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Football player Ianis Hagi, named official ambassador of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, believes that Romania has a generation full of potential that at this year's tournament can surpass the performance in Italy in the 2019 edition, according to the Romanian Football Federation (FRF).
"I was very happy when I received the proposal to be the ambassador of this competition that is also played in Romania. To any footballer, it is an honour to play in front of their own supporters, even more so in a final tournament. We have a generation full of potential and I want them to surpass our performance of 2019," Hagi is quoted as saying in a FRF press statement posted on line.
One hundred days before the start of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, FRF chairman Razvan Burleanu says that the presence of Bucharest among the host cities of EURO 2020 was a success, which led to Bucharest, along with Cluj- Napoca, being picked to host matches of this year's competition.
"It is a responsibility and an honour for us to be the hosts of this competition together with Georgia. It is a confirmation that the presence of Bucharest among the host cities of EURO 2020 was a success and we hope that Romania in the future will also organise other European competitions," said Burleanu.
The UEFA European Under-21 Championship will take place from June 21 June to July 8, 2023.
The matches in Romania will take place at Steaua and Rapid-Giulesti stadiums in Bucharest, Group B, and at Cluj Arena and Dr Constantin Radulescu Stadium of Cluj-Napoca, Group D. Romania will also host two quarter-finals (Rapid-Giulesti and Cluj Arena) and a semifinal (Steaua), a total of 15 matches.
The matches in the other two groups will take place in Tbilisi, Georgia, Group A, and Batumi and Kutaisi, Group C, two quarter-finals to be hosted by Tbilisi and Kutaisi, with a semi-final and the final to take place in Batumi.
Romania and Georgia automatically qualified for the final tournament. Romania will host the opening match, and Georgia will host the final one.
Romania is the first country to host the final tournament for a second time, after the 1998 edition.
The first three placed in next year's final tournament will qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. Only three berths are reserved for Europe because France, the host country, is already qualified ex officio. If France is on the podium, the next ranked team from EURO U21 will go.
Germany is the reigning champion in this age category.
Group composition:
Group A (Tbilisi): Georgia, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands;
Group B (Bucharest): Romania, Spain, Ukraine, Croatia;
Group C (Batumi, Kutaisi): Czech Republic, England, Germany, Israel;
Group D (Cluj-Napoca): Norway, Switzerland, France, Italy.
