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Germany U-21’s head coach Antonio Di Salvo has named a provisional squad for the UEFA U-21 European Championship in Romania and Georgia (June 21 until July 8). 26 players will travel to a training camp in Prad (South Tyrol) on June 10. The U-21 coaching team will then have until the June 14 to register their official, final 23-man squad with UEFA.
“We have worked together towards this tournament with the players, coaching staff and backroom staff for two years, the anticipation is enormous,” said Di Salvo ahead of his first U-21 EUROs as head coach. “Now it is about getting the team into as good condition as possible step by step and over lots of training sessions, which I am unbelievably looking forward to.”
18-year-old attacker Nelson Weiper (1.FSV Mainz 05) has been called up to the squad for the first time, with Toni Di Salvo saying: “We are very excited about Nelson Weiper, who has developed brilliantly at Mainz. He showed his potential in the first team in the second half of the season. He also played a key role in Mainz winning the U-19 Bundesliga.”
Kevin Schade (FC Brentford) will initially be in the senior squad and then travel to South Tyrol on June 12 after the game against Ukraine. In the shape of Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund) and Josha Vagnoman (VfB Stuttgart) two further players are returning to the U-21s having recently been in Hansi Flick’s senior side. “We are happy to have the three lads, who will be key pillars for the European Championship, back in the team,” said Di Salvo. “The home European Championship in 2024 and preparations for that have a very high priority for the whole of the DFB and Hansi and I accordingly spoke intensively before announcing who has been called up.”
DFB sporting director Rudi Völler said: “The fact that there are four players in the senior squad who could also take part in the U21 EUROs is a credit to the work being done with young players in the association and especially to the coaches who have been involved in the respective development of these players. It also speaks to the good cooperation between Hansi Flick and Toni Di Salvo – which can be seen in how they’ve worked with Kevin Schade. I am absolutely convinced that with this squad we are going into the U21 European Championships as well set up as we could be. I wish the boys lots of success and am looking forward to supporting them in person.”
Attention now turns to the 26 players who will be there for the start of preparations for the EUROs in Prad on the June 10. “Every single play will have the opportunity to show what they’re about in the training camp,” said Di Salvo. “Equally, we want to grow even closer as a team up until the start of the tournament. True to our motto #MEHRVONUNS (more from us), we will work together on team spirit, preparedness and enjoying playing to get every last percent out of us. Our aim is to start the European Championships successfully, keep developing further and achieve qualification for the Olympic Games in Paris.”
The Germany U-21s will play two friendlies during the training camp (10th until 18th June). On Monday, 12th June the team will play a South Tyrol XI in Prad, with fans invited to attend. On Friday, June 16 the team will play a friendly behind closed doors against Switzerland, another team competing at the U-21 EUROs.
Around a week later, on June 22, the team get their European Championship tournament underway with a game against Israel. The Germany U-21s other opponents in Group C are the Czech Republic (June 25) and England (June 28). First and second place from four groups will qualify for the quarter-finals.
GERMANY U-21
Goalkeepers
Noah Atubolu (SC Freiburg), Christian Früchtl (Austria Wien), Nico Mantl (Aalborg BK)
Defenders
Maximilian Bauer (FC Augsburg), Jordan Beyer (Burnley FC), Yann-Aurel Bisseck (Aarhus GF), Marton Dardai (Hertha BSC), Kilian Fischer (VfL Wolfsburg), Henning Matriciani (FC Schalke 04), Luca Netz (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Kenneth Schmidt (SC Freiburg), Josha Vagnoman (VfB Stuttgart)
Midfielders/Forwards
Faride Alidou (Eintracht Frankfurt), Denis Huseinbasic (1.FC Köln), Yannik Keitel (SC Freiburg), Ansgar Knauff (Eintracht Frankfurt), Tom Krauß (FC Schalke 04), Eric Martel (1.FC Köln), Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund), Jessic Ngankam (Hertha BSC), Patrick Osterhage (VfL Bochum), Kevin Schade (FC Brentford), Angelo Stiller (TSG Hoffenheim), Jan Thielmann (1.FC Köln), Nelson Weiper (1.FSV Mainz 05), Noah Weißhaupt (SC Freiburg)
