At the U21 European Championship, Germany’s coach Antonio di Salvo is required. He doesn’t like the word title defense, his best player likes it. Defender Yann Aurel Bisseck was named as captain – and then there is a replacement without football boots.
In the days before the tournament started against Israel on Thursday (June 22, 2023), the goals of the German U21 national team were sometimes discussed. DFB sports director Rudi Völler also made a statement. Völler was actually still busy moderating the unrest surrounding the senior national team when he was once asked about the U21s. He said: “It’s hard to say whether it’ll be enough for the title, but the possibility is there.”
Völler is known as someone who likes to express himself, and he has sometimes been criticized for it. But there was nothing to criticize about this answer, Völler had not taken any risks with it. Germany has qualified for the finals of the European Championship, has been in the final three times in a row and has won twice, in 2017 and 2021.
So defending the title is possible, but the question is: is it realistic?
Di Salvo says: ‘Another team, a new cycle’
Coach Antonio di Salvo, 44, could possibly provide an answer, but defending the title is not his favorite topic. At the last two European Championships, di Salvo was Stefan Kuntz’s assistant, he was considered a tinkerer in the coaching staff, and he was also responsible for preparing opponents. Now he will go to a European Championship as head coach for the first time. He says: “The fact is that this team is not the defending champions, but a different team, a new cycle.”
And of course di Salvo has a point there. The time that footballers can play together in a youth national team is limited by the age groups. Hardly any of the 2021 European U21 champions are left in the squad, but Youssoufa Moukoko is still there.
moukoko – beacon of hope, Scorer, encourager
Two years ago, the final round of the European Championship was divided, those were the times: In March only the preliminary round, in which Moukoko had been on the bench three times. And in May and June it was part two, quarter-finals, semi-finals, final. Since Moukoko was injured.
Today Moukoko, 18, will only sit on the bench in exceptional cases and he is also fit. He scored seven goals for Borussia Dortmund in the past Bundesliga season and has six goals in five games in the U21 team. And he is already a national player, the national coach Flick even took him to the World Cup in Qatar.
Moukoko is still the second youngest player in the U21 squad, but has long been the great hope. And he has an opinion too. “I have no doubts that we will win this thing”, says Moukoko and means the title at the European Championship. The finals will almost certainly be his last as a junior international.
Seven failures – and Wirtz and Musiala don’t play either
Coach di Salvo can count on goals from Moukoko, but the assists will not come from Ansgar Knauff, Jan Thielmann, Felix Nmecha or captain Jonathan Burkardt. They are all injured and will miss the EM. In addition, there are the failures of the defensive players Jordan Beyer, Patrick Osterhage and Armel Bella-Kotchap.
And then there are players like Malik Thiaw, Florian Wirtz and of course Jamal Musiala – they too could still play for the U21s, but they are currently with the senior national team. Coach di Salvo also has to do without them at the European Championships in Georgia and Romania. He says: “Obviously it’s a shame for us, but at the end of the day we’re doing everything we can for the success of the senior team.”
Finn Ole Becker – without soccer shoes for the European Championship
There was also some movement in the U21 squad. Players whose place in the finals seemed uncertain are now there. And one wasn’t there at all, but was almost on vacation, and is now allowed to play along. Finn Ole Becker, 23, last played for di Salvo’s team in November 2021, when he had just started his third season as a regular at second division club FC St. Pauli.
At that time, Becker was considered a great talent in central midfield, good with the ball and also without it. A year ago he switched to TSG Hoffenheim. He sometimes played there in the regional league reserve and at least 13 times in the Bundesliga, but not many counted him among the candidates for the U21 European Championship.
In any case, Becker was already on his way to vacation in South Tyrol when coach di Salvo called. “I didn’t expect it at all”, Becker said to ARD radio. He hasn’t arrived in South Tyrol, his vacation will have to wait. Becker is now preparing for the U21 European Championship, there is actually only one problem left, and that is with the shoes. Becker had not packed his football shoes, they will now be forwarded.