Since 2005, the DFB has honored the best talents in German football with the Fritz Walter Medal. On Wednesday, the association announced the winners of the 2022/23 season. The election should have caused great jubilation, especially in the ranks of Borussia Dortmund. BVB cleared twice.
In the U17 category (born in 2006), BVB youngster Paris Brunner won ahead of Noah Darvich (FC Barcelona since summer 2023, previously SC Freiburg) and Assan Quedraogo from FC Schalke 04.
Brunner scored 16 goals in just six appearances in the U17 Bundesliga in 2022/23, and the 17-year-old was allowed to play 24 times for Dortmund’s U19s (8 goals/2 assists). Darvich led the DFB U17s to the European Championship as captain and recently switched to FC Barcelona and Quedraogo recently celebrated a much-noticed professional debut at FC Schalke 04.
“We are very proud and happy that Assan has received the medal for his extraordinary sporting achievements,” commented S04 board member Peter Knäbel on the young Schalke player’s award. “This honor shows how impressive his path, which began in the Knappenschmiede, has been so far. I’m sure that we will all have a lot of fun with Assan.”
The title also goes to BVB in the U19 category (born in 2004). Youssoufa Moukoko, who won the golden Fritz Walter medal of the U17 vintage in 2021, prevailed over Brajan Gruda from 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Umut Tohumcu from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
BVB “very proud” of two more winners
“We are very proud that after Marc-Andre Kruska, Mario Götze, who won twice, and Felix Passlack, two players have again received the golden Fritz Walter medal for special performances on and off the field – Youssoufa even for the second time Both boys deserved the award with their performances. It makes us very proud that both an U17 and an U19 award winner come from the same club,” said Lars Ricken, director of Borussia’s youth academy, on “bvb.de “.
Joti Chatzialexiou also has his say on the DFB website: “All six boys impressed us, they convinced their coaches and, most importantly, made their teammates better. The same applies to everyone: They made a decisive contribution to the success of their teams. Our hope is that all the players establish themselves in professional football, as many of their predecessors did. They have impressively proven with their performances that they have the potential to do so.”
And further: “Youssoufa, for example, is well on the way to establishing himself permanently in a top German team. Paris showed in the Youth League and at the U17 European Championship that he can make the difference in big games,” he said Sporting directors of the DFB teams.