FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Germans of the past still exist, and one of them is undoubtedly Niclas Füllkrug. His physique and impressive stature, as well as his perseverance, have allowed him to overcome an incredible series of injuries, exploding on the verge of his thirties (he turns 33 on February 9) in the Bundesliga and with the national team.
The striker, nicknamed "Lücke" (meaning "space", not in a tactical sense, but because of his equally old-fashioned teeth: a nickname coined by Arnautovic, his Werder Bremen teammate), and compared to Klose and Mario Gomez, is not the type to write history.
Niclas Fullkrug is a player who speaks little, straightforward. He smiles shyly, almost as if he doesn't want to show the gap between his teeth, but he is happy.
The German arrived at Milan's Malpensa airport at around 11:35 p.m. last night, accompanied by his parents, wife and daughter.
In the following hours, the usual process for newcomers will take place, with medical examinations, fitness tests and the signing of a contract.
As the son of a good coach (his father managed TuS Ricklingen, where he started), he always scored a lot of goals, averaging over 150 per season, even better than Holly, receiving offers from Germany's top clubs until his beloved Werder Bremen arrived.
Between Greuther Furth, Nuremberg, Hannover and his return to Bremen, his career was marred by physical problems and shocking incidents. Yet he continued to command respect, mixed with a cult following for his timeless qualities that have become ultramodern.
All this until the 2021-22 season, when Füllkrug, with his goal-scoring streak, led Werder to promotion to the Bundesliga, where he finally played a full season, finishing as joint top scorer alongside Nkunku, AC Milan's biggest transfer failure.
The before and after were marked by the World Cup in Qatar, with Flick giving him his debut in a friendly against Oman a few days earlier: after so much bad luck (14 major injuries), the right moment came, with the winning goal dedicated to his daughter.
The coach, however, did not have the courage to bet on a starting player in his late twenties, and so at the World Cup, Füllkrug would start on the bench, scoring against Spain and Costa Rica.
He would also be valued by Nagelsmann, who would call him up for Euro 2024, but he rarely played as a starter. A move to Borussia Dortmund, where he performed well in the Champions League, was followed by a move to West Ham where new and old problems emerged, notably muscle and Achilles tendon problems, which kept him out of the game. Surprisingly, Füllkrug's explosion has paved the way for centre-forwards with similar characteristics, from Woltemade to Burkardt. If he is 100% fit, Milan need someone like him.
Lini një Përgjigje