The former Bochum player Armel Bella Kotchap has surprisingly been called up by national coach Hansi Flick for the German national soccer team. Matthias Ginter and Robin Gosens have also been nominated for the upcoming Nations League games and are auditioning for the squad that will fly to the World Cup in November.
“He has developed very well. That’s why we want to see him with the national team now“, said Flick on Thursday (September 15th, 2022) in a media round about Bella Kotchap. He spoke to his club coach at FC Southampton and Antonio Di Salvo, the coach of the German U21s, about the central defender and then called him up.
The 20-year-old Bella Kotchap switched from VfL Bochum to the Premier League last summer and played in five of six league games over the entire season.
Other professionals who changed the club from the point of view of having better chances of participating in the World Cup are missing from the 24-strong squad – such as Julian Weigl, who switched from Benfica Lisbon to Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Julian Draxler, who left Paris Saint-Germain and was transferred to Benfica.
The door is just as open for them as for many others, said Flick, naming Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen), Benjamin Henrichs (RB Leipzig), Christian Günter (SC Freiburg) and Mats Hummels. Flick praised the Dortmund central defender for the performance in the BVB game in the Champions League against Manchester City, which the national coach watched in England: “Like Niklas Süle, he did a very good job and looks very fit.“
Mario Götze, who showed some good performances at Eintracht Frankfurt, also said “still every chance“, said Flick. The national coach was reluctant to comment on Florian Wirtz. The Leverkusen player was in rehabilitation after his cruciate ligament rupture in mid-March.”fully on target“, but “we’re taking it seriously, and I’m sure he has a few other tournaments ahead of him.“
Ginter and Gosens back
SC Freiburg’s Matthias Ginter, who missed Nations League games in June, is back in the squad, as is Robin Gosens, who has made six Serie A appearances at Inter Milan this season, but mostly only briefly.
Nations League against Hungary and in England
In the two remaining Nations League games, the elite selection of the German Football Association (DFB) will meet Hungary on Friday (September 23, 2022) in Leipzig, on Monday there will be a comparison with England at Wembley Stadium in London.
After four matchdays, the German team is in second place in Group 3, one point behind the surprising leaders Hungary. The winner of the group will play the winners of the other three groups in Division A for the Nations League Cup in summer 2023.
Only a test match in direct preparation
The sporting value of the competition is still disputed among the major European football nations. For them, the last two matchdays are rather important tests with a view to the World Cup in Qatar.
The special circumstances of the tournament make the games even more important, because in the direct preparation for the World Cup there will only be one test game – at least for Germany. Opponents and location have not yet been officially announced, but it boils down to the German national team playing a seemingly weak team in a country on the Persian Gulf on November 16th. A day later, the DFB tour group wants to move into their quarters on the northern tip of the Emirate of Qatar.
Criticism of the DFL
The last Bundesliga match day before the break will only be a few days ago. Two games are still scheduled for November 13 (Sunday). Flick criticized this again. “I would have wished that more consideration was given to us“said the national coach in the direction of the German Football League (DFL): “For once, two more games on Saturday wouldn’t have made such a big difference.“
Deadline for squad announcement still unknown
The World Cup in Qatar begins on November 20 with the hosts’ game against Ecuador. Germany meets in the preliminary round on 23.11. on Japan, on 27.11. on Spain and finally on December 1st on Costa Rica. The final in Doha will be held in Doha on December 18th.
It is not yet known when the 32 national coaches will have to report their final squad to the world association FIFA. In contrast to other tournaments, the deadline should be quite close to the day of the opening game. As with the EM 2020, which was held a year late due to the pandemic, 26 players are allowed in the squad, including three goalkeepers.
DFB squad for the Nations League games
Goal:
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
Marc-Andre ter Stegen (FC Barcelona)
Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Defense:
Antonio Ruediger (Real Madrid)
Niklas Sule (Borussia Dortmund)
Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund)
Matthias Ginter (SC Freiburg)
Armel Bella Kotchap (Southampton FC)
David Raum (RB Leipzig)
Robin Gosens (Inter Milan)
Thilo Kehrer (West Ham United)
Midfield:
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)
Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich)
Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich)
Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)
Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund)
Jonas Hofmann (Borussia Moenchengladbach)
Attack:
Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)
Kai Havertz (Chelsea)
Lukas Nmecha (VfL Wolfsburg)