BERLIN: Deniz Undav’s goals for Stuttgart this season have earned the forward his first call-up for Germany for the upcoming friendlies against France and the Netherlands.
On Saturday, he could make his debut playing against French star Kylian Mbappé in Lyon, or it could come Tuesday against the Dutch in Frankfurt.
“To be honest I don’t care who I’m playing against. I just hope that when I come in, I give everything and that’s the only thing that matters to me,” Undav said Thursday. “Hopefully the two test games are positive and then we can see.”
If Undav impresses Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, he could even make the European Championship squad. Germany host the tournament this summer and could benefit from Undav’s goals and drive.
Undav is one of six new call-ups made by Nagelsmann as the coach attempts a shakeup to get the German team out of their decline.
“Deniz is very talented between the lines, someone who moves a lot in central positions and his passing is clean in the final pass,” Germany teammate Niclas Füllkrug said of the 27-year-old forward.
Füllkrug, who has 10 goals in 13 appearances for Germany, knows Undav after twice losing to his Stuttgart team with Borussia Dortmund this season. Stuttgart knocked Dortmund out of the German Cup and Undav scored when Stuttgart won their league meeting. They meet again in the Bundesliga on April 6. For now though, they’re teammates.
“We’ve already done one or two training sessions together, and we were on the same team together,” Füllkrug said. “We worked quite well in harmony at times, and I also liked it because he’s someone who always has the urge to move forward and looks for the last ball and doesn’t have the urge the pass back. That’s where I think his great strengths are. Of course, he also has a nose for where the ball will fall.”
Undav has 15 goals in 25 games this season for Stuttgart, where he’s enjoying another loan spell from Premier League club Brighton.
It’s been a fast ascent for a player who largely escaped attention since making his senior debut for TSV Havelse at fourth-tier level in April 2015.
Four years ago, Undav was still playing in Germany’s third division for SV Meppen, where his performances earned a switch to Belgian team Union Saint-Gilloise.
Brighton signed Undav in January 2022 and loaned him back to Union for the rest of the season. He scored five goals for the English team before being loaned out again — to Stuttgart’s benefit.
Stuttgart are third in the Bundesliga and closing in on Champions League qualification.
Undav could also have played for Turkiye, but said Thursday that his preference was always to play for Germany.
“I grew up here. I like it very much here. I’ve very little connection with Turkiye, to be honest. The option was there, but for me it was very clear that I wanted to play for Germany.”
Undav stressed he’s a team player, happy to be involved whether it’s on the field or from the bench.
“I try to help the team. I think that’s the most important thing, whether you play from the beginning or not,” Undav said. “The team are above everything and I always try to be positive, to bring good vibes, and if I’m to play, to give it everything.”
Deniz Undav eyes Germany debut and shot at Euro 2024 squad
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Deniz Undav eyes Germany debut and shot at Euro 2024 squad
- If Undav impresses Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, he could even make the European Championship squad
- Germany hosts the tournament this summer and could benefit from Undav’s goals and drive
Dejected Inter return to Scudetto charge as Juve lick their wounds
- Inter are 10 points clear at the top of Serie A
- Juventus’ hopes of reaching next season’s Champions League could be hit hard in Rome on Sunday night
MILAN: Inter Milan return to their bid to reclaim the Serie A title with Saturday’s visit of Genoa after a humiliating exit from the Champions League at the hands of Bodo/Glimt.
A 5-2 aggregate defeat, with losses in both legs, to the Norwegian minnows has left questions not only about Cristian Chivu’s debut season in the Inter dugout but also about Italy’s place in the contemporary football landscape.
Inter are 10 points clear at the top of Serie A, but on Tuesday night the division’s best team were undone by prosaic attacking and an inexplicable individual error from Manuel Akanji which effectively ended the tie.
The aftermath has been despondent and blunt, with the Gazzetta Dello Sport’s Wednesday front page simply saying “no excuses” after a historically bad result for one of the world’s most important footballing nations.
Chivu’s backhanded compliments to Bodo/Glimt also rang hollow, as he said that their only playing four matches in the last three months, all in the Champions League, was a factor in Inter’s defeat.
“They had a lot more energy than us, but that’s the Champions League for you. Let’s move on,” said Chivu.
While Inter flopped on the European stage, they have dominated domestically this term with just two points dropped in their last 14 league matches.
And will be heavy favorites to at least keep their distance from Milan with their derby coming up next weekend.
Juventus’ hopes of reaching next season’s Champions League could be hit hard in Rome on Sunday night following their own painful elimination on Wednesday night.
Luciano Spalletti’s players came close to a stunning comeback against Galatasaray but left themselves with too much to do after a 5-2 thumping in the first leg, and a trip to Roma is another difficult test.
Juve trail fourth-placed Roma and champions Napoli — in third ahead of their match at Verona — by four points and are on a run of four defeats in their last six matches in all competitions.
“We still have a lot to play for in the coming months, but you can see that the team is there,” said Juve icon Giorgio Chiellini, now a club official.
“We’ve had some slips and obstacles but we’re growing.”
Lurking a point behind Juve are Como and Atalanta, with the latter at Sassuolo still basking in the glow of a stunning comeback against Borussia Dortumund and a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Player to watch: Gleison Bremer
The Brazilian is by far Juve’s best defender and their collapse in Istanbul last week came soon after he had to be substituted with a thigh injury in the first half.
His return from a mercifully short lay-off will be key for Juve’s chances at Roma who have the division’s second-best home record and are gaining momentum under Gian Piero Gasperini.
Juve showed on Wednesday that they are a goal threat but Bremer will need to plug a leaky defense at the Stadio Olimpico.
Key stats
10 — Inter’s points lead at the top of the division
40 — the number of points Inter have collected in their last 14 matches
Fixtures (times GMT)
Friday
Parma v Cagliari (1945)
Saturday
Como v Lecce (1400), Verona v Napoli (1700), Inter Milan v Genoa (1945)
Sunday
Cremonese v AC Milan (1130), Sassuolo v Atalanta (1400), Torino v Lazio (1700), Roma v Juventus (1945)
Monday
Pisa v Bologna (1730), Udinese v Fiorentina (1945)
