Simon Rolfes impressed by the character of the U17s
Head of Sport Simon Rolfes of Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen is impressed by the performance of the German U17 national team at the World Cup in Indonesia. "You have to be honest and say that we haven't been that convincing at youth level in recent years. But this U17 team represented Germany really well at the European Championships," said Rolfes. Coach Christian Wück's team reached the final for the first time in 38 years after beating Argentina on penalties in the semi-finals.
The team had "already shown different faces at the World Cup. I saw the dramatic final minutes and the penalty shoot-out in the semi-final. To have this cohesion and self-confidence to win the penalty shoot-out after such a late setback says something about the character of the team."
Rolfes is firmly convinced that the DFB team will win the title against France in the final on Saturday (13:00/Sky Sport News). "If you beat Spain, you can also beat France," he said: "The French always have top teams. But we've already beaten them at the European Championship, so we can do it at the World Cup too." At the European Championship in June, Germany won their first title in 14 years by beating the French on penalties.
- Despite Bayer Leverkusen's dominance in the Bundesliga, Simon Rolfes admires the resilience and skill of the German U17 soccer team, particularly in their recent World Cup performances.
- After demonstrating impressive character and unity during the World Cup, the German U17 team will face France in the final, aiming to continue their winning streak against the French, as they did in the European Championship earlier this year.
- The juniors from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen's head of sport, Simon Rolfes, have also gained recognition on the international stage, with Bayer Leverkusen's academy producing players like Florian Wirtz, who has recently made his debut for the U17 team in the WM.
Source: www.dpa.com
