Thu 26 July 2018, 15:16
Tottenham HotspurOur Development Squad is today (Thursday) heading back to Ploufragan, France, hoping for back-to-back triumphs in the European Under-21 Tournament.
The annual competition, hosted at a prominent French sporting facility, will see our lads compete in a high-intensity environment over three days. European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco and Besiktas will be among those vying for glory this year as we seek to defend the crown we won last summer.
This time around, we will face PSG and OGC Nice on Friday followed by Stade Rennais on Saturday in Group A. Matches at that stage are played over two halves of 25 minutes each.
On Sunday, we will take on the team finishing in the equivalent position in Group B in our final match, played over two halves of 30 minutes. The meeting of the two group winners, therefore, will decide the title.
We overcame PSG, EA Guingamp and FC Lorient in the group phase last season before winning a thrilling final 5-4 on penalties against Standard Liege following a 2-2 draw.
Our fixture schedule
Friday 27 July: PSG v Spurs – 11.15am local time (10.15am UK)
Friday 27 July: Spurs v OGC Nice – 4.30pm local time (3.30pm UK)
Saturday 28 July: Stade Rennais v Spurs – 12.30pm local time (11.30am UK)
Sunday 29 July: Play-off stage fixtures
Our travelling squad is: De Bie (GK), Freeman (GK), Bowden, Dinzeyi, Duncan, Edwards, Harrison, Hinds, Lyons-Foster, Maghoma, Markanday, Ogilvie, Parrott, Roles, A Shashoua, S Shashoua, Statham, Tracey.
Elsewhere, Development Squad defender Japhet Tanganga was ever-present for England Under-19s during a largely disappointing European Under-19 Championship campaign in Finland over the last week-and-a-half.
The Young Lions bowed out at the group stage with a 5-0 defeat to France on Monday, following an opening 3-2 win against Turkey last Tuesday – in which Japhet scored – and a 1-1 draw with Ukraine on Friday. They then lost 3-0 to Norway in a FIFA Under-20 World Cup qualifying play-off today.
