Denmark ready to get Under-21 party started

Every two years the cream of Europe's young talent gathers for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, with entertaining play and no little drama often the end result.

Denmark are hosting the 2011 tournament, which is likely to be the biggest football event in the country's history. Joining them in the finals are seven battle-hardened sides who progressed through a gruelling group stage that began in March 2009, before holding their nerve in the play-offs to seal their place. For the first time, all 53 UEFA member associations entered the competition and, given the pedigree of the teams that fell along the way, there is no doubting the quality of those still standing.

The tournament kicks off on Saturday when Denmark face Switzerland and Belarus take on Iceland in Group A. The following day, Group B gets under way with games involving 2009 beaten finalists England, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Spain.

The Czech Republic were the only side to come through qualifying undefeated and, after stopping holders Germany in their tracks in Group 5, they have high hopes of winning the championship for the first time since 2002. Tomáš Pekhart finished qualifying as the nine-goal top scorer, although the Czechs' sheen of invincibility faded slightly in March when they lost a friendly to France.

If Pekhart took the individual scoring honours en route to Denmark, it was Iceland, runners-up to the Czech Republic in their pool, who really caught the eye in front of goal. They struck a tournament-leading 33 goals, including a stunning 4-1 rout of Germany, to reach their first finals. Since then they have also registered an impressive 2-1 friendly victory in England.

It is a measure of how tough qualification was that only three of the countries that contested the 2009 finals in Sweden are back this time – Belarus, England and Spain – and that of the eight challengers just England (twice), Spain (twice) and the Czechs (once) have won it before.

Where Iceland were the surprise package, Belarus pulled off the most astonishing result in qualifying, overturning a 2-0 play-off first-leg reverse to five-times champions Italy by triumphing 3-0 in Borisov. Two goals within the first five minutes from Vladimir Yurchenko set up that win, yet because of injury Yurchenko will be unable to join the line of rising stars attempting to follow their illustrious predecessors by shining on the U21 stage.

Among these bright young things, Spain can boast two FIFA World Cup winners in Javi Martínez and Juan Mata, while England – the only country to have qualified for a third successive time – call on the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Chris Smalling. For their part, Switzerland will look to Xherdan Shaqiri to continue the significant strides he has made this year.

Ukraine, finalists in 2006, have a squad brimming with UEFA Champions League pedigree and will want to build on the promise of their UEFA European U19 Championship victory in 2009. It is over two years since Denmark played a competitive match, meanwhile, but they will be encouraged by the success of other host nations – the Netherlands having triumphed in 2007 before Sweden made the 2009 semi-finals. Sure to be spurred on by vociferous home support, Keld Bordinggaard's side have much to look forward to – as do fans across the continent.