Pauline Bremer, Jonathan Tah and Felix Passlack are the “2015 Young Players of the Year.” The trio will receive the gold Fritz Walter Medal in Frankfurt in September.
Neid: "Bremer is a great player"
19-year-old Pauline Bremer had a fantastic year. In April 2014 she made her debut for Germany’s senior team and four month later she skippered the U20s to World Cup success. In 2015 she was the youngest member of the DFB team’s World Cup squad. Having won the silver version of the award last time out, she can now add a gold medal to her collection.
“Pauline Bremer is a great player and a fantastic player,” explained Silvia Neid. “She was one of the stars of the U20 World Cup in Canada last year and she’s made the leap to the senior team look easy. I wish her all of the best for the future.”
Nina Ehegötz (1. FC Köln) came second in this category; Laura Freigang (TSV Schott Mainz) was third.
Flick: "Tah is a huge talent"
Jonathan Tah finished ahead of Timo Werner (VfB Stuttgart) and Lukas Klostermann (RB Leipzig). He captained the Germany U19s at this summer’s European Championship, but his side were eliminated in the group stage. Tah was on loan at Fortuna Düsseldorf from HSV last season and has now signed a five-year deal with Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
“Jonathan Tah is one of the best up and coming German defenders,” explained DFB sporting director Hansi Flick. “He plays with incredible calmness considering his age. He showed last year with Düsseldorf that he is up to the demands of professional football. The move to Leverkusen will be good for his development.”
Pauline Bremer, Jonathan Tah and Felix Passlack are the “2015 Young Players of the Year.” The trio will receive the gold Fritz Walter Medal in Frankfurt in September.
Neid: "Bremer is a great player"
19-year-old Pauline Bremer had a fantastic year. In April 2014 she made her debut for Germany’s senior team and four month later she skippered the U20s to World Cup success. In 2015 she was the youngest member of the DFB team’s World Cup squad. Having won the silver version of the award last time out, she can now add a gold medal to her collection.
“Pauline Bremer is a great player and a fantastic player,” explained Silvia Neid. “She was one of the stars of the U20 World Cup in Canada last year and she’s made the leap to the senior team look easy. I wish her all of the best for the future.”
Nina Ehegötz (1. FC Köln) came second in this category; Laura Freigang (TSV Schott Mainz) was third.
Flick: "Tah is a huge talent"
Jonathan Tah finished ahead of Timo Werner (VfB Stuttgart) and Lukas Klostermann (RB Leipzig). He captained the Germany U19s at this summer’s European Championship, but his side were eliminated in the group stage. Tah was on loan at Fortuna Düsseldorf from HSV last season and has now signed a five-year deal with Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
“Jonathan Tah is one of the best up and coming German defenders,” explained DFB sporting director Hansi Flick. “He plays with incredible calmness considering his age. He showed last year with Düsseldorf that he is up to the demands of professional football. The move to Leverkusen will be good for his development.”
Passlack comes out on top
Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Passlack has won the U17 edition of the award. He is set to feature in the U17 World Cup in Chile later this year. In May he was part of the Germany side that came second in this summer’s European Championship and he also won the German title. World Cup success would be the icing on the cake for a youngster who trained with the senior squad during their winter training camp, which took place in La Manga.
“He’s a fantastic footballer, but his performances at the European Championship in Bulgaria showed that he is also an excellent leader,” explained Hansi Flick. “He conducts himself perfectly on and off the pitch. We hope that this award will fire him up further for this year’s World Cup.”
Niklas Dorsch (FC Bayern München) was second in this category; Constantin Frommann (SC Freiburg) came third.
Prize money goes to the clubs
A number of players who have received this award in previous years are now regular fixtures in the Bundesliga. The prize fund for winners is as follows: €20,000 (Gold), €15,000 (Silver) and €10,000 (Bronze). The player’s club receives the money. This year more than €100,000 will be awarded.
The Fritz Walter Medal commemorates the captain of the 1954 World Cup triumph and was originally given to the players who have performed best and have display the right characteristics. Since 2004 it has been awarded to the “Young Player of the Year.”
