It was a close call for Xander Dierckx and Louie Van Gelder in the U17 EK final against Italy. The Antwerp duo bowed their heads after a penalty shootout, but ultimately settled for a silver medal. "Topsport can be very tough," says Sven Vermant, coach of the U17 team. "On the basis of the quality we delivered, we were a deserved laureate. It's bitter to leave without a reward." Despite the silver medal, Vermant remains positive. "That we as the first Belgian U17 team ever reached the final remains a historical fact." Thomas Wils was also watching his 'students' at work. The former midfielder has been working as a coach for several years with Dierckx and Van Gelder at the Topsportschool in Wilrijk. He also led them to the U16 title with Antwerp last year, a feat that had never been achieved before in the club's history. Wils knows Dierckx and Van Gelder inside out, but the two youngsters also have no secrets from each other, at least not on the football field. "They trust each other blindly," says the Kempenaar. "I understand why they reason at the national team: 'They form the heart of our team.'" Vermant agrees: "Their complementarity has a lot to do with their football intelligence. Sometimes you have that with a teammate. Without saying much, you fill each other perfectly, give each other cover and find each other in possession. They are both not big talkers, but that's not necessary. From their role, they are natural leaders within the team." The two young talents differ in profile and stature. Dierckx is the bigger of the two and likes to infiltrate the opponent's box, as he showed in the final a few times. Van Gelder is more of a controller, but with good feet. While Van Gelder is still waiting for his debut in Antwerp's first team – he was sidelined by klierkoorts last season – Dierckx is further along in his career. He broke through in December and played a total of 23 times, 19 of which as a starting player. Flanked by his age-mates, Dierckx impressed in the EK final with his maturity. He has had this from a young age, as it turns out. "Because of his mature style – his height and decent two-footedness – Xander often trained with an older age group at school," says Wils. This is also recognizable for Vermant. "That maturity was already in his game when he played in our qualifying matches in October. His debut for Antwerp was still to come, but the matches in the first division made him a bit more mature." Dierckx took his responsibility by scoring the first penalty of the penalty shootout. "There was little doubt about the order," says Vermant. "Xander said very confidently: 'It's good, I'll take the first one.' That says a lot about how he is, just like the conviction with which he shot." Despite the good start of the penalty shootout, the Young Belgians stumbled. Noa Ojea and Tinus Moorthamer – who will join Racing Genk this summer – missed penalties four and five. There's not much time to dwell on the EK, as the exams start on Thursday. The football federation sent a study coach along.