The draw was held today at the Ensana Thermal Margitsziget Hotel in Budapest for the group draw for the final phase of the European Championships scheduled from 17 May to 2 June in Hungary. Sixteen teams will participate, to be divided into four groups, and the urn placed Italy in group B together with Serbia, Spain and Slovenia. The other groups drawn are as follows: group A, formed by Hungary (hosts), Republic of Ireland, Poland and Wales; group C by Portugal, France (defending champion), Scotland and Germany; group D by Croatia, Holland, Switzerland and England. Corradi's boys will open on Thursday, 18 May with the classic against Spain, followed by a match against Serbia on Sunday, 21 May and the final match of the group stage will be against Slovenia on Wednesday, 24 May.

The group stage runs from 17 to 24 May and the top two advance to the quarter-finals (from 27 May) with in-or-out matches until the semi-finals on 30 May and the final to be played on Friday 2 June.

Italy brilliantly passed the elite phase played in Cyprus last month - two victories against Cyprus (2-1) and Ukraine (3-0), a draw with the Republic of Ireland (2-2) - coming in first in Group 6, on equal points (7) with the Republic of Ireland, and the latter, with the same goal difference but having scored one goal more than the Azzurri, took first place in the qualifying round.

This edition of the continental event reserves five places for Europe for the Under-17 World Cup, which was originally scheduled to take place in Peru from 10 November to 2 December. Just today, FIFA announced the withdrawal of the organisation rights to the South American country, which is considered to be seriously behind in the preparation of the necessary infrastructure for the rainbow tournament. It was a painful decision taken by the world football organisation, which judged the time remaining to release the necessary funds for the organisation of the competition to be insufficient. It remains FIFA's intention to keep the same dates (10 November to 2 December) and to find another venue, suitable for holding the World Cup.

The Under-17 European Championship final phase groups

Group A: Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Poland, Wales

Group B: Serbia, Spain, ITALY, Slovenia

Group C: Portugal, France, Scotland, Germany

Group D. Croatia, Holland, Switzerland, England