From November 15 to 21, 2023, the Ukraine youth national team (players born in or after 2005) will play in the qualifying round of Euro-2024 (U-19). According to the results of the draw, blue-and-yellow will face teams from Slovakia, Kosovo, and Malta (home team).

Regarding what lies ahead for the team next year, Oleh Kuznetsov, head coach of the youth national team, spoke to the official website of the UAF.

"As for past performances, preparation for the elite round of Euro-2022 (U-17), considering the situation in the country, was challenging," Kuznetsov said. "We had to call up not all of our strongest players. Of course, we were disappointed with third place in the group. But I am convinced that if everything went according to plan, the result would have been different."

However, it is important that life goes on, so we will prepare responsibly for the Euro-2024 (U-19) qualifying matches. Regarding the draw, I can say that our group is balanced. Although the teams from Slovakia, Kosovo, and Malta are not among European powerhouses, I am sure that every match will be tough. In my opinion, there is no favorite in our quartet.

As for preparation plans, at this point I can't say anything specific yet. Yes, we plan to participate in a serious international tournament in Portugal in March, but it's still unclear if it will happen. In theory, it would be nice to conduct a one-week selection camp to review candidates and play a couple of friendly matches. But again, as things develop, I think we'll know more next year...

Qualifying Group Composition for Euro-2024 (U-19)

Group 1: France, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia.

Group 2: Norway, Hungary, Latvia, Gibraltar.

Group 3: Serbia, Scotland, Bulgaria, Andorra.

Group 4: Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Liechtenstein.

Group 5: Germany, Poland, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan.

Group 6: Spain, Georgia, Cyprus, Moldova.

Group 7: Ukraine, Slovakia, Kosovo, Malta.

Group 8: Turkey, Greece, Belarus, Lithuania.

Group 9: Israel, Croatia, Armenia, Faroe Islands.

Group 10: Czech Republic, Romania, Finland, San Marino.

Group 11: Netherlands, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg.

Group 12: England, Austria, Wales, Montenegro.

Group 13: Ireland, Belgium, Slovenia, Albania.

Mini-tournaments in 13 groups will take place from September 4 to 12, from October 9 to 17 or from November 13 to 21, 2023. Winners of the first two places in qualifying groups and the best third-place finisher based on results against the top two teams advance to the elite round qualification.

The Northern Ireland team secured a direct entry to the final stage as hosts, which will take place in summer 2024.