Arrogant? Schlotterbeck: “It was bad”

Nico Schlotterbeck (right) error prevents Kevin Trap (center) from scoring.
IMAGO / Contrast

In fact, the first game in the uniform of the senior national team went according to plan of Nico Schlotterbeck. The central defender, who played the full distance in the 2-0 win over Israel, had only a few defensive missions against the unaffected Israelis, thus being able to show his strength in the built-up game: he moved the field again and again and took his place. Notable David Rum on the left.

“We defended very well and were in good condition in the back,” the 22-year-old said on the ZDF microphone after the friendly. But in the third minute of stoppage time, Schlotterbeck made a mistake: he took too much of his own penalty area during the pass, with Jonathan Cohen following the ball and tilting it. Schlotterbeck hit only on the Israeli leg, thus being fined. However, DFB keeper Kevin Troup blocked the shot from eleven meters, making sure his teammate’s error had no effect.

Flick or Schlotterbeck do not want to talk about arrogance

Schlotterbeck was even more angry: “It just made the situation worse,” the person from Freiburg said. However, he did not want to accept the arrogant accusation made by ZDF expert Per Mertesaker: “I would not say it was a concentration deficiency that did not occur to me,” the defender said. “Thanks to Kevin for saving the penalty. It ended so easily for me.”

Hansie Flick, the national coach who celebrated his eighth win in eight games, did not want to respond to the accusation of arrogance: “Per, what do you say?” He asked with a smile in an interview. He looked for less reason in arrogance than lack of concentration: “In this state you simply have to focus for 90 minutes. You can not do anything wrong.” However, the coach praised the performance of his debutant 92 minutes earlier: “Until then he has performed better.”

Trap, who was at least almost unemployed until then, was able to differentiate himself. But Flick focused on the future and warned after the first game of the 2022 World Cup: “At the World Cup, in the 90th minute it was just as dangerous.”