The Israeli bid was chosen by UEFA's Executive Committee on 27 January 2011 in Nyon, Switzerland.

Spain defended the title they won two years prior, winning their fourth championship after defeating Italy 4–2 in the final.

The draw for the group stage of qualifying for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship took place on 3 February in Nyon, Switzerland.

As the highest-ranked team according to the competition coefficient rankings, Spain were one of the top two seeds alongside hosts Israel.

[1] The official ball for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship was unveiled during the draw in Tel Aviv on 28 November 2012.

The most prominent petition against the tournament taking place in Israel was organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which demanded UEFA President Michel Platini reverse his decision.