The U-19-European Championships on home soil started badly for the home team with a demoralising 1-0 Group A reverse against Austria. However, the players roused themselves for their crucial second fixture and registered a convincing 4-1 victory over Belgium. A semi-final berth was at stake in the final group fixture against the Czech Republic, but although home dreams of a place in the last four evaporated in a 2-0 defeat to the Czechs, the Poles had done enough to secure a third-place finish in the Group and with it a ticket to the FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007.