Why Niclas Füllkrug is attacking the national team again

Anyone travelling by bus or train on these hot days will see a lot of skin, often richly decorated. Lion’s mouths on upper arms, eagle wings on shoulder blades, a whole zoo of royal animals. Once tattooed into the skin in the hope that a little of the power and elegance of the animals would be transferred to the wearer of the tattoo.

Even if you have never seen one of these people with engraved bird wings fly, the belief in the magical flow of energy lives on, and now it has also taken hold of the German national team. At the training camp in Herzogenaurach, no animal pictures are being engraved, but jersey numbers are being handed out. After the departures of Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gündogan, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller, a few numbers have become available.

And what the predator tattoo means to the little man, the shirt number means to the football pro. It is also said to have magical powers.

Glorious shirt numbers reassigned

Deniz Undav, a man with a very limited DFB career, grabbed the number 13 from Thomas Müller, 2014 World Champion, 131 international matches. The legendary number 13 that Michael Ballack and Gerd Müller had previously worn. Robert Andrich’s choice was also somewhat brave. He grabbed the number 8 from Toni Kroos, his teammate on the pitch at the European Championships. Andrich was brought into the team by national coach Julian Nagelsmann because he is the complete opposite of Kroos. A tough guy, a fighter who cleaned up after the delicate Toni.

But now Andrich is the new Kroos and Undav is the new Müller (Thomas and Gerd at the same time), and Gündogan’s 21 is taken over by goalkeeper Alexander Nübel.

This, in turn, is likely to displease Niclas Füllkrug. It would have been an advantage for him if Kai Havertz had chosen the number 21, thereby underlining his claim to be Gündogan’s successor. The position behind the strikers is now vacant.

The German game is currently reorganising

Much to Füllkrug’s dismay, the following rule applied during the European Championships: Number 7 (Havertz) and number 9 (Füllkrug) on ​​the field at the same time – not appropriate. Two centre forwards, that’s one too many. The DFB ruled that this was incompatible.

But now that the German game is being reorganized after numerous resignations, Füllkrug is hopeful that the versatile Havertz will move from the center of the attack to the position of playmaker. This would create space for Füllkrug and could possibly earn him a place in the starting eleven. Füllkrug already promoted this model on Wednesday. He and Havertz are working well together in training, “Kai has already put me on a few goals.”

During the European Championship, the question of Füllkrug or Havertz was the big debate in the German camp. Füllkrug always came on as a substitute – and usually had a “big impact” on the game, to use Nagelsmann’s words. In the last group match against Switzerland, he headed the equalizer in injury time to make it 1-1, securing the DFB team’s group victory.

But what could be read from this? A recommendation for the first eleven? Or were Füllkrug’s performances not rather proof of what a great joker he is?

The “Bild” newspaper sensed a potential conflict and tried to dictate the line-up to Nagelsmann (“Put Fülle in the starting eleven!”), but the campaign came to nothing. Fülle remained on the bench.

Niclas Füllkrug believes he has moved up the hierarchy

A role that he struggled with, as could be heard from his words in Herzogenaurach. Füllkrug said he wanted to “radiate greed and make things as difficult as possible for the national coach” without, however, spreading a bad mood in the European Championship camp.

But now that “a few really, really big names have left” the national team, Füllkrug believes that new opportunities will open up in the “drastically changed team” – including for him. He already believes that “I may have moved up a bit in the hierarchy.”

Füllkrug’s desire to be seen as a leader, as a regular player and no longer as a back-up, is great. This desire also led to his short-term move from Borussia Dortmund to West Ham United. Füllkrug said on Wednesday that BVB made a transfer in the striker position in the summer, which he, Füllkrug, would not have considered “the greatest vote of confidence”.

An allusion to the signing of Serhou Guirassy, ​​who came to Dortmund from VfB Stuttgart for 17 million euros. An insult to Füllkrug, who was one of BVB’s best players last season. His goal against Paris Saint-Germain took Dortmund to the final of the Champions League, which was their biggest international success in eleven years.

In London, Füllkrug feels the lack of appreciation

Füllkrug avoided criticizing BVB. He did so indirectly by effusively praising his new club West Ham. In London, he seems to have been given everything he missed in Dortmund. “I felt an incredible amount of conviction and appreciation in all areas there. The coach really wanted to sign me and showed me a great plan.”

So far, however, Füllkrug is not playing the role he wants at West Ham. In three Premier League matches, he has been substituted on three times. Apparently, this is not a problem for Füllkrug: “I’m giving myself time and want to settle in first.”

Füllkrug will soon be needed in the national team, however. On Saturday, they will play in the Nations League against Hungary, a team that plays a rustic, physical style of football. A perfect opponent for Füllkrug, who has enough power and mass to tear apart a defensive line.

It is possible that his dream of a place in the starting eleven will come true in just three days in Düsseldorf. A prospect that should inspire Füllkrug – even without an eagle tattoo on his shoulder blades.