Baumann says goodbye: Joke about Füllkrug and Ducksch
After ten years as a player and almost 14 years in management at Werder Bremen, former international Frank Baumann bid farewell to the members of the Bundesliga club with a laugh on Sunday. "Nobody would have thought it possible for two ugly birds to turn into two beautiful eagles," said Bremen's sporting director about international strikers Niclas Füllkrug and Marvin Ducksch.
Both played together for Werder for two years and called themselves "the ugly birds" during this time. Füllkrug and Ducksch made their first appearance together for the German national team in the international match against Turkey (2:3) on Saturday evening.
The 48-year-old Baumann will retire as the club's sporting director after this season. In hindsight, signing Ducksch and Niclas Füllkrug, who was sold to Borussia Dortmund in the summer, was one of the best decisions of his time as manager, which began in 2016.
On Sunday, he also defended current head coach Ole Werner against the first mild criticism that arose after the weak start to the Bundesliga season: "If we were currently looking for a coach, we would always opt for Ole Werner with full conviction. He suits SV Werder," said Baumann.
Werder Bremen's successful signing of Niclas Füllkrug and Marvin Ducksch, who were once nicknamed "the ugly birds," has significantly contributed to Frank Baumann's tenure as the club's sporting director. Despite Füllkrug's departure to Borussia Dortmund last summer, the duo continued their impressive form in the German national team, showcasing their transformation into "beautiful eagles."
Source: www.dpa.com
