Euro 2009: The Draw

2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Finals
15-29 June 2009
Malmo, Gothenburg, Helsingborg and Halmstad, Sweden
The Draw: 5.30pm, Wednesday 3 December 2008, Svenska Mässan exhibition centre, Gothenburg

England have been drawn in Group B alongside Spain and Germany for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship Finals next summer.

Three Lions Coach Stuart Pearce was at the ceremony in Gothenburg on Wednesday evening, and also saw his team drawn against Finland who they will face in their first match in Halmstad on the opening day of the two-week tournament.

England then travel to Gothenburg on 18 June to take on Spain, before their final group encounter with Germany, back in Halmstad, on 22 June.

In Group A, hosts Sweden will line up against Italy and Serbia - who were both in England's group at the 2007 Finals - with Belarus making up their quartet.

The top two teams from each group will go through to the Semi-Finals scheduled for Helsingborg and Gothenburg on 26 June. The Final is on Malmo on 29 June.

The Draw

Sweden (as hosts) and Spain (with the highest qualifying co-efficient) were top seeds in the draw. England (with the second highest qualifying co-efficient) and Italy (with the third) were the two second seeds.

Match Schedule

The Finals

The tournament begins on 15 June 2009 in Halmstad and Gothenburg with the first Group B games, including England v Finland, and will reach its climax in The Malmo New Arena on 29 June.

Four venues along the south-west coast of Sweden, from Gothenburg down to Malmo, will host all 15 matches in the tournament. Two of the Stadiums will be fairly new, too.

Malmo New Arena, Malmo
Club Malmö FF (after Finals)
Capacity 21,000
Matches Three Group A games, plus the Final
Built at a cost of €62m in time for the Championship, the Malmö New Arena will become home to Malmö FF after the Finals. It will replace the adjacent Malmö Stadion, the club's home since 1958.

Göteborg Arena, Gothenburg
Club IFK Göteborg, GAIS Göteborg, Örgryte IS
Capacity 17,800
Matches Three Group B games, plus a Semi-Final
Construction on the Göteborg Arena began in January 2007, and after the Championship it will become the home for three clubs: GAIS Göteborg, IFK Göteborg and Örgryte IS. Built on the site of the now demolished Gamla Ullevi (Old Ullevi), it is owned by the three clubs and will also become home to the Swedish women's national team.

Olympia Stadion, Helsingborg
Club Helsingborgs IF
Capacity 16,673
Matches Three Group A games, plus a Semi-Final.
One of the oldest football grounds in Sweden, the Olympia Stadion has a rich history. Built in 1898, it was a venue for the 1958 World Cup and UEFA Women’s European Championship in 1995, and has undergone several renovations, most recently in 1997 and 2001. It will be modernised again in 2009.

Örjans Vall, Halmstad
Club Halmstads BK, IS Halmia
Capacity TBC
Matches Three Group B games
Another of Sweden's oldest venues, the Örjans Vall Stadium is steeped in more than eight decades of football history. Built in 1922, it has provided the backdrop to Halmstads BK's four Allsvenskan titles, and is home to IS Halmia too. It also played host to two games at the 1958 World Cup.

England’s Group B opponents

Spain
Spain won all eight games to run away with the top spot in Group 4. However, their Play-Off didn’t go according to plan. Switzerland, who had already seen off two-time reigning Champions Holland in the group stage, won the first leg 2-1. Spain found themselves 3-1 down on aggregate early in the return. However, two second half goals levelled it up – the second coming late in stoppage time - before a third in extra time sent them through.

Germany
After edging Israel into second spot as Group 9 winners, they were handed a Play-Off against neighbours France. Level at 1-1 after the first leg in Magdeburg, Germany were heading out on away goals. But a last-minute strike from Benedikt Höwedes in Metz won the tie 2-1.

Finland
Finished as winners of Group 6 ahead of Denmark and Scotland. Progressed to the Play-Offs where they met Austria and after drawing 2-2 on aggregate, they claimed a place in the Finals on penalties.

Group B teams

Sweden
Qualified as hosts. Last played in the Finals in 2004 when they reached the Semi-Final, losing to Serbia & Montenegro on penalties. Also reached the Final in 1992 with a side that included Patrick Andersson and Thomas Brolin, but lost to Italy over two-legs.

Belarus
Proving just how strong Group 8 was, Belarus had to settle for a place in the Play-Offs as best runners-up, behind the Serbians. But that didn’t bother them. Despite being down 1-0 after the first leg in Turkey, a 2-0 victory at home put them in the Finals.

Italy
Italy were fairly consistent during their Group 1 campaign, as they remained unbeaten to top the table. In their Play-Off with Israel, they failed to breach the visitors' defence in the first leg in Ancona. The trip to Tel Aviv proved fruitful, though, as they came away as 3-1 winners to qualify.

Serbia
Finalists in 2007, Serbia ended level on points with Belarus at the summit of Group 8, but took the top spot with a better head-to-head against their rivals. Two solid 1-0 wins over Denmark in both legs of their Play-Off secured their passage to Sweden.

Log on to TheFA.com on Wednesday from 5.30pm for details of the draw and reaction from Stuart Pearce...