East Germany national under-21 football team
The U-21 national football team in the GDR was a selected team of the Football Association of the German Democratic Republic. Since the age restriction does not always was 21 years, the age- neutral name National Selection of the GDR was common. In the print media of the GDR, the term " soccer junior national team of the GDR" was needed. Only from 1972 to 1976, as both a U-23 and U -21 team played, the U- 21 team was named as such.
History
The National Selection denied 1953-1989 about 250 official matches against youth teams from other football associations. She was the link between the junior national team and the senior team. In accordance with international rules were first player under 23 years old (hence later U -23) and from 1972 eligible to play under 21 years. Within certain limits, even older players could be used. The first junior international match took place on 5 July 1953 at the former Karl -Marx- Stadt (now Chemnitz) instead. The East defeated the Czechoslovak National Selection 1-0. Scored for the later A-National player Günter Imhof.
European Championships
In 1967 it participated offspring selection of the predecessor of the U-23 European Championship, the trophy for U-23 national teams. In an annual challenge mode as the first participant Bulgaria and East Germany were drawn. The match took place in the Bulgarian Stara Zagora on June 7, 1967. Bulgaria beat the East 3-2 and was the first title holder.
1970 saw the first official qualification for U-23 European Championships, in the failed DDR selection of the Netherlands and Yugoslavia. In the following European GDR youth players were successful. They sat down in the qualifiers against Romania and Albania, off in the quarterfinals Italy and Poland in the semifinals and were subject only in the final two games in 1974 Hungary with 3:2 and 0:4. At the European Championships 1974/76, the GDR had already failed to qualify to France and Belgium.
1978 was discharged with a new age restriction for the first time a U-21 Football Championship. This means that the GDR selection has been converted into a U -21. In 1978, the team the final, after Turkey, Austria, in the quarterfinals, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria in the semifinals had been turned off in qualifying. In the two finals Yugoslavia waited for the GDR selection, this time the European title with 0:1 and 4:4 missed. One last time the East German youth team reached the European Championship final in 1980. She had in qualifying, the Netherlands and Poland eliminated in the quarterfinals defeated Hungary and England in the semifinals and met now on the Soviet Union. After a 0-0 draw and a 0-1 defeat of the East German youth was the third time Vice-European Champion.
The following U-21 European Championships, the East German youth team always failed already in the qualification. Their last match they played on 14 November at the 1989 European Championship qualifier against Austria, which they won 1-0 in the Austrian Stockerau.