EM Fußball-EM
Heated tempers in training – Völler announces “outstanding” opening game
Status: 19:03 | Reading time: 3 minutes
Clashed with Niclas Füllkrug during training: DFB defender Antonio Rüdiger (back)
Source: dpa/Christian Charisius
The German national football team held its last public training session before the start of the European Championship. In front of 4,000 fans, a new goalkeeper was present. There was also a change in the coaching team. Two national players got into a fight on the pitch.
Blue and white skies, happy fans and the “completely detached” goal jingle to get us in the mood: The national football team started the first week of the European Football Championship with a public training session in front of 4,000 spectators. In a brief welcome at the Adi Dassler Stadium in Herzogenaurach, DFB sports director Rudi Völler gave hope for a furious start to the European Championship on Friday (9 p.m./ZDF/Magenta TV) in Munich against Scotland. “Julian Nagelsmann and his coaching team will get us in the mood with a wonderful training session so that we can play an outstanding game on Friday,” said the DFB sports director.
There is clearly no lack of fire. The intensity was unusually high even in public training. During a crossing exercise in a confined space in the penalty area, Niclas Füllkrug and Antonio Rüdiger clashed. The two opponents kept tackling each other. Rüdiger had held the striker and pulled him down. After a tough tackle, Füllkrug suddenly lay on the ground, cursing at Rüdiger.
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Then the Dortmund striker shouted angrily at Standard coach Mads Buttgereit: “Blow the whistle already!” Füllkrug then went up to Rüdiger, both of them pushed each other a little before assistant coach Sandro Wagner separated them. Shortly afterwards there was a drink break, during which Rüdiger then applauded derisively. Wagner tried to calm the provocateur. Rüdiger did not go back to the team after that, instead doing runs with the athletics coach.
Incomprehension: Niclas Füllkrug complained about the way his teammate played
Source: dpa/Christian Charisius
The two national players actually get on really well and know each other from the U-national teams. On Monday afternoon, Füllkrug even named Rüdiger among the players he gets on best with in the squad. The short emotional dispute is unlikely to change that.
Changes in the goal and coaching team
Nagelsmann may even have liked the scene. On Monday, after returning to the Franconian EM quarters after a final free weekend, he had 25 players from his EM squad on the pitch. Only Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic was unable to travel due to an infection. Young goalkeeper Jan Reichert also completed the goalkeeper group around Manuel Neuer, Marc-André ter Stegen and Oliver Baumann as a training guest.
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There has also been a change in the coaching team. The quartet of goalkeepers will now be coached by Michael Fuchs again. Fuchs, who supported the DFB women in their two European Championship qualifiers against Poland in recent weeks, has returned to the side of goalkeeping coach Andreas Kronenberg. He was represented by Stefan Wessels during his absence.
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The public session was the second training session that fans could see during the preparations for the European Championship. Two weeks ago, 15,000 spectators gave the DFB team a euphoric reception in Jena. According to UEFA regulations, all 24 European Championship participants must hold at least one public training session. For the DFB fans, it was the last opportunity to see their football favorites live away from the games.
