2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

UEFA’s Executive Committee selected Israel to host the championship at a meeting in Switzerland in January 2011. Israel won against competing bids from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, England, and Wales; one contemporary account reported that it received eight of 13 votes in the first round. As host, Israel qualified automatically rather than through the tournament’s qualifying competition.[6][1]

The bid was also discussed in connection with Israeli football diplomacy. The Institute for National Security Studies described Israel’s successful bid as commonly perceived to be linked to a multi-year campaign by Avi Luzon, then president of the Israel Football Association, to improve Israel’s standing among European association presidents. The analysis said Luzon’s standing with UEFA president Michel Platini was considered to have contributed to the outcome; it did not establish this as a definitive cause.[7]

Before the tournament, Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub asked Platini to remove Israel as host. Rajoub alleged that Israel’s government was violating FIFA regulations and cited the detention without trial of players, including Mahmoud Sarsak. He also claimed that Palestinian athletes lacked real freedom of movement and faced risks of detention or death. These were Rajoub’s claims as reported at the time; UEFA declined official comment on his request.[1][3]

The competition ran from June 5 to June 18, 2013, across four venues in Tel Aviv, Netanya, Petah Tikva, and Jerusalem. Its eight teams were divided into two groups. Group A consisted of Israel, Italy, England, and Norway; Group B consisted of Spain, the Netherlands, Russia, and Germany. The top two teams in each group advanced to the semifinals.[6][1]

Israel opened against Norway in Netanya and drew 2–2 after conceding an equalizer in stoppage time.[8] It then lost 4–0 to Italy before beating England 1–0 in its final group match. Ofir Kriaf scored the winning goal in the 80th minute.[9][5] The victory was Israel’s first in the Under-21 European Championship, but it did not change the team’s elimination.[8]

Israel finished third in Group A with four points, above England. Italy and Norway advanced to the semifinals.[9][8]

Spain won Group B after defeating the Netherlands 3–0. Spain then beat Norway 3–0 in the semifinal in Netanya on June 15, reaching its second consecutive Under-21 final. Italy defeated the Netherlands in the other semifinal to set up the final in Jerusalem.[10][11]

In the June 18 final at Teddy Stadium, Spain defeated Italy 4–2 to retain its title and secure its fourth Under-21 championship. Thiago Alcântara scored in the 6th, 31st, and 38th minutes, including a penalty; Ciro Immobile scored for Italy in the 10th minute. Isco added Spain’s fourth from the penalty spot in the 66th minute, and Fabio Borini scored Italy’s second in the 80th.[4][5]

Reports placed attendance at either 29,320 or about 32,000 spectators. Álvaro Morata finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with four goals. Spain also became the first team since the group-stage final-tournament format was adopted in 2000 to win the championship after winning every match.[4][5]

The hosting decision remained a focus of political opposition before the tournament. Protests and a petition opposed holding the event in Israel, while Platini confirmed that Israel would remain host. He described UEFA as an apolitical organization and said the Israeli association had earned the right to host through a fair, democratic vote. He also said the association could not be held responsible for actions by other authorities.[3]

Hosting costs were estimated at about €10 million, with UEFA expected to cover roughly 70 percent and Israeli organizers about €3 million. Construction of stadium facilities in Netanya and Petah Tikva, together with renovations at Bloomfield and Teddy stadiums, was separately estimated at about €150 million. The improved facilities were presented as a potential longer-term benefit despite limited expected immediate economic returns.[12]

More than 150,000 tickets had reportedly been sold before the competition. The Israeli government was reported to have committed an estimated NIS 4.5 million, including as much as NIS 2 million from the Ministry of Culture and Sports.[6][12] A later analysis argued that hosting future international tournaments required adequate funding and noted that the ministry’s budget represented 0.03 percent of the state budget at the time.[7]

The tournament was presented as a milestone for Israeli football because it was the country’s first UEFA final tournament since the 2000 European Under-16 Championship. Israel coach Guy Luzon called hosting an event of this stature a great honor. The competition brought matches to four Israeli venues and was associated with accelerated stadium construction and renovation.[12][2]

Some contemporary reports differed on individual details. A pre-tournament report from 2012 listed June 15–28 as the planned dates, whereas coverage during the event establishes that it ran from June 5 through June 18 and that the final took place on June 18.[1][3] Reports of the final’s attendance also differed, giving figures of 29,320 and approximately 32,000; the result and scoring sequence were otherwise consistent.[4][5]