The U21 Euro has come to the end with the triumph of Germany over Portugal. Two national teams that made a fantastic campaign notably thanks to the brilliant performances from some of their several talents seen previously in the Maurice Revello Tournament.
27 Maurice Revello Tournament graduates took part in the U21 Euro. Only one of them won the title. Germany clinched the U21 European Championship title as they beat Portugal (1-0) thanks to a winner netted by Lukas Nmecha.
Winner of the Maurice Revello Tournament in 2018, the 22-year-old striker led his side to the trophy. The Manchester City player (loaned out to Anderlecht this season) has netted 4 goals in the competition, enough to finish as the Euro U21’s top scorer. A fantastic way to conclude the best campaign of his career so far : this season, Nmecha scored 18 goals in 37 Belgian league games with Anderlecht.
Nmecha : a successful switch of allegiance
The German federation directors certainly don’t regret their decision to convince Nmecha to join the national team. Until 2019, the 22-year-old striker was representing England. With his adoptive country, he has notably won both U19 Euro in 2017 and then the Maurice Revello Tournament 2018 alongside the likes of Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham.
“I lived in Hamburg until I was nine years old and I still have a close bond to the city and the people there”, explained Nmecha to the AFP when he officially decided to represent Germany
Fabio Vieira and Vitinha rewarded by the UEFA observers
This successful switch of international allegiance made the misfortune of Portuguese who conceded a goal from Nmecha and eventually lost their third U21 Euro final in as many participations. However, the Seleçao impressed the observers. Two players in particular seen at the Maurice Revello Tournament 2019 stole the show.
The first one is the 21-year-old Fabio Vieira who has been named best player of the U21 Euro. "During the tournament, he was a key player for Portugal. A playmaker who creates a lot of chances. An excellent link between midfield and attack”, explained Dusan Fitzel, the member of the UEFA panel that awarded this prestigious trophy to the FC Porto attacking midfielder.
The second Portuguese player who has been impressive throughout the competition is arguably Vitor Ferreira aka Vitinha. The Maurice Revello Tournament 2019 Revelation shone thanks to his technical abilities and his diverse range of passing. This is not a coincidence if the Wolverhampton midfielder has been included in the “Squad of the Tournament” by UEFA, like Lukas Nmecha and Fabio Vieira.
Amayes Brahmi