By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, June 29 (Xinhua) -- The success of Germany's Under-21 side is currently creating a euphoric atmosphere around German youth football that soon could affect the senior national team.
Several media reports report that German junior coach Stefan Kuntz could be a possible successor of Joachim Loew after 2020.
Defeating Spain in this Sunday's Under-21 European final in the Northern Italian town of Udine would set a new record as no nation has been able to defend its title two years later.
In 2017 Germany beat Spain by 1-0 with 56-year-old former German international Kuntz as their head coach.
But what is behind a story delivering new hope for the struggling 2014 world champions after the disappointing early group exit at the 2018 World Cup and the relegation in the Nations League?
To address the needs and particular circumstances of today's young generation, the German Football Association (DFB) is counting on a so-called "three-pillar-concept" when it comes to the coaching staff responsible for all of the DFB's youth teams.
One of the coaches ideally is providing a wide range of experience as a professional footballer as the charismatic father figure Kuntz does. Kuntz has been described as an inspiration to the younger players who gets the most out of the young stars.
The second coach, 41-year-old Daniel Niedzkowski, one of the two assistants, is responsible for innovation and a scientific approach while the third coach, 40-year-old Antonio Di Salvo is an age-group specialist.
The new concept was initiated by Meikel Schoenweitz, the association's supervising head-coach responsible for all youth teams.
"We need to cover all aspects important for youth teams," Schoenweitz emphasized, "we look towards new ideas in a scientific way, and we need the one who understand the mentality of the youngsters at the specific age group."
The under-21 juniors function as the role-model for all other association teams.
"He is gifted when it comes to communicating with the players, and he knows what it takes to play a long tournament," former national team manager and ex-teammate of Kuntz, Oliver Bierhoff underlined.
His current players then could well be the ones he is coaching on the senior stage. "A coach winning the 2017 title and leading his team into the final two years later has got it in him, I wouldn't be surprised," Germany's fullback Benjamin Henrichs of Monaco commented.
