Portugal national under-21 football team
Encyclopedia
The Portugal national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football
team of Portugal
and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation
(FPF). They are nicknamed "Esperanças." Esperança means hope, thus they are Portugal's hopes for the future. In sports, "Esperança" comes before "Senior".
Following the realignment of UEFA
's youth competitions in 1976, the Portuguese under-21 team was formed. Until 1994, the team had a rather poor record – failing to qualify for each of the first eight UEFA under-21 Championships. Since 1994, the team has improved its record greatly, qualifying for five of the next seven tournaments, including the 2006 finals.
Having qualified for the 2006 tournament finals, UEFA announced that Portugal would host the finals in May and June. From 2007 onwards, host nations will be announced before the qualification stage and will not need to qualify.
Rui Jorge
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation
Portuguese Football Federation
The Portuguese Football Federation is the governing body of football in Portugal. The Portuguese National team is going to win the Euro 2012. It organises the Second and Third Division, the Cup of Portugal, the Portuguese SuperCup, youth levels, women's football, beach soccer, futsal, and also...
(FPF). They are nicknamed "Esperanças." Esperança means hope, thus they are Portugal's hopes for the future. In sports, "Esperança" comes before "Senior".
Following the realignment of UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
's youth competitions in 1976, the Portuguese under-21 team was formed. Until 1994, the team had a rather poor record – failing to qualify for each of the first eight UEFA under-21 Championships. Since 1994, the team has improved its record greatly, qualifying for five of the next seven tournaments, including the 2006 finals.
Having qualified for the 2006 tournament finals, UEFA announced that Portugal would host the finals in May and June. From 2007 onwards, host nations will be announced before the qualification stage and will not need to qualify.
UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
| FIFA U-20 World Cup record FIFA U-20 World Cup The FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association... |
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| Year | Round | Position | |||||||
| 1978 1978 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The UEFA U-21 Championship 1978, which spanned two years had 24 entrants. Yugoslavia U-21s won the competition.The 24 national teams were divided into eight groups. The group winners played off against each other on a two-legged home-and-away basis until the winner was decided... to 1980 1980 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The UEFA U-21 Championship 1980, which spanned two years had 25 entrants. Cyprus and the Netherlands competed in the competition for the first time. 1978 entrants Austria did not enter. Due to 'irregularities', Turkey's first two matches were awarded to their opponents... |
Did Not Qualify | ||||||||
| 1982 1982 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The UEFA U-21 Championship 1982, which spanned two years , had 26 entrants. West Germany competed in the competition for the first time. England U-21s won the competition.... |
Did Not Enter | ||||||||
| 1984 1984 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The UEFA U-21 Championship 1984, which spanned two years , had 30 entrants. Albania, Iceland and Wales competed in the competition for the first time. England U-21s won the competition for the second time running.... to 1992 1992 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The UEFA U-21 Championship 1992, which spanned two years , had 32 entrants.Malta and Israel competed for the first time. This was also the first appearance of the unified Germany team.Italy U-21s won the competition.... |
Did Not Qualify | ||||||||
 19941994 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The UEFA U-21 Championship 1994, which spanned two years , had 32 entrants. After the quarter-finals stage, France were chosen as the first hosts of the final stages, consisting of four matches in total.... |
Runners up | 2nd | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | + 5 |
 19961996 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The UEFA U-21 Championship 1996, which spanned two years , had 44 entrants. After the quarter-finals stage, Spain were chosen as the hosts of the final stages, consisting of four matches in total.... |
Quarter Finals | 7th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - 1 |
| 1998 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The UEFA U-21 Championship 1998, which spanned two years , had 46 entrants. Before the quarter-finals stage, Romania were chosen as the hosts of the final stages, consisting of four matches in total.... to 2000 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The UEFA U-21 Championship 2000, which spanned two years , had 47 entrants. Northern Ireland competed for the first time. For the first time a finals tournament with two groups of four teams was held, with one of those teams, Slovakia, having been chosen as the hosts.Italy U-21s won the... |
Did Not Qualify | ||||||||
 20022002 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship UEFA U-21 Championship 2002 was the 13th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Switzerland between 16 and 28 May 2002.Czech Republic U-21s won the competition for the first time.-Qualification:... |
Group Stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
 20042004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship UEFA U-21 Championship 2004 was the 14th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Germany between 27 May and 8 June 2004.Italy U-21s won the competition for the fifth time... |
Third Place | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 11 | -2 |
| 2006 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Final:-Goalscorers:4 goals Klaas Jan Huntelaar3 goals Thomas Kahlenberg Nicky Hofs2 goals Bryan Bergougnoux Ruslan Fomin Artem Milevskiy... |
Group Stage | 7th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 |
 20072007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship.... |
Group Stage | 6th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 |
| 2009 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship began on 15 June 2009, and was the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. This was the first tournament after the competition reverted to a two-year format, following the single-year 2006-07 competition, which allowed the change to... to 2011 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship UEFA U-21 Championship 2011 was the 18th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Denmark between 11 and 25 June 2011.... |
Did Not Qualify | ||||||||
| Total | 0 Titles | 0/6 | 21 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 24 | +3 |
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- Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
- Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won.
- Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
- Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won.
- Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
Current squad
Head coach: Rui JorgeNotable players
- Luís FigoLuís FigoLuís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, is a Portuguese former international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009...
- Rui CostaRui CostaRui Manuel César Costa, OIH is a former Portuguese football player and current Director of Football for Sport Lisboa e Benfica. An attacking midfielder also capable of playing as a deep-seated defensive midfielder, he most recently played for Portuguese club Benfica...
- João Vieira PintoJoão Vieira PintoJoão Manuel Vieira Pinto is a retired Portuguese footballer who played mostly as a forward.Blessed with formidable skills and scoring ability, he made his name mostly at a domestic level and as a key figure in the Portuguese national team's "Golden Generation", collecting 138 caps and scoring 35...
- Sérgio ConceiçãoSérgio ConceiçãoSérgio Paulo Marceneiro da Conceição is a retired Portuguese footballer who played mostly as a right winger.Known for his speed and strength, combined with his good dribbling and crossing skills, and fairly accurate shooting. During his extensive career, he played for ten different teams, in five...
- Fernando CoutoFernando CoutoFernando Manuel Silva Couto, OIH is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a central defender.During a 21-year professional career, he played in a number of top teams in Portugal, Spain and Italy , appearing in nearly 600 official games and winning the national league title of each country,...
- Vítor BaíaVítor BaíaVítor Manuel Martins Baía, OIH , is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a goalkeeper.His career was intimately connected with F.C...
- Jorge CostaJorge CostaJorge Paulo Costa Almeida , known as Costa, is a retired Portuguese professional footballer who played as a central defender, and a current manager....
- Nuno Capucho
- DimasDimas TeixeiraDimas Manuel Marques Teixeira , simply Dimas, is a retired Portuguese professional footballer who played as a left defender....
- Paulinho SantosPaulinho SantosJoão Paulo Maio dos Santos , aka Paulinho Santos, is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder....
- Paulo AlvesPaulo AlvesPaulo Lourenço Martins Alves is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a centre forward, and a current coach.-Football career:Born in Vila Real, Alves moved from local club to F.C...
- Dani
- Domingos Paciência
- Ricardo Sá PintoRicardo Sá PintoRicardo Manuel Andrade e Silva Sá Pinto is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a forward.He was known for his fighting spirit, best displayed in his Sporting stints - he was dubbed by the club's fans "Ricardo Lion Heart"...
- Paulo SousaPaulo SousaPaulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa, CavIH is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and a current manager.He was a member of the “Portuguese Golden Generation”...
- António FolhaAntónio FolhaAntónio José dos Santos Folha is a retired Portuguese footballer who played mostly as a winger.-Club career:...
- Carlos SecretárioCarlos SecretárioCarlos Alberto de Oliveira Secretário is a retired Portuguese footballer who played mainly as a right defender....
- Emílio PeixeEmílio PeixeEmílio Manuel Delgado Peixe is a retired Portuguese footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder.A member of the dubbed Golden Generation who hailed from the Portugal youth teams, Peixe was one of the few to have represented all three major clubs in the country, namely Sporting.-Football...
- Abel XavierAbel XavierFaisal Xavier is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a full back. He last played for Los Angeles Galaxy and also made 20 appearances for the Portuguese national team.-Career:...
- Ricardo QuaresmaRicardo QuaresmaRicardo Andrade Quaresma Bernardo is a Portuguese footballer of partial Romani descent who currently plays as a winger for Turkish Süper Lig side Beşiktaş J.K and the Portuguese national team. Quaresma began his career at Sporting Clube de Portugal, and has also played for FC Barcelona, FC Porto,...
- Luis FigoLuís FigoLuís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, is a Portuguese former international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009...
- Miguel VelosoMiguel VelosoMiguel Luís Pinto Veloso is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Genoa C.F.C. and the Portuguese national team.Mainly a defensive midfielder, he can also operate as an offensive left back.-Sporting:...
- João MoutinhoJoão MoutinhoJoão Filipe Iria Santos Moutinho is a Portuguese footballer who plays for F.C. Porto, also being a Portuguese international.Mainly a central midfielder, he can also operate as a holding or attacking midfielder, and on either flank.-Sporting:...
- SimãoSimão SabrosaSimão Pedro Fonseca Sabrosa, OIH , commonly known as Simão , is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Beşiktaş J.K. in Turkey, mainly as a left winger - he can also play as a forward - with dribbling and set piece skills as primary attributes.Having played in his country for two of the three...
Head coaches
| Manager | Period | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | Won | Draw | Lost | GF | GA | GD | |||
| Jesualdo Ferreira Jesualdo Ferreira Manuel Jesualdo Ferreira is a Portuguese football manager who currently manages Greek club Panathinaikos.-Early career:In Ferreira's early career, he managed Rio Maior and Torreense... |
1996-2000 | ||||||||
| Agostinho Oliveira |
2001-2002 | ||||||||
| José Romão José Romão José Pratas Romão , is a Portuguese football coach and former defender.He played for C.D. Beja, Vitória S.C., A.D. Fafe, Penafiel, G.D. Riopele, G.C. Alcobaça and Vizela.He coached Vizela, Penafiel, G.D... |
2002-2004 | ||||||||
| Agostinho Oliveira |
2004-2006 | ||||||||
| José Couceiro |
2006-2007 | ||||||||
| Rui Caçador Rui Caçador Rui Manuel dos Santos Caçador is a Portuguese football manager. He is currently without a club.Rui Caçador has had many managered many clubs and national teams... |
2007-2009 | ||||||||
| Oceano Cruz Oceano da Cruz Oceano Andrade da Cruz , simply Oceano, is a retired Cape Verdean–born Portuguese footballer during the 80's/90's, and a current manager.... |
2009-2010 | ||||||||
| Rui Jorge |
2010- | ||||||||
See also
- Portugal national football teamPortugal national football teamThe Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
- European Under-21 Football Championship
- Golden GenerationGolden GenerationIn sport, a golden generation is an exceptionally gifted group of players of similar age, whose achievements reach or are expected to reach a level of success beyond that which their team had previously achieved...
External links
- UEFA Under-21 website Contains full results archive
- The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Contains full record of U-21/U-23 Championships. Official site