Calciomercato 23 September 2026 Updated: 9 November 2026

Di Salvo defends Nagelsmann: "He was there with Julian too

The Italian Under 21 coach, Antonio Di Salvo, defended Nagelsmann's work in his interview with Sport Bild.

Why it matters

Antonio Di Salvo's statements highlight the importance of communication between coaches and the growth of young talents in German football. His defense of Julian Nagelsmann, the current manager of Bayern Munich, highlights the value of having a manager who promotes youth play, which is crucial to the future of Bundesliga football. Furthermore, the good relationship between Di Salvo and Nagelsmann could facilitate further opportunities for Italian players in Germany.

Context

Antonio Di Salvo, as coach of the Under 21 national team, has a key role in promoting young talents such as Brunner and Tresoldi. His collaboration with high-profile coaches such as Nagelsmann could positively influence the careers of these players, especially in a competitive context such as the Bundesliga and the Premier League.

Key points

Di Salvo defends Nagelsmann: "He was there with Julian too.
The coach of the Italian Under 21, Antonio Di Salvo, defended Nagelsmann's work in his interview with Sport Bild.
"Auch with Julian einen sehr guten Austausch": Di Salvo verteidigt Nagelsmann.

Antonio Di Salvo, coach of the Italian Under 21 national team, gave an interview to Sport Bild in which he defended the work of Julian Nagelsmann, current coach of Bayern Munich, and also focused on the call-ups of two young talents for the national team, Paris Brunner and Nicolo Tresoldi. Di Salvo, speaking about the change of coach at Bayern, with the arrival of Nagelsmann who replaced Klopp, said: "For the boys who play in Germany it is always important to have a coach who makes them play. And I hope that with Nagelsmann, but also with Klopp, for the boys who will play in Germany in the future, there will always be this attention." The Under 21 coach also wanted to underline the good exchange relationship he has with Nagelsmann: "I have an excellent relationship with Nagelsmann. I had the chance to talk to him, to explain to him what my intentions are, which players I want to focus on. And he also gave me some suggestions, he told me which players he thought could fit well in my national team. So there was an excellent exchange, even if he didn't know the guys from my national team well, because many haven't played in the Bundesliga yet. But there was this excellent exchange and I hope it continues." Finally, Di Salvo spoke about the call-ups of Paris Brunner, a striker born in 2005 for Bayer Leverkusen, and Nicolo Tresoldi, a striker for Manchester City, both called up for the next Under 21 match which will be on 16 November against Portugal in a friendly: "I called Brunner because I saw some important qualities, a player who knows how to attack spaces, a player who knows how to dribble, a player who also knows how to score. And therefore for the role of external attacker I needed a player of this type. Tresoldi is a central striker who knows how to attack deep, he also knows how to come forward, he is very good in the air and also has excellent technique. And they are two profiles that in my opinion can integrate well with the other attackers that I have called up for this friendly match."

What happens now

With the call-ups of Paris Brunner and Nicolo Tresoldi, the Italian Under 21 team is preparing for an important friendly against Portugal. The presence of these young talents, coming from Bundesliga and Premier League clubs, could prove crucial to their development. Di Salvo hopes that the dialogue with Nagelsmann will continue, contributing to a better integration of young Italian footballers into the European football landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Antonio Di Salvo say about Julian Nagelsmann?

Antonio Di Salvo defended the work of Julian Nagelsmann, underlining the good exchange relationship between them.

Who called up Antonio Di Salvo for the Under 21 national team?

Antonio Di Salvo has called up Paris Brunner and Nicolo Tresoldi for the next Under 21 match.

Why is Antonio Di Salvo talking about Nagelsmann now?

Di Salvo spoke about Nagelsmann following the change of coach at Bayern Munich and to highlight the importance of having a coach who lets young people play.