U17 championship set for kick-off

The first qualifying round of the 2003/04 UEFA European Under-17 Championship gets under way on Tuesday when the Group 2 mini-tournament begins in Finland.

Forty-eight in draw
Forty-eight countries will compete in the first round, having been divided into 12 four-team groups. The winners and runners-up in each group, as well as the best third-placed team, will qualify for the second qualifying round where they will be divided into seven groups of four alongside the three top seeds  - Spain, England and Poland. The winners of the seven second qualifying round groups will then qualify for the finals, joining automatic qualifiers and hosts France.

Portugal defend crown
The 2002/03 competition winners Portugal will begin their defence of their crown on 16 October when Group 1 commences.

2003/04 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Mini-tournament groups and dates:

N.B. Mini-tournament hosts in bold