17:56
Venue is Kutaisi, Georgia’s third largest city. And it’s raining cats and dogs there. The small stadium is overcast and soaking wet. Unfortunately, many fans are not there. Which team can handle the adverse conditions better?
17:42
Opponent Israel is a grateful lot for the DFB-Elf at the beginning. The Israelis have qualified for a final round for the first time since the European Championship in their own country in 2013 and are only considered outsiders in Group C behind Germany, England and the Czech Republic. The most valuable player in Israel’s squad is attacking midfielder Oscar Gloukh from RB Salzburg. The 19-year-old moved from home to Salzburg last winter and could soon become the next top player from the RB cosmos.
17:33
The Bundesliga stars Nico Schlotterbeck and Florian Wirtz no longer play in the U21s, but are now in the A-Elf. New youngsters want to follow in their footsteps, such as defensive boss and captain Yann Bisseck or Freiburg’s upcoming regular keeper Noah Atubolu. Di Salvo’s squad also includes experienced U-national players such as Kevin Schade and forward Youssoufa Moukoko, who also have senior caps under their belt.
17:16
The U21s will be coached for the first time at this tournament by Antonio Di Salvo. The former striker was initially assistant coach under Stefan Kuntz at the Olympic tournament in Tokyo and has been head coach since his departure. At his debut on the sidelines, Di Salvo wants to continue the U21 success story of recent years, but at the same time warns against false expectations: “This team is not the defending champion,” Di Salvo clarified at the PK before the game.
17:04
After three finals in a row and winning the title two years ago, the German U21s are again one of the top favorites at this year’s European Championships in Georgia and Romania. In addition, the whole of Germany is hoping for better football, at least for the DFB juniors, in times of the crisis in the senior national team.
16:59
Hello and welcome U21 European Championship! The German team will start the tournament at 6 p.m. and will meet Israel in the first group game. Does the DFB offspring start with a win?