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Today, on November 30th, the draw for the 2006 European Youth Championships took place at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, dividing the U-17 (up to 17 years) and U-19 (up to 19 years) teams into twelve groups.
Both Lithuanian national teams were placed in the first group. The U-19 team will face Slovenia, Estonia, and Georgia, while the U-17 team will play against Northern Ireland, Serbia and Montenegro, and Malta. The qualifying cycle is set to begin in the autumn of 2005.
The second stage will include the two strongest teams from each group and the best-performing third-place team. Later on, the teams will be divided into seven groups, and the winners will qualify for the final stage of the championship: the U-17 final tournament will be held in Luxembourg, while the U-19 teams will compete in Poland.
Furthermore, the Lithuanian U-19 team is still participating in the 2005 European Championship qualifying matches, with upcoming matches in the second stage. In the sixth group, Lithuania will face Ukraine, Russia, and Norway in January to March of the following year.
In the draw ceremony, Lithuania was drawn to Group 1 of the 2006 European U-17 Championship, along with Northern Ireland, Serbia and Montenegro, and Malta. In the 2006 European U-19 Championship, Lithuania was placed in Group 1 with Slovenia, Estonia, and Georgia.
