Frankfurt hosts U21 draw

Meeting again
Only a point separated Croatia and Bulgaria in their qualifying group for next summer's European Championship finals - the Croatians topped the section - and they will renew their rivalry next year after being drawn together in Group 8. Other countries meeting again are the Czech Republic and the Netherlands in Group 1.

Germany in Group 6
The groups were structured according to the draw for the 2006 FIFA World Cup preliminary round, and that meant Germany, whose senior side qualify automatically for the World Cup as hosts, had to be drawn separately into one of the pools. The Germans were placed in Group 6, where their opponents will include Austria and England.

Four countries not competing
Four countries involved in the World Cup draw - Andorra, Faroe Islands, Liechtenstein and Northern Ireland - do not have teams competing in the U21 competition. The qualifiers begin on the weekend of 4/5 September next year and conclude on 11/12 October 2005.

UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2004/06 qualifying round groups