Soccer:Republic of Ireland Under-19 coach Paul Doolin admitted he was pleased with today's draw for the upcoming European Championships after his side was paired with hosts Romania as well as the Czech Republic and Greece in Group A.
Four-time winners Spain were joined by Belgium, Serbia and Turkey in Group B in today’s draw in Bucharest.
Doolin said: “I’m happy enough with the draw. Looking at the groups, people could say that ours is the easier of the two but we must respect all of the nations for getting to this finals stage of the tournament.
“Romania, as hosts, will be difficult to beat, especially in the hot July temperatures, while Greece were one of only two nations out of the seven elite stage groups to finish with a maximum nine points from their three games.
“Czech Republic will be a decent side too and have a great record at underage level.”
Ireland qualified for the event by progressing through the first and elite phases of the qualification series, sealing their place with a 3-0 victory over Italy in Poland at the end of May.
It is the first time Ireland has qualified since 1992, with the tournament getting underway on July 20th, with the top two from each group making the semi-finals. Group matches also take place on the 23rd and 26th of July, with the semi-finals on the 29th and the final on August 1st.
Final tournament draw
Group A:Romania (hosts), Czech Republic, Greece, Republic of Ireland.
Group B:Serbia, Turkey, Spain, Belgium.
