Goal for Gladbach, brace for U21: Reitz is having “the best week I’ve ever had in football”

Against Poland from the start?

There is a lot of football romance in the breathtaking days of U21 double packer Rocco Reitz. After his first goal for the heart club Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga, he scored twice on his debut for Germany’s most important youth national team. “It was the best week I’ve ever had in football. I try to recite it all and enjoy it,” said the 21-year-old.

Despite the euphoria over his promotion at Borussia and the DFB, Reitz also struggled with his mistake in the 4-1 win against Estonia. A few seconds after his substitution, he was responsible for the goal. “He immediately apologized for the failure and said he had to do twice as well,” said coach Antonio Di Salvo. “He did that with two goals.”

Reitz is a real Gladbach native and has been playing at the club since the F-youth, with a one-year break when he was loaned to VV St. Truiden in Belgium. This season he earned a regular place for a long period of time for the first time and pushed Florian Neuhaus and Christoph Kramer, among others, onto the bench. In the market value update in October, the right-footer reached his career-best value of 4 million euros – and the trend continues to rise.

“It’s not the final breakthrough yet,” said Reitz. But of course you get “more and more noticed”. “The coach gives you a chance but then you have to take advantage of the chance.” Di Salvo left it open whether the Gladbacher will be allowed to play from the start in the important test in the fight for group victory on Tuesday (6 p.m.) in Essen against Poland. Poland leads the table with twelve points from four games, Germany is second with nine points from three games. “We have to make better use of the scoring opportunities. We won’t get that many against Poland,” warned Reitz.

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