2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

UEFA U21-EM 2011 '
Tournament details
Host country	Denmark
Dates	11–25 June
Teams	8 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)	4 (in 4 host cities)
Final positions
Champions	Spain (3rd title)
Runners-up	Switzerland
Third place	Belarus
Fourth place	Czech Republic
Tournament statistics
Matches played	16
Goals scored	36 (2.25 per match)
Attendance	101,955 (6,372 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Adrián (5 goals)
Best player	Juan Mata
← 2009 2013 →

The UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2011 was a big football tournament for young players in Europe. It was the 18th time this event was held by UEFA. The final games took place in Denmark from June 11 to June 25, 2011.

Denmark was chosen to host the tournament by UEFA's Executive Committee on December 10, 2008. They picked Denmark over another country, Israel.

Teams had to play qualification matches between March 2009 and October 2010 to earn a spot in the tournament.

This championship was also important because it helped decide which three European teams would play in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

In the end, Spain won their third title. They beat Switzerland 2–0 in the final match.

Choosing the Host Country

A sign in Viborg for the UEFA U21 Championship.

Only two countries wanted to host this big football event at first: Denmark and Israel. Both countries sent in their plans on June 15, 2008.

UEFA looked at both plans carefully from June to September 2008. After reviewing everything, a special committee suggested Denmark. On December 10, 2008, UEFA officially announced that Denmark would be the host.

How Teams Qualified

The draw for the qualifying games happened in Århus on February 4, 2009. This draw put the teams into ten different groups. There were two groups with six teams and eight groups with five teams. Teams were trying to get one of the seven spots in the final tournament, as Denmark was already in as the host.

Teams were placed into different "pots" for the draw based on how well they had played in past tournaments. Each group had one team from the top five pots. Some groups also had a team from the sixth pot. Six European countries that had played in the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup (Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain, and England) were each put into one of the six groups with five teams.

The 2012 Summer Olympics and Great Britain

This tournament was used to decide which European teams would go to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The best teams from this championship would get to play in the Olympics.

The four football associations from Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) entered the qualification process separately. However, they couldn't qualify for the Olympics as individual teams. If any British team had qualified for the championship and made it past the first round, they would have played extra games to decide who went to the Olympics.

Since Great Britain was hosting the 2012 Olympics, they automatically got a spot in the football competition. This caused some debate because in the Olympics, Great Britain plays as one team, but in football, they usually play as four separate nations. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland were worried that playing as a single Great Britain team might make them lose their independent status in UEFA and FIFA.

In 2009, they found a solution: England would put together a team for the Olympics, and the other three nations would not play but also wouldn't object to England's involvement.

Teams that played

The following 8 teams earned their spot in the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship:

•  Belarus
•  Czech Republic
•  Denmark (Host Nation)
•  England
•  Iceland
•  Spain
•  Switzerland
•  Ukraine

Where the Games Were Played

All the tournament games were held in the Jutland region of Denmark. They used existing stadiums in four cities: Aarhus, Aalborg, Herning, and Viborg.

On September 20, 2010, it was announced that the final match would be played at Aarhus Stadion. Aalborg Stadion was chosen for the opening match and any play-off games for the Olympics. The semifinal matches were played at Herning Stadium and Viborg Stadion. The Danish team played all their group matches in Aalborg and Aarhus.

Aarhus	Aalborg	Herning	Viborg
Aarhus Stadion	Aalborg Stadion	Herning Stadium	Viborg Stadion
56°7′55″N 10°11′47″E / 56.13194°N 10.19639°E / 56.13194; 10.19639 (NRGi Park)	57°3′5.4″N 9°53′56.76″E / 57.051500°N 9.8991000°E / 57.051500; 9.8991000 (Energi Nord Arena)	56°7′1″N 8°57′6″E / 56.11694°N 8.95167°E / 56.11694; 8.95167 (MCH Arena)	56°27′21.23″N 9°24′7.43″E / 56.4558972°N 9.4020639°E / 56.4558972; 9.4020639 (Viborg Stadion)
Capacity: 20,000	Capacity: 10,500	Capacity: 9,600	Capacity: 9,566

How the Tournament Worked

Andy, the mascot for the tournament.

The tournament started with eight teams divided into two groups of four. The top two teams from each group then moved on to the semifinals. From there, it became a knockout competition, meaning if a team lost, they were out.

This championship also helped teams qualify for the Olympic Football Tournament, especially since it was held one year before the Summer Olympic Games.

Players could play in the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship if they were born on or after January 1, 1988.

Team Seeding

The draw to decide which teams played in which groups happened on November 9, 2010. It took place at the Aalborg Congress & Culture Centre in Aalborg.

Just like in earlier tournaments, all the games for each group were held at only two stadiums. For the draw, the teams were put into three "seeding" pots. This was based on how many points they earned per game during the qualification stage. Each group had one team from Pot 1, one from Pot 2, and two teams from Pot 3. Denmark, as the host country, was automatically placed first in a group.

Team Rosters

Each team in the 2011 Euro U-21 Championship had 23 players on their roster. This was the same as the previous tournament in 2009. Only players born on or after January 1, 1988, were allowed to play.

Referees for the Games

In April 2011, UEFA announced the list of referees, assistant referees, and fourth officials for the tournament. All the main referees were top-level international referees. They were chosen because they were seen as future elite referees. They were all between 31 and 38 years old, fitting the idea that this tournament is for the "stars of tomorrow."

Referees

• Robert Schörgenhofer (Austria)
• Paolo Tagliavento (Italy)
• Marijo Strahonja (Croatia)
• Aleksandar Stavrev (Macedonia)
• Milorad Mažić (Serbia)
• Markus Strömbergsson (Sweden)

Fourth Officials

• Kenn Hansen (Denmark)
• Liran Liany (Israel)

How Ties Were Broken

If two or more teams had the same number of points after all the group matches, special rules were used to decide their ranking. These rules were similar to those used in the 2009 Under-21 Euro tournament:

• The team with more points from games played only among the tied teams ranked higher.
• If still tied, the team with a better goal difference in those specific games ranked higher.
• If still tied, the team that scored more goals in those specific games ranked higher.
• If teams were still tied after these steps, the first three rules were used again for just those remaining tied teams. If a decision still wasn't made, then the next rules applied.
• Looking at all group matches:

* The team with a better overall goal difference. * The team that scored more goals overall. * The team with better fair play (fewer yellow/red cards).

• If everything else was equal, a drawing of lots (like picking names from a hat) would decide.

Group Stage Matches

The draw for the groups happened on November 9, 2010, in Aalborg, Denmark. In the first round, the eight teams were split into two groups, each with four teams. Every team in a group played against every other team in that group once. Teams got three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. The top two teams from each group then moved on to the semifinals.

Group A

In Group A, three teams (Belarus, Denmark, and Iceland) all ended up with three points. To decide which team advanced, special tie-breaker rules were used. Belarus moved forward because they had a better goal difference in the games played only between those three tied teams.

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts  Switzerland 3 3 0 0 6 0 +6 9  Belarus 3 1 0 2 3 5 −2 3  Iceland 3 1 0 2 3 5 −2 3  Denmark 3 1 0 2 3 5 −2 3

3 Way Tie-Breaker Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts  Belarus 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1 3  Iceland 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 3  Denmark 2 1 0 1 3 4 −1 3

All times are UTC+2.

11 June 2011 18:00	Belarus	2–0	Iceland	Aarhus Stadion, Aarhus Attendance: 2,815 Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (Macedonia)
	Varankow  77' (pen.) Skavysh  87'	Report

11 June 2011 20:45	Denmark	0–1	Switzerland	Aalborg Stadion, Aalborg Attendance: 9,678 Referee: Robert Schörgenhofer (Austria)
		Report	Shaqiri  48'

14 June 2011 18:00	Switzerland	2–0	Iceland	Aalborg Stadion, Aalborg Attendance: 1,903 Referee: Marijo Strahonja (Croatia)
	Frei  1' Emeghara  40'	Report

14 June 2011 20:45	Denmark	2–1	Belarus	Aarhus Stadion, Aarhus Attendance: 18,152 Referee: Paolo Tagliavento (Italy)
	Eriksen  22' Jørgensen  71'	Report	Baha  20'

18 June 2011 20:45	Iceland	3–1	Denmark	Aalborg Stadion, Aalborg Attendance: 9,308 Referee: Milorad Mažić (Serbia)
	Sigþórsson  58' Bjarnason  60' Valgarðsson  90+2'	Report	Kadrii  81'

18 June 2011 20:45	Switzerland	3–0	Belarus	Aarhus Stadion, Aarhus Attendance: 1,604 Referee: Markus Strömbergsson (Sweden)
	Mehmedi  6' (pen.), 43' Feltscher  90+3'	Report

Group B

Czech players celebrating after Bořek Dočkal scored their second goal against Ukraine.

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Spain	3	2	1	0	6	1	+5	7
Czech Republic	3	2	0	1	4	4	0	6
England	3	0	2	1	2	3	−1	2
Ukraine	3	0	1	2	1	5	−4	1

All times are UTC+2.

12 June 2011 18:00	Czech Republic	2–1	Ukraine	Viborg Stadion, Viborg Attendance: 4,251 Referee: Milorad Mažić (Serbia)
	Dočkal  49', 56'	Report	Bilyi  87'

12 June 2011 20:45	Spain	1–1	England	Herning Stadium, Herning Attendance: 8,046 Referee: Markus Strömbergsson (Sweden)
	Herrera  14'	Report	Welbeck  88'

15 June 2011 18:00	Czech Republic	0–2	Spain	Viborg Stadion, Viborg Attendance: 4,662 Referee: Robert Schörgenhofer (Austria)
		Report	Adrián  27', 47'

15 June 2011 20:45	Ukraine	0–0	England	Herning Stadium, Herning Attendance: 3,495 Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (Macedonia)
		Report

19 June 2011 20:45	England	1–2	Czech Republic	Viborg Stadion, Viborg Attendance: 5,262 Referee: Paolo Tagliavento (Italy)
	Welbeck  76'	Report	Chramosta  89' Pekhart  90+4'

19 June 2011 20:45	Ukraine	0–3	Spain	Herning Stadium, Herning Attendance: 3,302 Referee: Marijo Strahonja (Croatia)
		Report	Mata  10', 72' (pen.) Adrián  27'

Knockout Stage

After the group stage, the tournament moved to a knockout format. This means that if a team lost a match, they were out of the competition.

Knockout Map

	Semifinals				Final
	22 June – Herning
	Switzerland (a.e.t.)	1
	Czech Republic	0
					25 June – Aarhus
					Switzerland	0
					Spain	2
					Olympic play-off
	22 June – Viborg			25 June – Aalborg
	Spain (a.e.t.)	3		Czech Republic	0
	Belarus	1			Belarus	1

Semifinals

The winners of these semifinal matches earned a spot in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

22 June 2011 18:00	Spain	3–1 (a.e.t.)	Belarus	Viborg Stadion, Viborg Attendance: 7,521 Referee: Markus Strömbergsson (Sweden)
	Adrián  89', 105' Jeffrén  113'	Report	Varankow  38'

22 June 2011 21:00	Switzerland	1–0 (a.e.t.)	Czech Republic	Herning Stadium, Herning Attendance: 5,038 Referee: Robert Schörgenhofer (Austria)
	Mehmedi  114'	Report

Olympic Play-off Match

The winner of this match also qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

25 June 2011 15:00	Czech Republic	0–1	Belarus	Aalborg Stadion, Aalborg Attendance: 870 Referee: Milorad Mažić (Serbia)
		Report	Filipenko  88'

The Final Game

25 June 2011 (2011-06-25) 20:45	Switzerland	0–2	Spain	Aarhus Stadion, Aarhus Attendance: 16,110 Referee: Paolo Tagliavento (Italy)
		https://www.uefa.com/under21/match/2003419--switzerland-vs-spain/	Herrera  41' Thiago  81'

Top Goalscorers

5 goals

• Adrián

3 goals

• Admir Mehmedi

2 goals

1 goal

Best Players of the Tournament

UEFA had a special team of experts who watched every game. After the final, they chose the 23 best players from the entire tournament. This group of players was called the "UEFA Team of the Tournament." Spain had the most players on this team, with seven.

UEFA Team of the Tournament

Goalkeepers	Defenders	Midfielders	Forwards
David de Gea	Chris Smalling	Christian Eriksen	Admir Mehmedi
Yann Sommer	Kyle Walker	Marcel Gecov	Xherdan Shaqiri
Tomáš Vaclík	Dídac Vilà	Ander Herrera	Adrián
	Timm Klose	Javi Martínez	Juan Mata
	Jonathan Rossini	Thiago	Kolbeinn Sigþórsson
	Yaroslav Rakitskiy	Mikhail Sivakov	Daniel Sturridge
	Nicolai Boilesen
	Ondřej Čelůstka

Final Standings and Olympic Qualifiers

• Spain, Switzerland, and Belarus all qualified to play in the football finals at the 2012 Olympic Games.

See Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Final result
	Spain	5	4	1	0	11	2	+9	13	Gold Medal
	Switzerland	5	4	0	1	7	2	+5	12	Silver Medal
	Belarus	5	2	0	3	5	8	−3	6	Bronze Medal
4	Czech Republic	5	2	0	3	4	6	−2	6	Fourth place
5	Iceland	3	1	0	2	3	5	−2	3	Eliminated in group stage
6	England	3	0	2	1	2	3	−1	2
7	Denmark (H)	3	1	0	2	3	5	−2	3
8	Ukraine	3	0	1	2	1	5	−4	1

Where to Watch the Games

Many TV channels around the world showed the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2011. Here's a list of some of the broadcasters:

Country/area	Broadcaster(s)	Source
Belarus	Belteleradio
Belgium	Telenet
Brazil	Globosat
Brunei	Astro SuperSport
Bulgaria	Nova Sport (Bulgaria)
Canada	TSN (8 matches) TSN2 (9 matches)
Chile	Telecanal (some matches)
Czech Republic	Česká televize
Denmark	TV 2 (5 matches) TV 2 Sport (8 matches) TV 2 Zulu (2 matches)
France	Direct8
Germany	Eurosport
Guatemala	Trecevision Canal 11
Iceland	RÚV
Indonesia	RCTI Indovision
Israel	Sport 1 Sport 1 HD
Ireland	Sky Sports
Italy	RAI
Japan	TV Asahi
Latin America (except Brazil)	Televideo Services
Malaysia	Astro SuperSport
Mexico	OTI
Middle East and North Africa List of countries  Algeria  Bahrain  Comoros  Djibouti  Egypt  Iraq  Jordan  Kuwait  Lebanon  Oman  Palestinian Authority  Libya  Mauritania  Morocco  Qatar  K.S.A.  Somalia  Sudan  Syria  Tunisia  U.A.E.  Yemen	Al Jazeera Sports +4, +10 Al Jazeera Sports HD1
Norway	Viasat Fotball
Portugal	Sport TV
South Africa	Supersport International
Spain	Cuatro (Spain's matches) La Siete
Sweden	Viasat
Switzerland	SRG SSR
Thailand	MCOT/ GMM SPORT
Ukraine	ICTV Football TV Channel
United Kingdom	Sky Sports 1/Sky Sports HD1
Venezuela	Meridiano

See also

In Spanish: Eurocopa Sub-21 de 2011 para niños