National team
Undav to Nagelsmann: “Let’s see if I hear my name”
A Bundesliga record that is impressive: Deniz Undav already has 18 goals and 10 assists (archive photo). photo
© Tom Weller/dpa
The national coach will announce the European Championship squad on Thursday. The Stuttgart candidates submit a final positive application in Augsburg. VfB coach Hoeneß is promoting a possible newcomer.
For the European Championship candidates VfB Stuttgart, the victory at FC Augsburg shortly before the squad nomination for the home tournament meant a final positive application. Offensive player Deniz Undav sent a wish to the national coach after Swabia’s 1-0 win in the Bundesliga, at least until Sunday, over FC Bayern Munich Julian Nagelsmann. “Let’s see if I hear my name,” said the 27-year-old attacker on Friday evening.
Nagelsmann had already honored the new second-placed team’s soaring, which will take them into the Champions League next season, in the successful international matches against France (2-0) and the Netherlands (2-1) in March, when he supported Chris Führich and the newcomers Undav, Maximilian Mittelstädt and Waldemar Anton invited four VfB professionals to the DFB team.
Mittelstädt speaks of a “relatively positive feeling”
Left-back Mittelstädt spoke calmly. “I haven’t heard anything yet,” said the 27-year-old, but he looks forward to the announcement next Thursday in Berlin “with a relatively positive feeling.” He can do that after he was in the starting line-up twice straight away in March, impressed and even scored against Holland. “We laid the foundation for the European Championships in March and have already built a good team,” he said.
VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß wishes his national team quartet from March to be part of the tournament squad, which has a maximum of 26 players. “And I think they deserve it too.” Hoeneß explicitly promoted another Stuttgart player in Augsburg, namely midfielder Angelo Stiller. The 23-year-old was already in Nagelsmann’s focus in March.
Hoeneß promotes Stiller: “Certainly not a mistake…”
“Angelo has also performed really well since the last nomination, and again today,” said Hoeneß. “That’s why it certainly wouldn’t be a mistake to have a player like that there. But Julian makes the decision. He’s certainly very well informed, he sees a lot and will make a good decision.”
VfB could also benefit from the tournament experience with a view to the coming Champions League season. “It’s certainly something special to play at a European Championship,” said Hoeneß. “The pressure is probably different too. And having gone through that as a player will certainly help in your further development. You can certainly use the experience for the Bundesliga and the Champions League.”