UEFA has cancelled the 2021 Men’s and Women’s U19 European Championship finals.
Both tournaments were due to be held this summer but have now been pulled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The decision is a blow for new Northern Ireland Under 19 boss Gerard Lyttle, who was preparing for three UEFA U19 Euro qualifiers in Sweden next month.
Meanwhile, U19 Women's manager Alfie Wylie was preparing for a Euro qualifying round mini tournament in Armenia in April.
UEFA said in a statement: “Although it is unfortunate that no youth competitions can take place in the current season, the health and safety of young athletes must be prioritised in the current circumstances."
This year’s Men’s U19 Euros were scheduled to be staged in Romania in late June/July, while Northern Ireland were due to compete in Group 3 of the qualifiers (mini tournament) alongside hosts Sweden, Austria and Gibraltar from March 24-30.
The WU19 Euros were set to be staged in Belarus in late July/August, while Northern Ireland were due to play Switzerland and Turkey along with hosts Armenia in a qualifying round mini tournament in the spring (6-12 April).
