Thursday, September 23, 2021
Di Salvo follows Kuntz
DFB finds internal double solution for U21
The German Football Association is filling a very important position internally after a brief consultation: Antonio Di Salvo will be the U21 national coach in the future. Hermann Gerland will be at the side of the former assistant to his successful predecessor Stefan Kuntz.
The successor for Stefan Kuntz has been determined, it is his former assistant. After a meeting of the executive committee, the German Football Association announced that Antonio Di Salvo is the new head coach of the U21s. According to the DFB, he will get a contract until 2023 and thus initially until the EM in two years’ time in Georgia and Romania, where the German juniors want to defend their title.
The DFB appointed long-time Bayern assistant coach Hermann Gerland as assistant coach. The 67-year-old cult soccer teacher from Bochum only switched to the DFB in August and initially worked as a scout. “Our common goal is to continue the successful path of the U21 national team and bring in my own ideas,” said Di Salvo in the DFB announcement. After five years as assistant coach, Kuntz’s departure as head coach for the Turkish national team made the promotion of the former professional possible, who played for FC Bayern, TSV 1860 München and FC Hansa Rostock, among others.
“Back to the top together”
There was also speculation that the former national team striker Miroslav Klose would be involved. The decision of those responsible fell on Di Salvo, who will now also work intensively with national coach Hansi Flick. DFB director Oliver Bierhoff praised the growing closer together of the U21 and the senior national team under his “management” and added: “We want to continue on this path in order to return to the top together.” Flick, who had replaced Joachim Löw after the European Championship, was also involved in the decision about the U21’s new coach. Di Salvo’s good relationship with Flick and his assistant coach Marcus Sorg will benefit the DFB in developing talent in the U21, Bierhoff said.
The new boss of the most important German youth soccer team ended his own career eleven years ago after, among other things, 100 Bundesliga and 83 second division games. He then worked as an assistant coach for the U17s at FC Bayern before moving to the DFB. In 2014 he celebrated the European Championship title as assistant coach with the U19s, followed by the two continental triumphs in 2017 and 2021 with the U21s.
“Toni Di Salvo, who complemented each other perfectly together with Stefan Kuntz and Daniel Niedzkowski, has been in the success of the U21 national team in recent years,” said Ronny Zimmermann, DFB Vice President and Head of Delegation of the U21: “I’m sure that the new coaching team, supplemented by Hermann Gerland, will continue to work successfully. “