We Almost Had 'Em: Germany U21 Falls Short Against England in Thrilling Final
Conclusion of the zany adventure: Woltemade's U21 falls short in claiming the crown.
Bratislava - Nick Woltemade was busy signing autographs and posing for photos with fans, looking relieved but still somber. The U21 national team players, led by tournament sensation Woltemade himself, departed from the lavish team hotel, disappointed after missing the chance to claim the European Championship title. The bitter taste of the 2:3 loss to England, despite a breathtaking comeback, lingered on.
"Pride in a U21 Team That's Grown"
Instead of a wild celebration in Bratislava, known for its raucous stag parties, there was an outpouring of support. "I am beyond proud to coach a U21 team that has truly evolved over the past two years," said U21 national coach Antonio Di Salvo, seated at the front of the team bus, with a wistful stare outside.
No one blamed the media whirlwind around Woltemade, whose rumored move to Bayern Munich surfaced during the tournament preparations, for the loss. "Nick was already ubiquitous, but especially because he scored so many goals," said Di Salvo. "All the distractions weren't ideal, but they weren't the reason we lost the game."
Bayern Hype: No Cause for Concern
The final, watched by Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann and England coach Thomas Tuchel in the honorary seating, was the first tournament game in Slovakia where Woltemade, who scored six goals and assisted three times, failed to find the net. "The team truly deserved the title," said Nagelsmann. "Their zealous, offensive, passionate playing style was incredibly impressive."
Final goal scorer Paul Nebel shook off allegations that Bayern hype had affected the team as complete nonsense, as the English players reveled in their victory, shouting and spraying each other with beer. Woltemade's achievement of best EM goal scorer offered little solace.
Close but No Cigar
"Nick was laser-focused on this game, he really wanted to win with us," said Nebel. It was Nebel and his Freiburg teammate Merlin Röhl who revived the faltering German team. The game seemed lost after early goals from Liverpool star Harvey Elliott and Omari Hutchinson, not even halfway through the first half. England missed multiple opportunities to stretch their lead to 3:0, before Weiper, set up by Nebel, equalized in the final minutes of the first half.
In the bowels of the national stadium, fans debated passionately about how the mood would have been if Nebel's equalizer had gone in, or if Röhl's late shot had found the back of the net instead of hitting the crossbar. At that point, England's substitute Jonathan Rowe had already put them up 3:2.
Lessons for Their Careers
"Football is essentially a momentum sport," said defender Tim Oermann. The future loan player for Sturm Graz said he felt a lot of emptiness. "It was an amazing journey, and that's why it's so devastating," said the 21-year-old. A successful run with 20 games without defeat since June 28, 2023. And exactly two years later, Germany falls short — again in the EM final against England.
Looking back with a touch of distance, one might say "what a fantastic time it was, what a team we had," said Oermann. "I hope everyone can take something away for their career - what it means to have such camaraderie."
Similarly, Di Salvo, who brought light to the U21 team this time around after a premature exit in 2023, expressed that the young national players could take away a lot on their way to potentially becoming A-team players. "But then again, small details can determine whether you achieve the big breakthrough or not," he said after a challenging tournament. His contract runs until after the next EM in Albania and Serbia. The rebuilding of the new U21 will start in September.
After the U21 championship titles of generations around Manuel Neuer (2009), Serge Gnabry (2017), and Florian Wirtz (2021), the Woltemade generation had to settle for second place. However, this does not diminish the assessment that there are promising prospects for the Nagelsmann squad in this U21 team, and arguably in the unfortunate U19 team that exited in the EM semi-finals.
"We have good talent in the pipeline, and I'm certain we'll see some of them again in the A national team," said DFB sports director Rudi Völler. Völler believes that even as a second-place finisher in a U21 EM, one can achieve great successes. He, Andreas Brehme, Lothar Matthäus, and Pierre Littbarski also became World Champions eight years later, according to Völler's optimistic forecast.
First, the Nagelsmann ensemble has the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico ahead of them. Besides Woltemade, the team has other tournament contenders to offer, with Weiper and Nebel showing exceptional performances in the final.
"This team is loaded with top players and possesses good characters, not just Nick Woltemade, Rocco Reitz, and Brajan Gruda, who have already been on the A-team roster," said Nagelsmann. The process of negotiating a transfer for Woltemade to join Bayern Munich will begin once the tournament wraps up.
Reitz reported on "goodwill messages, even from the A-team and star players," for the tournament appearances. The 23-year-old hopes his forthcoming wedding in the coming days will help him move past the disappointment. Worse off was the departure of the German team — and symbolically, the team bus got stuck at the exit barrier.
[1] Transfermerkt.de[2] Bleacher Report[3] ESPN[4] Sky Sports
Despite the heartbreaking 2:3 loss to England in the Champions League, Germany U21 showcased a promising future for European leagues, with the likes of Nick Woltemade, Paul Nebel, and Tim Oermann demonstrating exceptional skill and camaraderie throughout the tournament. Woltemade, who had previously set records as the best EM goal scorer, revealed his unwavering focus on the game, hoping that his teammates will take the lessons they've learned about teamwork into their respective careers.
