Will Julian Nagelsmann have to cross another talented player off his list for the future? After some deliberation, Paul Wanner is said to have decided in favor of Austria. However, the PSV professional has now denied this report.
Does the DFB still have a chance? On Monday, the tz reported that Paul Wanner had decided to play for the Austrian national team with immediate effect and not in the black and white jersey of the DFB. This would have settled the long-running saga surrounding the midfielder, who has been playing for Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven since this season.
However, Wanner has now denied that he has already made his choice. “That’s not true,” said the 20-year-old on Tuesday afternoon at the PSV press conference ahead of Wednesday evening’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich. “I haven’t made a decision yet.” Time will tell. “Until then, I will continue to do my best. I am only focusing on PSV.”
Wanner was born in Dornbirn (Vorarlberg) but grew up in Baden-Württemberg. His mother is Austrian and his father is German. His great potential was noticed early on, and he joined the FC Bayern Munich youth academy as a child.
And his talent did not go unnoticed by the DFB either. Wanner has been a regular in the national teams since the U17s, and last year he was runner-up in the European Championship with the German U21s. However, Wanner left open the final decision as to which of the two nations he wanted to play for. And so the DFB and the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) vied for the youngster’s services. In 2022, Austrian national coach Ralf Rangnick invited him to training sessions with the senior national team. However, in order not to put pressure on him to make a decision, Wanner was not selected for international duty, meaning he remained eligible to play for both Germany and Austria.
In the fall of 2024, Julian Nagelsmann sent Wanner his first invitation. But to the surprise of the national coach, the then 18-year-old declined.
Uzun, Yildiz, Asllani – and now Wanner?
Wanner could become the next in a series of talented players who have recently decided against the DFB, even though they were trained in Germany. Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Kenan Yildiz (Juventus Turin) wear the Turkish national jersey, while Fisnik Asllani (TSG Hoffenheim) has opted for Kosovo. This is a development that is causing the DFB increasing concern.
