Karim Adeyemi misses out on the U21 European Championship qualifiers. This annoys the DFB president.
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf has criticized Karim Adeyemi’s decision against the U21 national team in no uncertain terms. “I think it’s a mistake,” Neuendorf said during the half-time break of the European Championship qualifier against Estonia on ProSiebenMaxx. But “there’s no point in forcing someone to come here. It doesn’t help the team if someone plays half-heartedly.”
Adeyemi had been nominated by U21 national team coach Antonio Di Salvo for the games against Estonia and Poland (Tuesday, 18:00), but decided not to make the trip. Instead, he wants to stay with his club Borussia Dortmund, the 21-year-old explained.
Adeyemi apparently sees his future in the senior national team and is hoping for next year’s European Championship at home, but the new national coach Julian Nagelsmann has not yet called up the winger.
From Neuendorf’s point of view, Adeyemi’s omission is a missed opportunity to recommend himself for higher tasks via the youth team. The U21s have “always been a stepping stone”, said the DFB president, citing Leipzig full-back David Raum and Bayer Leverkusen attacking artist Florian Wirtz as examples of the recent past, both of whom are in Nagelsmann’s squad for the games against Turkey in Berlin on Saturday (20:45/RTL) and against Austria in Vienna three days later.
It doesn’t help the team if you have to force someone to play here. It has to be with conviction, with heart and soul.
Bernd Neuendorf
“I believe that you should be proud to wear the eagle on your chest,” said Neuendorf. The fact that Adeyemi is not there is “perhaps a bit of a missed opportunity, I regret that.”
The 62-year-old said that the coaches “have to decide on any consequences”: “It’s a sign of how important he takes it. If he thinks he doesn’t want to play here, you can’t force him.” Neuendorf emphasized once again: “It doesn’t help the team if you have to force someone to play here. It has to be with conviction, with heart and soul. “