Peacock pleased while Serbia feel the heat

Nine goals in the opening two Group A fixtures in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship ensured contrasting emotions for the four coaches in involved. John Peacock was pleased with the start of England's title defence – a 2-2 draw with France – while Thomas Frank admitted his Denmark team's opening assignment against hosts Serbia could have gone either way as they edged a 3-2 win.

FRANCE 2-2 ENGLAND
John Peacock, England manager
It was a very, very tough game. We knew that playing France in the first game would always be a very close affair − and it was. There were chances for both teams and I was obviously pleased that we went in 2-1 [ahead] at half-time. I think the result was fair.

I was very pleased with my team's performance. I think we started a bit nervously and the French started very well. We settled down after 20 minutes and started to grow into the game. Generally, I'm very pleased with the performance. We had our captain [Nathaniel Chalobah] missing today and having a good squad of 18 players is obviously very important for us.

Patrick Gonfalone, France coach
The point is good for both teams. It's two good teams with good players on each side with potential. Sharing the points means both teams can hope to progress. Both sides have high-quality players in several positions and I think it's good that teams like this are in the finals because it's a boost to the level of European football. The draw is a good result for both teams and I hope both go to the final.

SERBIA 2-3 DENMARK
Milovan Djorić, Serbia coach
Denmark deserved the win. My players were under pressure due to Serbian expectations. We made mistakes and almost scored three own goals. The Danish also missed some good chances. Only a few players were at the level we needed today for victory. At 2-2 we had a few chances to win the game. First and foremost, I'm responsible for the defeat, not my players.

Thomas Frank, Denmark coach
It was a difficult game and the players felt some pressure with it being the first match. They started a little nervously and then they scored a great goal from a free-kick. I thought from there it would be hard to come back. It was good when we equalised and the second goal followed quickly. After that I expected victory but things changed in the second half. Both teams could have won the game at 2-2.