1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification

The 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification began in 1996. The final tournament was held in 1998 in Romania.

The 46 national teams were divided into nine groups (eight groups of 5 + one group of 6). The records of the nine group winners were compared, and the eighth and ninth ranked teams played-off against each other for the eight quarter finals spot. One of the eight quarter-finalist were then chosen to host the remaining fixtures.

Qualifying Groups

Draw

The allocation of teams into qualifying groups was based on that of 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification with several changes, reflecting the absence of some nations:

Groups 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 featured the same nations
Group 3 did not include Azerbaijan, but included France (who did not participate in World Cup qualification)
Group 6 did not include Faroe Islands
Group 8 did not include Liechtenstein
Group 9 did not include Northern Ireland

Group 1

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Greece	8	5	1	2	12	7	+5	16
Denmark	8	5	1	2	16	9	+7	16
Croatia	8	4	0	4	13	9	+4	12
Slovenia	8	3	0	5	9	13	−4	9
Bosnia and Herzegovina	8	1	2	5	6	18	−12	5

Greece 0–2 Slovenia
Greece 1–0 Bosnia & Herz.
Slovenia 0–3 Denmark
Bosnia & Herz. 3–1 Croatia
Denmark 1–3 Greece
Slovenia 2–0 Bosnia & Herz.
Croatia 0–1 Greece
Croatia 2–0 Denmark
Bosnia & Herz. 0–0 Greece
Croatia 2–0 Slovenia

Greece 2–0 Croatia
Denmark 2–1 Slovenia
Denmark 5–0 Bosnia & Herz.
Bosnia & Herz. 1–1 Denmark
Croatia 6–1 Bosnia & Herz.
Slovenia 1–3 Greece
Denmark 1–0 Croatia
Bosnia & Herz. 1–2 Slovenia
Greece 2–3 Denmark
Slovenia 1–2 Croatia

Greece qualify as group winners

Group 2

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
England	8	5	3	0	7	1	+6	18
Georgia	8	3	3	2	10	10	0	12
Italy	8	3	2	3	17	6	+11	11
Poland	8	1	5	2	10	15	−5	8
Moldova	8	1	1	6	5	17	−12	4

Moldova 0–2 England
Moldova 0–3 Italy
England 0–0 Poland
Italy 6–0 Georgia
Georgia 0–1 England
Poland 1–3 Moldova
England 1–0 Italy
Italy 6–0 Moldova
Poland 1–1 Italy
England 0–0 Georgia

Italy 1–1 Poland
Poland 1–1 England
Georgia 1–0 Moldova
Poland 2–2 Georgia
England 1–0 Moldova
Georgia 2–0 Italy
Moldova 0–0 Georgia
Moldova 2–3 Poland
Georgia 5–1 Poland
Italy 0–1 England

England qualify as group winners

Group 3

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Norway	8	5	2	1	22	10	+12	17
France	8	4	3	1	13	8	+5	15
Switzerland	8	2	3	3	13	17	−4	9
Finland	8	2	3	3	8	10	−2	9
Hungary	8	1	1	6	9	20	−11	4

Norway 1–1 France
Hungary 0–1 Finland
Finland 1–1 Switzerland
Norway 4–1 Hungary
Switzerland 3–7 Norway
France 2–0 Hungary
France 1–0 Switzerland
Norway 3–0 Finland
Switzerland 4–1 Hungary
France 2–1 Finland

Finland 1–1 France
Hungary 2–0 Norway
Hungary 2–2 Switzerland
Finland 0–0 Norway
Switzerland 2–1 Finland
Hungary 2–4 France
Norway 4–1 Switzerland
Finland 3–1 Hungary
Switzerland 0–0 France
France 2–3 Norway

Norway qualify as group winners

Group 4

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Sweden	10	9	0	1	30	6	+24	27
Austria	10	6	2	2	21	12	+9	20
Belarus	10	6	2	2	17	7	+10	20
Latvia	10	2	2	6	6	18	−12	8
Scotland	10	2	1	7	10	20	−10	7
Estonia	10	1	1	8	4	25	−21	4


Austria	—	2–0	7–1	0–0	4–0	0–4
Belarus	1–1	—	3–1	2–0	1–0	0–1
Estonia	0–1	1–1	—	0–1	0–1	0–2
Latvia	1–3	0–2	0–1	—	0–0	0–2
Scotland	1–2	0–3	4–0	2–4	—	1–4
Sweden	4–1	1–3	5–0	5–0	2–1	—

Sweden qualify as group winners

Group 5

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Russia	8	6	1	1	27	7	+20	19
Israel	8	5	2	1	17	9	+8	17
Bulgaria	8	4	0	4	16	12	+4	12
Cyprus	8	3	1	4	16	15	+1	10
Luxembourg	8	0	0	8	3	36	−33	0

Russia 2–1 Cyprus
Israel 2–0 Bulgaria
Israel 1–0 Russia
Luxembourg 0–4 Bulgaria
Luxembourg 1–7 Russia
Cyprus 1–1 Israel
Cyprus 3–0 Bulgaria
Israel 2–1 Luxembourg
Cyprus 0–4 Russia
Luxembourg 0–5 Israel

Bulgaria 3–1 Cyprus
Russia 8–0 Luxembourg
Israel 4–3 Cyprus
Bulgaria 3–0 Luxembourg
Russia 1–1 Israel
Bulgaria 3–1 Israel
Luxembourg 1–2 Cyprus
Bulgaria 1–2 Russia
Russia 3–2 Bulgaria
Cyprus 5–0 Luxembourg

Russia qualify as group winners

Group 6

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Spain	8	7	1	0	18	6	+12	22
FR Yugoslavia	8	6	0	2	14	3	+11	18
Slovakia	8	3	1	4	16	10	+6	10
Czech Republic	8	3	0	5	13	13	0	9
Malta	8	0	0	8	0	29	−29	0

Yugoslavia 1–0 Malta
Czech Rep. 4–0 Malta
Slovakia 3–0 Malta
Czech Rep. 1–2 Spain
Yugoslavia 3–0 Czech Rep.
Spain 1–1 Slovakia
Spain 1–0 Yugoslavia
Malta 0–3 Spain
Spain 1–0 Malta
Malta 0–6 Slovakia

Czech Rep. 0–1 Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia 1–2 Spain
Yugoslavia 1–0 Slovakia
Spain 4–0 Czech Rep.
Slovakia 0–1 Czech Rep.
Slovakia 0–1 Yugoslavia
Malta 0–5 Czech Rep.
Slovakia 3–4 Spain
Czech Rep. 2–3 Slovakia
Malta 0–6 Yugoslavia

Spain qualify as group winners

Group 7

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Netherlands	8	6	1	1	26	5	+21	19
Turkey	8	5	0	3	16	8	+8	15
Belgium	8	4	1	3	16	12	+4	13
Wales	8	4	0	4	9	9	0	12
San Marino	8	0	0	8	2	35	−33	0

San Marino 0–3 Wales
Wales 4–0 San Marino
Belgium 1–2 Turkey
Wales 0–2 Netherlands
San Marino 1–5 Belgium
Netherlands 0–1 Wales
Turkey 3–0 San Marino
Wales 0–3 Turkey
Belgium 2–2 Netherlands
Netherlands 6–0 San Marino

Wales 1–0 Belgium
Turkey 0–1 Netherlands
Turkey 1–2 Belgium
San Marino 0–7 Netherlands
Belgium 3–0 San Marino
Turkey 3–0 Wales
Netherlands 5–2 Belgium
San Marino 1–4 Turkey
Netherlands 3–0 Turkey
Belgium 1–0 Wales

Netherlands qualify as group winners

Group 8

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Romania	8	8	0	0	18	4	+14	24
Iceland	8	4	1	3	10	10	0	13
Republic of Ireland	8	3	0	5	11	7	+4	9
Lithuania	8	3	0	5	8	12	−4	9
Macedonia	8	1	1	6	3	17	−14	4

Iceland 2–0 R.Macedonia
Romania 2–1 Lithuania
Lithuania 0–3 Iceland
Ireland 4–0 R.Macedonia
Iceland 2–3 Romania
Ireland 0–1 Iceland
R.Macedonia 0–1 Romania
Lithuania 1–2 Romania
R.Macedonia 0–4 Ireland
Romania 1–0 Ireland

R.Macedonia 1–1 Iceland
Iceland 0–2 Lithuania
Ireland 2–0 Lithuania
Romania 3–0 R.Macedonia
Iceland 1–0 Ireland
Lithuania 1–0 R.Macedonia
Lithuania 2–1 Ireland
Romania 4–0 Iceland
Ireland 0–2 Romania
R.Macedonia 2–1 Lithuania

Romania qualify as group winners

Group 9

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Germany	8	6	2	0	20	3	+17	20
Ukraine	8	5	1	2	14	4	+10	16
Portugal	8	4	2	2	20	11	+9	14
Albania	8	1	1	6	6	19	−13	4
Armenia	8	1	0	7	8	31	−23	3

Armenia 3–4 Portugal
Ukraine 1–0 Portugal
Albania 2–4 Portugal
Armenia 0–1 Germany
Albania 3–2 Armenia
Portugal 1–0 Ukraine
Portugal 1–2 Germany
Albania 0–3 Ukraine
Albania 0–4 Germany
Germany 2–0 Ukraine

Ukraine 7–0 Armenia
Ukraine 1–1 Germany
Portugal 1–1 Albania
Ukraine 1–0 Albania
Portugal 8–1 Armenia
Germany 1–1 Portugal
Armenia 2–0 Albania
Germany 7–0 Armenia
Armenia 0–1 Ukraine
Germany 2–0 Albania

Germany qualify as group winners

Ranking of group winners

Grp	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
8	Romania	6	6	0	0	14	4	+10	18
6	Spain	6	5	1	0	14	6	+8	16
4	Sweden	6	5	0	1	18	4	+14	15
3	Norway	6	4	2	0	18	7	+11	14
9	Germany	6	4	2	0	12	3	+9	14
7	Netherlands	6	4	1	1	13	5	+8	13
5	Russia	6	4	1	1	12	6	+6	13
1	Greece	6	4	0	2	11	7	+4	12
2	England	6	3	3	0	4	1	+3	12

List of qualifying group winners. Teams 1–7 qualify automatically. Teams 8 & 9 play-off for the eighth spot. Only results between top four teams in group are used.

Qualifying play-off

13 November 1997

Greece	2 – 0	England
Dellas 78' Liberopoulos 90' (pen.)	Report

Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium, Heraklion

Attendance: 4,000

Referee: Juan Fernández Marin (Spain)

17 December 1997

England	4 – 2	Greece
Heskey 21', 34' Owen 60' Hall 78'	Report	Konstantinidis 28' Hall 30' (o.g.)

Carrow Road, Norwich

Attendance: 14,114

Referee: Éric Blareau (Belgium)

4–4 on aggregate, Greece won on away goals rule.