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Holders Germany face testing group

Reigning UEFA European Under-17 champions Germany and FIFA U-17 World Cup holders Switzerland will meet in elite round Group 6 with Serbia and Hungary also vying for a finals place.

Germany line up before facing Greece in February
Germany line up before facing Greece in February ©Getty Images

SWITZERLAND
Former FC Luzern and FC Thun player Heinz Moser has been charged with building a Switzerland side to emulate the class of 2008/09, who reached the European semi-finals and then went to Nigeria in the autumn and won the FIFA U-17 World Cup. At the start of the month Moser's side hosted Sweden but the game was abandoned at half-time with Switzerland 1-0 up due to a power cut. When they retried, Gaëtan Karlen's late goal ensured the young Nati did manage a 1-0 win. "Overall, I was pleased with the team's performance over those one and a half matches," Moser said. "Also, it was important to me that the back-up players could make a mark."

Qualifying round: San Marino 10-0, Belarus 2-0, Czech Republic 0-4 (Group 13 runners-up)

Key Players: Mattia Desole (midfielder, FC Internazionale Milano), Gaëtan Karlen (forward, FC Sion)

GERMANY
Germany coach Stefan Böger is hoping his side will pick up their performances to ensure the holders can defend their title in Liechtenstein in May. They beat Romania twice in November and last month they travelled to Greece and won two friendlies 1-0 and 3-2 against a side who have already shown their ability at this level. "You could see the things we still need to work on before the elite round," Böger said. "Overall this trip has given me valuable knowledge, we twice met strong opponents who required us to put in a top performance." Böger's side also won their third game of 2010, beating Georgia 1-0 in Frankfurt on 13 March. Up front Shawn Parker has scored seven goals in eight games.

Qualifying round: FYR Macedonia 2-0, Finland 0-1, Turkey 2-1 (Group 5 runners-up)

Key players: Kolja Pusch (midfielder, Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Shawn Parker (forward, 1. FSV Mainz 05)

HUNGARY
Since the qualifying round former assistant Frigyes Tuboly has stepped up to lead the side; the ex-Vasas SC midfielder is also the youth coach for Ferencvárosi TC. His first games produced 2-0 and 1-0 losses in the Republic of Ireland last month. Then came a two-match series with Croatia, resulting in a 4-1 home win and a 1-0 away defeat. Squad members Krisztián Adorján and Patrik Poór are among a number of young MTK Hungária FC players given a chance at the Liverpool FC academy in a tie-up between the clubs. They follow the same career path taken by Krisztián Németh and Péter Gulácsi, part of the Hungary side that qualified for the 2006 U17 finals.

Qualifying round: Albania 5-0, Luxembourg 1-1, Slovakia 1-0 (Group 11 winners)

Key players:
Krisztián Adorján (midfielder, Liverpool FC) Patrik Poór (defender, Liverpool FC), Bálint Vécsei (midfielder, Budapest Honvéd FC)

SERBIA
Coach Branko Vukašinović has been working hard with his side. On 22 February they lost 2-1 away to the Greece U18 team and early this month played two home games against Finland, losing 1-0 then winning 2-0 thanks to Milos Saka and Ognjen Ožegović. Vukašinović took 21 players to a training camp in Subotica over the last week, where they beat senior club FK Preporod 5-1. "I have seen some of our weaknesses, but also a few new advantages, good things which we hadn't had in the past," said the coach, who is concentrating on improving their attack. "Now, we must work very hard and build our confidence to try a find a way to the final tournament."

Qualifying round: Azerbaijan 0-0, Kazakhstan 1-0, England 0-1 (Group 1 runners-up)

Key players: Matija Nastasić (defender, FK Partizan), Stevan Luković (midfielder, FK Crvena Zvezda), Filip Lazović (goalkeeper, FK Vojvodina)

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