Serhiy Sapronov: "We’ll aim to earn points against Belgium and Iceland to stay in League A"

08.12.2024 11:00

Head coach of Ukraine's WU-17 team, Serhiy Sapronov, shared his thoughts on the results of the EURO 2025 (WU-17) Round 2 draw in an interview with the UAF's official website. Ukraine will face Spain, Belgium, and Iceland:

— We’ve been drawn into a very strong group. According to preliminary information, Iceland has expressed interest in hosting the mini-tournament in mid-March. Given the weather conditions, the matches will likely be played on artificial turf.

Obviously, the main contenders for victory are Spain, who consistently shine across all age categories. However, in our matches against Belgium and Iceland, we’ll try to earn points to remain in League A. These teams have different playing styles: Belgium focuses on a possession-based, combinational approach, while Iceland relies on a more physical style of play.

EURO 2025 (WU-17). Round 2

League A

Group A1: Spain, Belgium, Iceland, Ukraine.

Group A2: Scotland, France, Wales, Slovakia.

Group A3: Italy, Czechia, Croatia, Georgia.

Group A4: Switzerland, Poland, Turkey, Hungary.

Group A5: England, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden.

Group A6: Norway, Portugal, Greece, Serbia.

Group A7: Germany, Austria, Denmark, Kosovo.

League B

Group B1: Northern Ireland, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Montenegro.

Group B2: Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, Malta.

Group B3: Belarus, Albania, Israel, Andorra.

Group B4: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Latvia.

Group B5: Ireland, Faroe Islands, Lithuania.

Group B6: Slovenia, North Macedonia, Moldova.

As a reminder, the Ukraine WU-17 team secured first place in its group during Round 1 in League B and earned promotion to League A.

In Round 2, seven teams will be determined to join the Faroe Islands in the final tournament of the UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship. Additionally, teams will either be promoted or relegated between leagues.

The seeding for Round 2 draw was based on the positions teams held in Round 1.

In League A, 28 teams will compete in seven groups, including seven teams promoted from League B after Round 1. The seven group winners in League A will qualify for the final stage, scheduled from May 4 to May 17, 2025. Teams that finish in fourth place in their groups will begin the 2025/26 season in League B.

In League B, 21 teams, including those relegated from League A after the autumn stage, will compete in six groups. These teams will battle for promotion to League A for the next tournament cycle.

It should be noted that EURO 2025 (WU-17) will serve as UEFA’s qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2025 U-17, scheduled to take place in Morocco from October 17 to November 8, 2025.