Europe's Elite eye Czech chance

The 2007/08 UEFA European Under-19 Championship Elite round kicks off this weekend with 28 teams bidding to win one of the seven qualifying berths to join hosts the Czech Republic in the final tournament in July.

Norway start
Spain became the first team to successfully defend the title in Austria last summer, lifting the trophy for the fourth time in its six-year history, but the Iberian side must wait until late May to commence their Elite round campaign. Group 3 is the first section to get under way on 27 April, when Iceland, Israel and Bulgaria travel to Norway, who are bidding to reach the finals for the first time since 2005. The remaining seven pools are all held in the second half of next month with Group 2 in Hungary the second to kick off, 2003 runners-up Portugal, Lithuania and Cyprus joining the mini-tournament hosts in the section.

May dates
Two more sections start on 22 May, holders Spain travelling to Armenia for a tough-looking Group 7 which also includes Turkey – beaten by the Spanish in the 2004 final – and Ukraine, while Group 4 starts in Slovakia the same day, 2007 semi-finalists Germany, Croatia and Albania forming the opposition. On 24 May last season's runners-up Greece, defeated 1-0 by Spain in the final in Linz, begin their Elite round campaign in Group 5 where they have home advantage against Russia, the Netherlands and Moldova, before the last two sections kick off two days later. Group 1 is in Belarus and also features England, 2006 finals hosts Poland and Serbia, while Group 6 in Switzerland also includes Sweden and the only two other teams besides Spain who have got their hands on the trophy, 2003 winners Italy and France, champions in 2005.

Finals draw
The top team in each section after the three rounds of matches have been completed progresses to the Elite round draw, which will be held in Prague on 1 June. There the seven qualifiers, plus the Czech Republic, will be divided into two groups of four teams for the final tournament, which will be held from 14 July. The top two teams from each final-round section will progress to the semi-finals, which are held on 23 July with the final taking place three days later.