Hansi Flick praises Nico Schlotterbeck despite penalty giveaway against England
By Tushar Bahl
Hansi Flick was full of praise of Nico Schlotterbeck even though he gave away a penalty in the 1-1 draw against England on Tuesday.
Nico Schlotterbeck put in a spirited and resolute performance for Germany in their UEFA Nations League clash against England on Tuesday evening. But his hard work was undone in the 87th minute as he gave away a penalty with a foul on Harry Kane.
The penalty call was a dubious one, as the England captain was in an offside position and there was also minimal contact. Kane converted the penalty to secure a 1-1 draw for England. Germany head coach Hansi Flick was left disappointed by the referee’s decision to give England a penalty, but refused to put any blame on Schlotterbeck.
Instead, the former Bayern Munich head coach praised the defender and said that he is a real asset to the Germany national team.
"“I think it was very unfortunate but I don’t blame him,” Flick said. “Nico has shown that he is a real asset for us. He acts very confidently in possession. Even if he makes a mistake, which can happen, he just keeps going. That’s what we need.”"
Schlotterbeck, who is coming off an excellent breakthrough campaign with SC Freiburg, was making his third appearance for Germany on Tuesday. The 22 year old is set to join Borussia Dortmund this summer, where he will be aiming to form a strong defensive partnership with compatriots Mats Hummels and Niklas Süle.
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Germany still have two more UEFA Nations League games left to play in this international break. The 2014 FIFA World Cup winners will go up against Hungary this weekend, before wrapping up this month’s fixtures with a game against Italy. Germany are currently third in Group A3, with two points from their opening two games.