UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP - 2019/21 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Stadion Celje - Celje Tuesday 30 March 2021 21.00CET (21.00 local time) Group B - Matchday 3 Czech Republic Last updated 29/03/2021 16:33CET

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1 Spain - Czech Republic Tuesday 30 March 2021 - 21.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Celje, Celje

Match background

Spain and the Czech Republic meet in the final tournament of a UEFA European Under-21 Championship for the third time in the concluding round of Group B games at the Stadion Celje. • While Spain have reached the final in four of the last five editions of the competition, winning three of them, their Czech opponents are looking to reach the knockout rounds for the first time in a decade, their last two finals appearances having ended in the group stage. • Spain are top of Group B having picked up four points from their two games, beating co-hosts Slovenia 3-0 before a goalless draw against Italy last time out. The Czechs, who have drawn 1-1 against both Italy and Slovenia, an 86th- minute own goal from Nik Prelec denying them victory in the latter match, are level on points with Italy, one above Slovenia. • Spain will go through if they avoid defeat against the Czech Republic, or if Italy fail to beat Slovenia. Spain would win the group with victory, and also with a draw unless Italy won by three goals or more. If Spain and Italy end level on goal difference and goals scored, they will be split by disciplinary ranking then coefficient. • The Czech Republic will go through if they beat Spain. They also go through if both games are drawn but they score the same number of goals as Italy; if both games are drawn and Italy score one more goal than the Czech Republic they will be split on disciplinary ranking then coefficient. If both the Czechs and Italy win, they will be split for first place on overall goal difference, then goals scored, then disciplinary then coefficient. Previous meetings • The teams have met in six U21 fixtures, Spain recording five wins and a draw. This is their first meeting since a 2-0 Spain win in the group stage of the 2011 finals, Adrián López scoring in each half (27, 47) to secure the points on Matchday 2; both teams progressed from Group B to the semi-finals, Spain going on to lift the trophy in Denmark. • Their last fixture before then was also their only other finals meeting, Albert Luque's 90th-minute equaliser rescuing a 1-1 Matchday 1 draw for Spain in Trenčín on 27 May 2000 after Tomáš Došek's 55th-minute strike had seemingly given the Czechs victory. The Czechs went on to finish first in Group A on seven points, two ahead of Spain, and progressed directly to a final that they lost 2-1 to Italy; Spain beat hosts Slovakia 1-0 in the third-place play-off. • Spain eliminated the Czech Republic from the 1996 quarter-finals, winning 2-1 in both Granada and Prague with Raúl González scoring twice in the away leg. Spain were ultimately beaten on penalties in the final by Italy. • The visitors were also 2-1 victors in Prague in qualifying for the 1998 competition, getting the first goal. Spain won the return fixture in Burgos 4-0 en route to claiming their second European U21 title. Form guide Spain • Spain have won five U21 EURO titles, a joint competition record along with Italy. • This is Spain's eighth appearance in the U21 final tournament since 1998, and a sixth in the competition's last seven editions. They have only failed to get past the group stage once in those eight participations, in 2009, and have reached the final in each of their last four, lifting the trophy in 2011, 2013 and 2019. • Current coach Luis de la Fuente – who succeeded Albert Celades in July 2018 – led Spain to a 2-1 final victory against Germany in Udine in 2019. His side had finished first in Group A, level with hosts Italy and Poland on six points but top in the three-way head-to-head, before beating France 4-1 in the semi-finals. • Spain have lost only three of 38 European U21 Championship games (W30 D5) – against Italy on Matchday 1 at the 2019 finals (1-3), in qualification at home to Northern Ireland on 11 September 2018 (1-2) and Germany in the 2017 final (0-1). • De la Fuente's team won nine of their ten qualifiers in booking their place at the 2021 finals, dropping points only in a 1-1 draw in Israel on 19 November 2019. They won their next five qualifiers, keeping a clean sheet in each, and have now not conceded in 639 minutes of competitive football. They finished on 28 points, ten ahead of North Macedonia at the top of Group 6. • Spain conceded only one goal – a penalty – in qualifying, which gave them the best defensive record; no other team conceded fewer than four. • Spain have won 19 of their last 23 matches at the final tournament (D2 L2); the 2019 defeat by Italy was their first in the group stage since a 2-0 reverse to England on 18 June 2009. • De la Fuente also led Spain to the 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship title in Greece. Czech Republic

2 Spain - Czech Republic Tuesday 30 March 2021 - 21.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Celje, Celje

• Karel Krejčí's side finished top of qualifying Group 4, picking up 21 points from their ten matches to edge out Croatia by a single point at the top of the section. Defeated only once, 2-0 away to Scotland, they made sure of first place with a 2-0 win in Greece in their final qualifier. • Winners in 2002 with a squad including Petr Čech, Milan Baroš, Zdeněk Grygera, David Rozehnal, Jan Polák and Tomáš Hübschman – who all amassed more than 50 senior caps – the Czech Republic are in the final tournament for the seventh time. Runners-up in 2000, they were knocked out in the group stage in 2007 and, as hosts, 2015, but reached the semi-finals in 2011. • The Czechs' most recent appearance came in 2017, when they finished bottom of a section including Italy, eventual winners Germany and Denmark in Poland. They picked up three points, beating Italy 3-1 on Matchday 2 either side of defeats by Germany (0-2) and Denmark (2-4). • Czechoslovakia reached the U21 quarter-finals on six occasions, but never went any further in the competition. Links and trivia • Brahim Díaz scored the opening goal in AC Milan's 3-0 home win against Sparta Praha in the UEFA Europa League group stage on 29 October 2020. He was also a late substitute in the Italian side's 1-0 win in Prague on 10 December. • Ladislav Krejčí came on at half-time in Sparta's home loss to Milan.

3 Spain - Czech Republic Tuesday 30 March 2021 - 21.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Celje, Celje Legend

:: Squad list No: number DoB: date of birth Qual: qualifying FT: final tournament Pld: played Gls: goals Overall U21: all-time qualifying and final tournament data

:: Match officials Nat: nationality DoB: date of birth

Under-21: Total matches officiated in the UEFA European U21 Championship including all qualifying round matches. Matches as the fourth official are not included in these statistics. These are the official statistics considered valid for communicating official records in the competition.

UEFA: Total matches officiated in all UEFA competitions including all qualifying round matches. Matches where the official has acted as the fourth official are not included in these statistics. These are the official statistics considered valid for communicating official records in the competition.

:: Group statistics/Tournament schedule Pos: position Pld: played W: won D: drawn L: lost GF: goals for GA: goals against Pts: points

:: NOTE: All-time statistics Goals totals include the outcome of disciplinary decisions (eg. match forfeits when a 3-0 result is determined). Goals totals do not include goals scored from the penalty mark during a penalty shoot-out. Competitions

Club competitions National team competitions UCL: UEFA Champions League EURO: UEFA European Football Championship ECCC: European Champion Clubs' Cup WC: FIFA World Cup UEL: UEFA Europa League CONFCUP: FIFA Confederations Cup UCUP: UEFA Cup FRIE: Friendly internationals UCWC: UEFA Cup Winners' Cup U21FRIE: Under-21 friendly internationals SCUP: UEFA Super Cup U21: UEFA European Under-21 Championship UIC: UEFA Intertoto Cup U17: UEFA Under-17 Championship ICF: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup U16: UEFA European Under-16 Championship U19: UEFA Under-19 Championship U18: UEFA European Under-18 Championship WWC: FIFA Women's World Cup WEURO: UEFA European Women's Championship Competition stages Other abbreviations F: Final GS: Group stage (aet): After extra time pens: Penalties GS1: First group stage GS2: Second group stage No.: Number og: Own goal 3QR: Third qualifying round R1: First round ag: Match decided on away P: Penalty R2: Second round R3: Third round goals agg: Aggregate R4: Fourth round PR: Preliminary round Pld: Matches played AP: Appearances SF: Semi-finals QF: Quarter-finals Pos.: Position Comp.: Competition R16: round of 16 QR: Qualifying round Pts: Points D: Drawn R32: Round of 32 1QR: First qualifying round R: Sent off (straight red card) DoB: Date of birth 1st: first leg 2QR: Second qualifying Res.: Result ET: Extra Time round sg: Match decided by silver GA: Goals against 2nd: second leg FT: Final tournament goal t: Match decided by toss of a PO: Play-off ELITE: Elite round coin Rep: Replay 3rdPO: Third-place play-off GF: Goals for W: Won PO - FT: Play-off for Final GS-FT: Group stage – final gg: Match decided by golden Y: Booked Tournament tournament goal L: Lost Y/R: Sent off (two yellow Nat.: Nationality cards) N/A: Not applicable f: Match forfeited

4 Spain - Czech Republic Tuesday 30 March 2021 - 21.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Celje, Celje Statistics -: Denotes player substituted +: Denotes player introduced *: Denotes player sent off +/-: Denotes player introduced and substituted Squad list D: Disciplinary *: Misses next match if booked S: Suspended Overall: Total appearances in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final tournament only Disclaimer: Although UEFA has taken all reasonable care that the information contained within this document is accurate at the time of publication, no representation or guarantee (including liability towards third parties), expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. Therefore, UEFA assumes no liability for the use or interpretation of information contained herein. More information can be found in the competition regulations available on UEFA.com.

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