1972 UEFA European Under-23 Championship

The 1972 UEFA European Under-23 Championship, which spanned two years (1970–72) had 23 entrants. Czechoslovakia U-23s won the competition.

The 23 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. There was no finals tournament or 3rd-place playoff.

Qualifying Stage

Draw

The allocation of teams into qualifying groups was based on that of UEFA Euro 1972 qualifying tournament with several changes, reflecting the absence of some nations:

• Group 2 and 8 had the same competing nations
• Group 1 did not include Wales
• Group 3 did not include England and Malta
• Group 4 did not include Northern Ireland and Cyprus
• Group 5 did not include Belgium and Scotland
• Group 6 did not include Republic of Ireland
• Group 7 did not include Luxembourg

Group 1

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Czechoslovakia	4	2	2	0	8	4	6
2	Romania	4	2	1	1	5	3	5
3	Finland	4	0	1	3	4	10	1

Finland 1–1 Czechoslovakia Finland 0–1 Romania Romania 1–1 Czechoslovakia	Czechoslovakia 5–2 Finland Romania 3–1 Finland Czechoslovakia 1–0 Romania
Czechoslovakia qualify as group winners

Group 2

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Bulgaria	6	4	1	1	9	3	9
2	Hungary	6	3	1	2	9	3	7
3	Norway	6	1	3	2	6	13	5
4	France	6	0	3	3	5	10	3

Norway 1–0 Hungary France 0–0 Norway Bulgaria 5–0 Norway France 1–1 Hungary Bulgaria 1–0 Hungary Norway 1–1 Bulgaria	Norway 4–4 France Hungary 2–0 Bulgaria Hungary 3–0 France Hungary 3–0 Norway Bulgaria 1–0 France France 0–1 Bulgaria
Bulgaria qualify as group winners

Group 3

Qualifying Group 3		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Greece	2	2	0	0	3	0	4
2	Switzerland	2	0	0	2	0	3	0

Greece 1–0 Switzerland	Switzerland 0–2 Greece
Greece qualify as group winners

Group 4

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Soviet Union	2	1	1	0	3	2	3
2	Spain	2	0	1	1	2	3	1

Spain 1–2 Soviet Union	Soviet Union 1–1 Spain
Soviet Union qualify as group winners

Group 5

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Denmark	2	1	1	0	3	2	3
2	Portugal	2	0	1	1	2	3	1

Portugal 1–1 Denmark	Denmark 2–1 Portugal
Denmark qualify as group winners

Group 6

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Sweden	4	3	0	1	8	2	6
2	Italy	4	2	0	2	6	7	4
3	Austria	4	1	0	3	3	8	2

Italy 3–1 Austria Sweden 2–0 Austria Italy 1–0 Sweden	Austria 0–2 Sweden Sweden 4–1 Italy Austria 2–1 Italy
Sweden qualify as group winners

Group 7

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	Netherlands	4	2	1	1	9	7	5
2	Yugoslavia	4	2	1	1	7	7	5
3	East Germany	4	1	0	3	5	7	2

Netherlands 5–2 Yugoslavia East Germany 3–1 Netherlands Yugoslavia 1–1 Netherlands	East Germany 0–1 Yugoslavia Netherlands 2–1 East Germany Yugoslavia 3–1 East Germany
Netherlands qualify as group winners

Group 8

		P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1	West Germany	6	5	1	0	11	1	11
2	Poland	6	2	3	1	7	4	7
3	Albania	6	0	3	3	2	7	3
4	Turkey	6	0	3	3	0	8	3

Albania 1–1 Poland Turkey 0–2 West Germany Turkey 0–0 Albania Albania 0–2 West Germany West Germany 3–0 Turkey Poland 2–1 Albania	West Germany 2–0 Albania Turkey 0–0 Poland Poland 1–1 West Germany Albania 0–0 Turkey West Germany 1–0 Poland Poland 3–0 Turkey
West Germany qualify as group winners

Knockout Stages

Quarter Finals Bulgaria 2–2 Netherlands Netherlands 0–0 Bulgaria Bulgaria 2–0 Netherlands 2–2:  Bulgaria win playoff match Denmark 2–0 Greece Greece 5–0 Denmark  Greece win 5–2 on aggregate Soviet Union 3–1 West Germany West Germany 0–0 Soviet Union  Soviet Union win 3–1 on aggregate Sweden 1–0 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia 3–1 Sweden  Czechoslovakia win 3–2 on aggregate

Semi Finals Czechoslovakia 2–0 Greece Greece 2–1 Czechoslovakia  Czechoslovakia win 3–2 on aggregate Soviet Union 4–0 Bulgaria Bulgaria 3–3 Soviet Union  Soviet Union win 7–3 on aggregate

Final Soviet Union 2–2 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia 3–1 Soviet Union  Czechoslovakia win 5–3 on aggregate  Czechoslovakia finish as Champions

See also

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship

External links

• RSSSF Results Archive at rsssf.com