Status: 05.07.2021 10:30 a.m.
The German Football Association has announced the squad for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Coach Stefan Kuntz has appointed seven players who have just become U21 European champions – and also three veterans.
The squad of the German team for the soccer competition at the Olympic Games (23 July to 8 August) has been determined. Trainer Stefan Kuntz has nominated a total of 19 players. Part of the team consists of the U21 players with whom the 58-year-old surprisingly won the European Championship at the beginning of June. All professionals born in 1997 or later – plus three older actors – were eligible.
“With the nomination of the squad, the anticipation for the Olympic Games, which was already huge, increases immeasurably,” says Kuntz: “It will be a very special experience for the boys and the entire team to be part of Team Germany in Tokyo . ” But Kuntz also criticized some clubs. “The willingness to support the Olympic team varied in the Bundesliga. Unfortunately, some big clubs didn’t want to help as hoped,” he said.
Seven U21 European Championship winners included
The squad includes Nadiem Amiri (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) and Maximilian Arnold (VfL Wolfsburg), two players who, with Stefan Kuntz and the German U21 national team, celebrated the European championship title in 2017. Max Kruse (1. FC Union Berlin) completes the trio of veterans.
Also part of the Olympic team are seven players who won the U21 European Championship in Ljubljana a month ago: Niklas Dorsch (KAA Gent), Ismail Jakobs (1. FC Cologne), Arne Maier (Hertha BSC), Amos Pieper (Arminia Bielefeld), David Raum (TSG Hoffenheim), Anton Stach (SpVgg Greuther Fürth) and Josha Vagnoman (Hamburger SV).
Fast departure to Japan
On Monday (July 12th) the team will meet in Frankfurt to set off for Japan the next day. In Wakayama City, the German Olympic team will move into a training camp in preparation. On Saturday, July 17th (from 10 a.m. CEST), the German team will play a friendly against Honduras.
Germany will meet Brazil in the Olympic soccer tournament in the group phase on July 22 (from 1.30 p.m. CEST, live on ARD) in Yokohama and on July 25 (from 1.30 p.m. CEST) in the same place against Saudi Arabia. July (from 10 a.m. CEST) in the final preliminary round game in Miyagi, the Ivory Coast is waiting. The two best in the group qualify for the quarter-finals. The final will take place in Yokohama on August 7th (from 1:30 p.m. CEST).
The German Olympic squad at a glance
Goal: Svend Brodersen (Yokohama FC), Florian Müller (VfB Stuttgart), Luca Plogmann (Werder Bremen)
Defense: Benjamin Henrichs (RB Leipzig), Amos Pieper (Arminia Bielefeld), David Raum (TSG Hoffenheim), Jordan Torunarigha (Hertha BSC), Felix Uduokhai (FC Augsburg), Josha Vagnoman (Hamburger SV)
Midfield / Forward: Nadiem Amiri (Bayer Leverkusen), Maximilian Arnold (VfL Wolfsburg), Niklas Dorsch (KAA Gent), Ismail Jakobs (1. FC Cologne), Max Kruse (Union Berlin), Eduard Löwen (VfL Bochum), Arne Maier (Hertha BSC) , Marco Richter (FC Augsburg), Anton Stach (SpVgg Greuther Fürth), Cedric Teuchert (Union Berlin)
Source: sportschau.de