DFB Juniors - World Cup hero Götze writes letter to U17s: "I believe in you"
Rio World Champion Mario Götze believes the German U17 footballers can win the World Cup and has encouraged them one day before the final against France.
"Now, shortly before the final, I want to shout out to you: I believe in you. You can do it! Reward yourselves," wrote the scorer of the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro in a letter on skysport.de. "Fight for each other. Run for each other. And help each other. If the person next to you makes a mistake, make up for it. That's what you do as a team. And then it will work out. I'll be watching your game, we don't play until Sunday in Augsburg," added the 31-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder.
"Enjoy the moment"
DFB coach Christian Wück's team will face France in Surakarta, Indonesia, as they did in the European Championship final six months ago. Winning the World Cup would be a first for Germany. If the DFB youth team wins, it would also be the first team to win the U17 European Championship and U17 World Cup in the same year.
Götze won the title with the U17s at the 2009 European Championship at home before becoming a World Cup hero nine years ago in Brazil. The father of two has high hopes for the current generation. "It's the beginning and I'm convinced that many of the boys from our U17s have a great future ahead of them. But only if they understand that this tournament is the beginning. It's a reward for sacrifice and passion, for hard work. But above all, it's an incentive. Enjoy the moment, realize what it takes to celebrate success. And then keep at it," wrote Götze.
Use every minute
The young players should make the most of every minute they are given. Every moment can change everything. "Before the 2014 final, I was sad that I wasn't one of the players Jogi Löw trusted from the start. But look at my face as I beamed after the 113th minute," Götze recalled.
Saturday's final is a rematch of the European Championship final in Budapest in June: the DFB team won the title 5:4 after a penalty shoot-out. However, the French have only conceded one goal in their six games at the World Cup so far.
Götze doesn't have many memories of his U17 European Championship triumph. But: "What I do remember is that the win was good for my self-confidence. It triggered a desire to feel that moment of joy again and again. This title made me want more."
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Source: www.stern.de
