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Sablon set to savour U17 finals

UEFA European Under-17 Championship tournament director Michel Sablon says forward planning has been the key as the countdown to the finals continues.

Michel Sablon is well qualified to be the UEFA European Under-17 Championship tournament director for the finals in Belgium over the next fortnight. Not only is he a former Belgian national youth coach, and once No2 in the senior set-up, but he is Belgian Football Association (URBSFA/KBVB) technical director and was also manager of UEFA EURO 2000™ when his nation co-hosted the tournament with the Netherlands.

Forward planning
The U17 finals begin on 2 May, and Sablon emphasises the forward planning that has gone into organising the 12-day event. "I think that with UEFA we have planned well for all the activities," Sablon told uefa.com. "We are in a good position - the contacts with the hotels, the host clubs for training and matches, all arranged well in advance."

City promotion
Six cities are staging matches - Eupen, Ronse, Tournai, Tubize, Vise and Verviers - and Sablon has praise for their preparations. "Some cities are doing many things and investing in stadiums and city decorations and banners. In the German-speaking area of Eupen they are very enthusiastic and decorating the city in the style of the U17 tournament. We have invited schoolchildren to games to make sure they are many people inside the stadiums and have a good atmosphere, which is the most important thing."

Big qualifiers
England, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain and Ukraine are joining Belgium in the finals, a lineup which pleases Sablon. "We are happy, the only big countries missing are Portugal and Italy. Germany is there, France is there, the Netherlands are there - neighbouring countries against whom we play a lot of friendlies in every age category. We are very close and have good relationships with those countries. It's interesting for TV, for fans and for young people to watch the nearby countries." Sablon certainly could not have chosen a better encounter for the opening day in Tubize - Belgium against the Netherlands. "It is a good start and a match that will be live on national TV," he said.