Netherlands

The Netherlands return to the finals after having missed out last season. Victories over Latvia and San Marino followed by a draw against Ukraine took them into the elite round on home soil. Having beaten Austria 2-1 and been held 0-0 by Croatia, Jean-Paul Boëtius' 37th-minute goal against Portugal, after Feyenoord team-mate Anass Achahbar hit the post, secured qualification, appropriately in Rotterdam, also the home town of coach Albert Stuivenberg, who has a formidable record at this level.

He could have an even stronger team in the finals as Arsenal FC defender Kyle Ebecilio, younger brother of AFC Ajax attacker Lorenzo Ebecilio, was suspended for the three elite round games. Stuivenberg said: "It will be a good platform for the players to develop further from youth level towards a career as a professional player."
 

Qualifying round: Latvia 1-0, San Marino 6-0, Ukraine 1-1 (Group 11 winners)

Elite round: Austria 2-1, Croatia 0-0, Portugal 1-0 (Group 2 winners)

Key players
Memphis Depay (midfielder, PSV Eindhoven), Anass Achahbar (forward, Feyenoord), Kyle Ebecilio (defender, Arsenal FC)

Coach: Albert Stuivenberg

Date of Birth: 5 August 1970
Nationality: Dutch
Playing career: HFC Haarlem, SC Telstar
Coaching career: Feyenoord (youth), RWD Molenbeek (youth), Al Jazira (youth), Netherlands U17

Stuivenberg was a product of his local Feyenoord academy but although he made 11 appearances for the Netherlands at youth level, he was unable to break through at the Rotterdam giants and gained his first professional experience at Haarlem and Telstar. However, he tore cruciate ligaments in 1986 and ended his playing career three years later. Stuivenberg concentrated on his studies at the CIOS sports academy Overveen, two years later graduating and becoming a youth coach at Feyenoord.

He worked at Feyenoord for 13 years, including three seasons as head of their youth deparment, before taking a similar role at Molenbeek. In 2004 he moved to Abu Dhabi club Al Jazira, running their strong youth system, before a return home two years later as Netherlands U17 coach. Stuivenberg qualified for the finals of his first three EUROs, finishing runners-up to hosts Germany in 2009, and after missing out last season is back again in Serbia. He also works as a Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) scout for Dutch professional clubs and in educating coaches at the KNVB academy.

Team records

Qualifying top scorer
Anass Achahbar, Memphis Depay: 4

UEFA European Under-17 Championship best
Runners-up: 2005, 2009

Honours in UEFA youth competitions
International Youth Tournament (U18)
Runners-up: 1948, 1949, 1970