German displays come as no surprise
Monday 29 June 2009
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Mesut Özil (left) and Jerome Boateng (right) were both in the German U19 side in 2007 (©Getty Images)
Benedikt Höwedes, Jerome Boateng and Mesut Özil caught the eye as Germany triumphed at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, but their prominence should not surprise anyone who saw the fledgling stars for the first time when the UEFA Training Ground followed their exploits at Under-19 level in 2007.
Stalwarts
The three mainstays of the victorious German side in Sweden this summer, along with fellow squad members Änis Ben-Hatira and Daniel Schwaab, were in Austria two years ago in a bid to be the first united Germany selection to win the UEFA European U19 Championship. Höwedes, Özil and Boateng have been ever-presents in Germany's march to the U21 final and were three stalwarts of the side led by coach Frank Engel in 2007.
Hrubesch success
The experience they gained in Austria was invaluable to that German crop of youngsters, while current U21 coach Horst Hrubesch also benefited from the exploits of his predecessors, leading the U19 side to glory in the same tournament the following year. The combination of a tournament-winning coach and familiarity among a developing group of players proved to be a potent blend for Germany's U21 outfit this summer as they overwhelmed England 4-0 to secure their first European crown at that level.
Engel philosophy
With the barren spell ended, the words of Engel in 2007, which can be seen in the Training Ground's four-part fly-on-the-wall documentary on the German team at those finals, have never been more apt. "I believe you have to go into the tournament with a clear strategy," he said. "All our youth teams serve as models for the entire youth development. You really have to play against the best if you want to strive forward in the future to know how high the necessary level is and how you can improve."
Özil influence
The likes of Özil, a vital component of the Werder Bremen side that reached last season's UEFA Cup final, have delivered proof of the wisdom of those insights went one better than their last final in 1982. The 20-year-old Özil delivered a string of impressive displays, not least in the final when he set up two goals and scored another. You can watch an interview with him on the Training Ground by clicking here.
England test
The victory over England represents the higher level that Engel aspired to and this generation of German talents have now set the benchmark. "We believe we will win the European Championships – it's our goal. I think we, as a team, can do it," said Özil in the group stage of that 2007 tournament. Two years on, that belief had not altered and the potential has been realised.
Click here to watch part one of the Training Ground's documentary on the German U19s of 2007.
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