Spain national under-21 football team

European national under-21 football team
Name = Spain Under-21
Badge =
Nickname = La Furia
("The Wrath")
Association = "Real Federación
Española de Fútbol"
Coach = López Caro (2008-)
Iñaki Sáez (2004-)
Most caps = Daniel Jarque (14)
Top scorer = Jonathan Soriano (8)
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First game = U-23: Yugoslavia 3-0 Spain
Novi Sad, June 18, 1969
U-21:Yugoslavia 4-1 Spain
Zagreb, October 9, 1976
Largest win = Spain 14-0 San Marino
El Ejido, February 8, 2005
Largest loss = Netherlands 5-0 Spain
Utrecht, February 16, 1983

"Records for competitive
matches only."

UEFAu21Champ apps = 9
UEFAu21Champ first = 1982
UEFAu21Champ best = Winners (1986, 1998)
The Spain national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of Spain and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the "Real Federación Española de Fútbol". The team competes in the European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years.

Following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976, the Spanish Under-21 team was formed. The team has a very good record - competition winners twice and runners-up twice. Only Italy have won the competition more times. Spain's tally of six qualification failures may seem high, but of all the countries to enter all fifteen competitions, only Italy have failed to qualify fewer times. The tally of six failures includes the forthcoming 2006 tournament finals, which will take place in May and June.

Since the under-21 competition rules insist that players must be 21 or under at the start of a two year competition, technically it is an U-23 competition. For this reason, Spain's brief record in the preceding U-23 competitions is also shown. Actually, Spain played only three competitive U-23 matches. The first was in the "Under-23 Challenge", which they lost. The next two were in a two-team qualification "group" for the 1972 competition - facing the Soviet Union team, they lost 2-1 at home then drew 1-1 away and failed to qualify. Spain did not enter a team in the other two U-23 competitions, but have been ever present in under-21 competitions.

Spain's youth development programs has been challenging the South American dominance in the FIFA U-17 World Championship and the FIFA World Youth Championship. Almost all of Spain's Euro 2008-winning squad came through the ranks of the youth teams.

UEFA U-23 Championship Record

Spain were randomly chosen to play holders Yugoslavia for the title in a one-off match, which Spain lost.
*June 18, 1969: Yugoslavia 3-0 Spain
*1972: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 2 in qualification "group".
*1974: Did not enter.
*1976: Did not enter.

UEFA U-21 Championship Record

*1978: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 3 in qualification group.
*1980: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 3 in qualification group.
*1982: Losing quarter-finalists.
*1984: Runners-up.
*1986: Winners.
*1988: Losing quarter-finalists.
*1990: Losing quarter-finalists.
*1992: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 5 in qualification group.
*1994: Third.
*1996: Runners-up.
*1998: Winners.
*2000: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 4 in qualification group.
*2002: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 5 in qualification group. Lost qualification play-off.
*2004: Did not qualify. Finished 1st of 5 in qualification group. Lost qualification play-off.
*2006: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 6 in qualification group.
*2007: Did not qualify. Finished 1st of 3 in qualification group. Lost qualification play-off.

Current squad

The following players has been called up for 2009 UEFA European U-21 Championship qualifying. Players born in 1986 or later are eligible for the 2009 UEFA European U-21 Championship. [http://www.uefa.com/competitions/under21/fixturesresults/round=15084/match=300321/report=lu.html]

Caps and goals as of September 10 2008.

ee also

*Spain national football team
*European Under-21 Football Championship

ources/External links

* [http://www.uefa.com/competitions/Under21 UEFA Under-21 website] Contains full results archive
* [http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/europe-u21.html The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation] Contains full record of U-21/U-23 Championships.