1. Which countries outperform compared to population in producing the best football talent at U-21?
by Siggi Eyjolfsson - Technical director, The Icelandic F.A. U-21 2007 (Q/F) 20%, U-21 2009 (Q/F) 40%, U-21 2011 (Q/) 40%
Source: UEFA U-21 national team coefficent ranking (released 18/1 2011) and Population Reference Bureau (www.prb.org). Population Mid 2010.
Total Population Outperforms+ Total Population Outperforms+
UEFA Population rank within Underperforms- UEFA Population rank within Underperforms-
Coefficient in millions Europe (A-E) Coefficient in millions Europe (A-E)
1 England 37,459 51,5 6 5 27 Slovakia 25,201 5,4 27-28 0-1
2 Spain 36,608 47,1 7 5 28 Moldova 24,546 4,1 34 6
3 Netherlands 34,863 16,6 11 8 29 Finland 23.820 5,4 27-28 1-2
4 Italy 34,378 60,5 5 1 30 Armenia 23.607 3,1 38 8
5 Sweden 34,172 9,4 19 14 31 North. Ireland 23,102 1,8 43 12
6 Czech Republic 34,167 10,5 16 10 32 Poland 23,101 38,2 9 23
7 Russia 32,672 141,9 1 6 33 Montenegro 22,845 0,63 46 13
8 Serbia 32,392 7,3 25 17 34 Georgia 22,236 4,6 31 3
9 Germany 32,372 81,6 2 7 35 Latvia 21,749 2,2 40 5
10 Romania 31,135 21,5 10 0 36 Norway 21,576 4,9 30 6
11 Switzerland 31,099 7,8 22 11 37 Slovenia 20,326 2,1 41-42 4-5
12 Wales 30,792 3 39 27 38 Rep. of Ireland 20,246 4,5 32 6
13 Belarus 30,555 9,5 18 5 39 Bulgaria 19,901 7,5 24 15
14 France 30,307 63 4 10 40 Bosnia and Herz. 19,351 3,8 35 5
15 Ukraine 30,067 45,9 8 7 41 FYROM 18,826 2,1 41-42 0-1
16 Israel 29,797 7,6 23 7 42 Albania 18,566 3,2 37 5
17 Turkey 29,141 73,6 3 14 43 Faroe Islands 16,976 0,05 51 8
18 Austria 29,102 8,4 21 3 44 Cyprus 16,776 1,1 45 1
19 Portugal 29,023 10,7 15 4 45 Lithuania 16,55 3,3 36 9
20 Denmark 28,785 5,6 26 6 46 Kazahkstan 15,976 16,3 12 34
21 Belgium 28,326 10,8 14 7 47 Estonia 15,411 1,3 44 3
22 Croatia 27,402 4,4 33 11 48 Azerbaijan 12,326 9,1 20 28
23 Hungary 26,927 10 17 6 49 Andorra 11,433 0,08 50 1 Black countries outperform
24 Scotland 26,747 5,2 29 5 50 San Marino 10,901 0,03 53 3 Red countries underperform
25 Greece 26,491 11,3 13 12 51 Luxembourg 10,625 0,51 47 4
26 Iceland 26,232 0,32 49 23 52 Malta 10,551 0,42 48 4
53 Liechtenstein 8,325 0,04 52 1

2. Best countries in Europe in creating U-21 talent 2007-2011 compared to population are therefore as follows:
1 Wales 27 21 Slovenia 4-5 41 Russia 6
2 Iceland 23 22 San Marino 3 42 Norway 6
3 Serbia 17 23 Austria 3 43 Belgium 7
4 Sweden 14 24 Finland 1-2 44-45 Ukraine 7
5 Montenegro 13 25 Italy 1 44-45 Germany 7
6 Northern Ireland 12 26 Cyprus 1 46 Lithuania 9
7-8 Croatia 11 27 Andorra 1 47 France 10
7-8 Switzerland 11 28 Slovakia 0-1 48 Greece 12
9 Czech Republic 10 29 Romania 0 49 Turkey 14
10-12
Netherlands 8 30 FYROM 0-1 50 Bulgaria 15
10-12
Faroe Islands 8 31 Liechtenstein 1 51 Poland 23
10-12
Armenia 8 32 Estonia 3 52 Azerbaijan 28
13 Israel 7 33 Georgia 3 53 Kazahkstan 34
14-15
Denmark 6 34 Portugal 4
14-15
Moldova 6 35 Malta 4
16-20
England 5 36 Luxembourg 4
16-20
Spain 5 37 Albania 5
16-20
Scotland 5 38 Bosnia and Herz. 5
16-20
Belarus 5 39 Rep. of Ireland 6
16-20
Latvia 5 40 Hungary 6
Black countries outperform
Red countries underperform