Team guide: Sweden

Beaten in the last four in their previous two final tournament appearances, Sweden came close to suffering more heartbreak in qualifying. 

Progress from Group 7 was in the balance until Oscar Hiljemark's 92nd-minute strike against Turkey in the concluding qualifier earned a 4-3 success and top spot in the section. They were then on the brink of elimination after a 2-0 first-leg defeat to France in the play-offs only to eventually advance 4-3 on aggregate courtesy of Oscar Lewicki's late goal in a dramatic second leg in Halmstad.

"One of our goals is to grab one of the four Olympic berths," coach Håkan Ericson said. "We can't go with any other ambition."

Coach: Håkan Ericson
Born: 29/05/1960
The son of Georg Ericson, Sweden coach from 1970–79, Håkan Ericson took charge of the U21s in November 2010. Formerly at the helm of Norrköping, he moved into the dugout in 1983 after a knee injury cut short his career when he was 21.

Tournament record
2015: winners
2013: did not qualify
2011: did not qualify
2009: semi-finals
2007: did not qualify
2006: did not qualify
2004: fourth place
2002: did not qualify
2000: did not qualify
1998: quarter-finals
1996: did not qualify
1994: did not qualify
1992: runners-up
1990: semi-finals
1988: did not qualify
1986: quarter-finals
1984: did not qualify
1982: did not qualify
1980: did not qualify
1978: did not qualify

2015 qualifying (including play-off)
P10 W6 D1 L3 F24 A17 
Top scorers: Isaac Kiese Thelin, John Guidetti (4)
Ever presents: None

Sweden U21s capped at senior level
Isaac Kiese Thelin (8), Oscar Hiljemark (6), Oscar Lewicki (6), Robin Quaison (6), Branimir Hrgota (3), Ludwig Augustinsson (2), John Guidetti (2), Simon Gustafson (2), Sebastian Holmén (2), Mikael Ishak (2), Alexander Milošević (2)

Players with previous U21 final tournament experience
None

Most capped player
All-time: 37 Oscar Hiljemark
Current: 37 Oscar Hiljemark

Leading scorer
All-time: 13 Ola Toivonen
Current: 12 John Guidetti

Biggest wins
Final tournament 
5-1: Sweden v Belarus, 16/06/09
Group stage, Malmö New Stadium, Malmo

Qualifying 
6-0: Sweden v Malta, 03/06/05
Qualifying group stage, Örjans vall, Halmstad
6-0: Sweden v Bulgaria, 06/10/92
Qualifying group stage, Örjans vall, Halmstad
6-0: Sweden v Cyprus, 01/05/91
Qualifying group stage, Olympia, Helsingborg

Heaviest defeats
Final tournament 
1-0: Norway v Sweden, 24/05/98
Quarter-finals, Steaua Stadium, Bucharest
1-2: Sweden v Italy, 19/06/09
Group stage, Olympia, Helsingborg

Qualifying 
6-0: Ukraine v Sweden, 31/05/12
Qualifying group stage, Obolon-Arena, Kyiv