Local hero Niclas Füllkrug was a little surprised when he was substituted during the half-time break of the international match between the German national soccer team and Ukraine in Bremen, but he was able to understand the measure.
“I haven’t spoken to the coach directly yet,” said the 30-year-old Werder Bremen striker. “That’s also the coach’s decision and I have to accept it.” That’s absolutely the case, said Füllkrug. “I think he brought the right man with Kai.”
The Bremen player was taken out of the game in the second half at 3: 3 (1: 2) by national coach Hansi Flick and replaced by Kai Havertz from Chelsea. The spectators and Werder fans in the Weser Stadium acknowledged Flick’s decision with whistles. There were no sporting reasons, said Flick. “It was intended that he would only play one half.”.
Füllkrug said self-critically that he could have solved one or two situations better in the first half. “We just needed a new dynamic in the system and then it hit me. It happens and that’s okay,” he said.
He put Germany ahead in the sixth minute when he deflected a Marius Wolf shot into the goal with his knee. Havertz scored in the 83rd minute to make it 2:3, a few minutes later he got the penalty kick that Joshua Kimmich converted to make it 3:3.