© Sports Report

The girls’ and boys’ U17 national teams (JG 2006) begin this week in qualifying for next year’s European Championships.

Team manager Manfred Sack’s U17 national team kicks things off on Thursday with a match against Andorra (3:00pm). The first qualifying round mini-tournament will be held in Torun, Poland.

The Zsak selection will face Montenegro on October 26 in Torun (3:00 pm, live on ÖFB TV) before the final clash with hosts Poland on Sunday (3:00 pm, in Zubin).

For the team boss, the starting position is clear: “This is not an easy group. They have a slight advantage as the tournament is held in Poland. But we are strong enough to survive there. ”But Zsak still sees room for improvement: “We have very good players, that’s where our strength lies. But we have to improve defensively, almost every international match we get a goal. We need to make sure we keep a clean sheet behind us. ” He wants to use his experience to help players in their first competitive games: “In my playing days I went through similar situations as a youngster. Today’s Players Of course, these experiences help me now because I can pass them on to the boys.

The goal of the former ÖFB team player is clear: “I have already been to the European Championship twice as a team boss, and of course now I want to do it for the third time. For that we now have to pass in Poland and we will see what awaits us in the elite round.

Captain Oliver Lukic is confident: “We have no pressure. We always want to play a good game and win – whatever the name of the opponent. The whole team has the goal of moving to the elite round and then to the European Championship.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Elite Round.

U17 Women’s National Team (JG 2006) ÖFB team boss Patrick Heidbauer heads to Northern Ireland on Monday, where the first round of UEFA Women’s U17 EURO 2023 qualifying is on the agenda.

Austria will face Ireland in Belfast on Friday (21.10.). A meeting with the hosts from Northern Ireland takes place on Monday (October 24). Finally, Finland awaits on Thursday (October 27). All games start at 15:00 (CET).

“It’s a very challenging group because it’s so balanced. With Finland, we didn’t get a perfect opponent from the first draw, but Ireland is one of the strongest teams from Pot 3. We have a strategic task ahead of us,” says Heidbauer. Squad.

The top three teams from the mini-tournament stay in the A-League and fight for European Championship tickets in the spring in a “Nations-League-like” system. The mod has its flaws, Team Boss knows. “We have been warned about the dynamics this first qualifying round will bring.” Last year, for example, Switzerland and Belgium collapsed and had to relegate to the B-League in the autumn after messing up in smaller tournaments.

It shouldn’t be too far for ÖFB-Elf. “The aim is to have a decisive match against Finland on Thursday,” Heidbauer said.

Media information ÖFB

17.10.2022