U21 national coach Di Salvo criticizes youth players: "Want to play for a top club immediately"

Created: 04/12/2022, 14:51

By: Corbinian Kothny

Antonio Di Salvo takes responsibility for the youth players.

© IMAGO/Nico Herbertz / Herbertz

Fewer and fewer German U21 national players are regular players in their clubs.

Head coach Antonio Di Salvo doesn't see the clubs to blame.

Munich

- "When I started in 2016, we had an extremely large number of players who played in the Bundesliga or even internationally.

In the meantime it is the case that there is little play in the Bundesliga and sometimes also in the 2nd league.

This is worrying.

Compared to us, the French or English have three or four times as many players who are eligible to play for the U21 and play in their first division," criticizes Antonio Di Salvo, head coach of the U21 national team, in a live interview with Fußball Vorort.

And in fact, in the last competitive game of the German U21 national team against Israel, there were just four players in the starting XI who regularly play from the start in the Bundesliga.

Armel Bella-Kotchap, Jamie Leweling, Angelo Stiller and Ansgar Knauff can say that about themselves.

Goalscorer Malik Tillmann even commutes at FC Bayern between Bundesliga substitutes and appearances in the regional league.

For comparison: In the 2017 U21 European Championship final against Spain, apart from goalkeeper Julian Pollersbeck, only players who played regularly in the Bundesliga were in the starting XI.

"Maybe you have to take two steps back to play consistently."

Antonio DiSalvo

However, Di Salvo does not only see the blame for the short playing times with the clubs.

“The players and those around them are also challenged.

I believe that the players have now become extremely impatient and want to play for a top club straight away," the ex-lion criticizes the attitude of the young football professionals.

“The players have to learn that nothing is given to them.

You have to work, work properly.

First and foremost, this includes stress.

Youth players have to work harder than professionals,” explains Di Salvo.

But many players often take the second step before the first.

"Perhaps you have to take two steps back to play consistently - be it in the 2nd Bundesliga or on the bench at a smaller club instead of in the 1st League," says the 42-year-old.

DFB: Stach and Raum were still playing in the second division last year

Two players in particular show impressively that this step back can be worthwhile in the long run, especially for young German footballers.

Anton Stach and David Raum played for SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the 2nd Bundesliga last season and made their senior national team debuts in August (Raum) and March (Stach) respectively.

This development is not surprising for Di Salvo: "The past has shown that German U21 players make a move later." (kk)