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UEFA.com reporters' favourite memories

With the dust barely settled on the U21 EURO, UEFA.com's team on the ground have picked out their favourite memories of the tournament in the Czech Republic.

Bernardo Silva watches on as his Portugal team-mates train
Bernardo Silva watches on as his Portugal team-mates train ©Getty Images

Simon Hart (@UEFAcomSimonH)
The final. For the colour and atmosphere brought by the terrific Sweden supporters. For the spirit in which the match was played. And for the success of a Sweden team who were just that – a proper team with incredible spirit who gave us an increasingly rare thing: a surprise winner. Finally, on a personal note, for the opportunity to watch extra time in the tunnel while waiting for post-match interviews: that proximity to the action brought home the speed and intensity of the play, a blur of colour and movement under the lights. And even in the tunnel the only thing you could hear was those Swedish fans

Ian Holyman (@UEFAcomIanH)
The second half of the Czech Republic v Germany game in the group stage was the ultimate in tournament football. It had all the trappings: a great atmosphere, high-quality football and even higher drama with the outcome and semi-final qualification in the balance in a nail-biting, bums-on-edge-of-seats finale.

Tom Kell (@UEFAcomTomK)
The delightful Danish. I had the privilege of following the Denmark team for much of the tournament and they were never anything but relaxed and jovial – a real joy to cover. Their media sessions at training were as informal as they come and even in the heat of the 'flash zone' – the interview area in the tunnel after a game – the players and coach were a pleasure to talk to. Catching up with Viktor Fischer, who I first met at the 2011 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Serbia, was a particular highlight.

Alessandro Massimo (@UEFAcomAleM)
I most appreciated the reaction of the Italy team after their disappointing 2-1 defeat by Sweden. Luigi Di Biagio's team grew into the tournament with every minute that went by and demonstrated an amazing attitude right until the end. They probably deserved three points against Portugal and won in style against England – they left with their heads held high.

Highlights: England v Italy

Philip Röber (@UEFAcomPhilipR)
From a footballing point of view, it was certainly the intense second half between the Czech Republic and Germany. Outside of work, I was very impressed with the local knowledge of my Czech colleague Ondřej Zlámal, who gave us a closer understanding of some of the sites in beautiful Prague.

Guess who with Serbia

Grega Sever (@UEFAcomGregaS)
I knew when our video crew asked me to arrange a shoot of the 'card game' video with Serbia that it was going to be entertaining. But Uroš Ćosić and Luka Milunović were not just entertaining, they were hilarious! And in English as well! Producer Joe, James the cameraman and I could barely control ourselves on the set — check out the video and see for yourselves!

Nuno Tavares (@UEFAcomNunoT)
My moment is one of appreciation of Bernardo Silva – not of his skills this time, but for reminding me why I love football so much. The incident occurred in the training session after the victory against England, when those who played the night before had a very light session. Once that finished, Bernardo did not leave for the dressing room with the first team but instead sat on a cool box and watched and shouted encouragement to the squad members – and you could see that he was desperate to join in. Considering his status as Portugal's biggest star, it was fantastic to see someone so dedicated to his sport.

Getting to know Bernardo Silva

Ondřej Zlámal (@UEFAcomOndrejZ)
After the final whistle of the last group stage game against Germany at the Eden Stadium, the Czech fans stood up and enthusiastically applauded the home team. That is seldom seen after such a match, which resulted in a disappointing 1-1 draw that ended Czech dreams of the semi-finals. The supporters stayed for about ten minutes and Jakub Dovalil's charges went around to receive an ovation from every stand. It's so good to see when people appreciate the players' effort and commitment, not only the result.

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