Portugal

Portugal made serene progress through to the final tournament, winning six out of six in qualifying and registering 3-0 victories in each of their elite round matches. The team is built around a rich crop of SL Benfica academy players: they made up 12 of the 18-man elite round squad. "We have our own model and identity but naturally we profit from the work done by the clubs," says coach Emílio Peixe, whose team advanced to the finals with a match to spare.

Portugal had a proud tradition in the UEFA European Under-16 Championship that preceded the U17 event, winning the competition four times. A team including João Moutinho, Miguel Veloso, Antunes and Paulo Machado also won the U17s in 2003 on home soil, but Portugal have graced the final tournament just twice since, finishing third as holders in 2004 and in 2010, when they were eliminated in the group stage.

Qualifying round: Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0, Montenegro 2-1, Croatia 1-0 (Group 5 winners)

Elite round: Latvia 3-0, Ukraine 3-0, Iceland 3-0 (Group 7 winners)

Key players
Pedro Silva (goalkeeper, Sporting Clube de Portugal), Yuri Ribeiro (defender, SL Benfica), Rúben Neves (midfielder, FC Porto), Renato Sanches (midfielder, SL Benfica).

Coach: Emílio Peixe

Date of Birth: 16 January 1973
Nationality: Portuguese
Playing career: Sporting Clube de Portugal (twice), Sevilla FC, FC Porto, FC Alverca (loan), SL Benfica, UD Leiria
Coaching career: Portugal U16, Portugal U19 (assistant), Portugal U19, Portugal U17

A defensive midfielder, Peixe came through the Sporting academy alongside Luís Figo and was named best player at the 1991 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which Portugal won on home soil. He went on to win 12 senior caps in a career that encompassed spells at the country's three biggest clubs, and a brief stint in Spain at Sevilla FC.

He retired in 2004 and began working as a youth coach for the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), leading Portugal to the 2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. This is his second season at the U17 helm, having also been involved in the 2010/11 campaign.

Team records

Qualifying top scorers
Rúben Neves, Gonçalo Rodrigues, Idrisa Sambu, Renato Sanches: 2

UEFA European Under-17 Championship best
Winners: 2003

Honours in UEFA youth competitions
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Runners-up: 2003
UEFA European Under-18 Championship
Winners: 1994, 1999
Runners-up: 1988, 1990, 1992, 1997
UEFA European Under-16 Championship
Winners: 1989, 1995, 1996, 2000
Runners-up: 1988
International Youth Tournament (U18)
Winners: 1961
Runners-up: 1971

Other honours:
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Winners: 1989, 1991