The day after the DFB’s first ever digital press conference, in which the U21 manager Horst Hrubesch answered journalists questions via Google Hangout, the squad met at the team hotel. Photo shoots, sponsor related activities and a general training session were all on the agenda.
Despite the many engagements the meet up, which took place a good week before the training camp in the Leogang, Austria, fulfilled at least on purpose: It brought the entire team together to agree on a united goal – the U21s Euros in the Czech Republic from 17th-30th June.
Regardless of whom you spoke to during the seminar, nobody in the team was beating around the bush: every player in the squad wants to reach at least the semifinals. “To play in the Olympics next year would be a dream come true”, Leonardo Bittencourt admitted. “We will do everything in our preparations to achieve that.”
Niersbach invokes team spirit
With the exception of DFB Cup finalists Robin Knoche, Maximilian Arnold (both VfL Wolfsburg) and Dortmund’s Matthias Ginter, as well as Emre Can (FC Liverpool) and Marc-André ter Stegen, who himself is involved in the Champions League final with FC Barcelona on the 6th June, the whole provisional squad was present. DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach greeted the whole team with a few words. Short and sweet he invoked in the team what he believes in the most important aspect going into a tournament: team spirit.
The World Champions from the senior team should all be role models for that: “In Brazil, the other teams had Messi, Neymar or Ronaldo” started Niersbach. “But we had ‘Die Mannschaft’.” Especially since with Jerome Boateng, Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Benedikt Höwedes, Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil there were six former U21 European Champions in last summer’s victorious World Cup winning squad.
First the European Championship, then the Olympics in Rio
There is plenty of motivation for the U21 team as they try to emasculate the title that Manuel Neuer and his squad clinched. They want to be united and play as a team. For coach Horst Hrubesch it will be his second U21 title as the coach of the squad. Back in 2009, he was on the touchline as his side were champions. “Our ultimate goal is to win the Olympics in Rio, but first we will focus on the European Championship. We will take it step by step, everything else makes no sense.”
Kaiserslautern centre-back Dominique Heintz agrees with his coach, saying: “We must forget everything that has happened this season with our clubs. We are going to Prague to win the tournament.” Heintz also speaks for his five Kaiserslautern teammates who are in the U21 side. Jean Zimmer, Kerem Demirbay, Willi Orban, Amin Younes and Philipp Hofmann just missed a second chance to be promoted to the Bundesliga. At the European championship, they want to forget about what happened and celebrate a tournament win.
Volland and Co. support newcomer Toljan
The only newcomer in the provisional European Championship squad gathered lots of clear impressions during the two day meeting. Jeremy Toljan managed to easily settle into the team. Kevin Volland is his teammate at 1899 Hoffenheim and he already knew other players fort he U19 or U20s. "I was very surprised to be called up by Horst Hrubesch," commented Toljan. "I’m extremely happy to be a part of this team. The lads gave me a warm welcome."
The U21s now turn their attention to the training camp that will start next Tuesday in Leogang, Austria. Here they will work towards their ambitious aim of challenging at the Euros. The foundations have already been laid over the last two days in Neu-Isenburg.
created by mmc/ kr & jm & bb
The day after the DFB’s first ever digital press conference, in which the U21 manager Horst Hrubesch answered journalists questions via Google Hangout, the squad met at the team hotel. Photo shoots, sponsor related activities and a general training session were all on the agenda.
Despite the many engagements the meet up, which took place a good week before the training camp in the Leogang, Austria, fulfilled at least on purpose: It brought the entire team together to agree on a united goal – the U21s Euros in the Czech Republic from 17th-30th June.
Regardless of whom you spoke to during the seminar, nobody in the team was beating around the bush: every player in the squad wants to reach at least the semifinals. “To play in the Olympics next year would be a dream come true”, Leonardo Bittencourt admitted. “We will do everything in our preparations to achieve that.”
Niersbach invokes team spirit
With the exception of DFB Cup finalists Robin Knoche, Maximilian Arnold (both VfL Wolfsburg) and Dortmund’s Matthias Ginter, as well as Emre Can (FC Liverpool) and Marc-André ter Stegen, who himself is involved in the Champions League final with FC Barcelona on the 6th June, the whole provisional squad was present. DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach greeted the whole team with a few words. Short and sweet he invoked in the team what he believes in the most important aspect going into a tournament: team spirit.
The World Champions from the senior team should all be role models for that: “In Brazil, the other teams had Messi, Neymar or Ronaldo” started Niersbach. “But we had ‘Die Mannschaft’.” Especially since with Jerome Boateng, Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Benedikt Höwedes, Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil there were six former U21 European Champions in last summer’s victorious World Cup winning squad.
First the European Championship, then the Olympics in Rio
There is plenty of motivation for the U21 team as they try to emasculate the title that Manuel Neuer and his squad clinched. They want to be united and play as a team. For coach Horst Hrubesch it will be his second U21 title as the coach of the squad. Back in 2009, he was on the touchline as his side were champions. “Our ultimate goal is to win the Olympics in Rio, but first we will focus on the European Championship. We will take it step by step, everything else makes no sense.”
Kaiserslautern centre-back Dominique Heintz agrees with his coach, saying: “We must forget everything that has happened this season with our clubs. We are going to Prague to win the tournament.” Heintz also speaks for his five Kaiserslautern teammates who are in the U21 side. Jean Zimmer, Kerem Demirbay, Willi Orban, Amin Younes and Philipp Hofmann just missed a second chance to be promoted to the Bundesliga. At the European championship, they want to forget about what happened and celebrate a tournament win.
Volland and Co. support newcomer Toljan
The only newcomer in the provisional European Championship squad gathered lots of clear impressions during the two day meeting. Jeremy Toljan managed to easily settle into the team. Kevin Volland is his teammate at 1899 Hoffenheim and he already knew other players fort he U19 or U20s. "I was very surprised to be called up by Horst Hrubesch," commented Toljan. "I’m extremely happy to be a part of this team. The lads gave me a warm welcome."
The U21s now turn their attention to the training camp that will start next Tuesday in Leogang, Austria. Here they will work towards their ambitious aim of challenging at the Euros. The foundations have already been laid over the last two days in Neu-Isenburg.
