Under-21 Championship - 2017/19 SeasonMatch press kits

While Spain have been regular participants in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship semi-finals in recent years, France are in the last four for the first time since 2006.

• Four-time champions Spain recovered from an opening 3-1 defeat by Italy to finish top of Group A on three-way head-to-head records thanks to wins against Belgium (2-1) and Poland (5-0). France won their opening two matches, defeating England 2-1 and Croatia 1-0, but had to settle for second place in Group C, and a place in the semi-finals as the best runners-up overall, after a goalless draw against section winners Romania on matchday three.

©Getty Images

Mikel Oyarzabal celebrates after scoring for Spain against France in November

Previous meetings
• This is the sides' eighth European U21 Championship meeting – and a first in almost 18 years – with Spain having won four of the previous seven to France's single victory. That sole French success did come in the most recent fixture, however, a 3-0 triumph in Brest in September 2001 with Djibril Cissé opening the scoring.

• The game in Spain, in March 2001, had ended 1-1. France went on to reach the 2002 final tournament, eventually finishing runners-up to the Czech Republic; Spain failed to qualify.

• Spain had come out on top in the 1994 third-place play-off between the sides, Óscar García scoring both goals in a 2-1 win after Pascal Nouma had put France in front.

• That result continued Spain's fine form in matches against France. They had recorded a win (1-0 away) and a draw (0-0 home) in qualifying for the 1992 finals and won 3-1 both away and home in the 1986 quarter-finals as they went on to lift the trophy for the first time, Txiki Begiristain scoring in both legs.

• Recent friendlies between the sides have proved more even, Spain winning 2-0 in Benidorm in February 2008 before a 3-2 France success in Reims in March 2011. A friendly in Caen last autumn ended in a 1-1 draw, Mikel Oyarzabal's penalty giving the visitors a tenth-minute lead after Moussa Niakhate had fouled Alfonso Pedraza. Jean-Philippe Mateta was set up by Dayot Upamecano for a 79th-minute equaliser.

©Getty Images

Jean-Philippe Mateta after earning France a friendly draw against Spain in November

• The teams at the Stade Michel-D'Ornano on 19 November 2018 were:
France: Bernardoni, Ballo-Touré, Niakhate, Upamecano, Mukiele (Amian 78), Tousart, Sissoko (Guendouzi 63), Reine-Adélaïde (Ikoné 72), Terrier (Mateta 63), Saint-Maximin (Coco 79), Bamba.
Spain: Unai Simón, Jorge Meré, Angeliño (Rafa Mir 76), Unai Núñez, Palencia, Jorge Sáenz, Fabián Ruiz (J Pozo 90), Oyarzabal (Cheikh Diop 77), Pedraza (Olmo 62), Soler (Fernández 90), Mayoral (Aarón Martín 78).

• Malang Sarr was in the France side that beat Spain 4-2 in the European U19 Championship elite round on 27 March 2018.

• Lucas Tousart, Moussa Dembélé and Marcus Thuram were all second-half substitutes in the France side that lost 2-0 to Spain in the 2015 U19 EURO semi-final. Antonio Sivera, Aarón Martín, Jorge Meré, Jesús Vallejo, Mikel Merino, Dani Ceballos, Borja Mayoral and Pedraza were in the Spain line-up.

• Jonathan Ikoné set up France's equaliser in a 1-1 U17 elite round draw against Spain in March 2015; Upamecano also featured for France with Dani Olmo in the Spanish side. Jeff Reine-Adélaïde was an unused France replacement.

• Olivier Ntcham and Dembélé were second-half substitutes as France beat Spain 3-2 in a U17 elite round game in March 2013.

Form guide
Spain
• Spain are in the semi-finals for the ninth time – and the fourth in the last five editions of the competition. Their record is W7 L1, with victories in the last five:
1984 Yugoslavia W 3-0 aggregate (1-0 away, 2-0 home)
1986 Hungary W 5-4 aggregate (1-3 away, 4-1 aet home)
1994 Portugal L 0-2
1996 Scotland W 2-1
1998 Norway W 1-0 (aet)
2011 Belarus W 3-1 (aet)
2013 Norway W 3-0
2017 Italy W 3-1

• This is Spain's seventh appearance in the U21 final tournament since 1998, and a fifth in the competition's last six editions. They have only failed to get past the group stage once in those seven participations, in 2009, and have reached the final in each of their last three, lifting the trophy in 2011 and 2013.

• Spain were also champions in 1986, and runners-up in 1984 and 1996.

• This time Spain qualified by finishing top of Group 2, winning nine of their ten qualifying fixtures with 31 goals scored and ten conceded.

• Defeat by Germany in the 2017 final ended Spain's ten-match unbeaten run in competitive U21 matches (W7 D3); the opening loss to Italy at these finals was only their third in their last 24 European U21 Championship games (W18 D3), the other in qualification at home to Northern Ireland on 11 September 2018 (1-2).

• Spain have won 16 of their last 19 matches at the final tournament (D1 L2); the matchday one defeat by Italy was their first in the group stage since a 2-0 reverse to England on 18 June 2009.

• The 5-0 defeat of Poland on matchday three equalled Spain's biggest win in the U21 final tournament, and was the fourth time in their last ten matches, qualifying included, they had scored five or more goals.

• Coach Luis de la Fuente, who succeeded Albert Celades in July 2018, led Spain to the 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship title in Greece with a squad including Sivera, Simón, Meré, Merino, Pedraza, Ceballos and Mayoral.

France
• This is France's sixth U21 semi-final, with their record W2 L3:
1988 England W 6-4 aggregate (4-2 home, 2-2 away)
1994 Italy L 0-0 (3-5 pens)
1996 Italy L 0-1
2002 Switzerland W 2-0
2006 Netherlands L 2-3 (aet)

• That 2006 defeat by eventual champions the Netherlands was France's most recent appearance in the final tournament before 2019. This is just their third appearance in an eight or 12-team finals; they finished as runners-up on the other occasion, in 2002.

• Champions in 1988, France finished third in 1996 and fourth two years earlier, also reaching the quarter-finals in 1982, 1984 and 1986.

• Since reaching the 2006 finals, four of France's six U21 campaigns have ended in the play-offs – in 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2015. They finished second behind North Macedonia in their 2017 qualifying section.

• This time round, Sylvain Ripoll's team won their first nine fixtures, drawing the last 1-1 at home to Slovenia, to win qualifying Group 9 by 12 points. They qualified with two games to spare, their final tally of 28 points the highest recorded by any team.

• The draw with Slovenia ended France's 11-match winning run in competitive internationals, going back to a 1-0 loss in Ukraine in September 2016. That is France's sole defeat in their last 22 European U21 Championship matches (W17 D4).

• The matchday three draw against Romania was the first group game in the U21 finals France had failed to win; they recorded three victories in both 2002 and 2006 before their two successes at this tournament.

• Upamecano, Reine-Adélaïde and Ikoné were all in the France squad that won 2015 U17 EURO.

• Paul Bernardoni, Tousart and Thuram were all members of France's 2016 European U19 Championship-winning squad, Tousart scoring in the 4-0 final victory against Italy.

Links and trivia
• By reaching the semi-finals, France have qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games – their 13th appearance in the tournament, and the first since 1996. They were gold medalists in 1984.

• Spain will be appearing in their 11th Olympics next summer; they won the gold medal at the Barcelona Games in 1992.

• Aarón Martín has been a Mainz team-mate of Mateta and Niakhate since August 2018.

Date of birth: 21 June 1961
Nationality: Spanish
Playing career: Athletic Club (twice), Sevilla, Alavés
Coaching career: Portugalete, Aurrerá, Athletic Club B (twice), Alavés, Spain U19, Spain U21

• Full-back De la Fuente came through the famous Ledesma youth set-up in Bilbao, graduating to the Athletic first team in 1981. Went on to win two league titles, including the club's most recent in 1984, and was also part of the side that won the Copa del Rey the same year to complete a domestic double.

• Departed for Sevilla in 1987, spending four years with the Andalusian outfit before rejoining Athletic. Finished his playing career at Alavés in 1994.

• After spells at lower-level clubs Portugalete and Aurrerá, De la Fuente was given the chance to take charge of Athletic Club's reserve side on two separate occasions. He also had a brief spell at Alavés in 2011 before joining the Spain staff in 2013, initially as Under-19 coach.

• He led a side including Jorge Meré, Dani Ceballos and Borja Mayoral to victory in the 2015 UEFA Under-19 European Championship in Greece, defeating Russia 2-0 in the final.

• De la Fuente stepped up to become U21 coach in July 2018, midway through qualifying for the 2019 finals, when Albert Celades left the post to join Julen Lopetegui at Real Madrid.

Date of birth: 15 August 1971
Nationality: French
Playing career: Rennes, Le Mans, Lorient
Coaching career: Lorient (assistant), Lorient, France U21

• A full-back and defensive midfielder, Ripoll was among the first young players to come through the brand new Rennes academy in the late 1980s, making his professional debut for his home-town club in 1990/91.

• After a season on loan at Le Mans in 1994/95, he returned to Brittany with Lorient, becoming a key member of the team who earned promotion to Ligue 1 in 1997/98. A cruciate injury prompted him to hang up boots in 2003 having missed the whole of the previous season, when Les Merlus won the French Cup.

• Over a 13-year career, Ripoll spent the bulk of his time in the second division but still appeared in Ligue 1 54 times. Following his playing retirement he stayed at Lorient to become the assistant to Christian Gourcuff, succeeding the long-serving coach in summer 2014.

• Kept the club in the top flight for the next two seasons before making way for Bernard Casoni in November 2016; resurfaced the following May as France Under-21 coach.

• After a brillant qualifying campaign, Ripoll became the first coach to steer France to the UEFA European Championship since 2006, earning a two-year contract extension in May 2019.

Under-21 historical statistics (competitive matches)

Champions (hosts)
2017: Germany 1-0 Spain (Poland)
2015: Sweden 0-0 Portugal, aet, 4-3 pens (Czech Republic)
2013: Spain 4-2 Italy (Israel)
2011: Spain 2-0 Switzerland (Denmark)
2009: Germany 4-0 England (Sweden)
2007: Netherlands 4-1 Serbia (Netherlands)
2006: Netherlands 3-0 Ukraine (Portugal)
2004: Italy 3-0 Serbia and Montenegro (Germany)
2002: Czech Republic 0-0 France, aet, 3-1 pens (Switzerland)
2000: Italy 2-1 Czech Republic (Slovakia)
1998: Spain 1-0 Greece (Romania)
1996: Italy 1-1 Spain, aet, 4-2 pens (Spain)
1994: Italy 1-0 Portugal, aet (France)
1992 Italy 2-1 Sweden (agg; 2-0, 0-1)
1990 USSR 7-3 Yugoslavia (agg; 4-2, 3-1)
1988 France 3-0 Greece (agg; 0-0, 3-0)
1986 Spain 3-3 Italy (agg; 1-2, 2-1, 3-0 pens)
1984 England 3-0 Spain (agg; 1-0, 2-0)
1982 England 5-4 West Germany (agg; 3-1, 2-3)
1980 USSR 1-0 East Germany (agg; 0-0, 1-0)
1978 Yugoslavia 5-4 East Germany (agg; 1-0, 4-4)
Finals contested up to, and including 1992, were over two legs

Final statistics

• In 2007 the Netherlands became the first, and so far only, team to win the competition on home territory since the switch to a new format in 1994. Until then the final had been decided on a two-legged basis. Spain came closest in 1996, losing the final on penalties to Italy.

• Since the 1992-94 change Italy have won four finals, the 2013 loss to Spain their first final reverse. The only other sides to have won it more than once are Spain (1998, 2011, 2013), Germany (2009, 2017) and the Netherlands (2006, 2007).

• The 2013 edition was the highest-scoring single-match final as Thiago Alcántara's hat-trick helped Spain defeat Italy 4-2 in Jerusalem.

• Seven red cards have been issued in single-match finals, most recently for Serbia's Aleksandar Kolarov in 2007.

• Thiago's 2013 hat-trick was the first since 1994's move to a one-off game; Andrea Pirlo (Italy 2000), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands 2006) and Sandro Wagner (Germany 2009) have all scored twice in a one-off match. Prior to that Gary Owen (England 1982), Franck Sauzée (France 1988) and Andrei Sidelnikov (USSR 1990) had all scored twice in one leg of a final.

• Vahid Halilhodžić (for Yugoslavia v East Germany 1978) and Pierre Littbarski (for West Germany v England 1982) are the other players to have scored a final hat-trick.

• Since the single-match finals began three have ended in penalty shoot-outs, nine-man Italy triumphing 4-2 against Spain in 1996. The Czech Republic then prevailed 3-1 over France in 2002 and Sweden 4-3 against Portugal in 2015 following the competition's only two goalless finals.

• Only the 1994 final has been decided in extra time, substitute Pierluigi Orlandini winning it for Italy against Portugal with the only goal in the 97th minute.

• Ten players have won the European U21 title twice: Danny Thomas (England 1982, 1984), Dario Marcolin and Roberto Muzzi (Italy 1992, 1994), Fabio Cannavaro and Christian Panucci (Italy 1994, 1996), Kenneth Vermeer, Arnold Kruiswijk, Daniël de Ridder, Ron Vlaar and Haris Medunjanin (Netherlands 2006, 2007) and David de Gea, Thiago Alcántara, Martín Montoya, Iker Muniain and Diego Mariño (Spain 2011, 2013).

• The fulcrum of Italy's 2006 FIFA World Cup-winning squad had also been involved in U21 final victories: Cannavaro (1994 and 1996), Filippo Inzaghi (1994), Francesco Totti and Alessandro Nesta (1996), Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso (2000) and Marco Amelia, Daniele De Rossi, Alberto Gilardino and Andrea Barzagli (2004).

• Germany's victorious 2014 World Cup squad included six members of the squad that lifted the 2009 U21 title in Sweden: Manuel Neuer, Benedikt Höwedes, Mats Hummels, Jérôme Boateng, Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil.

• Laurent Blanc was the first player to achieve the treble of a U21 title (1988), a FIFA World Cup winners' medal (1998) and a UEFA European Championship victory (2000). Spain duo Juan Mata and Javi Martínez were the next players to do so after glory at the 2010 World Cup, U21s in Denmark in 2011 and UEFA EURO 2012.

Leading scorers

All time (including qualifying)
Lampros Choutos (Greece) 15
Tomáš Pekhart (Czech Republic) 15
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands) 14
Roy Makaay (Netherlands) 14

All time (final tournaments)
Marcus Berg (Sweden) 7
Vahid Halilhodžić (Yugoslavia) 6
Pierre Littbarski (West Germany) 6
Adrian López (Spain) 5
Saúl Ñíguez (Spain) 5

Finals top scorers
2017: Saúl Ñíguez (Spain) 5
2015: Jan Kliment (Czech Republic) 3
2013: Álvaro Morata (Spain) 4
2011: Adrián (Spain) 5
2009: Marcus Berg (Sweden) 7
2007: Maceo Rigters (Netherlands) 4
2006: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands) 4
2004: Alberto Gilardino (Italy), Johan Elmander (Sweden) 4
2002: Massimo Maccarone (Italy) 3
2000: David Jarolím (Czech Republic), Igor Tudor (Croatia), Lukáš Došek (Czech Republic) 2
1998: Steffen Iversen (Norway), Nikos Liberopoulos (Greece) 3
1996: Raúl González (Spain) 3
1994: João Vieira Pinto (Portugal) 3
1992: Renato Buso (Italy) 3
1990: Davor Šuker (Yugoslavia), Andrei Sidelnikov (USSR) 3
1988: Aris Karasavvidis (Greece) 5
1986: Gianluca Vialli (Italy) 4
1984: Mark Hateley (England) 6
1982: Pierre Littbarski (West Germany) 6
1980: Ramaz Shengelia (USSR) 3
1978: Vahid Halilhodžić (Yugoslavia) 6

Leading scorers per U21 campaign (qualifying to final)
2017: Patrik Schick (Czech Republic) 11
2015: Saido Berahino (England) 10
2013: Rodrigo (Spain) 12
2011: Tomáš Pekhart (Czech Republic) 10
2009: Robert Acquafresca (Italy) 8
2007: Nikita Bazhenov (Russia), Igor Denisov (Russia), Dragan Mrdja (Serbia), Maceo Rigters (Netherlands), Theo Walcott (England) 4
2006: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands) 14
2004: Alberto Gilardino (Italy) 11
2002: Ricardo Cabanas (Switzerland) 9
2000: Lampros Choutos (Greece) 15
1998: Steffen Iversen (Norway) 9
1996: Roy Makaay (Netherlands), Ole Gunnar Solskjær (Norway) 10
1994: Toni (Portugal) 8
1992: Peter Møller (Denmark) 9
1990: Igor Kolyvanov (USSR) 9
1988: Aristidis Karasavidis (Greece) 5
1986: Gianluca Vialli (Italy) 4
1984: Mark Hateley (England) 6
1982: Pierre Littbarski (West Germany) 6
1980: Ramaz Shengelia (USSR) 3
1978: Vahid Halilhodžić (Yugoslavia) 6

Biggest win:
All-time
14-0: Spain v San Marino, 08/02/05
2006 qualifying group stage, Santo Domingo, El Ejido

Final tournament
6-0: England v Turkey, 29/05/00
Group stage, Tehelné Pole Stadium, Bratislava

Final
4-0: Germany v England, 29/06/09
Malmö New Stadium, Malmo, Sweden

Most goals in a game:
14: Spain 14-0 San Marino, 08/02/05
2006 qualifying group stage, Santo Domingo, El Ejido

Final tournament
7: Czech Republic 4-3 Croatia, 01/06/00
Group stage, Mestský Stadium, Trencin, Slovakia

Final
8: Yugoslavia 4-4 East Germany, 31/05/78
(second leg, Yugoslavia won 5-4 on agg), Mostar, Yugoslavia

Record attendance:
42,000: Turkey 1-1 Germany, 18/11/03
2004 qualifying play-off, Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul

Final tournament
35,500: Italy 1-1 Spain (Italy won 4-2 on pens) 31/05/96
Final, Olímpico de Montjuïc, Barcelona

Spain

Tournament record
2017: runners-up
2015: play-offs
2013: winners
2011: winners 
2009: group stage
2007: play-offs
2006: did not qualify
2004: play-offs
2002: play-offs
2000: third place
1998: winners
1996: runners-up
1994: third place
1992: did not qualify
1990: quarter-finals
1988: quarter-finals
1986: winners
1984: runners-up
1982: quarter-finals
1980: did not qualify
1978: did not qualify

Biggest wins

Final tournament
5-0 twice, most recently v Poland, 22/06/19
Group stage, Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna

Qualifying
14-0: Spain v San Marino, 08/02/05
Qualifying group stage, Santo Domingo, El Ejido

Heaviest defeats

Final tournament
3-1: Italy v Spain, 16/06/19
Group stage, Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna
2-0 twice, most recently v England, 18/06/09
Group stage, Gamla Ullevi, Gothenburg

Qualifying
5-0: Netherlands v Spain, 16/02/83
Qualifying group stage, Galgenwaard, Utrecht

France

Tournament record
2017: did not qualify
2015: play-offs
2013: play-offs
2011: did not qualify
2009: play-offs
2007: play-offs
2006: semi-finals
2004: play-offs
2002: runners-up
2000: play-offs
1998: did not qualify
1996: third place
1994: fourth place
1992: did not qualify
1990: did not qualify
1988: winners
1986: quarter-finals
1984: quarter-finals
1982: quarter-finals
1980: did not qualify
1978: did not qualify

Biggest wins

Final tournament
3-0: France v Germany, 25/05/06
Group stage, Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, Guimaraes

Qualifying
7-0: France v Yugoslavia, 16/11/85
Qualifying group stage, Stade Auguste-Delaune, Reims

Heaviest defeats

Final tournament
2-3: France v Netherlands, 01/06/06
Semi-final, Estádio Municipal de Braga, Braga

Qualifying
6-1: England v France, 28/02/84
Quarter-final first leg, Hillsborough, Sheffield