Recalling the Surprise of the U21 EURO Organisers and Pirlo’s Starring Role

As the European Under-21 Championship kicks off in Slovakia on Wednesday, it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the tournament’s previous hosting in the nation back in 2000. A former UEFA Media Officer recalled the surprising surge of interest in that edition, which saw Andrea Pirlo capture the spotlight.

Slovakia is set to host the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship from June 11 to 28. This edition will be the third since the tournament expanded to 16 teams, following the 2021 event held in Hungary and Slovenia, along with the 2023 championship in Georgia and Romania.

The hosts, Slovakia, will face off against 12 teams that successfully navigated the qualification group stage, concluding on October 15, and the three playoff winners determined on November 15 and 19.

The upcoming tournament marks a quarter-century since Slovakia last welcomed the championship in 2000, which notably introduced the group stage format. Group A comprised the Czech Republic, Spain, the Netherlands, and Croatia, while Group B saw Italy, Slovakia, England, and Turkey compete.

‘Caught Completely Off Guard’

“Until that point, UEFA had regarded the Under-21 tournament primarily as a youth event, but Slovakia served as the launching pad for evolving the championship into a more significant national team affair, akin to a mini-EURO,” explained the former UEFA Media Officer.

Staged just a month prior to EURO 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands, the tournament effectively whetted the appetite for the senior competition to follow. This likely contributed to the unexpectedly high levels of interest, which took UEFA and local organisers aback.

“It soon became apparent that interest in the Under-21s had surged dramatically— from media coverage to public enthusiasm, as well as increased attention from sponsors and particularly scouts.”

“The Slovak Football Association and UEFA collaborated efficiently, but they were pushed to their limits due to this unexpected interest.”

“Large crowds showed up for open training sessions featuring teams like England, Italy, Spain, and Slovakia, as federations were taken aback by the level of engagement from major newspapers.”

This unforeseen attention was also evident in the fact that eight matches drew close to 10,000 spectators, placing significant pressure on the local organising committee.

Scouts Eager to Spot Future Stars

“The Slovak organisers did admirably, promptly expanding media facilities and enhancing security at stadiums. By the time the next European Under-21 tournament took place in Switzerland in 2002, valuable lessons had certainly been learnt,” noted the former UEFA Media Officer.

Given the number of emerging talents who went on to become football legends, it’s easy to see why spectator interest grew exponentially.

The roster featured astonishing prospects that left any football enthusiast in awe. For Spain, Carles Puyol was on the brink of establishing himself as a keystone in Iñaki Sáez’s defence, while Xavi Hernández was blossoming into the dynamic playmaker he would later become.

A veritable swarm of scouts flocked to England’s matches, where a promising Ledley King, alongside Jamie Carragher, was instrumental in the backline, while a young Frank Lampard showcased immense potential in midfield.

Mark van Bommel scored a standout goal from inside his own half, lobbing the ball over Croatia’s Stipe Pletikosa for a thrilling 2-1 victory during the group stage. Notably, the Dutch squad also included a budding midfielder from Utrecht named Dirk Kuyt, who would later achieve legendary status at Anfield.

Latter, Kuyt would not have known he would soon share a Liverpool dressing room with a rising star from the Czech Republic, Milan Baros, who had already showcased his ability in several youth tournaments before making his way to Bratislava.

Nevertheless, the undeniable star of the show at the 2000 European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia was Italian maestro Andrea Pirlo.

Pirlo announced his arrival as a future star with two goals as Italy secured their fourth UEFA European Under-21 Championship title in five years, overcoming the Czech Republic 2-1 in Bratislava.

It was a memorable tournament for the 21-year-old ‘fantasista’, who found the net with a penalty in Italy’s 2-0 opening victory against England but received his marching orders in a 1-1 draw with the host nation, Slovakia, just two days later.

A robust Italian squad, featuring talents like Gennaro Gattuso, Christian Abbiati, Cristiano Zanetti, Francesco Coco, and Roberto Baronio, ultimately progressed to the final, where they met the Czech Republic.

In a thrilling and evenly matched clash, Pirlo opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 42nd minute. Tomas Dosek sent the approximately 12,000 fans—primarily from the Czech Republic—into a frenzy by equalising shortly after halftime.

However, the euphoria was short-lived as Pirlo struck the decisive goal with nine minutes remaining, capitalising on a fantastic curling free-kick from 25 metres out, a skill that later became his signature move.