Antonio Di Salvo reflects on bittersweet end to current Germany U21 Era | OneFootball

In an interview published on dfb.de Germany U21 head coach Antonio Di Salvo has addressed the recent UEFA U21 European Championship campaign. Despite the fact that Di Salvo’s charges ultimately ended up dropping the Final to the England U21s, Di Salvo remained proud of his team and grateful for support from German fans. Naturally, this didn’t mean that the sour taste of defeat didn’t remain with him.

“I have mixed feelings on the matter,” Di Salvo noted in the interview. “On the one hand, we received an incredible amount of support. People are thanking us for a great tournament. They’re grateful that we were able to convey the passion and values of this team to the spectators, especially the young fans. My wife told me that lots of children came to school wearing Germany jerseys, which of course makes us proud.

“To be honest,” Di Salvo nevertheless continued. “The defeat in the Final is still sinking in. Playing in a Final and then coming away with nothing is disappointing. It feels as if business was left unfinished. We found our way back into the game after a poor opening half-hour during which England could have sealed the deal. We scored the equalizer before the break and I found the right words at the half.

“Then we played a good second half, made it 2-2 and were unlucky at the end when Paul’s [Nebel’s shot at 90+4] hit the crossbar,” Di Salvo went on to lament. “I still dream about that moment. Those thoughts are still running through my mind.“

Di Salvo cited the dramatic extra time victory over Italy in the quarterfinals as his “most emotional moment of the tournament.” Another moment that particularly touched him concerned the fact that this particular incarnation of the U21s – who have been playing together for quite some time – remained grateful as their turn to represent Germany at the highest youth level came to an end.

“Some of these players have known each other since the U15s, and now they’re going their separate ways,” Di Salvo said. “You could tell that this journey, this togetherness in this form, was coming to an end. The boys would have loved to have ended it on a high note. That’s why I told the team before the Final that this moment will bind us together forever. It will take a while, but then we will look back on this tournament with a smile.

“It was also special for me that so many players came up to me and thanked me for this time,” Di Salvo also noted. “I would like to mention Jan Thielmann as an example. He came up to me in the dressing room, handed me his tricot, and said ‘Hey coach, thanks for the last four years!’ Given that he [Thielmann] didn’t have an easy time during this tournament, these are moments that will always remain positive memories for me.“

GGFN | Peter Weis