Today in Nyon, the draw for the first stage of qualification for the Under-19 and Under 17 Euros, which will be played in Slovakia and Israel in the summer of 2022 respectively, took place. The two National Teams, both of whom were in Pot 1, were inserted in Group 12: the Under-19s were drawn alongside Slovenia, Iceland and Lithuania, while the Under-17s’ opponents will be Scotland, Northern Ireland and Albania. The teams that progress through the Qualifying Round, which will take place in the second half of next year (TBC), will then be involved in the Elite Round, which is set to be played in spring 2022.

As regards the Under-19s, 52 teams are taking part in the first stage of qualification, with top seeds Portugal automatically qualifying for the Elite Round and hosts Slovakia already assured of a place in the final tournament. The top two in each group plus the third-placed team with the best record against the leading pair in their section will progress to the next round. In the last edition of the European Championship in Armenia in 2019, Carmine Nunziata’s Azzurrini were unluckily eliminated from the tournament by Spain, who went on to become the European champions.

Regarding the Under-17 European Championship, the top two teams from each of the 13 groups will join top seeds the Netherlands and Spain in the Elite Round, while the four third-placed teams with the best records against the top two in their section will also progress. Given that they will be the hosts, Israel are guaranteed a spot in the final tournament. In the last edition of the European Championship in Dublin in 2019, Carmine Nunziata’s Italy lost 4-2 in the final against the Netherlands.

2021/22 U19 Qualifying Round draw

Group 1: England, Sweden, Switzerland, Andorra
Group 2: Germany, Greece, Russia, Faroe Islands
Group 3: Austria, Hungary, Belarus, Estonia
Group 4: Netherlands, Israel, Cyprus, Moldova
Group 5: Ukraine, Poland, Finland, Malta
Group 6: Republic of Ireland, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro
Group 7: France, Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania
Group 8: Spain, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg
Group 9: Turkey, Romania, Latvia, San Marino
Group 10: Norway, Georgia, Wales, Kosovo
Group 11: Croatia, Scotland, Armenia, Gibraltar
Group 12: Italy, Slovenia, Iceland, Lithuania
Group 13: Czech Republic, Denmark, Northern Ireland, Kazakhstan

2021/22 U17 Qualifying Round draw

Group 1: Turkey, Denmark, Montenegro, Malta
Group 2: Sweden, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania
Group 3: Belgium, Norway, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg
Group 4: Hungary, Iceland, Georgia, Estonia
Group 5: Republic of Ireland, Poland, North Macedonia, Andorra
Group 6: Germany, Russia, Romania, San Marino
Group 7: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, Finland, Gibraltar
Group 8: France, Greece, Cyprus, Moldova
Group 9: Austria, Slovenia, Faroe Islands, Kosovo
Group 10: Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Liechtenstein
Group 11: Portugal, Ukraine, Wales, Kazakhstan
Group 12: Italy, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Albania