On Thursday, December 5, the draw for the first round of the Euro-2026 U-17 qualifiers took place in Nyon, Switzerland. As a result of the draw, the youth team of Ukraine (currently U-16, players born in 2009) ended up in Group 1, where they will face Italy, Montenegro, and Estonia. Estonia will be the host of the mini-tournament.
Yuriy Moroz (photo: uaf.ua)Head coach of this Ukraine team Yuriy Moroz shared his impressions of the draw.
— I have a positive reaction to this draw, — he said. — All teams in our group are competitive. A lot will depend on our footballers, how they prepare for these matches, and in what condition they will be. The coaching staff will provide the team with all the necessary information about the opponents. And the games will show how well we prepared. As for the opponents themselves, naturally, the Italian national team stands out. But that does not mean that we are going to concede first place in the group to the Azzurri in advance. Regarding Montenegro and Estonia, these teams are also a significant challenge for our national team.
