Ireland handed favourable draw for the U17 European Championship finals

Colin O’Brien’s Boys in Green qualified for the 16-nation showpiece, which takes place from May 1-June 2, by topping a group featuring Italy, Ukraine and Cyprus.

GOOD DRAW: Republic of Ireland Under-17 Head Coach Colin O'Brien

Monday’s Under-17 European Championship finals draw in Budapest has pitted Ireland against tournament hosts Hungary, as well as Poland and Wales in Group A.

Last month Colin O’Brien’s Boys in Green became the first Irish team to qualify for the 16-nation showpiece, which takes place from May 1-June 2, by topping a group featuring Italy, Ukraine and Cyprus.

The squad – which includes Cork City’s Hoffenheim-bound midfielder Matthew Moore – should fancy their chances of claiming one of the top two places in the group and progressing into the quarter-finals.

Held at at Hotel Ensana Thermal Margitsziget, Budapest, the draw - made by Balázs Dzsudzsák, Hungary's most-capped player and tournament ambassador - split the 16 contenders including hosts Hungary into four groups of four teams.

Furthermore, these finals will also act as UEFA's qualifier for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru between November 10-December 2.

The five spots will be filled by the four semi-finalists, plus the winners of a play-off between the two beaten quarter-finalists with the best group stage record.

Speaking after the draw, O'Brien, said: "It's an exciting time for the players. This tournament is a great platform for the players to showcase their ability and to do so against top opposition.

"The group is competitive and we'll be up against opponents who, like us, have come through two tough qualification rounds to be in the finals - all teams are here on merit.

"We're looking forward to it and we can now prepare for our opening game on May 17 against Poland."

Venues, fixture and kick-off times are due to be confirmed shortly.

Republic of Ireland UEFA European Under-17 Championship Fixtures:

Wednesday, May 17 | Ireland MU17 v Poland MU17, KO/Venue TBC.

Saturday, May 20 | Ireland MU17 v Wales MU17, KO/Venue TBC.

Tuesday, May 23 | Hungary MU17 v Ireland MU17, KO/Venue TBC.

FULL DRAW:

Group A: Hungary (hosts), Republic of Ireland, Poland, Wales.

Group B: Serbia, Spain, Italy, Slovenia.

Group C: Portugal, France (holders), Scotland, Germany.

Group D: Croatia, Netherlands, Switzerland, England.

Quarter-finals:

QF1: Winner Group A vs Runner-up Group B.

QF2: Winner Group B vs Runner-up Group A.

QF 3: Winner Group C vs Runner-up Group D/

QF4: Winner Group D vs Runner-up Group C.

Semi-finals:

SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF3.

SF2: Winner QF2 vs Winner QF4.

Final:

Winner of SF1 vs Winner of SF2.