U-21 national team
The U-21 national team (Switzerland: U-21 national team ) is a junior team that represents a member association in international sports competitions and is made up of players who are younger than 21 on a date set by the relevant sports association . Hence the name U 21 , which stands for under 21 .
Soccer
When the U-21 national team is mentioned, it is usually the U-21 national team in football that is meant, but U-21 national teams are also provided by other sports.
There are also U-18, U-16 and other age-restricted national teams, each of which uses players in their age group .
target
A U-21 national team serves the purpose of forming young talents into a team in order to introduce them to the senior national team. At the U-21 level, as is usual with national teams , European championships and world championships are held, with the Olympic Games representing the world championship here.
Regulations
For the appointment to the U-21 team, the age at the time of the individual game is not decisive, but at the beginning of the qualification. So it can be that z. For example, in the U-21 European Championship finals, players who are then over 21 years old can also be used. The qualifying matches for the U-21 European Championship often take place parallel to the qualifications for the World or European Championship of the senior national team, i. H. The group composition for the U-21 team is largely determined by the drawing of the groups for the senior national team. The U-21 team will only be drawn into a group if the senior national team is automatically qualified to host the tournament. The placement at the U-21 European Championship then serves to qualify for the U-21 World Championship.
Olympic qualification
In recent years, the qualification and placement at the European Championships of the U-21 national team has also been the qualification for the Olympic football tournament . This regulation was made in order not to give the Olympic football tournament the status of a world championship after professional athletes could also take part in the Olympic Games.