As early as next Wednesday (October 19th, 2022), head of delegation Oliver Bierhoff invites you to the first round of nominations for the World Cup in Qatar. On the DFB campus there are sports director Joti Chatzialexiou or academy director Tobias Haupt Bierhoff’s most important helpers, but not national coach Hansi Flick.
Which is because the DFB organizes a fictitious nomination with media representatives. During the question and answer session for the sporting director of the national team at the World Cup workshop, a topic is likely to be raised that is currently dominating the debates when putting together the real World Cup squad: whether Niclas Füllkrug will be there when the DFB entourage on November 14th short training camp in Oman?
Big praise from national coach Hansi Flick
The chances of the center forward who plays for Werder Bremen, who has never worn the Germany jersey for either the senior national team or the U21s and hasn’t had a single European Cup game in his vita, are good, like Flick on the sidelines of the draw for the qualifying groups for the European Championship 2024 emphasized: “He gives us something that we don’t have in the form of quality. He embodies a lot of what makes a center forward.”
It seems clear that the 57-year-old will definitely put the name of Füllkrug on the provisional list of 55 players before 26 chosen ones are allowed to go to the World Cup. Filling jar would be the option for emergencies when combos, speed and deep runs get stuck. Bearing in mind the lack of assertive center forwards that has been lamented for years, the number of prominent advocates of the filling jug is growing, especially since the 1.89-metre man has more than just a good air position.
Quite a complete package when he’s fit
Otherwise the German Football League (DFL) would not have named the currently top Bundesliga scorer (eight goals) September’s player of the month. His quality can best be judged by his congenial strike partner Marvin Ducksch, with whom the filling jug in the duet of the “ugly birds” as in league two (57 points) now also works reliably in the first league (18 points).
The trade magazine “kicker” recently dedicated a four-page story to the filling jug phenomenon, in which a number of companions had their say. His ex-trainer Florian Kohfeldt said about the attacker, who was also called “gap” because of a dental misalignment: “When he identifies with something, he pushes the limits.”
Füllkrug can do everything, Ducksch also asserted during the week, what you need in his position: “He’s a clear target player, strong in the air, has both feet. He has good technique, a good eye and can pick up the ball.” In fact, the 29-year-old has always scored reliably during his career when he played fit through a season: 2015/2016 at 1. FC Nürnberg, 2017/2018 at Hannover 96 or now for a year at Werder Bremen. In between there are long periods of suffering, with meanwhile three cartilage damages, both knees are affected. The last serious injury so far was the cruciate ligament tear, which Füllkrug sustained after his return to Bremen in late summer 2019.
In the footsteps of Rudi Völler and Miroslav Klose?
Werder is a club that has already sent prominent centre-forwards to a World Cup for Germany: Rudi Völler at the 1986 World Cup or Miroslav Klose at the 2006 World Cup were at the zenith of their creative power at those tournaments, also because of Bremen’s Sturm-und-Drang style . The green-whites have long since lost their role as important suppliers to the DFB selection, but Füllkrug’s form high falls in the middle of a green-white renaissance.
The promoted team, as a surprise fifth-placed, can climb even higher in the home game against 1. FSV Mainz 05 (Saturday 3:30 p.m.), especially since the top four snatch points from each other in direct duels. Coach Ole Werner can hardly ignore the enthusiasm for his team, which works surprisingly well in the upper house, and the hype about his best. “We worked well, played decent football – that’s okay”said the 34-year-old on Thursday (October 13, 2022) in the press conference.
Ole Werner has no contact with the national coach
As for Füllkrug’s World Cup chances, the cool North German played the ball almost under the turf. “This is not at our discretion. We focus on the things we can influence”, emphasized Werner, who allegedly currently has no contact with Flick because of the personnel. All he can say is that Füllkrug hasn’t changed. “He brings in a certain emotionality that is good for us.” But sometimes he also crosses borders, with Werner noting that the six-part “DAZN” documentary about Werder’s second division season highlights scenes in which the filling jug becomes a hotspur.
Once the frustrated striker, frustrated by his poor performance, threatened Ducksch in the half-time break of the away game at Erzgebirge Aue in the penultimate second division game “a clamp” on. Minutes later, the brawlers had reconciled. A year ago, after the game at SV Darmstadt 98, there was a real scandal with the sporting director Clemens Fritz. The coach at the time, Markus Anfang, found it difficult to get a pardon. Almost everything pointed to a separation for the winter break.
It’s often coincidences that characterize some careers to this day. Nobody knows how the rest of the story will end in this hitherto wondrous year of the goalscorer. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if his name were on the list to be announced to the true Worlds nominee. Stand now.
