Nagelsmann’s idea with Ducksch
What the “ugly birds” in the DFB team are all about
November 10, 2023, 12:04 p.m
National coach Julian Nagelsmann is looking for a second striker alongside Niclas Füllkrug for the 2024 home European Championship. He is therefore bringing Marvin Ducksch into the DFB team for the games against Turkey and in Austria. It’s not just an unusual nickname that connects the Werder professional with Füllkrug.
Marvin Ducksch didn’t like the “ugly birds” thing at all. “The gap fillers,” okay, maybe “the gaps in the teeth,” he said, that would have been somewhat okay. But no chance: The unflattering nickname for the Bremen storm duo, invented by his teammate at the time Niclas Füllkrug, was out in the world.
“I asked him directly why he hadn’t come up with a better name,” Ducksch once said, fatalistically saying: “I’m just taking it with humor now.” Both will hear it more often in the coming days: Füllkrug is now storming for Borussia Dortmund – but in the national team the “ugly birds” are suddenly back in the same nest. Füllkrug immediately sent two bird emojis on Instagram.
“You realize that you are on the right path and – quite clearly – that a dream will come true,” said Ducksch on his national team debut. “You can’t get any higher in football when you can play for your own country. That’s why I believe that a little dream will come true.”
Nagelsmann sees a lot of good things about Ducksch
Nagelsmann nominated the Werder striker for several reasons. “He didn’t have an easy start with Werder. But he now has a very good rate again and his performances have stabilized Bremen again. That’s always a good sign,” said the national coach. “If you score 20 goals at a top club, that’s less to be expected than if you score a lot of goals or provide assists at a not so top club. He shoots very good set pieces and has a good finish.”
Of course, the new national football coach also relies on the blind understanding of the past. “Marvin has very good standards, a good goal finish,” praised Julian Nagelsmann, and: “He knows fullness very, very well, that is certainly a component that can help us.” You have to be two friends. “We just want to have a second or third real striker on the way to the European Championships. And we have three, four, five candidates for that.”
Füllkrug has long been established; the high-flyer has played in a world championship, even if it wasn’t particularly successful. Despite his 29 years, Ducksch comes as a chick. “He brings in a level of craziness that we can really use,” said Nagelsmann – this can be seen, among other things, when Ducksch sticks out his tongue while celebrating the Harlequin goal and places his hands, wiggling, on his head.
Recently, however, the free kick expert deviated from his standards. After his goal against Union Berlin, Ducksch held a finger to his lips – the critics had become too loud for him. He said he wasn’t one to watch “the media,” but every now and then he was sent something that he ended up reading. He will probably like what Nagelsmann has to say about him better. “Now we want to see Marvin – I’m in good spirits because he’s good in the flow.”