“Everything fell out of your face”
DFB newcomer gets lost twice after a flick call
03/18/2022, 5:17 p.m
Anton Stach is the big surprise in the squad of the national soccer team. The Mainz footballer was nominated by Hansi Flick for the first time – and was also taken by surprise. The 23-year-old tells what happened after the phone call with the national coach.
Newcomer Anton Stach found out in a curious way about his first nomination for the German national soccer team by national coach Hansi Flick. “I was in the car with (team-mate) Andy Lucoqui. He was about to turn on music on my cell phone and saw that I had a missed call: he then put my cell phone on loudspeaker and called back,” said the midfielder from Bundesliga club 1 .FSV Mainz 05.
“When the national coach said his name, we both looked at each other with wide eyes, and I had to concentrate really hard on driving, then I made two wrong turns. Everything fell out of my face,” Stach continued to report about the short Phone call with Flick the day before.
After that he wasn’t able to “sleep really well”, Stach said in an interview on the Mainz club website. The invitation to the international matches against Israel on March 26 in Sinsheim and the Netherlands on March 29 in Amsterdam made him “incredibly proud,” said the 23-year-old: “I’m still a bit speechless, but I’m just happy now.”
05 coach Bo Svensson was also enthusiastic. “I’m happy for Anton. I think he has a lot of talent and potential. Three or four months ago he wasn’t even a seed for us,” said the Dane. “It all happened very quickly. He should enjoy it without losing focus on areas where he still needs to improve,” said Svensson.
Flick said at the press conference on the nomination about the U21 European champions: “He still has room for improvement, but we want to see what he offers us.” Stach cannot prove himself in the league for the game against Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday (3.30 p.m./Sky and in the ntv.de live ticker) is he blocked The 23-year-old received his fifth yellow card in the 0-1 defeat against Borussia Dortmund in the catch-up game on Wednesday.