UEFA has dramatically changed the format of the U-19 European Championships: Ukraine will start in the elite League A

From 2020, the format of the qualifying tournament for the European Under-19 Championships will be similar to the format of the UEFA League of Nations.

According to UEFA, the European Championships of 2022 and 2023 in the U-19 category will change the tournaments, which will have a two-year cycle - 2020-2022 and 2021-2023. They will also end with the final stage with the participation of eight national teams (in 2022 the tournament will be hosted by Slovakia).

The main difference from the previous format is the participation of each team in at least two qualifying mini-tournaments. Players under the age of 18 will start the selection, and players born after January 19, 2020 will be admitted to the final stage in the age category under the age of 2022 (until the draw of 1-2003). Oleksandr Petrakov's team will start next fall in the 2020-2022 cycle.

If successful, a similar format from 2023 will be used in U-17 tournaments.

Euro-2022 (U-19) format

Rounds

Selection stage: rounds 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Final tournament: 8 national teams - 1 host and 7 more teams.

Selection rounds

All matches are played in the format of mini-tournaments with the participation of three or four teams on the field of one of the participants. The hosts are determined after each draw.

All participants of the 2020-2022 draw (including the host of the final stage, Slovakia) are divided into three leagues (A, B and C) on the basis of tables of U-19 coefficients, made on the basis of the performances in the tournament from season 2015/2016 to season 2018/2019.

In which qualifying rounds do the leagues play?

League A: in all four rounds.
League B: in three rounds.
League C: in two rounds.

How many teams in each league?

League A: 20 teams (5 teams of 4 teams).
League B: 16 teams (4 teams of 4 teams).
League C: 18 teams (teams of 3 or 4 teams).

Teams will be split into groups before each round.

Rounds 1 and 2 (leagues A, B and C)

Access to the major leagues

From League B to League A: four group winners and the best team from among the second place winners.
From League C to League B: group winners.

Relegation to league lower league

From League A to League B: five teams that will take fourth place in their groups.
From League B to League C: four teams that will take fourth place in their groups, as well as the worst team from among the owners of third places.

After the second round, the teams of League C finish their performance in the tournament, as well as the host of the final stage, who will resume the fight only in the final stage.

If the host of the final stage after the second round goes to League A or League B, one team, which takes his place, rises to League B or League C.

Composition of baskets before the draw of round 1 of Euro-2022 (U-19)

League A

Pot 1: Portugal, France, England, Italy, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, Ukraine, Ireland.

Pot 2: Norway, Turkey, Austria, Croatia, Greece, Belgium, Sweden, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia.

League B

Pot 1: Scotland, Israel, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Denmark, Slovenia, Georgia.

Pot 2: Russia, Finland, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Wales, Latvia, Iceland.

League C

Pot 1: Azerbaijan, Northern Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Belarus, Armenia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Malta, Albania, Kazakhstan.

Pot 2: Andorra, Luxembourg, Moldova, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Lithuania, Gibraltar, San Marino.

The draw will take place on December 3, 2019.

Photo by uefa.com

Round 3 (leagues A and B)

Access to the major leagues

From League B to League A: four group winners and the best team from among the second place winners.

Relegation to league lower league

From League A to League B: five teams that will take fourth place in their groups.

League B teams finish the tournament after the third round.

Round 4 (League A only)

Selection for the final tournament

The five winners of the groups and the two best winners of the second places go to the final stage.

The final tournament

As before, participants will be divided into two groups of four teams. The winners of the first two places in the groups will reach the semifinals. The final stages in the even years will be ruled for qualifying for the World Youth Championship (ie Euro-1 will be a selection for the 2 World Cup).

Dates of Euro-2022 (U-19)

Round 1: until November 17, 2020 (draw - December 3, 2019).
Round 2: until June 8, 2021 (draw - in December 2020).
Round 3: August 30 - September 7 or October 4-12, 2021 (draw - in June / July 2021).
Round 4: March 21-29, 2022 (draw - after the end of the third round).
Final tournament (Slovakia): July 2022 (draw - after the end of the fourth round).

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