Tresoldi: Three goals on U21 debut, between Germany and Italy

The 22‑year‑old Nicolo Tresoldi scored three goals in his U21 debut against Malta, led the team to a 4‑1 victory and took on the captaincy – while he simultaneously wavers between a future with Germany and one with Italy, a dilemma that also occupies Jürgen Klopp.

Tresoldi hails from Italy, plays for the Champions‑League club FC Brugge and, at 22, is already an established striker for the German U21. He can represent both Germany and Italy because he was born in Italy and has an Italian father who was also a professional.

In the Euro‑qualifying match in Malta he converted three goals – a powerful strike, a header and a precise free‑kick – and was appointed captain because the regular captain Tom Bischof had been promoted to the A‑team. “I am very happy about the first goal, a proper strike,” Tresoldi said after the 4‑1 win.

Record chase in the U21

With the three goals in Malta and another goal in the 4‑0 win against Latvia, Tresoldi is now only two goals behind Heiko Herrlich (17) and Pierre Littbarski (18) on the DFB’s top scorer list. He has already overtaken Rudi Völler and is just five appearances behind Fabian Ernst.

U21 coach Antonio Di Salvo emphasizes that Tresoldi has already been named as a target player by Jürgen Klopp, but should not feel any pressure. “Nicolo knows from me, but also from Jürgen Klopp, that he is a striker we are counting on, but we do not want to build pressure,” Di Salvo explained.

Tresoldi thanks Klopp but delays the choice between Germany and Italy

Decision between Germany and Italy

Born in Italy, Tresoldi moved to Germany with his family as a teenager and has been active in the German youth system for four years. “I started this path with Germany and wear the Germany jersey with pride,” he said, while emphasizing that both countries mean a great deal to him.

National team coach Jürgen Klopp stated that the situation for a young player is “insanely difficult” and that it is important to take time. “It is not about singing one national anthem or the other in the morning, but about many things,” Klopp said recently.

The German U21 now must beat Georgia in Bielefeld to secure the Euro ticket for Albania and Serbia. On Thursday at 20:45 on ZDF, Nick Woltemade will start in Tresoldi’s position against Serbia, while Tresoldi awaits his decision.

Tresoldi chases U21 scoring record as fans turn hostile

The story of an emerging goal‑scorer who can chase records stands in contrast to his indecisive national affiliation – a tension that will shape both the U21 squad and the German national team under Jürgen Klopp in the future.