The East Germany national football team was the national football team of the German Democratic Republic. The East Germany national under-21 football team was a selection team that represented East Germany internationally with an age restriction.
The East Germany national under-21 team served as the link between the East Germany national under-18 team (German: Juniorenauswahl) and the East Germany national senior team. The team operated with the neutral name "Next Generation Selection" (German: Nachwuchsauswahl) and the age restriction was not always constant. Only from 1972 to 1976, when an under-23 team and an under-21 team played in parallel, existed a more specific distinction between the under-21 team and the under-23 team. Following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976, a distinct East Germany under-21 team was formed.
The team played until the re-unification of Germany in 1990, when East Germany ceased to be a separate country. Before re-unification, the East Germany national under-21 football team was a little bit more successful than its Western counterpart in the UEFA Under-23 Championships and the UEFA Under-21 Championships, finishing runner-up on three occasions. The West Germany national under-21 team finished runner-up once and reached the quarter-finals twice. The East Germany national under-21 football team failed to qualify seven times, while the West Germany national under-21 football team failed to qualify four times and didn't enter on three occations.
The East Germany under-21 national football team played over 275 official international matches against youth teams from other football associations between 1953 and 1989 - 112 matches as an under-23 team and 164 matches as an under-21 team. From 1978 until 1991, the trainer of the team was Walter Fritzsch.
The team competed in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Since the under-21 competition rules state that players must be 21 or under at the start of a two-year competition, technically it is an under-23 competition. East Germany's record for the preceding under-23 competitions is also shown.
UEFA U-23 Championship Record
1972: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 3 in qualification group.
1974: Runners-up.
1976: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 3 in qualification group.
UEFA U-21 Championship Record
1978: Runners-up.
1980: Runners-up.
1982: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 3 in qualification group.
1984: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 4 in qualification group.
1986: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 4 in qualification group.
1988: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 4 in qualification group.
1990: Did not qualify. Finished 2nd of 4 in qualification group.
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Bulgaria 3–2 East Germany 
Turkey 1–1 East Germany 
France 1–2 East Germany 
Austria 0–1 East Germany 
Hungary 4–0 East Germany 
