The countdown is on as the Germany men’s national team are set to face Ukraine in Bremen tomorrow (18:00 CEST) in a charity friendly. The game marks the 1,000th international game for the Germany national team. A day ahead of the fixture, head coach Hansi Flick and striker Niclas Füllkrug sat down to speak about the occasion.
Hansi Flick on…
…the 1,000th international game: When you take a step back, it’s a massive honour for me personally, because I’ve been present for over 10% of the games. Wolfgang Bunz, our physio, will be part of his 340th game tomorrow. We’re playing against a country where there is a lot of hardship, but we’re looking forward to the game, because we know they are a team who can play good football. We also want to do our bit so that everyone sees a fun game.
…varied options in midfield: We’re happy to have such a wealth of players. We’re in a process ahead of the EUROs, and we want to make use of these three games and take some points of improvement out of them. We’re playing a new formation, which is obviously not easy for the players, but we’re expecting the players to go past their limits and even suffer a bit. From now until June 14th 2024, every international game is for us to find our starting XI at the EUROs.
…not nominating Niklas Süle: If we’re preparing for EURO 2024 here, then it’s important to have every player in top form. It’s crucial that everyone is at their limits – even in terms of fitness. That’s what we’re expecting from the players. Big tournaments often show that you can do your best work when the fitness is right. I like Niklas a lot and appreciate his qualities. He knows my thoughts, and I’ve said what’s needed to be said.
…Ilkay Gündogan’s Champions League triumph with Manchester City: When push came to shove, he was always there. He put in some top performances in the biggest, most decisive games. We’re delighted for him, but you have to take your hat off to Inter Milan for their performance. I texted Ilkay on WhatsApp to congratulate him, and he thanked me – we’ll all give him big congratulations when he arrives at the camp.
…the current squad situation: Ilkay and Robin Gosens will both arrive on June 14th. We’re looking at Timo’s situation from day to day – he’s slowly getting better, but we need to assess it daily. Josha Vagnoman and Youssoufa Moukoko will join the U21s today, they’ve done fantastically. They’ll have the opportunity to show that they’re rightfully international-standard players.
…Niclas Füllkrug: Niclas will start tomorrow’s game, as long as everything goes to plan. He’s a player who does the team a lot of good and pushes them forward. We haven’t spoken about what might happen in the future.
Niclas Füllkrug on…
…the special jerseys for the 1,000th game: It’s really cool. The match-worn shirts are going to be auctioned off after the game, and the DFB have come up with something special there. Of course, the money will be donated to Ukraine through the DFB charities. The auctions will run until next Sunday. It’s a cool shirt, and there will never be any others like them. We’ll be delighted to get a good sum of money from it.
…plans after summer: I’m very relaxed, things are pretty calm. I’ll discuss things more intensively with Werder following the international break. The signing of Naby Keita is a very good transfer – it was clear to everyone that we needed to bring some quality to Werder, and to sign a player from Liverpool on a free transfer is fantastic. The EUROs will be an important aspect for me. The decision that I end up making will not be made alone, and I will have to be 100% convinced of it.
…the special game for him personally: Of course, it’s a special game for me at the Weserstadion. I hope there will be a few Werder fans there too. I’m pretty sure that the spectators will get to see a good game – it will be a great feeling to drive along the riverside to the stadium and walk out onto the pitch with Germany's eagle on my chest. I lived inside the ground for five years as a youth in the academy, so this is a very special occasion for me.
…how it feels to play in the national team: You can choose your club, but your national team is one that you have to fight for the honour of playing for over your entire career. It’s all about playing for your nation, and that fills me with a huge amount of pride. The fact I’m able to experience this is so special.
…possibly partnering Kai Havertz up front: Kai and Timo are very different players, but I also found that I worked well with Timo. Kai is the kind of player who knows how to recognise space and has quality in all areas. To be so agile despite his size and also having the speed, means he offers chances to get through in every situation. I love playing with Kai, because I also know I can help him through my movement. For me, Kai’s an absolutely world-class player.
…the relationship with the fans: Of course, we try to be close with them and win the fans back, but we are who we are. We want to excite the fans, that’s clear, but it definitely cannot be artificial.
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The countdown is on as the Germany men’s national team are set to face Ukraine in Bremen tomorrow (18:00 CEST) in a charity friendly. The game marks the 1,000th international game for the Germany national team. A day ahead of the fixture, head coach Hansi Flick and striker Niclas Füllkrug sat down to speak about the occasion.
Hansi Flick on…
…the 1,000th international game: When you take a step back, it’s a massive honour for me personally, because I’ve been present for over 10% of the games. Wolfgang Bunz, our physio, will be part of his 340th game tomorrow. We’re playing against a country where there is a lot of hardship, but we’re looking forward to the game, because we know they are a team who can play good football. We also want to do our bit so that everyone sees a fun game.
…varied options in midfield: We’re happy to have such a wealth of players. We’re in a process ahead of the EUROs, and we want to make use of these three games and take some points of improvement out of them. We’re playing a new formation, which is obviously not easy for the players, but we’re expecting the players to go past their limits and even suffer a bit. From now until June 14th 2024, every international game is for us to find our starting XI at the EUROs.
…not nominating Niklas Süle: If we’re preparing for EURO 2024 here, then it’s important to have every player in top form. It’s crucial that everyone is at their limits – even in terms of fitness. That’s what we’re expecting from the players. Big tournaments often show that you can do your best work when the fitness is right. I like Niklas a lot and appreciate his qualities. He knows my thoughts, and I’ve said what’s needed to be said.
…Ilkay Gündogan’s Champions League triumph with Manchester City: When push came to shove, he was always there. He put in some top performances in the biggest, most decisive games. We’re delighted for him, but you have to take your hat off to Inter Milan for their performance. I texted Ilkay on WhatsApp to congratulate him, and he thanked me – we’ll all give him big congratulations when he arrives at the camp.
…the current squad situation: Ilkay and Robin Gosens will both arrive on June 14th. We’re looking at Timo’s situation from day to day – he’s slowly getting better, but we need to assess it daily. Josha Vagnoman and Youssoufa Moukoko will join the U21s today, they’ve done fantastically. They’ll have the opportunity to show that they’re rightfully international-standard players.
…Niclas Füllkrug: Niclas will start tomorrow’s game, as long as everything goes to plan. He’s a player who does the team a lot of good and pushes them forward. We haven’t spoken about what might happen in the future.
Niclas Füllkrug on…
…the special jerseys for the 1,000th game: It’s really cool. The match-worn shirts are going to be auctioned off after the game, and the DFB have come up with something special there. Of course, the money will be donated to Ukraine through the DFB charities. The auctions will run until next Sunday. It’s a cool shirt, and there will never be any others like them. We’ll be delighted to get a good sum of money from it.
…plans after summer: I’m very relaxed, things are pretty calm. I’ll discuss things more intensively with Werder following the international break. The signing of Naby Keita is a very good transfer – it was clear to everyone that we needed to bring some quality to Werder, and to sign a player from Liverpool on a free transfer is fantastic. The EUROs will be an important aspect for me. The decision that I end up making will not be made alone, and I will have to be 100% convinced of it.
…the special game for him personally: Of course, it’s a special game for me at the Weserstadion. I hope there will be a few Werder fans there too. I’m pretty sure that the spectators will get to see a good game – it will be a great feeling to drive along the riverside to the stadium and walk out onto the pitch with Germany's eagle on my chest. I lived inside the ground for five years as a youth in the academy, so this is a very special occasion for me.
…how it feels to play in the national team: You can choose your club, but your national team is one that you have to fight for the honour of playing for over your entire career. It’s all about playing for your nation, and that fills me with a huge amount of pride. The fact I’m able to experience this is so special.
…possibly partnering Kai Havertz up front: Kai and Timo are very different players, but I also found that I worked well with Timo. Kai is the kind of player who knows how to recognise space and has quality in all areas. To be so agile despite his size and also having the speed, means he offers chances to get through in every situation. I love playing with Kai, because I also know I can help him through my movement. For me, Kai’s an absolutely world-class player.
…the relationship with the fans: Of course, we try to be close with them and win the fans back, but we are who we are. We want to excite the fans, that’s clear, but it definitely cannot be artificial.
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