It’s almost time for the DFB-Team U19s to take centre stage. Less than 24 hours after Portugal face France in the EURO 2016 final in Paris, the U19 edition of the tournament gets under way. Hosts Germany face Italy in the opening game in Stuttgart (12:00 CEST) in front of 54,000 excited spectators in Stuttgart.
The aim is simple according to those in power. “We’ve already decided that our aim is to reach the semis. England are the favourites. They’re a bit ahead of the other teams. After that it’s much of a muchness,” explained head coach Guido Streichsbier.
Germany are ready
Whereas the other sides rely a lot on individual talent, Germany’s pride themselves on their togetherness. “We don’t have any stars per se, however, there is a lot of quality in the team. Unity is the biggest strength here,” added the head coach.
Two years ago the side, then managed by Marcus Sorg, lifted the title in Hungary. Players like Davie Selke and Joshua Kimmich impressed back then and both have featured in the Bundesliga. Kimmich was on duty in France this summer and made numerous appearances for Die Mannschaft, which should act as inspiration for the current crop of youngsters.
He expects Italy to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, which brings “traditional Italian stability. They’re strong on the counter, so it’s not going to be easy.” One of their main stars is playmaker Manuel Locatelli, who has already been labelled the new Pirlo. The 18-year-old has played two games for AC Milan already.
Records tumbling
The 2016 U19 European Championship already promises to be incredible. 55,000 tickets have been sold for tomorrow’s game in Stuttgart, which is a new record for a Germany youth international. Over 140,000 have been purchased for the tournament as a whole, beating the previous record, which was set by the 2009 edition (100,000 seats sold in Ukraine).
It’s almost time for the DFB-Team U19s to take centre stage. Less than 24 hours after Portugal face France in the EURO 2016 final in Paris, the U19 edition of the tournament gets under way. Hosts Germany face Italy in the opening game in Stuttgart (12:00 CEST) in front of 54,000 excited spectators in Stuttgart.
The aim is simple according to those in power. “We’ve already decided that our aim is to reach the semis. England are the favourites. They’re a bit ahead of the other teams. After that it’s much of a muchness,” explained head coach Guido Streichsbier.
Germany are ready
Whereas the other sides rely a lot on individual talent, Germany’s pride themselves on their togetherness. “We don’t have any stars per se, however, there is a lot of quality in the team. Unity is the biggest strength here,” added the head coach.
Two years ago the side, then managed by Marcus Sorg, lifted the title in Hungary. Players like Davie Selke and Joshua Kimmich impressed back then and both have featured in the Bundesliga. Kimmich was on duty in France this summer and made numerous appearances for Die Mannschaft, which should act as inspiration for the current crop of youngsters.
He expects Italy to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, which brings “traditional Italian stability. They’re strong on the counter, so it’s not going to be easy.” One of their main stars is playmaker Manuel Locatelli, who has already been labelled the new Pirlo. The 18-year-old has played two games for AC Milan already.
Records tumbling
The 2016 U19 European Championship already promises to be incredible. 55,000 tickets have been sold for tomorrow’s game in Stuttgart, which is a new record for a Germany youth international. Over 140,000 have been purchased for the tournament as a whole, beating the previous record, which was set by the 2009 edition (100,000 seats sold in Ukraine).
