Portugal with Croatia, Czech Republic and Sweden in Under-19 Elite Round
“We are going to face extremely competitive teams, with quality game organization models and that had, in the previous phases, a high performance. I expect a high quality Elite Round, these are teams that have an interesting history in grassroots football, but we want to be like ourselves: competitive, certain, with good quality of play, to be able to be at the European Championship in Malta”, he said. the selector of the category, Joaquim Milheiro.
The games of this group will be played on Portuguese soil, between 22 and 28 March 2023.
“The home factor is important for us to be close to our public. People in Portugal, organizing these competitions, have participated, have driven the team, have given great emotional strength and that is what they believe will happen again”, added Milheiro, in statements reproduced by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).
The winners of each of the seven groups join hosts Malta in the finals of the 2023 UEFA European Championship, which will be played from 3 to 16 July.
Portugal, which became European champion in 1961, when the event was called the International Junior Tournament, 1994 and 1999, under the under-18 format, and 2018, missed the final phase of the 2022 European Championship, after three consecutive appearances in finals.