Czech and Turkey Face U21 Playoff for European Championship Spot

Ten group-stage matches brought the Czech under-21 football team to a decisive two-game playoff against Turkey for a spot in the European championship, sport.cz reported.

The squad secured second place in their qualifying group behind Portugal by collecting 18 points from five wins, three draws, and two losses, according to sport.cz. Turkey finished second in its own qualifying group behind Croatia with 13 points, suffering just one defeat across eight matches, ČT sport reported.

Michal Bílek’s team enters the fixture missing defenders Adam Ševinský and Ondřej Kričfaluši due to injury, alongside midfielder Lukáš Ambros, who advanced to the senior national team, sport.cz reported. “Our goal is to qualify for the Euro. I trust the team, we have already shown our strength,” said Michal Bílek.

The Turkish under-21 roster relies heavily on players who lack regular playing time in top-tier domestic competitions, Livesport reported. Tolga Akdeniz, a world desk editor and Turkish football specialist at Livesport, said that Süper Lig participants prioritize foreign acquisitions over developing youth talent, leaving the opposing squad with limited competitive experience. In contrast, the Czech squad features players regularly contesting top domestic and international fixtures, including Matěj Šín and Yannick Eduardo in the Netherlands, according to Livesport.

“Myslím si, že Turecko je pro nás přijatelný soupeř. Z výběru, který byl, jsme mohli dostat určitě horší, ale i lehčí soupeře. Máme ale opravdu kvalitní tým a myslím si, že bychom to mohli zvládnout,” liberecký záložník Alexander Bužek said.

“I think Turkey is a suitable opponent for us. From the selection that was made, we could have certainly gotten worse, but also lighter opponents. But we have a really good team and I think we can handle it,” said Alexandr Bužek.

The Czech under-21 team is appearing in the playoff round for a record tenth time, having successfully advanced in six out of nine previous attempts, ČT sport reported. Previous playoff successes include victories over Iceland and Belgium, a trajectory the team hopes to replicate for the upcoming tournament hosted jointly by Albania and Serbia, sport.cz and ČT sport reported. The two teams have met eight times previously across international fixtures, resulting in five draws, two wins for Turkey, and one victory for the Czech side, ČT sport reported.

Lukáš Mašek said the opening match away from home is important before the return for the decisive leg. “A lot will depend on the first match away, which will be extremely important for us. We need to get a good result there and confirm it at home. We are playing in Hradec, where we are doing well,” said Lukáš Mašek.

The return match will be played on November 17 in Hradec Králové, sport.cz reported.

The European Under-21 Championship will take place from June 16 to July 3 of next year in Albania and Serbia, ČT sport reported.

Coach Bílek is missing injured defenders Adam Ševinský and Ondřej Kričfaluši, along with midfielder Lukáš Ambros, who joined the senior national team, sport.cz reported.

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