betinho, Brumo, Ricardo Esgaio, Tobias Figueiredo, João Mário: 2

UEFA European Under-17 Championship best
Winners: 2003

Honours in UEFA youth competitions
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Runners-up: 2003
UEFA European Under-18 Championship
Winners: 1994, 1999
Runners-up: 1988, 1990, 1992, 1997
UEFA European Under-16 Championship
Winners: 1989, 1995, 1996, 2000
Runners-up: 1988
International Youth Tournament (U18)
Winners: 1961
Runners-up: 1971

Other honours:
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Winners: 1989, 1991