# 1974 UEFA European Under-23 Championship

The 1974 UEFA European Under-23 Championship, which spanned two years (1972–74) had 21 entrants. Hungary U-23 won the competition.
The 21 national teams were divided into eight groups (five groups of 3 + three group of 2). The group winners played off against each other on a two-legged home-and-away basis until the winner was decided. There was no finals tournament or 3rd-place playoff.

## Qualifying stage
### Draw

The allocation of teams into qualifying groups was based on that of 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification with several changes, reflecting the absence of some nations:
* Group 1 did not include Hungary (moved to Group 7) and Malta, but included Czechoslovakia (moved from Group 8)
* Group 2 did not include Switzerland and Luxembourg
* Group 3 did not include Belgium and Iceland
* Group 4 did not include Finland (moved to Group 8)
* Group 5 did not include England and Wales, but included Denmark (moved from Group 8) and West Germany (who did not participate in World Cup qualification)
* Group 6 did not include Northern Ireland and Cyprus
* Group 7 did not include Spain, but included Hungary (moved from Group 1)
* Group 8 (based on World Cup qualifying Group 9) did not include Republic of Ireland, but included Finland (moved from Group 4)
| Qualifying Group 1 | Qualifying Group 1 | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Czechoslovakia | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| 2 | Sweden | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| 3 | Austria | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Austria 1–1 Sweden Austria 0–1 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia 4-0 Austria | Sweden 0–3 Czechoslovakia Sweden 2–0 Austria Czechoslovakia 1–3 Sweden |
| Qualifying Group 2 | Qualifying Group 2 | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Italy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Turkey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Turkey 1–3 Italy | Italy 1–0 Turkey |
| Qualifying Group 3 | Qualifying Group 3 | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Netherlands | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Norway | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Norway 1–3 Netherlands | Netherlands 1–0 Norway |
| Qualifying Group 4 | Qualifying Group 4 | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | East Germany | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 6 |
| 2 | Romania | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| 3 | Albania | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| Albania 1–1 Romania Albania 1–0 East Germany Romania 2–1 Albania | Romania 1–2 East Germany East Germany 2–1 Romania East Germany 6–0 Albania |
| Qualifying Group 5 | Qualifying Group 5 | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Poland | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 7 |
| 2 | West Germany | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| 3 | Denmark | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Denmark 0–2 Poland Denmark 0–2 West Germany Poland 4–1 Denmark | West Germany 2–3 Poland West Germany 3–0 Denmark Poland 0–0 West Germany |
| Qualifying Group 6 | Qualifying Group 6 | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Bulgaria | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Portugal | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Portugal 0–0 Bulgaria | Bulgaria 2–1 Portugal |
| Qualifying Group 7 | Qualifying Group 7 | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Hungary | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | Yugoslavia | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 |
| 3 | Greece | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| Yugoslavia 4–0 Hungary Greece 2–0 Yugoslavia Hungary 2–0 Greece | Hungary 1–0 Yugoslavia Greece 2–3 Hungary Yugoslavia 2–0 Greece |
| Qualifying Group 8 | Qualifying Group 8 | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Soviet Union | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 |
| 2 | Finland | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
| 3 | France | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| Finland 1–3 France Soviet Union 3–1 France Soviet Union 4–0 Finland | France 0–1 Soviet Union Finland 0–0 Soviet Union France 1–2 Finland |

## Knockout stages

| Quarter-finals Netherlands 2-1 Hungary Hungary 3-1 Netherlands  Hungary win 4-3 on aggregate Bulgaria 1-2 Poland Poland 0-0 Bulgaria  Poland win 2-1 on aggregate Soviet Union 6-0 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia 2-1 Soviet Union  Soviet Union win 7-2 on aggregate Italy 0-1 East Germany East Germany 2-1 Italy  East Germany win 3-1 on aggregate | Semi-finals Soviet Union 2-0 Hungary Hungary 2-0 Soviet Union [aet, pen] 2-2: Hungary win 4-3 on penalties East Germany 0-0 Poland Poland 2-2 East Germany 2-2: East Germany win on away goals rule | Final East Germany 3-2 Hungary Hungary 4-0 East Germany Hungary win 6-3 on aggregate  Hungary finish as Champions |