2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

Slovakia have been awarded hosts of the 2025 tournament and they were seeded higher than us for 2023 so good chance we've moved up to pot 2 for the 2025 tournament.

Dates announced for the upcoming campaign.

Date	Fixture
September 8, 2023	Ireland U21 v Türkiye U21
September 12, 2023	Ireland U21 v San Marino U21
October 13, 2023	Latvia U21 v Ireland U21
November 17, 2023	Norway U21 v Ireland U21
November 21, 2023	Ireland U21 v Italy U21
March 22, 2024	Ireland U21 v San Marino U21
September 6, 2024	Türkiye U21 v Ireland U21
September 10, 2024	Ireland U21 v Latvia U21
October 11, 2024	Ireland U21 v Norway U21
October 15, 2024	Italy U21 v Ireland U21

Links
uefa Under-21
2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification
2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group A

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Originally Posted by JR89

Slovakia have been awarded hosts of the 2025 tournament and they were seeded higher than us for 2023 so good chance we've moved up to pot 2 for the 2025 tournament.

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I did the calculations and based on the criteria used in previous campaigns and across those campaigns we have 9 more points than them

(2019 u21s they had 4 more points but this only accounts for 20% of the co efficient so think of it as 2 points, in 2021 we had 7 more points which accounts for 40% of the co efficient and then the 2023 campaign we had 4 more points which again accounts for 40% of the co efficient)

This means we are almost certainly seeded higher than Slovakia and unfortunately this means we’ll probably be in pot 3 for the draw.

Confirmed that we'll be second seeds in Thursdays draw for the 2025 U21 Euros.

Pot 1: Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, Netherlands, England, Denmark, Italy, Romania

Pot 2: Croatia, Switzerland, Belgium, Czechia, Poland, Ukraine, Sweden, Austria, Republic of Ireland

Pot 3: Norway, Greece, Iceland, Slovenia, Israel, Finland, Georgia, Serbia, Scotland

Pot 4: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, Türkiye, North Macedonia, Wales, Belarus, Northern Ireland, Albania

Pot 5: Kosovo, Montenegro, Moldova, Lithuania, Faroe Islands, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Latvia

Pot 6: Malta, Armenia, Luxembourg, Andorra, Estonia, Gibraltar, San Marino

Pot 1 looks stacked as usual. Unless they have an unusually strong squad you'd prefer Romania from that lot. Looking at Pot 3 Norway seem to be producing a lot of good young players these days so would probably be best avoided. I think Israel got to the Euro Under 19s final recently so they'll be strong again. Scotland also seem to have a decent group of young players coming through the ranks as well and are recruiting more heavily from England these days it seems, so they'll probably be strong also.

Huge that they've squeezed into the second pot. As always the draw is everything but things get so much easier being in pot 2 Vs pot 4.

I think I'm correct in saying Ireland have been ranked in and around the top 10 at u17 and u19 level in the recent past. It's good to finally start to see this ranking filter through to u21 now too.

Hopefully we have another decent showing in this group and can consolidate our place in pool 2.

It's always going to be harder for us at Under 21 level as players that stood out for the Under 17s and Under 19s are moved up into the senior squad. So it's a good sign of the improved depth of quality that we're producing that we are moving up the Under 21 rankings also. We're doing it without seven or eight of our best players a lot of the time, whereas for most countries they would just expect to lose two or three to their seniors.

Again this time we'll be competing without Bazunu, Omobamidele, Ferguson and Parrott from the start, and we could easily lose the likes of Ebosele and Hodge also. And that's if Ebosele even gets involved, he seemed disinterested in the Under 21s last time around.

Doubt he'll be getting a senior call up anytime soon so if Ebosele wants to pull on the green shirt it's gonna have to be with the U21.

Anyone know Ronan Boyce’s DOB? Have seen it both as December 2002 and May 2001, assuming the 2001 date is correct and he’s no longer 21s eligible

May 2001 according to Derry City, I'd go with that one
https://www.derrycityfc.net/player/ronan-boyce/

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Originally Posted by CSAD

I did the calculations and based on the criteria used in previous campaigns and across those campaigns we have 9 more points than them

(2019 u21s they had 4 more points but this only accounts for 20% of the co efficient so think of it as 2 points, in 2021 we had 7 more points which accounts for 40% of the co efficient and then the 2023 campaign we had 4 more points which again accounts for 40% of the co efficient)

This means we are almost certainly seeded higher than Slovakia and unfortunately this means we’ll probably be in pot 3 for the draw.

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I think where I went wrong here is I completely forgot about Russia being booted out of the Euros. Obviously they would still be part of the ranking even if they aren’t allowed to take part.

tough draw...
italy, , norway, turkey, latvia, san marino

Definitely feels like we didn't get the benefit of being second seeds with that draw. I'd expect Norway and Turkey to be two of the strongest teams in their respective pots. In general we seem to be on a run of getting really tough draws at the moment, in terms of the seniors, the Under 21s and the women's team.

Just looking at the qualifying groups for last year's U19 Championship, we finished third in the Elite round, in a tough group, Turkiye finished bottom of their group, Norway finished third, Latvia finished third in the Qualifying Round

So, is there not a lot between the squads?

Compiled this list of players eligible for the tournament, there's a few that are in the senior team and unlikely to drop down like Aaron Connolly did.
Evan Ferguson will still be eligible for the 2027 tournament!
http://irish-abroad.appspot.com/Blog...81644643713672

Good list tets. Noticed a few things:

Ronan Boyce is included ;) not sure if Finn Mooney is with us (also included)

Missing a few names:

Defenders:

Jamie Egan
James Abankwah
Sam Curtis (very very young but if you’re not gonna start, Ebosele or Abankwah at right back, then Curtis could well start - other option is to start a left back or someone like Sobawele or Delaney - none are great options)

Midfielders - lots of the these could be classified as attackers as well:

Andy Moran
Ola Ibrahim
Darragh Burns
Tom Hill
Cristiano Fitzgerald
Ryan O’Kane

Attackers:

Michael Harris
Collin Oppong

I had Boyce's birthday in 2002, it's 2001 so I've removed him. Abankwah was born in 2004, so I guessed he'll be with the U19s
Curtis is 2005, that's a big jump to play U21 football. He might feature against San Marino
Andy Moran is there, as Andrew Moran. Ola Ibrahim is there, as Olamide Ibrahim

Squad looks talented but a bit lopsided. Plenty of options at centre back, left back, attacking midfield, on the wing and up front. Goalkeeper, right back and central midfield look a bit light in terms of depth.

Working on the basis that Bazunu, Omobamidele, Parrott and Ferguson won't be involved and assuming that Crawford sticks to his 4-3-3 that's really a 4-5-1 with a hopelessly isolated centre forward we might see a team something like this?

----------------------Keeley
Ebosele Lawal G-McNulty Roughan
-----------------Hodge Phillips
------------Hayes Moran Burns
---------------------Cannon

Later on in the group might see the likes of Curtis, Zefi, Vata and Ferizaj introduced depending on how they progress.

I guess my team would be:

Doherty

Ebosele
Lawal
McNulty
Adaramola

Hodge
Phillips

Okoflex
Moran
O'Neill

Cannon

with a back-up squad of

Keeley (Blair as 3rd keeper)

Abankwah
Roughan
Ogungbo
Furlong

Henry Francis
Leavy

Costello
Finn/Hill
Burns

Odubeko/Armstrong

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I'd imagine Abankwah will be with the 19s in March considering their elite qualifiers. You could see a midfielder move up (one of McJannett, Ferizaj, Coleman) as there's very very little midfield depth outside that list - or any of the high potential lads like Zefi and Vata.

Right back is the interesting one - because I'd bet Crawford doesn't want to play Ebosele there, just on the wing. And if he views Abankwah as a centre-back, there's basically no viable options. You'd call Sobawele and Delaney ok, just barely, but it's a big dropoff to the rest of the squad. Maybe he'd play Adaramola on the right and Furlong on the left, or Roughan on the right and Adaramola on the left. Otherwise it's Sam Curtis, who's barely 17.

Keeper wise, it's very hard to tell - Arlo Doherty is very highly rated, Josh Keeley too. But the development of a 19 year old keeper is a tough thing to map. It's basically like a 16 or 17 year old outfielder. Daniel Rose was given credit for his 21s debut as a 17 year old in 2021 and now he's playing for an average US college

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...-40509044.html

Overall, looking at it from the outset, it's a very capable squad, as it is. Other dudes will emerge - younger kids from 2004 and 2005 - and just guys we'd never heard of, Bagan only emerged about 3 months from now in the last campaign - there'll be a handful like him and a handful of LOI lads who suddenly come to the fore and possibly get a move across or who do well enough here

It's a really tough draw but we should be coming 2nd. And it's probably about the same level group as we've gotten in the last two campaigns.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

I had Boyce's birthday in 2002, it's 2001 so I've removed him. Abankwah was born in 2004, so I guessed he'll be with the U19s
Curtis is 2005, that's a big jump to play U21 football. He might feature against San Marino
Andy Moran is there, as Andrew Moran. Ola Ibrahim is there, as Olamide Ibrahim

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I would have agreed on Curtis if he was only playing academy footy but he’s playing week in week out at the top of the LOI, he’s absolutely ready to play at this level if the talent is there.

Dates announced for the upcoming campaign.

September 8, 2023 | Ireland U21 v Türkiye U21
September 12, 2023 | Ireland U21 v San Marino U21
October 13, 2023 | Latvia U21 v Ireland U21
November 17, 2023 | Norway U21 v Ireland U21
November 21, 2023 | Ireland U21 v Italy U21
September 6, 2024 | Türkiye U21 v Ireland U21
September 10, 2024 | Ireland U21 v Latvia U21
October 11, 2024 | Ireland U21 v Norway U21
October 15, 2024 | Italy U21 v Ireland U21