When the German U21 soccer players meet England in the final of the European Championship, Rocco Reitz will arrive again. The strong midfielder of Borussia Mönchengladbach convinces at the tournament in Slovakia for several reasons.
Tower -related, mature, responsible and with great commitment – this is how Rocco Reitz’s appearances can be described in the current U21 European Championship. On the square, but also in the interviews after the games.
In a media round, the Mönchengladbacher was asked whether he wanted to send a sign with his strong appearances in the selection in the direction of A national team about the convincing 3-0 semi-final success against France. Reitz humiliated humble that the eleven of national coach Julian Nagelsmann was currently not an issue for him: “I just want to set a sign for the team. I want to play for the team, want to win the title. Everyone else thinks that way.”
Reitz ‘convincing tournament – final against England
The fact that Reitz is responded to the DFB team of the “big ones” is due to his strong appearances in the midfield center with coach Antonio di Salvo. Reitz is set alongside the Cologne captain Eric Martel, completed four of the five previous games of the tournament in the starting eleven.
Reitz was spared only in the last group game against England (2-1 success) when Di Salvo exchanged the entire eleven in the knowledge of the early quarter-finals. The German team now meets those English again-in the final for the U21 European Championship title in Bratislava (Saturday, 9 p.m., in the Sportschau-Live ticker).
Favorite against England? Reitz is humble
This time Reitz will appear from the start, which, despite the good appearance of Germany, is determined against the English in the group phase. Is Germany against England, in the best line -up, easy game? “In the final it is not so crucial whether you have already played against them, or not. It will be a very, very difficult game,” says Reitz.
He rarely occurs with high spirits. At the age of 23, Reitz knows that as a footballer you are well advised not to underestimate the upcoming opponent – especially not before a final: “They have top players in their ranks and you see what they have for qualities. This will certainly be another game than in the group.”
The fact that the German U21 can still go into the final with a lot of self -confidence is due to several factors: the strong offensive around shooting star Nick Woltemade, the defensive stability including the outstanding goalkeeper Noah Atubolu – but also at the midfield around Reitz, which combines duel and running strength with good playful impulses.
Rocco Reitz: A lot of effort, clever on the ball
Above all, Reitz progresses runners, is constantly on the move and is not afraid to go to the personal limits. His last minute sprint is an example of almost half of the field in extension in the dramatic quarter-final victory against Italy. Reitz blocked a long ball with the last strength and was celebrated frenetically by the DFB bank. They are scenes with which Reitz strikes more often.
Full of use: Rocco Reitz (center) at the quarter -finals against Italy
The native of Duisburg regularly adjusted. When it matters, Reitz often secures the ball, can often only be separated from the ball by foul: twelve times, Reitz was fouled at the current tournament, only the Slovak Tomas Suslov was laid across teams more often. The Italians vehemently complained in the emotional quarter -finals about the frequency in which Reitz went to the ground – but because Reitz repeatedly brought cleverly the body between the ball and the opponent, the referee was mostly forced to whistle.
Reitz: waves it A national team?
The maturity that Reitz shows in his U21 appearances could actually put him even closer to the focus of national coach Julian Nagelsmann. Before the European Championship 2024, Reitz was already able to take part in the DFB training as a sparring partner, followed by a decent but not very good season for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga (27 games, two goals, a template). The U21-M-title with Reitz in a load-bearing role is likely to provide Gladbach’s own plant.
Since the birth Gladbach member: Rocco Reitz kisses the coat of arms of the “foal”
However, it takes another top performance against England. The final is “the biggest game that is available, for me personally,” says Reitz. “It’s a really cool feeling, we worked towards it. We have spent so much time here for nothing, we definitely want to win.”
Our sources:
- Statistics from the website of the U21 European Championship (UEFA) and Sportec-Solutions
- Sports information service (quotes from Rocco Reitz)
