-
Ball boy... contributes to changing the score and becomes a hero
15-Year-Old Ball Boy Noel Urbanjak Emerges as Key Player in Germany vs. Italy Match
Ball boy Noel Urbanjak, 15, unexpectedly played a crucial role in the match that ended in a 3-3 draw between Germany and Italy, helping the Germans reach the semifinals of the UEFA Nations League on Sunday evening.
Urbanjak was positioned near the corner flag when Germany was awarded a corner kick in the 36th minute after Italy's goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, saved a header from Tim Kleindienst. During his interactions with his teammates, Urbanjak quickly passed the ball to Joshua Kimmich, the captain of the German team, who then passed it to Jamal Musiala, who scored into an empty net while the Italian defenses failed to respond in time.
This goal, which put Germany ahead 2-0, reminded everyone of Liverpool's famous goal against Barcelona in the 2019 UEFA Champions League semifinals when Trent Alexander-Arnold executed a quick corner that Divock Origi scored from.
Kimmich praised Urbanjak's quick reaction and presented him with a signed ball after the match, while the team's sporting director, Rudi Völler, promised him a free ticket to the next game.
Germany's coach, Julian Nagelsmann, also commended the performance of the trio Kimmich, Musiala, and Urbanjak, expressing his pride in them at that moment.
Speaking with RTL, Urbanjak said, "My eyes connected with Kimmich, and I saw he needed the ball, so I quickly threw it to him, and we scored; it felt amazing because it was my first experience as a ball boy."
Kimmich added, "The ball boy was very alert and did a great job." Later, former German captain Lothar Matthäus described the goal as a rare occurrence, stating he had never seen anything like it before in football.
