Said El Mala Shines in U21 Return Following Senior Team Call-Up

Said El Mala has rejoined the Germany U21 squad during the current international break and made an immediate impact for Antonio Di Salvo’s DFB Juniors. Di Salvo included El Mala in the starting lineup for their match against Georgia, where the 19-year-old contributed an assist to Germany’s first goal in a 2-0 away victory.

Following the match, El Mala shared that he and his teammates had been practicing the set-piece variation that led to their opening goal during their time in the U21 camp. He executed a quick header from a corner to the far post late in the first half, where fellow young talent Lennart Karl was present to finish the play.

“We had planned that out beforehand,” El Mala stated in an interview with Sat.1 after the match. “I’m not typically built for extending the ball with my head like that, but today it worked. I’m glad I could help get things rolling.”

In a subsequent interview with Kicker, El Mala reflected on the emotional ups and downs of the past ten days, including receiving a call-up to the senior national team, remaining on the bench during his first match, and then returning to the U21 squad.

“There’s an awful lot to discuss regarding what’s happened over the last few days,” El Mala mentioned. “I’ll be talking about it extensively with my family. I’ve already been in contact with them over the phone, and they know that I came back to the U21s.

“They weren’t concerned as they understood I’d be giving it my all,” El Mala concluded.