Niklas Süle cannot understand his non-consideration for the past international matches of the national soccer team and the public criticism of national coach Hansi Flick. “I would have deserved to be invited to the national team after my performance,” said the central defender from Borussia Dortmund to the “Ruhr Nachrichten”.

Süle on non-nomination: “It wasn’t the first low blow”

“And then three or four days after the Mainz game to be informed that I wasn’t going to be there and to read this criticism, that was a blast,” said Süle. Flick did not nominate him 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 “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” 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.”

Süle subsequently rejects criticism of the state of fitness: “I played every game”

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.