Today, June 16, in Poland, starts the 21st European Championship among the national teams U-21. 12 teams will participate in the tournament, however, unfortunately, there were no places for the national team of Ukraine on it. Our compatriots took only the fourth place in the qualification, which did not allow us to hope even for the play-offs.

In total, Ukrainian youth were among the participants in the Euro twice. We suggest recalling the debut performance of Ukrainians on the continental championship, which became for us the best in history.

The team, coached by Alexei Mikhailichenko, in the qualifying group to the Portuguese Euro took the second place, conceding to Denmark, losing to her both matches.

In the playoffs, the Ukrainians got to Belgium, and after the first home match in our pass to the Euro it was hard to believe - the defeat was 2: 3.

The return match took place four days later and in the 40th minute the Belgians took the lead, which meant that we had to score three times.

Ruslan Fomin scored in the 70th minute, and Dmitry Chygrynsky seven minutes before the end of playing time. When the clock counted the last minute added by the arbiter, the leader of that team Artem Milevsky did this ... ... and brought the team to the first Euro in history.

As a result of the draw, Ukrainians were in Group B, where their rivals were the teams of Italy, Holland and all the same Denmark.

In the first round, the Ukrainians beat the Dutch, led by the incredibly talented Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Goals scored forwards of our team Artem Milevsky and Ruslan Fomin.

Two days later, the Ukrainians met with Italy, which coached Claudio Gentile. The match was going to a goalless draw, but on 90 + 3 minute, the Ukrainians missed, and scored a certain Giorgio Cielini.

In case of defeat from Denmark in the last round, the Ukrainians left the tournament, but the Northmen lost the third time in this cycle our guys did not intend to. On the goal of Kahlenberg with our balls answered our couple of forwards Milevsky / Fomin. The victory of the Dutch in the parallel match meant the first place in the group for Ukraine and the semi-final for the national team of Serbia and Montenegro.

Among the Balkans at that tournament were such famous players as Vladimir Stojkovic, Dusan Basta, Mirko Vucinic, Milos Krasic and Branislav Ivanovich.

The main time of the semi-final match ended without a goal, in addition, there were extra-time. Alexei Mikhailichenko a minute before the end of the match was already preparing for the penalty shootout and made an unexpected substitution, releasing Alexander Rybka in the field instead of Andrey Pyatov.

Then the goalkeeper of Dynamo, who came out to save the team in the lottery, managed to save her in the match, reflecting the dangerous attack of the Serbs. In the penalty shootout Rybka reflected the first blow from Jankovic (Aliyev also smeared), and later repulsed the sixth blow from Purovich. 5: 4 - victory of the Ukrainians on penalties and reaching the final, where the rival will be the already familiar Netherlands.

Final remembers no desire. To say that the Ukrainians failed the match, in the first half the Dutch were better, as evidenced by two goals scored. In the second, the Ukrainians acted more strongly until Romanchuk was removed. At the last minute our guys missed the third ball and later watched as the Netherlands raised a cup overhead that was so near.

A total of 22 players were announced for the tournament.

Goalkeepers: Andrey Pyatov (Vorskla Poltava), Alexander Rybka (Dynamo Kiev), Evgeny Shiryaev (Chernomorets Odessa).

Defenders: Alexander Romanchuk (Dynamo Kiev), Nikolay Ischenko (Karpaty Lviv), Alexander Yatsenko (Dynamo Kiev), Dmitry Chigrinsky (Shakhtar Donetsk), Grigory Yarmash (Dynamo Kiev).

Midfielders: Alexander Aliev (Dynamo Kiev), Dmitry Nevmyvaka (Metallurg Zaporozhye), Adrian Pukanych (Shakhtar Donetsk), Sergei Pylypchuk (Spartak Nalchik), Yevgeny Cheberyachko (Kharkov), Taras Mikhalik (Dynamo Kyiv), Alexei Godin (Metallurg Zaporozhye) , Alexander Maximov (Kharkov), Alexander Sytnik (Dynamo Kiev), Andrey Oberemko (Kharkov).

Forwards: Maxim Feshchuk (Karpaty Lviv), Artem Milevsky (Dynamo Kiev), Ruslan Fomin (Shakhtar Donetsk), Ivan Krivosheenko (Ilyichevets).

Let's see what happened to the players who 11 years ago failed to conquer Europe, but conquered our hearts.

Andriy Pyatov The main goalkeeper of that youth team has become the main and in the main team of the country. Immediately after the youth Euro Piatov went to the World Cup in Germany, where he was the third goalkeeper of the team Oleg Blokhin.

Six months after the successful Euro U-21 signed a contract with the Miner, which has been performing for 10 years.

Grigory Yarmash At that time club mate Pyatova was without alternative to the main right-back of the team Alexei Mikhailichenko. He spent from the bell to the bell all Euro matches, becoming the leader of the tournament on earned yellow cards.

He continued to play in Vorskla until 2011, after which he moved to Lugansk Zarju, where he finished his career this summer.

Alexander Romanchuk The defensive line was the most predictable link in that team, and if Yarmash played on the right, the left flank was entirely in the power of Romanchuk.

The talented defender never managed to reveal his potential completely, which was also hampered by injuries. In Dynamo, he did not gain a foothold, after several leases he moved to Metallist, where he also failed to become the main.

The last professional club of the player was Vorskla, after which Romanchuk appeared in the championship of Kiev.

Dmitry Chygrynskiy The youngest player of our team after the reserve goalkeeper Alexander Rybka, was one of the best in the tournament. UEFA even identified Dmitry in the symbolic team of the tournament.

Three years after the Euro, Dmitry will leave the Shakhtar in Barcelona, ??but will not be able to fully open and return to Donetsk. To return to the previous level, Chygrynsky did not manage, and after another five years he went to the Dnieper in Shakhtar, where he left for the Greek AEK, where he is playing at the moment.

Alexander Yatsenko Captain and the leader of that team. Yatsenko, like Chigrinsky, had prospects to grow into the main player of the national team, but it did not work out. After the native Dynamo were Kharkov, Chernomorets, the Dnieper, Ilyichevets, the Belarusian Belshina, and the pros ended the captain's career in Helios, where he later began to train children. Now playing in the amateur Solly Plus.

Eugene Cheberyachko In those days, Cheberyachko played in the midfield, it was later he became a central ring in the Dnieper. In Kharkov, Eugene, who participated in all matches of this Euro, continued to play until 2009, until he moved to the more powerful Dnieper, in the same place he continues to perform.

Taras Mikhalik Half a year before the Euro Mihalik moved from Transcarpathia to Kiev Dynamo, where he continued to play until 2013. All this time he was summoned to the national team of Ukraine, where he played as many as 34 matches.

In 2013 I moved to the Moscow Locomotive. A few days ago, extended the contract with the club and will hold it for the fifth season.

Alexander Aliev At that Euro Aliyev played in all matches, although only once he came out in the first team. The footballer showed great hopes. The player has grown to the level of the leader of Dynamo, but has not managed to become something more than a decent player in the championship of Ukraine, and at the age of 27, frankly started "finish the game".

Now Aliyev returned from the Taraz of Kazakhstan and plays in Kiev for one of the amateur clubs of the capital.

Adrian Pukanych Havbek Shakhtar, who had already two matches in the national team, three times left in the start, but did not play in the final. Pukanych, like many of this team, did not realize its potential. After long leases, he still left Shakhtar and signed a contract with Ilyichevets.

In 2015 he left for Georgia, where he spent one season and returned to his homeland. This winter I signed a contract with FC Poltava, but left it a few days later.

Alexander Maksimov Another representative of FC Kharkov in the national team. Maksimov in his career changed 12 Ukrainian clubs before going abroad. First he performed in Belorussian Torpedo-BelAZ, and later moved to the exotic championship of Malta. With the local club Pembroke in Maximova in January ended the contract.

Artem Milevsky The main attacking power of the team at Euro U-21 in 2006. Artem, like his best friend Alexander Aliev, was perceived as the future not only of Dynamo, but of the Ukrainian team.

However, after a couple of years of incredible game that the players showed, they began to degrade dramatically in the football sense, after which both left Dynamo.

Milya did not seek to continue his career in Ukraine, moving across the Black Sea to Gaziantespor. Later there were Croatia (Hajduk and Split) and Romania (Concordia). The last season of Artem spent in Russia Tosno, the future of the player in which at the moment is vague.

Ruslan Fomin Forward Shakhtar for a long time belonged to the Donetsk club, and only in 2012 signed with Ilyichevets not a lease contract.

In 2015 he decided to try his forces outside his native land (Azerbaijani Gabala, Kazakhstan's Atyrau, Greek Apollo), but nevertheless he returned to Mariupol, who became native, with whom he left for ULL following the results of last season.

Maxim Feshchuk At the time of Euro Feshchuk represented the native Carpathians, in which he played until 2009. Later, the forward moved to Tavria, where he won the Cup of Ukraine.

After the season in Goverla in 2015, left Ukraine and played for Shakhtar from Karaganda. 2016 spent in the Moldovan Dacia, and in 2017 returned to Kazakhstan, where he defends the colors of Taraz.

The remaining players were not on the leading roles in the team Mikhailichenko.

Alexander Rybka (1 substitute for the Euro) - currently playing for the Turkish Karabukkspor. 2 matches for the main national team.

Nikolay Ishchenko (did not play) - protects the colors of Kamensky Steel. 1 match for the main national team.

Dmitry Nevmyvaka (did not play) - performs in the Ukrainian Amateur Championship for Zaporozhye Tavria.

Sergei Pilipchuk (did not play) - the only legionary in that team returned to his homeland in 2012, but through the season moved to the Polish Crown, where he played for 4 seasons already.

Ivan Krivosheenko (did not play) - left Kolos from Kovalevka at the end of last year and now plays for the Kiev Musicians.

Alexei Godin (2 matches) - in 2016 he moved to TSC-Tavria, serving in the championship of Crimea. In the first match injured and more for the club did not play.

Alexander Sytnik (did not play) - back in 2014 began to speak for the amateur teams of the Kiev region. Team-mate Krivosheyenko and Romanchuk in FC Muzychi.

Andrei Oberemko (2 matches) - completed his football career at 31 years old.

Yevgeny Shiryaev (did not play) - rose from the Second League to the First as part of the Odessa Pearl.