In a month and 10 days (May 16 – June 1), the European Under-17 Championship will open in Israel and the team in blue and white, which obtained the automatic ticket due to hosting the tournament, will compete with the strongest teams on the continent for the local audience. Today (Wednesday) the home draw for the championship was held, during which Gadi Bromer and his players discovered who they would meet in the early stages.
The 16 teams that will take part were divided into four houses, with the blue-and-white team placed as the head of House A as the host, and will face Germany, Luxembourg and the winner of House 6 in the elite stage which has not yet been held.
House 6 of the elite stage, which was not worn out due to the fighting in Ukraine, contains Italy, Poland, Ukraine and Kosovo, so one of them will join the Israeli house. The games will be played on 20-26.4. The games in the final tournament will be played in stadiums in Netanya (where the semi-finals and finals will be played), Rishon Lezion (will host the opening game of the team), Ness Ziona, Lod and Ramat Gan.
This is the third prestigious tournament hosted by Israel (after the Young Euros in 2013 and the European Championships for girls up to the age of 19 in 2015). The Netherlands is the top scorer with four, including the last two championships in 2018 and 2019.
The full raffle
House A:
1. Israel
2. Germany
3. House winner 6
4. Luxembourg
House B:
1. France
2. The Netherlands
Bulgaria
4. Hungary / Deputy House 6
House C:
Serbia
2. Spain
3. Turkey
4. Belgium
House D:
1. Denmark
2. Portugal
3. Scotland
4. Sweden
Gadi Bromer: “We have a good and patriotic team and this is their stage to show the ability”
National team coach, Gadi Bromer Referring to the lottery: ‘It’s very exciting. Playing in the country in front of our audience, is something that will give us a boost. But as you have seen, the draw is not easy and we are going to have a very difficult tournament against top teams in the world. We will try to do our best and the goal is to play as many games as possible in this tournament. If we can get through the first stage, it’s going to be fantastic. ‘
‘The teams are good. Italy will probably play with us at home. We have a good and patriotic team and this is their stage to show the ability. Our team is balanced with good players in almost every position. We were able to formulate them for a period of almost a year. “I hope it translates into a championship, because they deserve it and they worked very hard,” the coach added.
Asked about the experience in the senior team, he replied: “I said before the game against Germany that my goal as a coach and ours as an association, is to produce as many players as possible who will reach this status. That the gaps between the levels will be smaller and for that purpose these tournaments exist. If we participate in such tournaments every year, I have no doubt that we will also open players who will reach the senior level. “
Maor Yeshilirmak, the team captain, who also played for the youth team until the age of 19, was also interviewed after the draw: “It is definitely exciting, it is not something that happens every day. We are proud to represent the team and do our best. This is a challenge, but any lottery is difficult. We hope to do the best we can and excite everyone. We aim for the highest there is. We may come as an underdog, but we want to make history. ‘
On the move from Ofir Haim’s team to Bromer’s, he said: ‘You get feedback at the highest levels and you see your level in relation to the other teams. You see, if you’re good, then you can handle it. ‘ On the progress and whether they will be able to integrate into graduates in the future, he added: “We are improving from game to game and from training to training. The pace has improved and it’s something that was not. ‘
also Sturdy pine, The chairman of the association, commented: “This is an exciting class, this is the third time in the last decade that we have hosted a tournament until the age of 17. It is an exciting timing together with the qualification of the youth team. “We will mention that the young team is still strong in the playoffs, so we are excited about the attractive activities of the teams in May.”
“You heard the UEFA representative who was here and said that the European Under-21 Championship held here in the past is considered the most successful tournament ever, as well as up to the age of 19. We do our best to raise our resume to the UEFA and hope we do. “We have to do our part and we will continue to maintain our image in Europe,” Hasson added.
Regarding the promotion of the national team and the future of the senior, he said: “When I came to the association two years ago, I said that I would like to dedicate most of the resources to the younger generation. We have talented children, who with professional guidance and good conditions, we will get to big tournaments. It takes patience and I know that the public and the media do not have the patience and desire to hear about process and way. We are starting to see first buds but we are on the right path. The road is very long. ‘
‘I’m not really surprised by the generation of coaches growing up in the country. I have been accompanying these coaches for the past two years. You may have been exposed to them following their success, but we have talented coaches who work very hard. They come every morning at eight o’clock, work and pass a clubhouse. We have an outstanding technical manager, Yila Hus. Coaches also admit that professional work helps them develop as better coaches. “
Bonnie Ginzburg: ‘I think this is a fantastic opportunity. Our goal is to advance in the development of football and we have a lot of things we do. A young boy who gets a chance to play, puts him on track. He will know what an international tournament is. It is an experience both for us as a technical department and for the public to see the stars of the association. “Every sporting event that comes to Israel and can present it in a positive way is a great opportunity.”
On the transfer of these players to a future senior, he said: “There is a clear division between the senior team and what is happening below. I believe that in the process, I hope that in ten years we will be somewhere else in football, that our players will develop and go out at an early age to play at different rhythms. This way we will create better teams. That’s the way and that’s the route. ‘
