Finalists chase Olympic dream
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Article summary
There will be four 2008 Olympic places on offer at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship with seven of the eight finalists in contention.
Article body
Not only will the UEFA European Under-21 Championship trophy be on offer in the finals next June in the Netherlands, but also four places in the 2008 men's Olympic football tournament in China.
Possible play-off
Seven of the eight U21 finalists - the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Israel, Italy, Portugal and Serbia - will be eligible for Olympic entry. Should four of those teams reach the semi-finals, they will take part in the Olympics the following summer. However, if England reach the last four, there will be a play-off between the two teams finishing third in the group stage for the remaining berth, to be held the day after the semi-finals, as England are not eligible for the Olympics. The Olympic tournament itself is played at U23 level, with three overage players also allowed.
