Germany and Switzerland also won junior titles

The teams of Germany, Switzerland and Austria are not represented at the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals. In the past, however, teams from those three countries have achieved successes at both World and European Championships for national junior teams. The year 1981 proved to be the most successful for the German Football Association, DFB. They won not only the FIFA U-20 World Cup title in Australia but also the UEFA European Under-18/-19 Championship on home soil. In 1986 the former East Germany, GDR, achieved the U18-19 European title while West Germany, DFB, finished third. The DFB selection also triumphed at the UEFA European Umder-16/-17 Championship in 1984 and 1992. In 2002 Switzerland made headlines in this UEFA competition for the youngest junior national teams by finishing European champions at Farumin Denmark.

However, neither the DFB, GDR, Switzerland or Austria ever won the title at UEFA European Under-21 Championships, or its UEFA Under-23 predecessor (ended in 1976). The GDR finished runners-up in 1974, 1978 and 1980, while in 1982 the DFB selection was defeated in the final matches. After the German unification DFB teams qualified for the finals three times, finishing fifth in 1998 in Romania but failed to reach the semi-final stage at home in 2004 and in Portugal in 2006. Switzerland achieved their best result in this event at home in 2004, losing 2-0 to France in the semi-finals.

Further commendable results, in addition to the above mentioned, were recorded at UEFA European Under-18/-19 Championships. The GDR team finished third in 1988, DFB teams came runners-up in 1994, 1998 and 2002. In 2000 they finished third, while in 2005 they lost to eventual European champions France in the semi-finals. The teams of Austria and Switzerland also attracted attention in this age-group. Austria’s juniors lost a memorable semi-final 6-3 to Portugal after extra time in the 2005 finals in Liechtenstein; in 2006 in Poland they were stopped 5-0 by Spain in the semis. Switzerland also made the semi-finals at home in 2004, losing 3-2 to Turkey after extra time.

Further good results at the UEFA European Under-16/-17 Championships saw the GDR finishing as runners-up in 1989. The Austrian youngsters achieved the same in 1997 when they lost the final 5-4 on penalties to Spain after a goalless 120 minutes at Celle in Germany. Austria had defeated Switzerland in the semi-finals 6-5 on penalties after a 0-0 draw. Germany won the match for third place 3-1 over Switzerland at these finals on home soil. In 1999 the DFB team achieved the same result defeating the Czech hosts 2-1. Austria also finished third beating England 1-0 at the 2003 finals in Portugal – one year after the Swiss triumph. In 2006 the German youngsters came fourth.

In addition to the DFB title in 1981 other winning results were recorded at the FIFA U-20 World Cup: third place for the GDR and second place for the DFB team after a defeat by Yugoslavia in the final in 1987. At the latest competition in the Netherlands in 2005 Germany was eliminated in the quarter-finals (losing 2-1 to Brazil after extra time), Switzerland in the group matches. At the FIFA U-17 World Cup the DFB team finished runners-up in 1985 (2-0 defeat by Nigeria) and fourth in 1997. Neither Switzerland nor Austria has achieved any major success on the World Cup stage in this age-group.