Since Niclas Füllkrug was given a disciplinary punishment three weeks ago and then pardoned, he has blossomed again athletically at SV Werder Bremen. The pause for reflection has had an effect.
If it had been up to the goalscorer himself, he would have voluntarily given his goal to Niclas Füllkrug. “Actually, that’s his goal too, the way he takes it down with his chest,” said Leonardo Bittencourt: “Outstanding.” Füllkrug’s finish had fallen at his feet, still deflected by opposite number Enrico Valentini – Bittencourt then fired in for a 2-1 win at 1. FC Nürnberg
Directly involved in Werder’s last four goals
With a “beautiful” header, the latter went on to praise his teammate, Füllkrug had earlier equalised 1-1. The attacker is now directly involved in the last four Werder goals. Most recently, against FC St. Pauli, the 28-year-old had already set up Marvin Ducksch’s interim 1:0, and before that he scored the last-minute 2:2 at Sandhausen in injury time. Just three weeks ago, all this would have been almost unimaginable.
Verbal outburst towards Clemens Fritz
SV Werder Bremen had just lost 3-0 in Darmstadt, and Füllkrug was still goalless at that point in the season. His frustration took its course: after the game, he became so abusive towards Clemens Fritz, the head of professional football at Werder, that the club suspended him for three days. The attacker would first have to show serious remorse and a clearly increased interest in the team’s success, they said, before a pardon could be considered – which then took place shortly afterwards. Since then, things have been going well again for Füllkrug at Werder.
That’s certainly how it was envisioned in Bremen, as an ideal. But the fact that team and player (who even wore the captain’s armband twice recently) would find their way back to each other so quickly was quite remarkable. “Of course, there was no guarantee,” says sporting director Frank Baumann: “But the belief that this could work was definitely there.
Bremer officials had made a conscious decision not to simply go about business as usual, despite an early apology from Füllkrug to Fritz – hence the exclusion from team training. “The three days where he could do his thinking definitely helped him,” said Baumann: “So that he can really concentrate on the essentials and what he can then achieve.”
The sporting director (“We didn’t want to lose him because he has these qualities”) was always just as convinced of the attacker’s abilities – also in his interplay with fellow striker Marvin Ducksch – as he was of Bittencourt’s: “I said before: We have to get Fülle on track. “
Beginning: “A completely different presence “
The fact that Werder have succeeded in doing so is also seen as a good sign by Bremen’s coach: “Since the goal in Sandhausen, he radiates a completely different presence,” said Markus Anfang: “I’m really happy for him that the knot has burst.
