Reinhold Yabo: “It’s an indescribable feeling to lift the trophy after two years of preparation and a lot of close games. I’ll never forget being the first Germany captain to receive the trophy back in 2009 in Magdeburg. I want to wish the U17s the best of luck for the final in Bulgaria against France! And I hope that the guys will be rewarded for their efforts.”
Mario Götze went from an U17s European Champion to a World Champion in Rio
Marc-André ter Stegen gives a piggy back to Yunus Malli with the trophy back in 2009
Malli will be hoping to do the same this time around with the under-21s
Reinhold Yabo captained the side back then and now applies his trade for Karlsruher
Götze, Ter Stegen and Co. wish U17s luck ahead of final
After winning the European Under-16s Championship in 1984 and 1992, Germany's Under-17s won the European Championship for the first time on 18th May 2009. Fittingly, the tournament was held in Germany. Manager Marco Pezzaiuoli and his side beat the Netherlands 2-1 after extra time in the final in front of 24,000 spectators in Magdeburg. Lennart Thy equalised for Germany after Luc Castaignos had given the Netherlands an early lead before Florian Trinks stepped up in extra time to fire in a wonderful free kick to win the game for Germany.
Both of Germany’s goal scorers that day now apply their trade in the 2. Bundesliga. Thy plays for St. Pauli and Trinks for Greuther Fürth, both of whom are fighting to stay up. Two other players from the final back in 2009 have gone on to become World Champions – scorer of the winner in the final of the World Cup Mario Götze (Bayern München) and defender Shkodran Mustafi (Valencia CF). Three will be looking to become European Champions in the summer with the U21s: goalkeepers Marc-André ter Stegen (FC Barcelona) and Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen) and midfielder Yunus Malli (Mainz 05). Reinhold Yabo, who was captain of the Under-17s back then, will be hoping to gain promotion to the Bundesliga with Karlsruher SC at the weekend.
The European U17 Champions from 2009 spoke to DFB.de about what the win meant in terms of their career. Götze, ter Stegen and Co. have also wished the class of 2015 the best of luck for their final against France on Friday (19:00 CEST) in Burgas, Bulgaria.
Mario Götze: “I would like to wish the Under-17s the best of luck for their European Championship final against France in Bulgaria! It was a great result when we won the title back in 2009 and looking back it was an important step in my career. The experience will give the guys a further boost in their careers.”
Shkodran Mustafi: “Good luck, boys. Go out there and win it! The U17 title in 2009 was a milestone in my development. It was a defining tournament for all of us. Our team spirit was the key to success back then. We had great players in our ranks, but it was our unity that was decisive. That's the case for you guys too, so keep it up. You've already achieved so much and now you can take that final step. I wish you all the luck you need for the final. I will have my fingers crossed. You can do it!”
Marc-André ter Stegen: “I remember the European U17s Championship in 2009 very well. They were great and important experiences. They are having a sensational European Championships at the moment and they deserve the title. We’re all behind you!”
Bernd Leno: "Good luck for the final guys! And now win the title like we did!"
Yunus Malli: “They have played very well so far! We’ve got our fingers crossed that they can bring back another U17s European Championship title to Germany after our win in 2009.”
Reinhold Yabo: “It’s an indescribable feeling to lift the trophy after two years of preparation and a lot of close games. I’ll never forget being the first Germany captain to receive the trophy back in 2009 in Magdeburg. I want to wish the U17s the best of luck for the final in Bulgaria against France! And I hope that the guys will be rewarded for their efforts.”