Tough going in Group A

'Very difficult'
Italy, the holders, face England, Portugal and the host country, Switzerland, in the finals which run from 16-28 May. Gentile said: "I think this draw is not very positive for us, as all four teams in our group are of almost the same level. Therefore, it will be very difficult to finish in the first two positions. We will have to be very careful. It seems clear that those teams committing less mistakes will be the ones reaching the next round."

Expectations high
Italy have won four of the last five U-21 tournaments and Gentile admitted a repeat performance was expected of him. "A team like Italy is always condemned to go for victory," he said. "My predecessors were able to do so, and it won't be easy to repeat such successes. We have to do our best, and it will be important to reach the semi-finals."

Different priorities
Gentile was hopeful his plans would not be affected by the senior side's demands ahead of the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals. "I don't think there will be any interference. We play in May and the 'A' team plays in June. In any case, I hope that none of my players will have to join Giovanni Trapattoni's squad. This would certainly cause me some problems." England coach David Platt said much the same, admitting that "none of the players that will come here will be going to the World Cup unless there is an injury".

Any two can go through'
Platt knows England will not have it easy. "With only eight teams left, I think it was always going to be a difficult group," he said. "[You have] Switzerland playing on home soil, Portugal who have a system of playing, the Italians who have won it on the last couple of occasions and then ourselves, so any two of those teams could go on to last stages."

Friendlies lined up
The draw made, Platt said he could now "slowly start to concentrate on the championships". England's preparations include friendlies against two of their Group A opponents, Italy and Portugal. Platt said the matches would go ahead as planned. "It's good quality opposition which we need before the championships. We'll know all about them and they will know all about us."

'I expect to win'
Platt was optimistic about England's chances. "I expect to win it like any other manager and I wouldn't come here thinking that we are inferior to anybody. We have a tight group of individuals that can win this tournament."

Challandes positive
Swizerland's coach Bernard Challandes reacted positively to the draw. "I may surprise you by saying that I think it is a very good draw for us," he said. "At this stage of the competition all the teams are very strong and what is more important to us will be our own performances. To do well it will be essential for us to perform at the highest possible level. To play against Italy, Portugal and England is a unique chance for every player in my team. In the qualifying phase we followed a certain philosophy and achieved a lot.

'Another step forward'
"We have to concentrate on ourselves and try to take another step forward. It is not wrong to dream of a European title, but it is more important to enter each single match trying to get the best out of it. We will worry about the result once the tournament is over."

'Unique opportunity for fans'
The Switzerland coach hopes his players will benefit from playing in front of home crowds. "To have a good atmosphere in the stadiums will be an additional experience for our players who are maybe not really used to big attendances. But I'm convinced that the Swiss population will support their team. It is a unique opportunity for our spectators, and any football fan in the country should be pleased to see these future stars playing here, no matter if they are Swiss, Portuguese, Italian or English."

Portugal 'have a chance'
Portugal coach Agostinho Oliveira described Group A as "balanced" and said "every team has a good chance". He continued: "Italy are traditionally a very hard team to beat. Switzerland play at home, and England and Portugal also have strong teams. It is always difficult to predict anything, but I think we have a chance of reaching the final."

Accent on youth development
However, Oliviera stressed that winning was not the sole objective. "What is more important is to be part of this final tournament," he said. "Our country has always done well at under-age competitions, and it is important for us to take part in such tournaments. U-21 football is important for us in order to give our young players the opportunity to take the step up from youth football. Our main role is to form young players to be ready to play for the senior side in future."