Di Salvo: Outside noise around Woltemade not the reason for defeat
Germany under-21 coach Antonio Di Salvo stressed that the outside noise around their star player Nick Woltemade didn't affect the team as they lost the U21 Euros final against England 3-2 on Saturday.
Woltemade is currently under contract at VfB Stuttgart, but his strong performances and stellar rise have attracted the interested of German giants Bayern Munich.
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Ahead of the final, several media reports said that Woltemade has reached an agreement with Bayern should a summer transfer be possible.
"First of all, I don't know to what extent it's true or not. But it didn't have any influence because the team didn't deal with it," Di Salvo said after the game.
"And Nick, sure, he reads and hears things, but I spoke to him and it was all fine. In the end, the thing is that we got into the game really badly and that was the deciding factor," he added.
Di Salvo admitted that the "whole outside noise" wasn't ideal, "but that wasn't the reason why we lost the game."
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Wilson Weiper and Paul Nebel cancelled out England's 2-0 lead from Harvey Elliott and Omari Hutchinson to force extra time.
But Jonathan Rowe scored shortly after coming on to give England a 3-2 victory.
Nebel said that suggestions that Woltemade's future affected the team were "complete rubbish."
"Nick was completely focussed on this game and really wanted to win with us," he said.
Di Salvo: 'Football god not on our side'
The dramatic game also saw Germany hit the bar twice and Di Salvo said that "the football god was not on our side. The team is sad, but I can't blame them."
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"I'm a very proud coach of a U21 team that has really improved over the last two years, had great team spirit, played great football and touched and moved a lot of people in Germany," the coach said.
Defender Tim Oermann said he felt "a lot of emptiness" after the disappointing defeat.
"Football is simply a momentum sport. It's been an incredible journey and that's why it's so disappointing," he said.
Big hopes for the future
The German Football Federation (DFB), however, has confidence in this generation in view of the future of the senior national team.
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"Despite the bitter defeat in the final after extra time, our U21 national team players will benefit from this experience throughout their careers. I am sure that we will see some of them again in the senior national team," DFB sporting director Rudi Völler in a statement from the federation.
Coach Di Salvo succeeded in "putting together a real team that is not only highly talented, but also plays with a lot of heart. A team that has also fought through difficult moments," Völler added.
Germany senior team coach Julian Nagelsmann followed the game from the stadium. Some players in the squad, such as Woltemade, have already been nominated to the senior squad.
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