The national coach opened the national team’s international match against Ukraine, Poland and Colombia with a clear message to the team. The European Championship next year should be the focus from now on. Timo Werner swore the DFB team to the upcoming tasks.
Hansi Flick’s publicly administered memo for defensive giant Niklas Süle reverberates inside the national football team. The clear EM signal that the national coach sent to the Dortmund 100-kilo man exactly one year before the home European Championships should be understood as a warning and admonition to all tournament candidates before the three test games against Ukraine, Poland and Colombia.
Werner: “You know what you are as national player have to do”
“Of course you know what you have to do to be allowed to be a national player in the end“Said Timo Werner on Thursday (June 8th, 2023) on the DFB campus in Frankfurt/Main. The 27-year-old attacker arrived despite an ankle injury. RB Leipzig’s DFB Cup winner wants to try everything to return at least after the 1000th . International match next Monday (6:00 p.m. / ZDF) against Ukraine on the pitch for further European Championship tests against Poland and Colombia.”I’m trying“, said Werner. The ankle is still hurting too much at the moment. However, an early start of vacation was not an issue for the national striker.
Flick tightens the gait
A year before the opening game of the European Championship in Munich, every day is important for the DFB team. And Flick tightened the gait, verbally too. Publicly expressed individual criticism is usually not Flick’s path, which he exceptionally left in an interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (Wednesday). He counted the 27-year-old Süle in a very public way.
The BVB professional is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in Germany and is actually a fixed starter at the European Championship. But the national coach is not only dissatisfied since the botched World Cup in Qatar that Süle, who tends to be lazy, does not consistently exploit his potential. “I think he’s still leaving a lot. I want him to take a step forward in his attitude, in his mentality“said Flick. Süle could”be one of the best central defenders out there“. But a national player should have the right to “to make the most of his potential“, remarked the national coach. “Getting by with less – that’s not my mentality“Flick reprimanded bluntly.
Werner on Flick’s message: “National coach communicates very openly”
Flick’s message to Süle should serve as a warning to all EM candidates. The career highlight home tournament 2024 is not free. “The national coach is always very open with the players and communicates very openly what he expects from each player. We are well advised in all matters of what we have to do“, said Werner. The attacker is a prime example of how much Flick supports players even in difficult times, when they are always fully committed to the team and personally contribute everything.
Hofmann wants to use the comeback opportunity
Flick had already done without Süle in the games against Peru (2-0) and Belgium (2-3) in spring. Defense colleague Antonio Rüdiger, Bayern attacker Leroy Sané or Mönchengladbach’s Jonas Hofmann, who were also not invited at the time as prominent World Cup participants, have now been brought back by Flick. Hofmann, for example, definitely wants to use the comeback opportunity. He described it as an honor to play for Germany and promised: “I’ll hit it all when I’ve got the eagle on my chest.”
Flick hopes that Süle will take the extended DFB break as an incentive. Werner never writes off his colleagues. “Football is so fast-moving that it will change relatively quickly in one direction or the other. Those who aren’t there at the moment will be here again and play.” The EM doors remain open – in both directions.
Flick and sports director Rudi Völler opened the two-week international training course on Thursday with a few words to the team, as reported by David Raum from Leipzig before the first training session in the afternoon in front of around 600 fans. Storm talent Kevin Schade had already left the DFB quarters. The 21-year-old striker from English Premier League club FC Brentford left due to slight muscular problems.