EM final against England: End of an “insane journey”: Woltemades U21 without coronation

After a short night, Nick Woltemade made a tortured smile when he wrote autographs and posed for photos with a handful of fans. With their families and friends, the U21 international broke down home for the German tournament star after the missed title crown at the European Football Championship. The pain of the final defeat against England, despite a breathtaking catch-up hunting, still had a hard time the Bayern candidate and his colleagues.

“The U21 touched people”

Instead of a rushing title party in the infamous Bratislava for bachelor’s parties, there were encouraging words. “I am a very proud coach of a U21 who has really increased over two years, had a great cohesion, played a great football and touched and moved a lot of people in Germany,” said U21 national trainer Antonio di Salvo. The 46-year-old sat with an empty look in the first row of the team bus in front of the noble team hotel on the banks of the Danube.

Nobody blamed the vertebrae for new international Woltemade, whose rumored switch to FC Bayern had burst in the middle of the final preparation, for the 2: 3 after extra time against England. “Nick was already omnipresent, but if only because he scored so many goals,” said Di Salvo. The “whole background noises” were not optimal, “but that was not the reason why we lost the game now”.

Influence by Bayern vortex? “Complete nonsense”

The final in front of the eyes of national coach Julian Nagelsmann and England’s national coach Thomas Tuchel on the honor grandstand was the first tournament game in which the six-fold goal scorer and three-time preparatory Woltemade did not meet in Slovakia. The team would have “really deserved the title,” said Nagelsmann. “I really liked the brave, offensive, passionate football.”

Final goal scorer Paul Nebel described the fact that the Bayern vortex could have had any influence as a “complete nonsense”, while in the background the English with beer bottles and their winning medals disappeared into the night. The fact that Woltemade was honored with the golden shoe for the best EM scorer was not a consolation for him.

Only tiny is missing from the title

“Nick was completely focused on this game and really wanted to win with us,” said Nebel. It was the Mainz and his club colleague Nelson Weiper who breathed life into the tumbling German team. Because actually the game was decided after less than half an hour after the previous goals of Liverpool star Harvey Elliott and Omari Hutchinson. England repeatedly missed the 3-0 before Weiper caused DFB energy again after preliminary work by Nebel in added time in the first half.

Excellent in the catacombs of the national football stadium, it was debated how the emotional situation would have been if Nebel had not hit the crossbar after he was compensated for in added time. Or if the crossbar of Freiburg Merlin Röhl had been in short before the extension. It was already 3-2 for the defending champion by England’s Joker Joker Jonathan Rowe.

Helpful for the careers?

“Football is simply a momentum sport,” said defender Tim Oermann. The Leverkusener, loaned to Sturm Graz in the future, felt “much empty”. “It was an insane journey and that’s why it’s just so disappointing,” said the 21-year-old. A success trip with 20 games without defeat after June 28, 2023 and exactly two years later, Germany loses again – again at the European Championship against England.

At a distance, you will look back on the European Championship, “what a great time it was, what kind of team it was,” said Oermann. “I hope everyone can take something for their career – what that can do if you have such a team spirit.”

Numerous Nagelsmann candidates

Di Salvo sounded similarly, who gave a lot of fun with his U21 after the preliminary round out of 2023. The 46-year-old explained that the young national players could take a lot on the way to maybe a national national players. “But that small things also decide whether to make the big hit or not,” said the coach after a “Bretthart” tournament. His contract runs until after the upcoming European Championship in Albania and Serbia. The construction of the new U21 begins in September.

After the titles of the generations around Manuel Neuer (2009), Serge Gnabry (2017) and Florian Wirtz (2021), the Woltemade year had to be satisfied with second place. However, this does not change the basic evaluation that in this U21 and the U19, which is unhappily left in the European Championship semi-final, are promising Nagelsmann candidates with youth world champions.

How Matthew, Littbarski and Völler?

“We have a very good offspring and there is still a lot of descendant,” said DFB sports director Rudi Völler. “I am sure that we will see some again in the A national team.”

Even after the final entry, Völler reminded that you could celebrate great success as the second of a U21 European Championship. He, Andreas Brehme, Lothar Matthäus and Pierre Littbarski, became world champion eight years later, was the encouraging forecast of the sports director.

First of all, the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico is due for the Nagelsmann ensemble. In addition to the two-time international Woltemade, the team has to offer other tournament candidates. In the final, weiper and fog were particularly present.

Nagelsmann: More than Woltemade, Reitz and Gruda

“This team has top players and good guys, not only Nick Woltemade, Rocco Reitz and Brajan Gruda, who have already been with the A team with us,” said Nagelsmann. Gruda and Reitz were allowed to sniff in front of the home European Championship.

The Gladbacher Reitz reported “congratulations, also of the A national team and other big players” for the tournament appearances. The 23-year-old hopes that he will bring him his wedding for other thoughts in the coming days. The departure of the DFB team was less happy – and that was also a symbolic picture: the team bus got stuck on the barrier on the departure.