Wednesday March 24th 2021
U21 European Championship: Moukoko, Trincão, Tonali
Who has what it takes to be a world star?
Whether Andrea Pirlo, Mesut Özil or Luis Figo: The star of numerous stars rose at a U21 European Championship. As of today, eight top talents will be under special observation at the tournament: The youngest of all times, an overhead kicker expert – and one who has almost been to FC Bayern.
Youssoufa Moukoko (16 years / Germany / Borussia Dortmund)
Moukoko already broke records in Borussia Dortmund’s B-Juniors, but now his bests are also “bigger”. Since the introduction of a final tournament in 1994, no 16-year-old has participated in a U21 European Championship. No wonder that all eyes will be on the teenager, even if Stefan Kuntz insistently warns against too high expectations. And if it doesn’t work, Moukoko can still shine at the U21 European Championship in 2023. Or 2025. Or 2027.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (20 / England / Chelsea FC)
The winger has been courted by FC Bayern for years, but it never worked. And so the boy from Wandsworth has been playing for just one club since he was seven – Chelsea. Even if, as he was last in Southampton, Thomas Tuchel comes in after the break and comes off again in the 76th minute. Finally, some unnecessary pub knowledge: Hudson-Odoi’s father’s first name is Bismark.
Justin Kluivert (21 / Netherlands / RB Leipzig)
Kluivert already played for the A-Team of the Netherlands in March 2018, now he is playing one last time in the junior division. For Leipzig he scored for the first time in the 3: 3 top match at Bayern Munich, and he also wants to prove his scoring risk in the European Championship in the group game against Germany. Kluivert is the grandson of Surinam’s ex-international Kenneth Kluivert. Oh, and the son of a certain Patrick Kluivert.
Sandro Tonali (20 / Italy / AC Milan)
Playmaker Tonali is often compared to Andrea Pirlo, although he is a fan of the rather harder acting Gennaro Gattuso. At Milan he even wears the number 8 in honor of Gattuso. The Milan fan almost switched to Inter. Tonali was already at the U21 European Championship 2019 in his own country when it was over after the preliminary round. Now everything should get better.
Marc Cucurella (22 / Spain / Getafe CF)
Even its name sounds like really big football and passes over 50 meters. Cucurella is a product of the Barça Academy, but it was only used once in the cup of the professionals. In the meantime, after several transfer quibbles, he belongs 100 percent to Getafe FC (you don’t really know), but Europe’s top clubs have long been attracting the talented left-footer.
Eduardo Camavinga (18 / France / Rennes Stadium)
The youngest member of the junior world championship team already has three games under his belt for the “big ones” – and hit it with an overhead kick in his second mission. This made him the youngest scorer in the national shirt since Maurice Gastiger in 1914. It is hard to believe that Camavinga – who should also play for the Republic of Congo and Angola – has played for Rennes since 2013. For how much longer?
Trincão (21 / Portugal / FC Barcelona)
Trincão’s full name is Francisco Antonio Machado Mota Castro Trincão, but who knows. In 2020, he moved from Braga to Barcelona for € 31 million, with his release clause set at a modest € 500 million. Trincão won the European Championship title with Portugal’s U19s in 2018 – and was top scorer in Finland with five goals. He has long played for the A-Team, now the U21 European Championship will be his junior degree.
Eddie Nketiah (21 / England / Arsenal FC)
What a quota: In 14 U21 internationals, Nketiah scored 16 goals, replacing Alan Shearer as the best shooter in the history of the “Young Lions”. He scored 13 goals in European Championship qualification alone, including a three-pack in a 5-1 win against Austria and another in a 6-0 win in Kosovo. This made the man from the London borough of Lewisham the most successful goalscorer of all teams.
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