At Borussia Dortmund they play side by side, in the national team Niklas Süle and Nico Schlotterbeck compete for the place next to Antonio Rüdiger.
Timo Werner did everything right. The goalkeeper wobbled artfully, the striker pushed the ball onto the empty goal – until Nico Schlotterbeck suddenly rushed up and hit the ball off the line with a monster tackle. “Great, Schlotti!” shouted the colleagues, hands flew up to salute. Niklas Süle watched it from afar during the training game: he was in Werner’s team.
The place next to defense chief Antonio Rüdiger is one of the most hotly contested in the German national soccer team. One of the two pros from Borussia Dortmund will probably be in the World Cup starting XI against Japan on November 23rd. The door is expressly still open for a third BVB star, Mats Hummels.
“He’s in very good shape and looks absolutely fit,” said national coach Hansi Flick. Hummels and Süle recently defended excellently for BVB at Manchester City against Erling Haaland – after Schlotterbeck, who was ailing, came into play, both goals were conceded within six minutes.
On the other hand, Süle received the public announcement from sports director Sebastian Kehl that he had to “improve his fitness”. The pre-judgment was immediately pulled out again: Süle just likes to eat too much to be a world-class player. The accusation of laziness was also raised again.
Sule defends himself against allegations
He has already vigorously defended himself against this. “The people who bring something like this into the world only ever see Niklas Süle, who honestly admits that he likes to eat a burger or drink a beer,” he said. “Do you think others don’t?” After all, a lazy professional can’t make it into the Champions League final after a cruciate ligament tear.
It is correct: Süle was visibly not completely fit in the BVB training camp, and he was injured at the beginning of the season. In the collapse against Werder Bremen (2: 3) he lethargically conceded the third goal.
With the national team, where he is held in high esteem, he seems tighter again: his form is improving. He also enjoys making fun of his former Bayern colleagues who are currently weakening. “Niki is crawling out,” reported Joshua Kimmich.
Schlotterbeck is set for BVB
In the club, however, Nico Schlotterbeck is the undisputed seed. The SC Freiburg signing played 90 minutes in seven of seven Bundesliga games. Hummels (six appearances), who looks wiry like he hasn’t for a long time, and Süle (four) can alternate next to it. At the moment, Schlotterbeck is only worried about one thing: “I would finally like to be left-footed” in the FIFA console game.
The national team is more important to him. Flick has fueled the competition: “Everything is open.” There is no other position where three club colleagues apply for a vacancy. The national coach also wanted to see Armel Bella-Kotchap from FC Southampton, also a central defender: that was another shovel of coal on the fire.