ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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In the qualification for the U-21 European Football Championship 2000, 47 national teams participated and determined the participants for the final round, which took place in the time of 27. May to June 4, 2000 in Slovakia.

The elimination matches in the ten qualifying groups were held on the 4th. Launched on 9 September 1998 and completed on 9 October 1999. The finals matches were held in November 1999.

The performance of the German-speaking nations was disappointing. Both Germany and Switzerland were able to reach second place in their groups, but were not among the seven best runners-up who were qualified for playoffs to enter the finals. Austria even left as the group last.

Mode mode
The 47 national teams were drawn into nine groups – seven groups to five teams and two groups to six teams. The national selections had to hold their encounters with back and forth. The nine group winners (marked yellow) as well as the seven best runners-up (green) were qualified for the final matches. They then determined the eight participants in the final round.

Participants

Cutting the German-speaking teams

Germany

With a 0-2 defeat in Turkey, Germany started in qualifying group 3. After a 2-0 victory in Moldova followed in Northern Ireland with 0:1 the second setback. After the away game in Finland was also lost 1-3, it came in the last home game against Turkey to a real final that Germany had to win by three goals difference. Marcel Ketelaer (Borussia Mönchengladbach) brought his team in front of 8,000 spectators in Augsburg already in the 13. Minute in the lead, but then the best opportunities to expand the lead remained unused. After the change of sides, Germany not only lost Marcel Maltritz (VfL Wolfsburg) after a yellow-red card, but also team principal Hannes Löhr, who had to go to the stands after a dispute with the referee assistant. Turkey ultimately scored through Erhan (69th minute) the compensatory hit to the 1:1 draw, which was much acclaimed by around 5,000 compatriots. Germany could not even qualify as one of the best runner-up for the finals matches.

Austria

A sporting fiasco was the performance of the Austrians in qualifying group 7. The first home game against Israel was lost 0-1 before a shameful 1-2 loss in Cyprus followed. The series of defeats continued in the further games, so that with only one victory – in the last home game Cyprus was defeated 3-0 – Austria took only the last group place. The group winner was Spain ahead of the Netherlands, both of which were for the