Debut for Nicolo Tresoldi – U21 captain despite Bischof's path to Klopp

Because Bischof is with Klopp, the debut of Nicolo Tresoldi as captain of the German U21 team comes to the fore, while the young striker also fights for his future senior national team affiliation. He has already taken over the captain's armband from Tom Bischof and is set to lead the team in the decisive Euro qualifying match in Malta.

Captaincy selection for the U21

Nicolo Tresoldi (right) takes over the captain's armband from Tom Bischof (left) and leads the German U21 national team in the match against Malta. Coach Antonio Di Salvo said the day before the Euro qualifying match that Tresoldi should keep the captain's armband for the upcoming games: “It is still planned for the upcoming matches that Nicolo will be the captain of this team.” Tresoldi already wore the armband in the 4-0 win against Latvia after Bischof was substituted.

The 22-year-old striker comes from FC Brugge and has not yet decided whether he wants to play for Germany or Italy. Initially, he wants to commit himself to the U21 Euro qualification next summer in Albania and Serbia. Di Salvo emphasized that Tresoldi has earned the captain's armband.

With 13 goals so far, Tresoldi is close to reaching Rudi Völler's record; one more goal would equal it. He still needs six appearances to surpass the current record holder Fabian Ernst.

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Bischof's path to the senior national team

Tom Bischof can now make his case for the senior national team under Jürgen Klopp. Di Salvo commented: “We have many leaders and many players who can also wear the captain's armband.”

The DFB team won the first leg against Malta 6-0 at the home Centenary Stadium. On Tuesday, the final qualifying match against Georgia follows in Bielefeld; with two more wins the team would be safely qualified for the Euro.

For the final tournament, the nine group winners as well as the best runner‑up qualify, while the other eight runners‑up enter playoffs for the remaining four spots. Di Salvo summed up: “We have cleared the first hurdle and now it is about taking the two remaining hurdles.”

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Like Bischof, who already scored in the 4-0 win against Latvia, the two‑time scorer Lennard Karl is also active in the senior national team. His experience should give the squad additional confidence.