Finn Jeltsch: Who is Stuttgart's new Germany U19 who lit up the Bundesliga 2?
Finn Jeltsch has signed for VfB Stuttgart after making waves in the Bundesliga 2 at Nuremberg this season, racking up 18 starts in 18 appearances at just 18 years of age. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß will be delighted to have bolstered his defensive options with such an exciting prospect with already so much experience.
Data correct as of 3 February 2025
Finn Jeltsch
Age: 18 (born 17 July 2006)
Club: Stuttgart
Position: Central defender
Country: Germany (35 youth caps, two goals)
Key stats
Jeltsch doesn’t turn 19 until after the end of the 2024/25 campaign, but from the start of the season he was already an important member of Nuremberg’s starting line-up. Born just outside the city, he joined the Club at the age of nine and rose through the ranks to captain their U17 and U19 teams. His remarkable performances in the first half of the 2024/25 Bundesliga 2 season earned him a high-profile switch to Stuttgart in the 2025 winter transfer window, being handed the number 29 shirt, thus leaving the Club where he had been since 2015.
The talent was first included in Nuremberg's matchday squad for their 2-0 win over Holstein Kiel in October 2023 and, after travelling to Marbella for the team’s winter training camp, he made his debut in a 1-1 draw against Kaiserslautern in February 2024.
He was brought on at half-time in that encounter, but subsequently played every minute of Nuremberg’s remaining 12 Bundesliga 2 fixtures that season. He was just as much a stalwart in the 2024/25 season, too, missing just two matches for the Club due to injury. Jeltsch was one of his side’s key performers, ranking in the top three at his club for pass completion rate, duels won and aerial duels won by the time of the winter break.
Jeltsch’s impressive displays at club level have not gone unnoticed by the national team set-up either, for whom he has already won plenty of silverware. The defender played all but one game as Germany U17 won both the UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup in 2023. A year later, he first represented Germany U19, captaining the side in both a 2-1 loss to Italy and a 3-2 victory over England.
Plays a bit like...
Stuttgart's teenage ace has previously revealed that he tries to base his game on that of former Bayern Munich centre-back Matthijs de Ligt. “He is a player who I always watch,” Jeltsch said. “I always try to copy one or two things from him. His physicality and the way he defends is something that I really like.”
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Less than an inch (one centimetre) separates the two in height, they are both comfortable in possession and also enjoy defending on the front foot.
Watch: Jeltsch scored his first ever senior professional goal for Nuremberg against Fortuna Düsseldorf in December 2024.
Did you know?
Jeltsch’s first club was SV Raitersaich, whom he played for until the age of 10, but he is not the only one to turn out for them. Brother Marvin and father Alexander also featured for the side in local leagues, although Finn admitted that he does not get his ability on the ball from the latter, who was a goalkeeper.
What they’re saying...
“For two or three years we've needed players in the defence who can win back possession and make tackles. Finn Jeltsch was the perfect player for this. We had so many technical players playing centre-back and we suffered in this position for some years." – Former Germany youth coach Christian Wück.
“That was a top performance from Finn. If he communicates more now, everything will be OK. He is only 17 though. I take my hat off to him, considering that it was his first game, and in the derby at that. He did really well.” – Former teammate Enrico Valentini following Jeltsch’s Nuremberg debut.
"Finn Jeltsch is one of the best young players in his position in Germany. At the age of 18, he has already played 31 games in Bundesliga 2. We’re delighted we’ve been able to tie Finn down to VfB for the long term.” - VFB Stuttgart board member for sport Fabian Wohlgemuth
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