The IFAF U19 European Championships resume on Sunday, May 10, with three nations in action for the first time in the 2026/27 cycle as Spain looks to build on a promising start to the campaign.
Head coach Óscar Calatayud saw his Spain team make a return to the international junior stage after a long absence and almost shock reigning champion Austria in a 17-7 defeat that was in Spain’s favor until late in the fourth quarter.
He takes his side to Czechia to face a home nation as one of three countries making IFAF debuts at this level under head coach Jan Štiegler in Group A.
“The loss against Austria was bittersweet,” said Calatayud. “We stayed close to them and held our own, but it was clear that we lacked preparation and made some key mistakes that cost us the game. In addition, we lost our starting quarterback, Rodrigo Loscertales, to injury, and that was a tough blow.”
Loscertales lofted a perfect pass beyond the secondary that landed in the hands of Adrian Bermudez who raced away to complete a 64-yard touchdown connection for Spain to lead Austria 7-3 at halftime. Spain’s defense was relentless in protecting its lead and not until late in the game did Austria avoid an upset with two touchdowns.
“For the game against Czechia, we hope to compete again as we did against Austria,” added Calatayud. “The way we played gives us confidence. Despite Rodrigo’s absence, we believe we can achieve a win, although we know it won’t be easy: we’re playing away from home and against an opponent we have never beaten. We are preparing for the game as best as possible to once again deliver a strong performance.”
Italy will take on Israel in Group B on Sunday as head coach Giorgio Longhi brings a new generation of U19 players to the competition
“In January, we selected around 80 players, then with an initial three-day training camp, we established the team's core skills,” explained Longhi. “Now, with another three days of training before the match, we’ll be fully prepared to face the Israel team. We have quality players in every department, many of whom are actively competing in the Italian Football League Division 1 and 2 championships.”
Israel already has a win to its name having been awarded a 1-0 win over Sweden who confirmed on January 18 that they would forfeit the opening game that was due to be played in Israel. As a result, Longhi and his coaching staff know little about their visitors who are entering the IFAF U19 European Championships for the first time along with Poland, Czechia and Hungary. Debut nations have shown already in 2026 that they pose a threat to the more established teams with Poland narrow losing to powerhouse Finland by only three points earlier this month.
“For this match, we expect Israel to be solid on defense and to focus on attacking more with a passing game than with running plays,” added Longhi. “Our game plan will be the same as in recent games: build our offense, force turnovers with the defense, and manage field positions with special teams. Respect for our opponents dictates that it will be a tough game where we'll have to stay focused until the end.”
Although his team leads Group B, Israel head coach Eric Cohu has been without a competitive fixture before his squad faces Italy.
“It has been extremely challenging to prepare for a football game; however, our players and coaches have strong hearts and have demonstrated excellent resilience,” he said.
IFAF U19 European Championships Schedule
Group A Austria 1-0 Czechia 0-0 Spain 0-1
April 4 Spain 7 Austria 17
May 10 Czechia vs Spain
September 19/20 Austria vs Czechia
Group B Israel 1-0 Italy 0-0 Sweden 0-1
Israel 1 Sweden 0 (Sweden forfeit)
May 10 Italy vs Israel
September 19/20 Sweden vs Italy
Group C Germany 1-0 Finland 1-0 Poland 0-1 Hungary 0-1
April 4 Finland 16 Poland 13 Germany 79 Hungary 7 (hosted by Hungary)
September 19/20 (home teams TBC) Germany vs Finland Poland vs Hungary
2027
March 27/28/29 Group 1-3: C1 vs A1 Group 4-6: A2 vs C2 Group 7-10: SF1 / SF2
May 8/9 Group 1-3: B1 vs C1 Group 4-6: B2 vs A2
September 18/19 Group 1-3: A1 vs B1 Group 4-6: C2 vs B2 Group 7-10: 7th-8th Place / 9th-10th Place
