History
Wednesday 13 July 2005
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Italy triumphed for a fifth time in 2004 (uefa.com)The first UEFA European Under-21 Championship final in 1978 set the standard for the rest to follow. More than 25,000 crowded into the Pod Bijelim Bregom stadium in Mostar to see if Yugoslavia could defend a 1-0 lead from the first-leg in East Germany. They were not to be disappointed. Vahid Halilhodžić scored a first-half hat-trick in a breathtaking match that ended 4-4, giving the Balkan country the inaugural title 5-4 on aggregate.
Stars of tomorrow
The competition has been living up to expectations ever since, as the continent's most exciting young players offer a tantalising glimpse into what the future of European football might hold. A curling free-kick from Andrea Pirlo in the 2000 final, a diving penalty save from Petr Čech to help the Czech Republic win the trophy two years after that; the stars of tomorrow did it here first before making their name for club and country.
Stepping stone
The format has changed down the years, but the competition's raison d'être has remained the same: to provide a stepping stone from youth football up to the full international stage. The roll call of great players who have graduated from European football's élite finishing school is testament to its enduring success. Roberto Mancini, Zinédine Zidane, Rudi Völler, Davor Šuker, Luís Figo, Raúl González, Frank Lampard have all played their part in making the UEFA European U-21 Championship one of the highlights on the football calendar.
Bulgaria success
Today's prestigious eight-team final tournament enjoys worldwide acclaim, but it has evolved considerably since UEFA first put the idea to its member associations in January 1967. The concept then was for a "Challenge Cup for national representative teams aged under-23". Seventeen associations signed up, from which Bulgaria and East Germany were drawn to play the first match. It was held in Stara Zagora on 7 June 1967, with Bulgaria winning 3-2 to become the first champions. Like in boxing, they were simply required to defend their title against a series of challengers and Bulgaria then Yugoslavia dominated the early years. The foundations for today's competition had been laid.
Azzurrini dominate
It was not until 1976 that the age limit was changed to Under-21, when UEFA decided the gap between U18 and U23 levels was too great. By now the Challenge Cup format had given way to qualifying groups followed by a knockout competition from the quarter-finals onwards. Yugoslavia would prolong eastern dominance by winning that first final in Mostar; Italy, though, would leave the greatest mark on the competition. The Azzurrini have won the U21 championship on five occasions and travelled to Portugal in 2006 as champions after defeating Serbia and Montenegro 3-0 in the final in front 20,000 in Bochum two years previously.
Dutch first
Italy were first crowned champions in 1992 and successfully defended their title two years later when for the first time the semi-finals and final were played as a single tournament in France. Pierluigi Orlandini scored the extra-time winner for Italy in Montpellier in the first final to be decided by a single match. The final tournament was expanded to eight teams in Romania in 1998, when Spain interrupted Italy's run of success, but the Azzurrini were back on top in 2000, the year the group stage was introduced. The Czech Republic, the Soviet Union, France, England and the Netherlands, champions for the first time in 2006, are the tournament's other winners.
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