Another highlight awaits the U20 national team shortly after the end of the season. They will be in Ascona from 24th to 27th May to meet up with the senior team during their pre-European Championship training camp, which is taking place in the Swiss canton of Tessin. The 19 players selected by the U20s' head coach Frank Wormuth will be on hand to partner the senior team as they train.

“It is always something special when you can train with the best,” said Wormuth. “Due to injuries, relegation play-offs and other obligations, we will be without several players. However, the players who will be there are excited for this opportunity.”

Dahoud and Amiri to lead U20s

Bundesliga players Mahmoud Dahoud (Borussia Mönchengladbach) and Nadiem Amiri (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim) will lead the group, which includes another two players who will play in the Bundesliga next season; Pascal Stenzel and Tim Kleindienst recently earned promotion with SC Freiburg. Goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe of VfL Osnabrück is also coming into the squad with confidence after being nominated as Lower Saxony’s Footballer of the Year. Gianluca Gaudino and Lucas Cueto of FC St. Gallen have also been selected.

For Frank Wormuth’s side, the task of being sparring partners for the senior national team is nothing new. “We did the same thing in 2014,” recalls the 55-year-old, whose team was a part of the successful preparation in South Tyrol that led to Germany picking up their fourth World Cup title a few weeks later. It was also of great value to the youth players who took part. “The feedback from the former players was outstanding,” said the DFB coach. “They felt closer to the senior side through the friendlies.”

“We will play whatever role Löw demands of us”

Three friendlies were scheduled last time, but this time the U20s will likely only train together with the squad. They will be required to mirror the playing style of other teams in Germany’s EURO 2016 group, in order to give the senior side the best possible preparation. “We will play whatever role Löw demands of us,” said Wormuth. “Whether it's playing on the counter, defending using man marking or parking the bus, he will give us the tactics and system that we will have to implement.”

Frank Wormuth can’t predict if the preparation will lead to a title a few weeks later, but he hopes that it will be the case. Though with respect to his own team, he is sure of one thing: “This will be a great lesson for my players. They will be able to see what they need to do to reach the top.”