Football game is on the agenda. - Hrubesch urges for "the genuine nine" before the start of the European Championships.
Horst Hrubesch is not shocked that there's only one traditional center forward in the German men's national team's roster for the European Championship, Niclas Füllkrug. "We tried to emulate the Spanish Tiki-Taka at one point. Utilizing a false 9. Via the half spaces. That's not my style," Germany's women's team coach told the "Hamburger Abendblatt."
At 73, Hrubesch advocates for a genuine striker: "You also need a genuine number nine for the high-pressure moments, even if the occasional long ball is sent in."
During the final friendly match before the beginning of the European Championship against Greece (2:1), German team manager Julian Nagelsmann had positioned Kai Havertz, an Arsenal player, as a center forward. He scored the equalizer, but is categorized as a false nine.
Inquired about Füllkrug's heading abilities, Hrubesch said: "Niclas played for me in the German U19 team when he was still in Bremen. He was already headstrong back then and above all, convinced by himself and his playstyle. He has managed to retain that till now. He's improved and advanced greatly. I'm impressed."
Hrubesch, who scored two final goals for the German team in 1980 against Belgium (2:1) to win the European Championship, thinks the German team has the capacity to win the title at home: "We possess the quality to win the championship," he said. "But a lot must come together. The last three years haven't been what we all envisaged. In the end, determination will be crucial, to take one more step than the others."
