The draws for the qualifying rounds of the 2013/14 UEFA European Under-19 Championship and Under-17 Championship were held in Nyon on Wednesday. Malta was only involved in the Under 19-Championship draw as the 2013/14 edition of the UEFA Under-17 Championship will be held in Malta who is therefore awarded a bye.
Malta was drawn in Group 13 of the UEFA Under-19 Championship together with Russia, Ukraine and Estonia.
Commenting on the draws, Jesmond Abela said that Malta was pitted in a tough group and after some long-drawn negotiations to determine which country will host the group matches it was decided that
Russia will be the hosts in October, after both Ukraine and Estonia had shown an interest in organising the mini-tournament.
The draw for the 2013/14 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifying round has been made with 52 of the 54 entrants involved.
The top two in every group, along with the third-placed side with the best record against the leading pair, will follow top seeds Spain into the elite round in spring 2014. Seven teams will emerge to join Hungary in the finals that summer, which will also act as the qualifying competition for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
Qualifying round draw
Group 1: Croatia, Czech Republic, Gibraltar, Cyprus
Group 2: Romania, Poland, Armenia, Lithuania
Group 3: Republic of Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Azerbaijan, Sweden
Group 4: Belgium, France, Northern Ireland, Iceland
Group 5: Germany, Scotland, Belarus, Latvia
Group 6: Greece, Slovakia, Albania, Bulgaria
Group 7: Serbia, Austria, Kazakhstan, Finland
Group 8: Portugal, Norway, Luxembourg, San Marino
Group 9: Switzerland, England, Andorra, Slovenia
Group 10: Italy, Denmark, Israel, Liechtenstein
Group 11: Netherlands, Georgia, Moldova, Wales
Group 12: Turkey, Montenegro, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Faroe Islands
Group 13: Russia, Ukraine, Malta, Estonia
Meanwhile Malta stages the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in May 2014 and the path will begin the previous autumn with the qualifying round involving 52 of the 54 entrants.
In all 13 groups were formed and the top two in each section along with the third-placed team with the best record against the leading pair will join top seeds Germany in the elite round in spring 2014. Seven teams will emerge from that round do face Malta in the finals.
Qualifying round draw
Group 1: Belarus, Romania, Denmark, Albania
Group 2: Italy, Sweden, Ukraine, Lithuania
Group 3: Czech Republic, France, Israel, Liechtenstein
Group 4: Scotland, Hungary, Slovenia, Wales
Group 5: Croatia, Portugal, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group 6: Greece, Serbia, Estonia, Andorra
Group 7: Republic of Ireland, England, Gibraltar, Armenia
Group 8: Norway, Spain, Cyprus, Moldova
Group 9: Northern Ireland, Turkey, Latvia, Luxembourg
Group 10: Russia, Iceland, Slovakia, Azerbaijan
Group 11: Georgia, Netherlands, San Marino, Faroe Islands
Group 12: Denmark, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Austria
Group 13: Belgium, Poland, Bulgaria, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Gibraltar are taking part for the first time after the UEFA Executive Committee admitted them as a provisional member of UEFA on 1 October 2012. This follows a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in August 2011.
A decision on the admission of the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) as a full member of UEFA will be taken by the XXXVII Ordinary UEFA Congress in London in May 2013. As per a UEFA Executive Committee decision, Spain and Gibraltar cannot be drawn into the same group.