Antonio Di Salvo, the coach the national U21 of Germanyhas an interesting story of life. At the age of 45, the German with Sicilian origin, who was born in Paderborn, comes from a family of Italian migrants who were recruited in Germany in 1970, part of the “Gastarbeiter” program, a vogue movement in those years, through which the Germans recruited foreign workers for the local yards.
Next to Spain, Germany is credited with the first chance to win the European in Slovakia, led from the bench by the double citizenship installed by the federation since 2021.
The name of Germany U21 selector, depending on 2021, contains an obvious Italian influence, and its trajectory is especially known among the German public. Born from Italian parents, originally from Sicily, Di Salvo became a footballer who grew up, childhood and made a career in the Bundesliga.
Di Salvo's parents came to Germany through “Gastarbeiter”
According to Frankfurter Rundschau, his parents emigrated to Germany in the early 1970s, leaving southern Italy because of the precarious financial situation.
In the pursuit of a better life, the Di Salvo family came to work in the Paderborn, part of the movement “Gastarbeiter”, That is, foreign workers brought between 1950-1970 to Germany, by bilateral agreements, to supplement the lack of labor.
Western Germany has “transferred” in those years workers from Italy, Turkey, Greece, former Yugoslavia and other countries in southeast Europe, notes Domid, an institute that studies the phenomenon of migration to Germany.
“Gastarbeiter” was a phenomenon of the 1950s – 1970s, by which Western Germany brought foreign workers from southern Europe to cover the lack of workforce after the war / source: Imago Images
A few years ago, Antonio Di Salvo spoke in an interview with the German press about his origins and how he is perceived in Germany, respectively Italy.
“In Germany, they said about me: “Look, play the Italian.” And when I was on vacation in Italy, I was the “German”. These are my roots and my parents and there is nothing to bother me ”.
Ideal Distinction: Germ champion came out with Bayern
Antonio Di Salvo started his career at professionals at SC Paderborn, the club in his hometown, then transferred to Bayern Munich, evolving for the Bavarians between 2000 and 2001, enough to pass a title to the Bundesliga. He later passed to Hansa Rostock and 1860 Munich, in “Zweite” and in the first league.
According to the German journalists mentioned above, Antonio's father, a football fan, was the one who pushed his boy to this sport, sending him to initiate at a local club near Paderborn.
There is another Italian in the U21 national of Germany!
In the team led by Antonio Di Salvo we also meet an Italian, on the striker Nicolo Tresoldi, 20 years old, this summer from Hannover 96 to FC Bruges for 6 million euros. Born in Sardinia, in Cagliari, from Italian father and Argentine mother, he is currently the nationals of the “Mannschaft”, debuting in the U19 representative in 2022.
Tresoldi had a childhood in Italy, but the trajectory was completely changed when he moved with his family to Hanover. It happened in 2017, when he was only 13 years old. He was co -opted in Hannover's Academy, and has since played uninterruptedly in Germany.
In addition to Germany, Tresoldi can also be the national of Italy and Argentina. Its case can be compared to a point with that of Umit Akdag, tempted to represent Turkey at the expense of Romania at the senior level.
Tresoldi is a holder in the U21 national of Germany, and at the European Championship in Slovakia already has a goal and an assist in two matches. The goal was successful in the victory against the Czech Republic, 4-2, a match attended by GSP reporters on Sunday evening.
