Borussia Dortmund Niklas Sule
“I don’t have to be called a fatso for days”
Status: 11:15 a.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes
Borussia Dortmund’s Niklas Süle (right) should be with BVB coach Edin Terzic (left).
Source: pa/dpa/Bernd Thissen
Fitness and being overweight is a constant topic for national player Niklas Süle. This annoys the Borussia Dortmund defender. But he doesn’t want to be deterred – and he doesn’t want to change either. He makes that clear.
National player Niklas Süle does not want to be deterred by the discussion about his fitness level. “My employer and my team-mates have every right to demand that I perform well on the pitch. I’ve always managed to do that over the past few years. That’s why I don’t have to force myself in one direction or be called a fat sod for days,” said the Borussia Dortmund central defender in an interview with “Ruhr Nachrichten”. He’s not upset about it anymore.
“When ten drunks shout at Schalke while warming up that I’m a fatso, then I have to laugh about it,” said Süle. “This topic will probably always accompany me. Incidentally, I achieved the top speed of my career last season. But it just works differently for me.”
The BVB professional said he was happy and “also proud that I’ve largely stayed the way I was. I will not change my attitude for anyone. So it’s not for whether I’m a national player or not.” National coach Hansi Flick had also publicly commented on Süle and criticized his attitude.
Süle doesn’t understand Flick’s decision
Süle also made it clear that he could not understand not having been considered for the past international matches of the national team. He also does not understand the public criticism from national coach Hansi Flick. “I would have deserved to be invited to the national team after my performances,” he said: “And then three or four days after the Mainz game to be informed that I wasn’t there and to read this criticism, that was a Board.”
Flick did not nominate Süle for the three games after the Bundesliga final in June and demanded a clear improvement in performance from the 27-year-old. “I think he’s leaving a lot behind. I want him to take a step forward in his attitude, in his mentality,” Flick told the “FAZ” at the time. “For me, Niki could be one of the best central defenders there is. His potential is huge.”
According to his own statement, Süle found out about his non-nomination in a telephone call to the national coach. “I see myself as a national player. I see myself in this team,” he said now: “If the national coach decides otherwise, I’ll have to put up with it. It wasn’t the first setback of my career. This time, too, I will deal with it sensibly and continue on my way.”
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The former Bayern professional, on the other hand, rejected criticism of his fitness level, which had repeatedly been discussed in the past. “I played every game in the hot phase of the season, every three days. If you do that, then you’re fit,” said the 45-time national player.
Dortmund’s sports director Sebastian Kehl recently praised Süle for his reaction to the criticism. “He understood that. I can say that he did a lot more on vacation than everyone else because he simply wanted to prepare better and more intensively for this season,” said Kehl.
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He had “invested a lot and achieved a lot” in his career, said Süle: “I’m definitely not a typical footballer either. I have found my way. I know what I have to do to get myself in very good shape.”
Süle said he still has high goals in his career. “I want to win a few more titles and I’m still hoping for a nomination from the DFB,” said the 27-year-old. “I didn’t switch from Bayern Munich to BVB to finish second,” he said: “I want the greatest possible success. And try again this year to become German champion.”
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