Coach calls on France to advance

Having won the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2004 on home soil - and failed to qualify since - France are determined to return to the finals as they welcome Finland, Hungary and Norway for Elite round Group 5 from today.

Good record
The 2004 squad still stands as an example, Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri already established the senior squad. Last season François Blaquart's squad were unbeaten in the Elite round but were held by Denmark and Turkey and were pipped by the team they beat on Matchday 1, the Czech Republic. This term's side have seven wins and three draws in 13 games, only failing to score in two losses to a formidable German team.

'Potential'
Blaquart, Jacques Santini's assistant at UEFA EURO 2004™, has only one goal in mind. "Advancing," he said. "It's of the essence for us. The squad has potential but it will depend both on us and how our opponents will feature. Playing at home is not always an advantage at this age. Sometimes the pressure compromises youngsters' skills."

Flexible
In the qualifying round France overcame Lithuania 4-2, Iceland 3-1 and hosts Romania 3-0. "The Elite round will be far tougher," Blaquart predicted. FC Metz forward Thibault Bourgeois has seven U17 goals this season, one more than FC Girondins de Bordeaux's Henri Saivet. Full-back Mamadou Sakho has made two UEFA Cup appearances for Paris Saint-Germain FC. "We will play with four defenders," added Blaquart. "But elsewhere my team are able to play with several systems. It's one of their strengths."

Hungarian hopes
Hungary did reach the finals last year, and from that squad MTK Budapest striker András Simon remains eligible has been passed fit to play along with his midfield anchorman twin brother Ádám. Former striker László Szokolai is now in charge of the squad, and having beaten Bulgaria 3-1 and Armenia 1-0 before drawing 1-1 with Scotland in the qualifying round, his team twice beat Slovenia 1-0 in recent friendlies. Szokolai said: "Our aim is to decide qualification against France on the final day. For this we need humble hard work in the first two matches."

Norwegian talents
Norway, who comfortably beat Croatia and Estonia but lost 1-0 to the Netherlands in the qualifying round, have several players who have caught the eye of Premiership scouts. Midfielder Magnus Wolff Eikrem is at Manchester United FC, where defender Håvard Nordtveit has also trained, while goalkeeper Lars Stubhaug is with Everton FC and striker Marcus Pedersen has been on trial across the city at Liverpool FC. "We have a talented squad, and hope that there is enough quality to take us through," said coach Øivind Nilsen, whose team beat Poland in February in La Manga but then lost to the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, though they overcame Switzerland 3-1 at the start of this month.

'Very difficult'
Finland, unlike their neighbours, reached a U17 finals in 2002, and have not missed an Elite round since. To get here they beat Albania 4-1, lost 2-0 to Poland and drew 1-1 with Israel and since then Timo Liekoski's side have lost two January friendlies in Portugal. Earlier this month in Luxembourg they beat the home side 2-0 but then lost 3-1 to a young Metz side and finished 1-1 against AS Nancy-Lorraine. "Playing in France will be very difficult," Liekoski told uefa.com. "We have a fairly good idea about Norway because we saw them in the Nordic Cup though we did not play them. Hungary are a new team for me."

Additional reporting by Márton Dinnyes & Eivind Aarre