1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification

Main article: 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

The 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification began in 1996. The final tournament was held in 1998 in Romania.

The 46 national teams were divided into nine groups (eight groups of 5 + one group of 6). The records of the nine group winners were compared, and the eighth and ninth ranked teams played-off against each other for the eight quarter finals spot. One of the eight quarter-finalist were then chosen to host the remaining fixtures.

Qualifying groups

Draw

The allocation of teams into qualifying groups was based on that of 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification with several changes, reflecting the absence of some nations:

• Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 featured the same nations
• Group 3 did not include Azerbaijan, but included France (who did not participate in World Cup qualification)
• Group 6 did not include Faroe Islands
• Group 8 did not include Liechtenstein
• Group 9 did not include Northern Ireland

Group 1

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Greece	8	5	1	2	12	7	+5	16
Denmark	8	5	1	2	16	9	+7	16
Croatia	8	4	0	4	13	9	+4	12
Slovenia	8	3	0	5	9	13	−4	9
Bosnia and Herzegovina	8	1	2	5	6	18	−12	5

Greece 0–2 Slovenia Greece 1–0 Bosnia & Herz. Slovenia 0–3 Denmark Bosnia & Herz. 3–1 Croatia Denmark 1–3 Greece Slovenia 2–0 Bosnia & Herz. Croatia 0–1 Greece Croatia 2–0 Denmark Bosnia & Herz. 0–0 Greece Croatia 2–0 Slovenia

Greece 2–0 Croatia Denmark 2–1 Slovenia Denmark 5–0 Bosnia & Herz. Bosnia & Herz. 1–1 Denmark Croatia 6–1 Bosnia & Herz. Slovenia 1–3 Greece Denmark 1–0 Croatia Bosnia & Herz. 1–2 Slovenia Greece 2–3 Denmark Slovenia 1–2 Croatia

•   Greece qualify as group winners

Group 2

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
England	8	5	3	0	7	1	+6	18
Georgia	8	3	3	2	10	10	0	12
Italy	8	3	2	3	17	6	+11	11
Poland	8	1	5	2	10	15	−5	8
Moldova	8	1	1	6	5	17	−12	4

Moldova 0–2 England Moldova 0–3 Italy England 0–0 Poland Italy 6–0 Georgia Georgia 0–1 England Poland 1–3 Moldova England 1–0 Italy Italy 6–0 Moldova Poland 1–1 Italy England 0–0 Georgia

Italy 1–1 Poland Poland 1–1 England Georgia 1–0 Moldova Poland 2–2 Georgia England 1–0 Moldova Georgia 2–0 Italy Moldova 0–0 Georgia Moldova 2–3 Poland Georgia 5–1 Poland Italy 0–1 England

•   England qualify as group winners

Group 3

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Norway	8	5	2	1	22	10	+12	17
France	8	4	3	1	13	8	+5	15
Switzerland	8	2	3	3	13	17	−4	9
Finland	8	2	3	3	8	10	−2	9
Hungary	8	1	1	6	9	20	−11	4

Norway 1–1 France Hungary 0–1 Finland Finland 1–1 Switzerland Norway 4–1 Hungary Switzerland 3–7 Norway France 2–0 Hungary France 1–0 Switzerland Norway 3–0 Finland Switzerland 4–1 Hungary France 2–1 Finland

Finland 1–1 France Hungary 2–0 Norway Hungary 2–2 Switzerland Finland 0–0 Norway Switzerland 2–1 Finland Hungary 2–4 France Norway 4–1 Switzerland Finland 3–1 Hungary Switzerland 0–0 France France 2–3 Norway

•   Norway qualify as group winners

Group 4

Main article: 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group 4

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts   Sweden 10 9 0 1 30 6 +24 27   Austria 10 6 2 2 21 12 +9 20   Belarus 10 6 2 2 17 7 +10 20   Latvia 10 2 2 6 6 18 −12 8   Scotland 10 2 1 7 10 20 −10 7   Estonia 10 1 1 8 4 25 −21 4

Austria   — 2–0 7–1 0–0 4–0 0–4 Belarus   1–1 — 3–1 2–0 1–0 0–1 Estonia   0–1 1–1 — 0–1 0–1 0–2 Latvia   1–3 0–2 0–1 — 0–0 0–2 Scotland   1–2 0–3 4–0 2–4 — 1–4 Sweden   4–1 1–3 5–0 5–0 2–1 —

•   Sweden qualify as group winners

Group 5

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Russia	8	6	1	1	27	7	+20	19
Israel	8	5	2	1	17	9	+8	17
Bulgaria	8	4	0	4	16	12	+4	12
Cyprus	8	3	1	4	16	15	+1	10
Luxembourg	8	0	0	8	3	36	−33	0

Russia 2–1 Cyprus Israel 2–0 Bulgaria Israel 1–0 Russia Luxembourg 0–4 Bulgaria Luxembourg 1–7 Russia Cyprus 1–1 Israel Cyprus 3–0 Bulgaria Israel 2–1 Luxembourg Cyprus 0–4 Russia Luxembourg 0–5 Israel

Bulgaria 3–1 Cyprus Russia 8–0 Luxembourg Israel 4–3 Cyprus Bulgaria 3–0 Luxembourg Russia 1–1 Israel Bulgaria 3–1 Israel Luxembourg 1–2 Cyprus Bulgaria 1–2 Russia Russia 3–2 Bulgaria Cyprus 5–0 Luxembourg

•   Russia qualify as group winners

Group 6

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Spain	8	7	1	0	18	6	+12	22
FR Yugoslavia	8	6	0	2	14	3	+11	18
Slovakia	8	3	1	4	16	10	+6	10
Czech Republic	8	3	0	5	13	13	0	9
Malta	8	0	0	8	0	29	−29	0

Yugoslavia 1–0 Malta Czech Rep. 4–0 Malta Slovakia 3–0 Malta Czech Rep. 1–2 Spain Yugoslavia 3–0 Czech Rep. Spain 1–1 Slovakia Spain 1–0 Yugoslavia Malta 0–3 Spain Spain 1–0 Malta Malta 0–6 Slovakia

Czech Rep. 0–1 Yugoslavia Yugoslavia 1–2 Spain Yugoslavia 1–0 Slovakia Spain 4–0 Czech Rep. Slovakia 0–1 Czech Rep. Slovakia 0–1 Yugoslavia Malta 0–5 Czech Rep. Slovakia 3–4 Spain Czech Rep. 2–3 Slovakia Malta 0–6 Yugoslavia

•   Spain qualify as group winners

Group 7

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Netherlands	8	6	1	1	26	5	+21	19
Turkey	8	5	0	3	16	8	+8	15
Belgium	8	4	1	3	16	12	+4	13
Wales	8	4	0	4	9	9	0	12
San Marino	8	0	0	8	2	35	−33	0

San Marino 0–3 Wales Wales 4–0 San Marino Belgium 1–2 Turkey Wales 0–2 Netherlands San Marino 1–5 Belgium Netherlands 0–1 Wales Turkey 3–0 San Marino Wales 0–3 Turkey Belgium 2–2 Netherlands Netherlands 6–0 San Marino

Wales 1–0 Belgium Turkey 0–1 Netherlands Turkey 1–2 Belgium San Marino 0–7 Netherlands Belgium 3–0 San Marino Turkey 3–0 Wales Netherlands 5–2 Belgium San Marino 1–4 Turkey Netherlands 3–0 Turkey Belgium 1–0 Wales

•   Netherlands qualify as group winners

Group 8

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Romania	8	8	0	0	18	4	+14	24
Iceland	8	4	1	3	10	10	0	13
Republic of Ireland	8	3	0	5	11	7	+4	9
Lithuania	8	3	0	5	8	12	−4	9
Macedonia	8	1	1	6	3	17	−14	4

Iceland 2–0 R.Macedonia Romania 2–1 Lithuania Lithuania 0–3 Iceland Ireland 4–0 R.Macedonia Iceland 2–3 Romania Ireland 0–1 Iceland R.Macedonia 0–1 Romania Lithuania 1–2 Romania R.Macedonia 0–4 Ireland Romania 1–0 Ireland

R.Macedonia 1–1 Iceland Iceland 0–2 Lithuania Ireland 2–0 Lithuania Romania 3–0 R.Macedonia Iceland 1–0 Ireland Lithuania 1–0 R.Macedonia Lithuania 2–1 Ireland Romania 4–0 Iceland Ireland 0–2 Romania R.Macedonia 2–1 Lithuania

•   Romania qualify as group winners

Group 9

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Germany	8	6	2	0	20	3	+17	20
Ukraine	8	5	1	2	14	4	+10	16
Portugal	8	4	2	2	20	11	+9	14
Albania	8	1	1	6	6	19	−13	4
Armenia	8	1	0	7	8	31	−23	3

Armenia 3–4 Portugal Ukraine 1–0 Portugal Albania 2–4 Portugal Armenia 0–1 Germany Albania 3–2 Armenia Portugal 1–0 Ukraine Portugal 1–2 Germany Albania 0–3 Ukraine Albania 0–4 Germany Germany 2–0 Ukraine

Ukraine 7–0 Armenia Ukraine 1–1 Germany Portugal 1–1 Albania Ukraine 1–0 Albania Portugal 8–1 Armenia Germany 1–1 Portugal Armenia 2–0 Albania Germany 7–0 Armenia Armenia 0–1 Ukraine Germany 2–0 Albania

•   Germany qualify as group winners

Ranking of group winners

Grp	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
8	Romania	6	6	0	0	14	4	+10	18
6	Spain	6	5	1	0	14	6	+8	16
4	Sweden	6	5	0	1	18	4	+14	15
3	Norway	6	4	2	0	18	7	+11	14
9	Germany	6	4	2	0	12	3	+9	14
7	Netherlands	6	4	1	1	13	5	+8	13
5	Russia	6	4	1	1	12	6	+6	13
1	Greece	6	4	0	2	11	7	+4	12
2	England	6	3	3	0	4	1	+3	12

List of qualifying group winners. Teams 1–7 qualify automatically. Teams 8 & 9 play-off for the eighth spot. Only results between top four teams in group are used.

Qualifying play-off

13 November 1997

Greece	2–0	England
Dellas 78' Liberopoulos 90' (pen.)	Report

Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium, Heraklion

Attendance: 4,000

Referee: Juan Fernández Marin (Spain)

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17 December 1997

England	4–2	Greece
Heskey 21', 34' Owen 60' Hall 78'	Report	Konstantinidis 28' Hall 30' (o.g.)

Carrow Road, Norwich

Attendance: 14,114

Referee: Éric Blareau (Belgium)

4–4 on aggregate, Greece won on away goals rule.

See also

• 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship