"Immortal": Great future for U17 champions

DFB Juniors - "Immortal": Great future for U17 champions

The euphoric U17 heroes proudly listened to the speeches of praise during the glittering World Cup night, which ended by the pool with a panoramic view of the volcano.

In the company of parents and friends of the young national team players, DFB officials and coaches praised an extraordinary generation of footballers at the gala dinner after midnight. Even now, penalty kick hero Konstantin Heide, the best tournament player Paris Brunner and their teenage colleagues are predicted to have great careers.

Even if the road to professional glory is still a long one after the 4:3 triumph in the penalty shoot-out against France, the talents born in the inspiring German summer fairytale of 2006 are promising hopefuls for new successes in bleak national team times after their own World Cup winter fairytale.

U17 world champions satisfy longing

"Many Germans have been longing to have a team again that embodies the German virtues that Germans identify with," said World Cup-winning coach Christian Wück after the last game with this selection. Exceptional individuals not only impressed with attributes such as fight and passion, but also revived the almost forgotten myth of a German tournament team. "I told the boys that they had managed to get a nation behind them," said Wück. World and European champions in six months - that's never happened before.

"What the U17 team has shown in recent weeks is what I want to see in the senior team," said record international Lothar Matthäus. 2014 world champions such as Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Müller and Philipp Lahm sent glorious words of congratulations to their potential successors. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised a "great team performance" in a "thrilling tournament".

Nagelsmann's EM promise

German coach Julian Nagelsmann, whose senior national team has not yet aroused any anticipation for the 2024 European Championship at home, was also delighted with the performance. "Of course we're trying to build on that. I think it was a very emotional tournament for the U17s, and a lot of people in Germany watched it," said Nagelsmann at the European Championship draw.

A record average of 2.47 million people for this age group watched the RTL broadcast in Germany alone as the U17s provided the next World Cup drama. After nerve-wracking performances in the quarter-final against Spain and a penalty thriller in the semi-final rollercoaster ride against Argentina, the selection went one better in the final madness against the Grande Nation. "It was simply wonderful, the boys wrote German soccer history," said national team manager Joti Chatzialexiou. "It was a huge team performance."

Dramatic final script

A 2-0 lead through Dortmund's Brunner and FC Barcelona captain Noah Darvich, a follow-up goal, a sending-off for Leipzig's Winners Osawe, an equalizer, a last-ditch effort after half an hour and a penalty shoot-out. There, the team led by Heide, who had risen from substitute goalkeeper to World Cup matchwinner, was also behind. However, the Haching goalkeeper saved two penalties, as he had done against Argentina. Dortmund's Almugera Kabar held his nerve as the final scorer. "We're the best team in the world, even a red card won't stop us because we're simply a team," said BVB youngster Brunner, pointing to an impressive mentality.

Brunner was awarded the Golden Ball for the best World Cup player. Numerous examples show that this does not automatically lead to a career like that of Toni Kroos, who was honored as the outstanding player at the U17 World Cup in 2007. But the path is paved. "It is often precisely these players who go on to make a career many years later," said DFB Sports Director Rudi Völler. "If they keep working like this and keep improving, they can become senior players at some point. That's still a long way off."

How the world champions can become good professionals

The return trip after five weeks in Southeast Asia was also a long journey, where the students had to pass more than a dozen exams in addition to their soccer exams 11,000 kilometers away from home. From Surakarta, where the final took place, they traveled via Jakarta and Doha to Frankfurt/Main, where they were invited to a reception at the DFB campus after their scheduled arrival at 6.40 a.m. and a temperature difference of over 40 degrees. "We are European and world champions. I told the boys that they are immortalizing themselves," enthused Wück. "If anyone has got to know the character of the team, it's to fight against adversity. Always believing in yourself. That's incredible."

After the first German World Cup title in this age group, Wück left his future open. His players, who were the first to raise the World Cup trophy in the air as a sign of their appreciation, now have to shape it primarily for the clubs. "Now it's up to the clubs. It's really up to the German soccer landscape to give these guys the opportunity to play in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd division," said the 50-year-old. "We have to find ways in Germany to give German talent playing time. That also includes trust."