"Füllkrug secures European Championship spot through a live radio broadcast"
Niclas Füllkrug will be the latest to show up at the DFB training camp, but he's expected to be one of the very first players to receive his ticket for the Euros in Germany. The Borussia Dortmund forward was on the air at the time, making the announcement even more epic.
Once known as the "ugly bird," Füllkrug has come a long way since then. The 31-year-old reacted with extreme emotion when his nomination was made public during a live radio broadcast on WDR's 1live. "It's giving me goosebumps just thinking about it," he said, clearly excited at the prospect of representing his country in the upcoming tournament.
The DFB has chosen an unusual route for announcing their squad, with Julian Nagelsmann opting for digital nominations. So far, Nico Schlotterbeck, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Manuel Neuer, and Jonathan Tah have all learned about their selections via social media videos.
After Schlotterbeck, Füllkrug is Dortmund's second (and potentially last) representative at the Euros. Like Schlotterbeck, Neuer, and Tah, Füllkrug will join Nagelsmann's training preparations late in the game. It's still undecided whether BVB defender Mats Hummels, who was sidelined for the March internationals, will make it to the championship squad.
Füllkrug's tally with the DFB isn't too shabby. He's netted eleven goals in just fifteen international appearances. The forward has proven himself worthy of a spot under Nagelsmann's watchful eye, scoring four times in six games. These figures include a crucial late winner against the Netherlands in March.
Füllkrug wasn't completely in the dark about his potential nomination. Nagelsmann had given him a hint during a private conversation at the last training session. "We had quite a long talk then," recalled the striker. "If he speaks to you like that, especially after the training session, you kind of sense that he's counting on you for the European Championships."
It seems the forward has earned his position. And now, he's counting down the days until he can prove it on the field once more.
He'll be one of the last at the camp, but first to get the ticket for Euro 2024; Füllkrug gets the news live on radio* "Ugly bird" sheds feathers, becomes an early bird* Germany continued announcing squad using social media, radio
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Source: www.ntv.de
