The national squad is in focus. - Greece honors Tzolis with utmost respect
Christos Tzolis of Fortuna Düsseldorf is back in action for Greece against the German national team after a two-year hiatus. The forward has been assured a spot in the starting lineup by head coach Nikolaos Papadopoulos for the friendly on Friday (8:45 pm/RTL). "He's made significant progress," stressed Papadopoulos during a presser in Mönchengladbach on Thursday. "He can create goals or score them."
Papadopoulos spoke highly of Germany, calling them a strong contender for the Euro championship. "We're going to give it our all," said the Greek coach. This friendly match is the last test for Germany before they host the Euro.
Tzolis last represented Greece in late 2021, and since then, he's had his fair share of injuries or absences from the squad, including the playoff loss against Georgia in March that kept Greece from qualifying for the finals.
"This is a huge moment for me. I'm very excited to be playing once again. I hope to give a great performance," said the 22-year-old Tzolis. Alongside Haris Tabakovic of Hertha BSC and Robert Glatzel of Hamburg, Tzolis shared the title of top scorer in the 2. Bundesliga with 22 goals for Fortuna Düsseldorf.
The relegation against VfL Bochum could not be averted by Tzolis, and the striker's future in Düsseldorf remains in question. Despite a purchase option from Norwich City being recently exercised, there's speculation that several Bundesliga clubs are interested in him.
