Football: Soccer-Revamped strike force good for the team, says Germany forward Fuellkrug

FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) – Germany forward Niclas Fuellkrug is confident his role will not change after several young forwards were called-up for this month’s friendlies, saying new blood is good for the team in their preparation for Euro 2024 on home soil.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann called up six newcomers for their matches against France on Saturday and Netherlands next week.

Among the newcomers are forwards Maximilian Beier from Hoffenheim and VfB Stuttgart’s Deniz Undav, who has scored 14 goals in a scintillating Bundesliga season.

“There is a lot of fresh wind, players who are very happy to be here. But for me little has changed as far as my role is concerned,” the 31-year-old Fuellkrug told a press conference on Thursday.

The Borussia Dortmund forward was a late bloomer, earning his first call-up at the age of 29, just weeks before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and has quickly racked up 10 goals in his 13 appearances for Germany.

“The coach knows very well what he’s got with me and knows how to use me. I try to play my role as best as possible. So relatively little has changed for me with this squad announcement,” said Fuellkrug.

Nagelsmann, who took over following the sacking of Hansi Flick in September 2023, has had a mixed start with a win and a draw during a U.S. trip in October followed by back-to-back losses in Austria and at home against Turkey in November.

After this set of friendly matches his team has just two more — against Ukraine and Greece in early June — before their opening match at the Euros on June 14 against Scotland.

“We have two big tasks in front of us with France and Netherlands,” said Fuellkrug. “Two challenges that come at the right time. We are just two matches before the start of our Euro preparations.”

“France are great counter-attackers. It will be about having good possession and a lot of it, and securing the back. Only after that will we start thinking about the games against the Dutch.”

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Toby Davis)