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England U21's opponents Germany in beer mug row as ‘crying hostess’ accuses them of stealing

Germany's Under-21 side are preparing to take on England in the final of the European Championships on Saturday, but their build-up has been disrupted by a bizarre theft accusation

DUNAJSKA STREDA - Nick Woltemade of Germany U21 celebrates the 1-1 at the DAC Arena during the quarterfinal European Under-21 Championship game between Germany and Italy. ANP | Hollandse Hoogte | GERRIT VAN KEULEN (Photo by ANP via Getty Images)
Germany U21s have been accused for theft(Image: ANP, ANP via Getty Images)

Germany's Under-21 squad are set to face England in the European Championships final on Saturday, but their build-up has been rocked by accusations of stealing beer glasses.


The players were reportedly confronted by a "distraught" woman accusing them of the alleged theft following their U21 Euros semi-final victory over France in Kosice. Antonio Di Salvo's team have refuted any wrongdoing, suggesting instead that the glasses must have been taken without their knowledge.


As per Bild (via The Sun), the woman - believed to be a VIP hostess at the Kosicka Futbalova Arena - was visibly upset as she stormed towards Germany's team coach. Reports suggest she brushed off stewards and an armed security guard to get close to the vehicle and try to take photos.


"It was all completely different. The woman had brought several beer mugs into the catacombs, presumably for the referees. Then later, empty mugs were there, which were suddenly gone," explained the Germany Under-21 press officer, who happens to be named Markus Beer.

"Someone must have chucked them away. She obviously thought our players had simply taken them. But that was definitely not the case."

England U21s
England face Germany in the Euros U21 final(Image: Nikola Krstic/Shutterstock)
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Germany head into this year's final having won every game at the tournament so far. They edged past England 2-1 in the group stages, before requiring extra-time to knock out Italy in the quarter-finals.

The semi-finals were more straightforward, as they took a 2-0 lead against France within the first 15 minutes, thanks to goals from Nelson Wieper and Nick Woltemade. Brighton's young talent Brajan Gruda sealed the game with a goal in the dying moments of the second half, rounding off a dominant 3-0 win.

England's journey hasn't been quite as smooth sailing, but they've shown grit, managing to scrape through despite only picking up four points from their three group matches.


KOSICE, SLOVAKIA - JUNE 25: Brajan Gruda of U21 Germany celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's third goal during the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2025 Semi-Final match between Germany and France at Kosice Football Arena on June 25, 2025 in Kosice, Slovakia. (Photo by Christian Hofer/Getty Images)
Germany have won all of their U21 Euros games(Image: Christian Hofer, Getty Images)

They knocked out Spain in the quarters, echoing the 2023 final, while a brace from Harvey Elliott secured a 2-1 triumph over the Netherlands in the semis.

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"You can speak as much as you want on the pitch, you can say whatever, but at the end of the day when the moment comes and you need to show up, and you need to, for example, in my situation, score a goal," Elliott reflected after his match-winning double.

"It's about how you take that, and those opportunities are vital. Today I'm just so chuffed I was able to chip in and net the two goals to secure us the win."

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