U-21 football championship 1998 / qualification

46 national teams took part in the qualification for the U-21 European Football Championship in 1998 and determined the participants for the final round, which took place in Romania from 23 to 31 May 1998 .

The qualifying games in the nine qualifying groups started on April 23, 1996 and ended on October 29, 1997.

While Germany was able to qualify for the finals, Austria and Switzerland had to be eliminated after the group matches.

mode

The 46 national teams were drawn in nine groups - eight groups of five and one group of six teams. The national selections had to play their encounters with two legs. The seven best group winners (marked yellow) qualified directly for the final round. The two worst group winners (marked green) had a play-off for eighth place on the grid in the final round.

Attendees

Group 1	Group 2	Group 3	Group 4
Bosnia and Herzegovina	England	Finland	Austria
Croatia	Georgia	France	Belarus
Denmark	Italy	Hungary	Estonia
Greece	Moldova	Norway	Latvia
Slovenia	Poland	Switzerland	Scotland
			Sweden

 

Group 5	Group 6	Group 7	Group 8	Group 9
Bulgaria	Czech Republic	Belgium	Ireland	Albania
Cyprus	Spain	Netherlands	Iceland	Armenia
Israel	Malta	San Marino	Lithuania	Germany
Luxembourg	Slovakia	Turkey	North Macedonia	Portugal
Russia	Yugoslavia	Wales	Romania	Ukraine

Performance of the German-speaking teams

Germany

Germany showed no weakness in qualification group 9. With the exception of two 1-1 draws in Ukraine and at home against Portugal, all games were won. The biggest win was 7-0 over Armenia. In the final accounts, this resulted in a clear group victory for Germany ahead of Ukraine and Portugal and secure qualification for the final round.

Austria

Austria did very well in qualifying group 4. There was nothing to win against group winners Sweden, however, because both the away game (1: 4) and the home game (0: 4) were clearly lost. The biggest home win was 7-1 against Estonia. With a 1-1 win in Belarus and a 2-0 home win, Austria could look forward to second place in the group.

Switzerland

Switzerland made a classic false start in qualification group 3. A disappointing 1-1 draw in Finland was followed by a heavy 3-7 home defeat against Norway and a 0-1 defeat in France. This meant that qualification for the Swiss was an unreachable distance after just three games. In the end it was only enough for third place behind the surprising group winner Norway, who relegated France to second place.

Qualification groups

Group 1

date	Home team	Result	Away team
April 23, 1996	Greece	0: 2	Slovenia
August 31, 1996	Greece	1-0	Bosnia and Herzegovina
August 31, 1996	Slovenia	0: 3	Denmark
October 8, 1996	Bosnia and Herzegovina	3: 1	Croatia
October 8, 1996	Denmark	1: 3	Greece
November 9, 1996	Slovenia	2-0	Bosnia and Herzegovina
November 9, 1996	Croatia	0: 1	Greece
March 28, 1997	Croatia	2-0	Denmark
April 1, 1997	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0-0	Greece
April 3, 1997	Croatia	2-0	Slovenia
April 29, 1997	Greece	2-0	Croatia
April 30, 1997	Denmark	2: 1	Slovenia
June 8, 1997	Denmark	5-0	Bosnia and Herzegovina
August 20, 1997	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1: 1	Denmark
September 5, 1997	Croatia	6: 1	Bosnia and Herzegovina
September 5, 1997	Slovenia	1: 3	Greece
September 9, 1997	Denmark	1-0	Croatia
September 10, 1997	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1: 2	Slovenia
October 10, 1997	Greece	2: 3	Denmark
October 12, 1997	Slovenia	1: 2	Croatia

 

Final result group 1
Pl	team	Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	TD	P
1.	Greece	8th	5	1	2	12: 07	+5	16
2.	Denmark	8th	5	1	2	16: 09	+7	16
3.	Croatia	8th	4th	0	4th	13: 09	+4	12
4th	Slovenia	8th	3	0	5	09:13	−4	9
5.	Bosnia and Herzegovina	8th	1	2	5	06:18	−12	5

Group 2

date	Home team	Result	Away team
August 31, 1996	Moldova	0: 2	England
October 3, 1996	Moldova	0: 3	Italy
October 8, 1996	England	0-0	Poland
October 9, 1996	Italy	6-0	Georgia
November 8, 1996	Georgia	0: 1	England
November 9, 1996	Poland	1: 3	Moldova
February 12, 1997	England	1-0	Italy
March 27, 1997	Italy	6-0	Moldova
April 1, 1997	Poland	1: 1	Italy
April 29, 1997	England	0-0	Georgia
May 1, 1997	Italy	1: 1	Poland
May 30, 1997	Poland	1: 1	England
June 6, 1997	Georgia	1-0	Moldova
June 13, 1997	Poland	2: 2	Georgia
September 9, 1997	England	1-0	Moldova
September 10, 1997	Georgia	2-0	Italy
September 23, 1997	Moldova	0-0	Georgia
October 6, 1997	Moldova	2: 3	Poland
October 10, 1997	Georgia	5: 1	Poland
October 10, 1997	Italy	0: 1	England

 

Final result group 2
Pl	team	Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	TD	P
1.	England	8th	5	3	0	07: 01	+6	18th
2.	Georgia	8th	3	3	2	10:10	± 0	12
3.	Italy	8th	3	2	3	17: 06	+11	11
4th	Poland	8th	1	5	2	10:15	−5	8th
5.	Moldova	8th	1	1	6th	05:17	−12	4th

Group 3

date	Home team	Result	Away team
August 31, 1996	Norway	1: 1	France
August 31, 1996	Hungary	0: 1	Finland
5th October 1996	Finland	1: 1	Switzerland
October 8, 1996	Norway	4: 1	Hungary
November 9, 1996	Switzerland	3: 7	Norway
November 10, 1996	France	2-0	Hungary
March 12, 1997	France	1-0	Switzerland
April 29, 1997	Norway	3-0	Finland
April 29, 1997	Switzerland	4: 1	Hungary
May 28, 1997	France	2: 1	Finland
June 7, 1997	Finland	1: 1	France
June 7, 1997	Hungary	2-0	Norway
August 19, 1997	Finland	0-0	Norway
August 19, 1997	Hungary	2: 2	Switzerland
September 5, 1997	Switzerland	2: 1	Finland
September 9, 1997	Hungary	2: 4	France
September 9, 1997	Norway	4: 1	Switzerland
October 10, 1997	Finland	3: 1	Hungary
October 12, 1997	Switzerland	0-0	France
October 29, 1997	France	2: 3	Norway

 

Final result group 3
Pl	team	Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	TD	P
1.	Norway	8th	5	2	1	22:10	+12	17th
2.	France	8th	4th	3	1	13: 08	+5	15th
3.	Switzerland	8th	2	3	3	13:17	−4	9
4th	Finland	8th	2	3	3	08:10	−2	9
5.	Hungary	8th	1	1	6th	09:20	−11	4th

Group 4

date	Home team	Result	Away team
May 31, 1996	Sweden	1: 3	Belarus
August 30, 1996	Belarus	3: 1	Estonia
August 30, 1996	Austria	4-0	Scotland
August 31, 1996	Latvia	0: 2	Sweden
4th October 1996	Estonia	1: 1	Belarus
October 6, 1996	Latvia	0-0	Scotland
October 8, 1996	Estonia	0: 1	Scotland
October 8, 1996	Sweden	4: 1	Austria
October 10, 1996	Belarus	2-0	Latvia
November 9, 1996	Austria	0-0	Latvia
November 9, 1996	Scotland	1: 4	Sweden
March 28, 1997	Scotland	4-0	Estonia
April 1, 1997	Scotland	1: 2	Austria
April 29, 1997	Latvia	0: 3	Belarus
April 29, 1997	Austria	7: 1	Estonia
April 29, 1997	Sweden	2: 1	Scotland
May 17, 1997	Estonia	0: 1	Latvia
June 7, 1997	Belarus	1-0	Scotland
June 7, 1997	Latvia	1: 3	Austria
June 7, 1997	Estonia	0: 2	Sweden
August 19, 1997	Belarus	0: 1	Sweden
August 19, 1997	Estonia	0: 1	Austria
September 5, 1997	Latvia	0: 1	Estonia
September 5, 1997	Austria	0: 4	Sweden
September 5, 1997	Scotland	0: 3	Belarus
September 9, 1997	Belarus	1: 1	Austria
September 9, 1997	Sweden	5-0	Latvia
October 10, 1997	Scotland	2: 4	Latvia
October 10, 1997	Sweden	5-0	Estonia
October 10, 1997	Austria	2-0	Belarus

 

Final result group 4
Pl	team	Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	TD	P
1.	Sweden	10	9	0	1	30: 06	+24	27
2.	Austria	10	6th	2	2	21:12	+9	20th
3.	Belarus	10	6th	2	2	17: 07	+10	20th
4th	Latvia	10	2	2	6th	06:18	−12	8th
5.	Scotland	10	2	1	7th	10:20	−10	7th
6th	Estonia	10	1	1	8th	04:25	−21	4th

Group 5

date	Home team	Result	Away team
August 31, 1996	Russia	2: 1	Cyprus
August 31, 1996	Israel	2-0	Bulgaria
October 8, 1996	Israel	1-0	Russia
October 9, 1996	Luxembourg	0: 4	Bulgaria
November 9, 1996	Luxembourg	1: 7	Russia
November 10, 1996	Cyprus	1: 1	Israel
December 13, 1996	Cyprus	3-0	Bulgaria
December 14, 1996	Israel	2: 1	Luxembourg
March 29, 1997	Cyprus	0: 4	Russia
March 30, 1997	Luxembourg	0: 5	Israel
April 2, 1997	Bulgaria	3: 1	Cyprus
April 29, 1997	Russia	8-0	Luxembourg
April 30, 1997	Israel	4: 3	Cyprus
June 7, 1997	Russia	1: 1	Israel
June 7, 1997	Bulgaria	3-0	Luxembourg
August 19, 1997	Bulgaria	3: 1	Israel
September 6, 1997	Luxembourg	1: 2	Cyprus
September 9, 1997	Bulgaria	1: 2	Russia
October 10, 1997	Russia	3: 2	Bulgaria
October 11, 1997	Cyprus	5-0	Luxembourg

 

Final result group 5
Pl	team	Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	TD	P
1.	Russia	8th	6th	1	1	27: 07	+20	19th
2.	Israel	8th	5	2	1	17: 09	+8	17th
3.	Bulgaria	8th	4th	0	4th	16:12	+4	12
4th	Cyprus	8th	3	1	4th	16:15	+1	10
5.	Luxembourg	8th	0	0	8th	03:36	−33	0

Group 6

date	Home team	Result	Away team
June 1, 1996	Yugoslavia	1-0	Malta
17th September 1996	Czech Republic	4-0	Malta
September 21, 1996	Slovakia	3-0	Malta
October 8, 1996	Czech Republic	1: 2	Spain
November 9, 1996	Yugoslavia	3-0	Czech Republic
November 12, 1996	Spain	1: 1	Slovakia
December 13, 1996	Spain	1-0	Yugoslavia
December 17, 1996	Malta	0: 3	Spain
February 11, 1997	Spain	1-0	Malta
March 30, 1997	Malta	0: 6	Slovakia
April 1, 1997	Czech Republic	0: 1	Yugoslavia
April 29, 1997	Yugoslavia	1: 2	Spain
June 7, 1997	Yugoslavia	1-0	Slovakia
June 7, 1997	Spain	4-0	Czech Republic
August 23, 1997	Slovakia	0: 1	Czech Republic
September 9, 1997	Slovakia	0: 1	Yugoslavia
September 23, 1997	Malta	0: 5	Czech Republic
September 23, 1997	Slovakia	3: 4	Spain
October 10, 1997	Czech Republic	2: 3	Slovakia
October 10, 1997	Malta	0: 6	Yugoslavia

 

Final result group 6
Pl	team	Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	TD	P
1.	Spain	8th	7th	1	0	18: 06	+12	22nd
2.	Yugoslavia	8th	6th	0	2	14: 03	+11	18th
3.	Slovakia	8th	3	1	4th	16:10	+6	10
4th	Czech Republic	8th	3	0	5	13:13	± 0	9
5.	Malta	8th	0	0	8th	00:29	−29	0

Group 7

date	Home team	Result	Away team
June 1, 1996	San Marino	0: 3	Wales
August 30, 1996	Belgium	1: 2	Turkey
August 30, 1996	Wales	4-0	San Marino
4th October 1996	Wales	0: 2	Netherlands
October 8, 1996	San Marino	1: 5	Belgium
November 8, 1996	Netherlands	0: 1	Wales
November 9, 1996	Turkey	3-0	San Marino
December 13, 1996	Belgium	2: 2	Netherlands
December 13, 1996	Wales	0: 3	Turkey
March 28, 1997	Netherlands	6-0	San Marino
March 28, 1997	Wales	1-0	Belgium
April 1, 1997	Turkey	0: 1	Netherlands
April 29, 1997	Turkey	1: 2	Belgium
April 29, 1997	San Marino	0: 7	Netherlands
June 6, 1997	Belgium	3-0	San Marino
August 19, 1997	Turkey	3-0	Wales
September 5, 1997	Netherlands	5: 2	Belgium
September 9, 1997	San Marino	1: 4	Turkey
October 10, 1997	Netherlands	3-0	Turkey
October 10, 1997	Belgium	1-0	Wales

 

Final result group 7
Pl	team	Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	TD	P
1.	Netherlands	8th	6th	1	1	26: 05	+21	19th
2.	Turkey	8th	5	0	3	16: 08	+8	15th
3.	Belgium	8th	4th	1	3	16:12	+4	13
4th	Wales	8th	4th	0	4th	09: 09	± 0	12
5.	San Marino	8th	0	0	8th	02:35	−33	0

Group 8

date	Home team	Result	Away team
June 1, 1996	Iceland	2-0	North Macedonia
August 30, 1996	Romania	2: 1	Lithuania
5th October 1996	Lithuania	0: 3	Iceland
October 8, 1996	Ireland	4-0	North Macedonia
October 9, 1996	Iceland	2: 3	Romania
November 9, 1996	Ireland	0: 1	Iceland
December 13, 1996	North Macedonia	0: 1	Romania
April 1, 1997	Lithuania	1: 2	Romania
April 1, 1997	North Macedonia	0: 4	Ireland
April 29, 1997	Romania	1-0	Ireland
June 7, 1997	North Macedonia	1: 1	Iceland
June 11, 1997	Iceland	0: 2	Lithuania
August 19, 1997	Romania	3-0	North Macedonia
August 19, 1997	Ireland	2-0	Lithuania
September 5, 1997	Iceland	1-0	Ireland
September 6, 1997	Lithuania	1-0	North Macedonia
September 9, 1997	Lithuania	2: 1	Ireland
September 9, 1997	Romania	4-0	Iceland
October 10, 1997	Ireland	0: 2	Romania
October 11, 1997	North Macedonia	2: 1	Lithuania

 

Final result group 8
Pl	team	Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	TD	P
1.	Romania	8th	8th	0	0	18: 04	+14	24
2.	Iceland	8th	4th	1	3	10:10	± 0	13
3.	Ireland	8th	3	0	5	11: 07	+4	9
4th	Lithuania	8th	3	0	5	08:12	−4	9
5.	North Macedonia	8th	1	1	6th	03:17	−14	4th

Group 9

date	Home team	Result	Away team
August 30, 1996	Armenia	3: 4	Portugal
4th October 1996	Ukraine	1-0	Portugal
October 9, 1996	Albania	2: 4	Portugal
October 9, 1996	Armenia	0: 1	Germany
November 8, 1996	Albania	3: 2	Armenia
November 8, 1996	Portugal	1-0	Ukraine
December 13, 1996	Portugal	1: 2	Germany
March 29, 1997	Albania	0: 3	Ukraine
April 1, 1997	Albania	0: 4	Germany
April 29, 1997	Germany	2-0	Ukraine
May 6, 1997	Ukraine	7-0	Armenia
June 6, 1997	Ukraine	1: 1	Germany
June 6, 1997	Portugal	1: 1	Albania
August 19, 1997	Ukraine	1-0	Albania
August 19, 1997	Portugal	8: 1	Armenia
September 5, 1997	Germany	1: 1	Portugal
September 6, 1997	Armenia	2-0	Albania
September 9, 1997	Germany	7-0	Armenia
October 10, 1997	Armenia	0: 1	Ukraine
October 10, 1997	Germany	2-0	Albania

 

Final result group 9
Pl	team	Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	TD	P
1.	Germany	8th	6th	2	0	20: 03	+17	20th
2.	Ukraine	8th	5	1	2	14: 04	+10	16
3.	Portugal	8th	4th	2	2	20:11	+9	14th
4th	Albania	8th	1	1	6th	06:19	−13	4th
5.	Armenia	8th	1	0	7th	08:31	−23	3

Determination of the final round participants

The seven best group winners - the results of the four best-placed teams in the respective groups were used as a comparison - were directly qualified for the quarter-finals. Eighth place in the final round was determined in a play-off between the two worst group winners.

Table of group winners

Pl	team	Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	TD	P
1.	Romania	6th	6th	0	0	14: 04	+10	18th
2.	Spain	6th	5	1	0	14: 06	+8	16
3.	Sweden	6th	5	0	1	18: 04	+14	15th
4th	Norway	6th	4th	2	0	16: 07	+9	14th
5.	Germany	6th	4th	2	0	12: 03	+9	14th
6th	Netherlands	6th	4th	1	1	13: 05	+8	13
7th	Russia	6th	4th	1	1	12: 06	+6	13
8th.	Greece	6th	4th	0	2	11: 07	+4	12
9.	England	6th	3	3	0	04: 01	+3	12

Play-off for 8th place in the final round

Fixtures
date	Home team	Result	Away team
November 13, 1997	Greece	2-0	England
December 17, 1997	England	4: 2	Greece
Greece qualified with an aggregate result of 4: 4 due to the away goals rule

Finalists

The following nations qualified for the final round of the U-21 European Football Championship 1998 , which was held in Romania from May 23 to 31, 1998 :

Final round
Germany
Greece
Netherlands
Norway
Romania (host)
Russia
Sweden
Spain

Web links

• UEFA.com: Official pages of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship
• The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation: European U-21 Championship 1998 (accessed December 28, 2008)