Dani Olmo, who is on the pitch C of the Ciudad del Fútbol, is sharing greetings and remembering experiences of a not so distant past with members of a team with which he reached the sky. These days the national team and the U-21s coincide in Las Rozas and Olmo, already one of the regulars with the seniors, does not forget that in the summer of 2019, at the European Championship in Italy and San Marino, he won gold with that U-21 team that was led by Luis de la Fuente. He still gets excited when he recalls that feat and tries to infect Santi Denia's boys, who from June 21 to July 8 will fight for the title of the category in the tournament held in Georgia and Romania.
"It's a unique opportunity and, if it goes well, they will remember this experience for the rest of their lives," says Olmo, who has already lived this precious story in first person. "They are unforgettable memories, very beautiful. How it started and how it ended... That first match against Italy and that final against Germany are some of the most beautiful memories I have at the national team level.”
It's not surprising, because that European Championship started badly, with a defeat against Italy (3-1), and ended with a tremendous victory against Germany (2-1). "The final was incredible. Against Germany, a very high-level opponent, with Fabián's first goal, then mine... My whole family was in the stands and it was a very special moment. And then to lift the cup with my teammates, the staff...".
The striker has settled in with the national team after some very good courses at RB Leipzig, present among the 23 chosen by Luis de la Fuente to fight for the UEFA Nations League. "It's all happened so fast, you don't even realize it. I try to live each call-up as if it were the first and as if it were the last. Now we have the Nations League and we're two matches away from winning a trophy with the national team, so we're going for it," Olmo said. For starters, on Thursday there is a high-voltage match against Italy, an old acquaintance with whom they will fight to reach Sunday's final. Then the Netherlands or Croatia will play, but no one thinks beyond the semifinals.