The UEFA European Under-21 Championship begins today, with a lot of talented players competing against each other and drawing attention from clubs across Europe. Players born on or after 1 January 1998 are eligible to participate, while this edition of the tournament has been tweaked slightly due to the ongoing pandemic. It will be played through two international breaks, with the group stage between 24th March and 31st March, while the knockout phase will be played from 31st May till 6th June. 16 teams have been divided into four groups of four for this initial stage, and fans, scouts and talent spotters will have to watch the tournament on TV or online, since all games will be held behind closed doors.
This preview will give you some information about the squad rosters, expectations, key players, ones to watch and so on. This preview will be divided into four different pieces, with one for each group. As with every U-21 tournament, there have been a lot of squad changes and tweaks that have been seen during the qualification phase, while there are also several eligible players who will not be part of the tournament, since they have been called up to their senior national squads. We have accounted for some of these changes in our squad depth visuals, where some players may not be in their natural positions, but rather in the positions where they have been used during the qualification phase, and where they are more likely to be played in the upcoming matches.
To read about other groups click on the links
France
Key players: Eduardo Camavinga, Jules Koundé, Jonathan Ikoné and Odsonne Edouard
Ones to watch: Colin Dagba and Amine Gouiri
Most valuable player: Eduardo Camavinga and Jules Koundé €60 million
France are one of the favourites to win this tournament given the quality they possess in their squad. They are a well-balanced team with depth in each position, and this team is stacked with players who have already proved themselves at senior level for their clubs across Europe. France suffered a late blow with the withdrawal of Houssem Aouar and Moussa Diaby while Dayot Upamecano, Dan-Axel Zagadou and Jeff Reine-Adelaide could also not be called up due to injuries. Despite this, they still have a fantastic squad, as we will see.
France has two top options for the goalkeeper position Alban Lafont was Sylvain Ripolls preferred choice during the qualification rounds, but Illan Meslier has been impressive for Leeds United in the Premier League this season, and it wouldnt be a surprise to see him picked as the first choice.
The quality they possess in the cent
