Difficult draw for the U21s

The game will be played between September 2023 and October 2024, a possible host location could be Ried again, as in the past. “It will be a big challenge for us,” said team boss Werner Gregoritsch in view of Pot 1 opponents France. The nine group winners and three best runners-up qualify directly for the finals in summer 2025 in Slovakia. The other six runners-up will play the last three tickets in the play-offs in November 2024. The starting signal will be given on September 7, 2023 in Cyprus, followed by the home game against Bosnia on September 12. Other dates in 2023 are October 17 (in Slovenia) and November 17 (France/heim). 2024 begins with the home game against Cyprus (March 26), followed by the away game in Bosnia (September 6), the home game against Slovenia (October 11) and the final in France (October 15).

Austria was drawn from Pot 2. “Of course we got a very attractive opponent in France. For decades, you have been an absolute role model in youth football for many countries,” analyzed Gregoritsch. “But we beat them 3-1 before EURO 2019. That shows what is possible.”

“Our aim is to be at the European Championships in Slovakia in 2025,” Gregoritsch clarified. “For that we have to show in qualifying that we can come out of pot two. We have the quality.” Captain Matthias Braunöder underlined these ambitions. “It’s about time again,” said the Austria Wien midfielder. The games against Bosnia and Slovenia would be decisive: “The games against Bosnia and Slovenia will certainly be tight, and small things will be decisive.”