National team
Völler after Flick complaint to Süle: “Now it’s up to Niklas”
National coach Hansi Flick (r) did without BVB professional Niklas Süle for the 1000th DFB international match. photo
© Federico Gambarini/dpa
Rudi Völler supports national coach Flick in the case of Süle. The sports director expects a positive reaction from the Dortmund defender towards the home European Championship 2024.
DFB sports director Rudi Völler sees defender Niklas Süle after clear criticism from national coach Hansi Flick on the train to be part of the national football team again at home in 2024.
“Now it’s up to Niklas, of course,” said Völler in Frankfurt am Main, where Flick is preparing his current DFB squad for the three international matches against Ukraine, Poland and Colombia.
Flick has again not nominated Süle, who has been in the DFB defense for the past few years, for the end of the season. In an interview, he accused the 27-year-old Borussia Dortmund player of not consistently exploiting his potential. “Hansi can judge that very well,” said Völler. “He was the coach of Bayern Munich, he had Niklas Süle under his wing there. We would all be happy if Niklas Süle, in top condition, would fully exploit his potential. Hansi knows what Niklas can do.”
“Leaves a lot behind”
Flick hopes that the scolded Süle “will jump on the bandwagon now because of good performances at Borussia Dortmund,” Völler remarked with a view to the European Championships at home in a year’s time. In the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” Flick had said about the 45-time national player: “I think he still leaves a lot. I want him to take a step forward in his attitude, in his mentality. For me, Niki could be one of the to be the best centre-back there is. His potential is huge.”
However, according to a “Bild” report, the Süles Club personnel should not have been so well received. Internally, there would be “misunderstanding and irritation on the part of BVB, the sporting management would find it difficult to understand the waiver of Süle,” writes the newspaper.
According to the report, however, Flick openly communicated his decision and the reasons for it. He is said to have called both Süle himself and BVB coach Edin Terzić to tell them that the 27-year-old is not there. But it could also be that the Dortmunders don’t find the Flick warning to Süle that wrong. There have always been discussions about the fitness of the former Bayern pro in the past.