On Saturday, August 14, 2021, VfB Stuttgart sent out a press release at 7:34 p.m. It went down a bit at the time because VfB had won 5-1 against Greuther Fürth a few hours earlier, on the first matchday of the 2021/22 season. In this respect, there was no cause for excitement when VfB announced the signing of a 19-year-old talent from Monaco in the evening. The talent from Monaco, Enzo Millot, is now one of the most sought-after 22-year-olds in Europe.
Enzo Millot is one of the players that VfB has particular hopes for in the Champions League on Wednesday evening. After the injuries to Deniz Undav, Jamie Leweling and El Bilal Touré, there are not many players left in Stuttgart’s offensive, and those who are still there have to play constantly – including now against the Young Boys from Bern, against the VfB urgently needs three points. However, it is now clear at the latest what kind of problem the people of Stuttgart – unknowingly – caused themselves on August 14, 2021.
As we now know, Millot moved to Stuttgart a day late. If he were back then before became a VfB professional on the first Bundesliga match day and not on First Bundesliga matchday, he would now be considered a “local player” – eight players of this type must be in the Champions League squad, as UEFA has made it mandatory for reasons of talent cultivation written into their regulations. More precisely: four players who were under contract with the current club for three full seasons between the ages of 15 and 21 must be in the squad at least; and if four more cannot be found, players from the same national association can also be used under the same conditions. That sounds as complicated as it is – with the even more complicated addition that the season also applies after the player’s 21st birthday if the player (like Millot) turned 21 between July 1st and the start of the season. However, UEFA understands the “start of the season” to mean the start of the league – which Millot missed by a few hours.
In Stuttgart they have now learned that processing this legendary list is more than just an annoying bureaucratic process. Other clubs have already learned the pitfalls of this special agreement, and for VfB this rule specifically means that Millot could not be registered as a local player for the current Champions League season. Which is why the Stuttgart team had to put amateur and youth players on the list due to the lack of other qualified professional candidates – while at the same time foregoing a few professionals due to the squad limit of 25 players. This means that last weekend’s VfB hero, striker Nick Woltemade, is no longer eligible to play in the premier class, nor is left winger Justin Diehl, who has also been eye-catching recently.
Only junior strikers will be on the bench against Bern
When those responsible for VfB put together the squad list in August, Woltemade and Diehl still seemed too far away from the top level after the first training and test match impressions. The people of Stuttgart obviously made a mistake – and mistrusted their own funding qualities. Under coach Sebastian Hoeneß, Woltemade and Diehl have developed so well that they would certainly be a help in the Champions League and would be urgently needed given the injury concerns. What now means against Bern that Hoeneß’ offensive sets itself up without the five attackers Undav, Leweling, Touré, Woltemade and Diehl and only junior strikers sit on the bench.
Nick Woltemade and Justin Diehl will now keep their fingers crossed from the outside, they are pretty firm with the rules now. You know: If VfB reaches the knockout round, the club is likely to submit a new entry list. And they would almost certainly be standing on it.
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