Logistical challenges have to be mastered before the German U21’s first European Championship group game against hosts Hungary on Wednesday. Some professionals are still in the club on Sunday and Monday. A weekend overview.
Have the longest recovery time before the first game: Amos Pieper and Arne Maier.
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Michael Pfeifer and Carsten Schröter-Lorenz report on the German U21s
The U-21 juniors should arrive at a Frankfurt airport hotel by 8 p.m. next Sunday, before a plane with the DFB entourage to Budapest takes off on Monday at 11 a.m. At least that’s the plan. But it is already clear that some German selection players cannot keep these times.
The wish that Stefan Kuntz had already expressed to the DFL in November 2020 that his boys’ games in the Bundesliga and 2nd league not be scheduled on Sunday and Monday before the international match phase in March did not come true. In the person of David Raum and Anton Stach as well as Finn Dahmen, Jonathan Burkardt and Lennart Grill, league games are still on the program for two second division and three Bundesliga professionals on Sunday. The Leverkusen keeper grill will make it to Frankfurt at least in the course of the Sunday evening after his game in Berlin.
For two professionals working in Belgium, however, it will be a longer night. Striker Lukas Nmecha (Anderlecht) and sixth Niklas Dorsch (Gent) only play on Sunday evening, then travel to the Main metropolis and, like all teammates, have to show an additional negative corona test result before the first contact with the DFB entourage.
Bochum’s Leitsch still has to work on Monday
The game plan with Bochum’s regular central defender Maxim Leitsch is particularly unfavorable. His appearance on Monday evening in the important two-tier game in Düsseldorf almost rules out Kuntz’s starting mandate around 48 hours later in the Hungarian Szekesfehervar (kick-off against hosts Hungary is at 9 p.m.). If everything goes well when he arrives individually on Tuesday, he can take part in the final training session at least at 7 p.m.
Janelt flies directly to Hungary
Vitaly Janelt is also a special case. The defensive midfielder is challenged on Saturday afternoon with English second division club Brentford against Nottingham. Since entry from the virus variant area Great Britain to Germany is associated with considerable restrictions, Janelt will fly directly from England to Hungary on Sunday.
Logistical challenges that the team management of the U21 has to cope with. Kuntz will meanwhile take a close look at the athletic performance of his protégés over the weekend and, above all, keep his fingers crossed that no one gets injured. The two Bielefelds Amos Pieper and Arne Maier, who already play against Leipzig on Friday evening and are already among the starting eleven candidates for Kuntz, could have an advantage through the longest regeneration time.
This overview shows where and when the 13 Bundesliga professionals, six second division players and four legionnaires (twice Belgium, Austria and English second division) from the 23 EM squad are required at the weekend:
In action on Friday: Pieper, Maier (with Bielefeld against Leipzig, 8.30 p.m.)
In action on Saturday: Ambrosius, Vagnoman (with HSV against Heidenheim, 1 p.m.), Krüger (with Aue against Sandhausen, 1 p.m.), Janelt (with Brentford against Nottingham, 1.30 p.m.), Baku (with Wolfsburg in Bremen, 3.30 p.m.), Klimowicz (with Stuttgart in Munich, 3:30 p.m.), Jakobs, Özcan (with Cologne against Dortmund, 3:30 p.m.), Moukoko (with Dortmund in Cologne), Schubert (with Frankfurt against Union Berlin, 3:30 p.m.), Schlotterbeck (with Union in Frankfurt), Berisha (with Salzburg in Linz, 5 p.m.), Thiaw (with Schalke against Gladbach, 6:30 p.m.)
In action on Sunday: Raum, Stach (with Fürth against Nuremberg, 1.30 p.m.), Dahmen, Burkardt (with Mainz at TSG Hoffenheim, 1.30 p.m.), Grill (with Leverkusen at Hertha BSC, 3.30 p.m.), Nmecha (with Anderlecht against Zulte Waregem, 6.15 p.m. ), Dorsch (with Gent against Cercle Bruges, 8.45 p.m.)
In action on Monday: Leitsch (with Bochum in Düsseldorf, 8.30 p.m.)
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