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Under-17 hopefuls plot path to Champions League

While the UEFA Champions League semi-finals were coming to a conclusion this week, the UEFA European Under-17 Championship was getting under way in Germany, and the links between the two competitions are strong.

Clockwise from bottom left: Spain U17 and Barcelona youth team defenders Albert Dalmau, Marc Muniesa, Adriá Blanchart and Sergi Gómez
Clockwise from bottom left: Spain U17 and Barcelona youth team defenders Albert Dalmau, Marc Muniesa, Adriá Blanchart and Sergi Gómez ©Sportsfile

While the UEFA Champions League semi-finals were coming to a conclusion last night, the UEFA European Under-17 Championship was getting under way in Germany: and the links between the senior club competition and the junior national-team event are strong.

Star-studded alumni
Only two years ago Bojan Krkić scored the winning goal for Spain against England in the U17 final in Belgium; last night at Stamford Bridge he was one of many players involved with experience of this tournament and its U16 predecessor, including the likes of Petr Čech, José Bosingwa, Nicolas Anelka, Andrés Iniesta and Gerard Piqué. In fact, Piqué scored a late equaliser in the 2004 final for a Spain team also including Cesc Fàbregas, only for France to clinch victory through Samir Nasri. The Arsenal FC pair were joined for Tuesday's encounter with Manchester United FC by fellow U17 finals alumni Theo Walcott, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barça production line
The next crop of promising youngsters hoping to follow in the footsteps of these established names played their first game of the U17 finals on Wednesday. And following a goalless opening encounter against Italy, the four Spain squad members who are also FC Barcelona youth team players settled down to watch their club take on Chelsea FC for a place in the UEFA Champions League final. "It will be a tricky match – they are two teams fighting for the final," said centre-back Marc Muniesa. "It's a 50-50 game. Barcelona are away and are missing key players in Rafael Márquez and Thierry Henry but have a very good team and can win."

'Nervous'
Spain were on top throughout their opener against the Azzurrini, but could not produce the killer blow, as right-back Albert Dalmau admitted: "We dominated the whole match but we didn't score and if you don't score you don't win." Although struggling to create chances, a similar pattern in terms of possession was being played out in London and as the semi-final progressed with Barça a goal down, Adriá Blanchart – another defender – said "he was so nervous he couldn't watch the TV".

Flip side
However, 2001 European U16 finals winner Iniesta popped up with an added-time strike to put Barcelona through, "Amazing goal!" according to Dalmau, and the fourth defender on Barcelona's books with Spain in Germany, Sergi Gómez, confirmed they were all "dancing and singing afterwards". It was not all joy in the hotel, though, with Switzerland U17 defensive midfielder Kofi Nimeley – who was wearing a Chelsea shirt on the night – saying: "I'm very disappointed. I've been a Chelsea fan since 2002 when Marcel Desailly was there. Now I can only hope we win it next year."