Welcome to Israel! The Germany U-21 national team received a warm and friendly welcome from dozens of fans and a huge throng of media representatives in Tel Aviv two days prior to the European Championship, which runs from 5 to 18 June.
In the build-up to his team's opening match against the Netherlands on Thursday (live on Kabel1 from 8.30 pm CET), Germany coach Rainer Adrion declared the day's training session a public event, expressly inviting spectators to come and watch. The invitation drew crowds of football-mad youths, officials from the host club and a host of reporters from Germany and Israel to the Hodorov training centre, the facility belonging to Israeli top-flight club Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Adrion: We're delighted with the response
The crowd saw captain Lewis Holtby and his U-21 team-mates in determined and focused mood during the 90-minute workout. After the customary warm-up, featuring work on the ball on this occasion, and technically demanding short-sided exercises on restricted playing areas, the session ended with a full-scale practice match featuring the entire squad. "We're delighted with the response and very pleased indeed about the outstanding conditions. The European Championship is a fantastic experience, and we want to be perfectly prepared", Adrion said after the session.
With the workout at an end, the players took time out to speak with fans and reporters. Autograph hunters were out in force, chasing down their favourite players, while the media representatives crowded round Adrion and Holtby, with Patrick Herrmann and Kevin Volland also much in demand. German media including football weekly kicker, the mass-market BILD tabloid, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, and broadcasters Sat1/Kabel1, ARD and ZDF, were joined by their leading Israeli counterparts. The Germany U-21 contingent spoke to Israel's biggest sports broadcaster Sport5, news portals One and Walla! and radio station Galgalatz, ensuring the team will be seen and heard on all channels in the host nation.
In the wake of German clubs' high-profile success in the UEFA Champions League and the senior national team’s much-admired recent performances, reporters asked about talent spotting and youth development in Germany. As always, the newsmen also wanted to know about Germany's goals in Israel and prospects at the tournament.
Holtby: We need a good start
"We're feeling great, we have a fantastic hotel and superb training facilities", said team captain Holtby. "The DFB has put everything in place to prepare us for a good tournament, but now it's up to us to do the business on the field, and make a good start to the tournament against the Netherlands on Thursday", he added.
[bild1]
Welcome to Israel! The Germany U-21 national team received a warm and friendly welcome from dozens of fans and a huge throng of media representatives in Tel Aviv two days prior to the European Championship, which runs from 5 to 18 June.
In the build-up to his team's opening match against the Netherlands on Thursday (live on Kabel1 from 8.30 pm CET), Germany coach Rainer Adrion declared the day's training session a public event, expressly inviting spectators to come and watch. The invitation drew crowds of football-mad youths, officials from the host club and a host of reporters from Germany and Israel to the Hodorov training centre, the facility belonging to Israeli top-flight club Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Adrion: We're delighted with the response
The crowd saw captain Lewis Holtby and his U-21 team-mates in determined and focused mood during the 90-minute workout. After the customary warm-up, featuring work on the ball on this occasion, and technically demanding short-sided exercises on restricted playing areas, the session ended with a full-scale practice match featuring the entire squad. "We're delighted with the response and very pleased indeed about the outstanding conditions. The European Championship is a fantastic experience, and we want to be perfectly prepared", Adrion said after the session.
With the workout at an end, the players took time out to speak with fans and reporters. Autograph hunters were out in force, chasing down their favourite players, while the media representatives crowded round Adrion and Holtby, with Patrick Herrmann and Kevin Volland also much in demand. German media including football weekly kicker, the mass-market BILD tabloid, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, and broadcasters Sat1/Kabel1, ARD and ZDF, were joined by their leading Israeli counterparts. The Germany U-21 contingent spoke to Israel's biggest sports broadcaster Sport5, news portals One and Walla! and radio station Galgalatz, ensuring the team will be seen and heard on all channels in the host nation.
In the wake of German clubs' high-profile success in the UEFA Champions League and the senior national team’s much-admired recent performances, reporters asked about talent spotting and youth development in Germany. As always, the newsmen also wanted to know about Germany's goals in Israel and prospects at the tournament.
[bild2]
Holtby: We need a good start
"We're feeling great, we have a fantastic hotel and superb training facilities", said team captain Holtby. "The DFB has put everything in place to prepare us for a good tournament, but now it's up to us to do the business on the field, and make a good start to the tournament against the Netherlands on Thursday", he added.
German football clearly enjoys a good reputation in Israel, where local fans are gearing up for the opening match of the tournament between the host nation and Norway on Wednesday. Daniel, a fan from Tel Aviv, voiced an opinion shared by many: "Germany will dominate European football for the next few years, in my opinion. And I feel that even more strongly after coming here and watching this young team. I'm really looking forward to the tournament."
