1998 UEFA European Under-18 Championship

The UEFA European Under-18 Championship 1998 Final Tournament was held in Cyprus. It also served as the European qualification for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. For this tournament, the age limit was moved back from August to January. Players born on or after 1 January 1979 were eligible to participate in this competition.

1998 UEFA European Under-18 Championship
1998 Ευρωπαϊκό πρωτάθλημα ποδοσφαίρου Κ-18
(in Greek)
Tournament details
Host countryCyprus
Dates19–26 July
Teams8 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)6 (in 4 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Republic of Ireland (1st title)
Runners-up Germany
Third place Croatia
Fourth place Portugal
Tournament statistics
Matches played14
Goals scored45 (3.21 per match)
Top scorer(s)Germany Enrico Kern
(4 goals)
1997
1999

Qualification

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50 UEFA nations entered the competition, and with the hosts Cyprus qualifying automatically, the other 49 teams competed in the qualifying competition to determine the remaining seven spots in the final tournament. The qualifying competition consisted of two rounds: First round, which took place in autumn 1997 and was played in 14 round-robin tournament groups with three or four teams each; and the Second round, which took place in spring 1998, in which pairs of group winners played home and away matches.

The following teams qualified for the final tournament.

Team Method of qualification Appearance Last appearance Previous best performance
  Cyprus Hosts 1st Debut
  Croatia Second round winners 1st Debut
  England Second round winners 1996 (third place) Champions (1948, 1963, 1964, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1980, 1993)
  Germany Second round winners 1994 (runners-up) Champions (19652, 19702, 19811, 19862)
  Lithuania Second round winners 1st Debut
  Portugal Second round winners 1997 (runners-up) Champions (1961, 1994)
  Republic of Ireland Second round winners 1997 (fourth place) Fourth place (1984, 1997)
  Spain Second round winners 1997 (third place) Champions (1952, 1954, 1995)
1 = as West Germany
2 = as East Germany

Match officials

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A total of 6 referees, 7 assistant referees and 2 fourth officials officiated the tournament.

Squads

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Each national team submitted a squad of 18 players, including two goalkeepers.

Group stage

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Group A

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Teams Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Germany 3 2 0 1 11 4 +7 6
  Portugal 3 2 0 1 5 2 +3 6
  Spain 3 2 0 1 5 6 –1 6
  Lithuania 3 0 0 3 2 11 –9 0
Lithuania  1–7  Germany
Trakys   53' Report Majunke   8'
Kern   65', 90'
Timm   66'
Voss   71'
Gensler   75'
Ernst   80'
Attendance: 200
Referee: Adrian Stoica (Romania)
Spain  2–1  Portugal
Gerard   49'
Couñago   71'
Report Carreira   64'
Attendance: 50

Portugal  2–0  Lithuania
Marco Almeida   29', 83' Report
Germany  4–1  Spain
Deisler   4', 27'
Kern   16', 19'
Report Barkero   20'
Attendance: 600
Referee: Pascal Garibian (France)

Portugal  2–0  Germany
Simão   30'
Marco Almeida   43'
Report
Attendance: 200
Referee: Eric Romain (Belgium)
Spain  2–1  Lithuania
Gerard   88', 89' Report Alunderis   54'
Attendance: 200
Referee: Emanuel Raphael Zammit (Malta)

Group B

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Teams Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Republic of Ireland 3 2 0 1 8 3 +5 6
  Croatia 3 2 0 1 8 5 +3 6
  England 3 2 0 1 3 4 –1 6
  Cyprus 3 0 0 3 1 8 –7 0
Croatia  2–5  Republic of Ireland
Deranja   25'
Bjelanović   39'
Report George   2', 90'
Keane   10'
McPhail   45'
Patridge   66'
Municipal Stadium, Ayia Napa
Attendance: 500
Referee: Eric Romain (Belgium)
England  2–1  Cyprus
Matthews     Report Woodgate   19' (o.g.)

Croatia  3–0  Cyprus
Mikić   37'
Vranješ   41'
Lovrek   90'
Report
Attendance: 250
Referee: Emanuel Raphael Zammit (Malta)
England  1–0  Republic of Ireland
Smith   85' Report
Anagennisi Football Ground, Deryneia
Attendance: 4,000

Croatia  3–0  England
Banović   38' (pen.)
Mikić   79', 90'
Report
Anagennisi Football Ground, Deryneia
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Adrian Stoica (Romania)
Republic of Ireland  3–0  Cyprus
B. Quinn   19'
Keane   45', 78'
Report
Municipal Stadium, Ayia Napa
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Pascal Garibian (France)

Third place match

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Portugal  0–0  Croatia
Report
Penalties
4–5
Attendance: 400

Final

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Republic of Ireland  1–1  Germany
A. Quinn   70' Report Gensler   89'
Penalties
4–3
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Eric Romain (Belgium)

Qualification to World Youth Championship

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The six best performing teams qualified for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Goalscorers

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There were 45 goals scored in 14 matches, for an average of 3.21 goals per match.

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

See also

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