Antonio Di Salvo does not want to allow holiday feelings or negligence at the end of an exhausting season. The U21 national coach and his team tackle the last few meters on the way to their first major milestone, the EM ticket, with respect and humility, but also with a dose of ease.
Knauff wants to crown his season
“It’s not easy when you have two weeks off. Your head might be a bit somewhere else then.”Di Salvo warned before the last major showdown of the season against Hungary on Friday (03.06.22, live ticker at sportschau.de) in Osnabrueck. The young German footballers around the Frankfurt Europa League hero Ansgar Knauff still need one point to finally secure the ticket for the tournament in summer 2023.
“We want to tackle the last two games as clearly and bring home the group win”, said Knauff, also with a view to the difficult last task in Poland four days later. Di Salvo wants to ignore the comfortable starting position with a five-point lead as much as possible. “It would be deceptive if we took it lightly”he warned. “We don’t underestimate Hungary, every game will be difficult, it starts at 0-0.”
Di Salvo looks fun and focused
Despite the breather for the players between the end of the season with their clubs and the two internationals, Di Salvo sees his team focused. “I have the impression that the boys are having fun, that they are focused and that they will also take these games seriously”said the 42-year-old, who therefore assembled his team two days earlier than usual to prepare.
“We approach the task with total humility and respect”, announced the coach. Offensive player Knauff, who traveled from Frankfurt as the Europa League winner, experienced a special reunion with his U21 teammates. “Everyone congratulated me, everyone says something, it’s just a nice feeling”said Knauff, his “incredible season” now wants to crown with the EM ticket.
“Resolve ticket as soon as possible”
The team is determined to get the necessary point against Hungary on Friday. “We want to buy our EM ticket as soon as possible“said Armel Bella-Kotchap from Bochum.
In any case, the German team still has a score to settle against their last opponent, Poland – in the first leg there was a 4-0 defeat in the first leg, the only qualifying defeat on the way to the tournament in Georgia and Romania so far. “Of course we haven’t forgotten that”according to Mönchengladbach’s Luca Netz.
One year to prove yourself
“I think the team is on the right track”said Di Salvo, for whom the work really begins after qualifying with squad development: “Then we have a year in which the players can show themselves and prove themselves.”
Source: sid/dpa/red