Nico Schlotterbeck and Waldemar Anton needed in the European Championship round of 16?

Maybe Waldemar Anton can test what it feels like to play a home game at the Dortmund Arena on Saturday. For the central defender, who is being heavily targeted by BVB, an appearance in the European Championship round of 16 against Denmark (Saturday 9 p.m.).ZDF And MagentaTV) the current highlight of what has already been a completely successful season for him – and perhaps a first taste of the future. Borussia would like to acquire the 27-year-old VfB Stuttgart in the coming season see in your own ranks. At the side of Nico Schlotterbeck. A combination that could also be in demand from the DFB team at the start of the knockout round.

The duo of Jonathan Tah and Antonio Rüdiger, who have been in the German central defense so far, is thanks to the Leverkusen’s yellow card suspended still bloated. Now Rüdiger is also threatening because of a tension. Will Anton and Schlotterbeck compete for the quarter-finals? Not excluded. For the two representatives of the seeded team it would be a tough test and an introduction to possible cooperation within the club. The only thing missing is the medical examination, then VfB captain Anton would soon also be a Dortmund player.

But that is something of the future. Anton, who was included in the national senior team for the first time last March, will attack for the European Championship title with national coach Julian Nagelsmann, Schlotterbeck and Co. As things stand, Denmark would be the next DFB challenger, and Serbia also still has a chance for a direct match. The English (currently leading the group) and their opponent Slovenia are also still in the race.

Anton and Schlotterbeck know how to become European champions. The latter won the title three years ago with the German U21 team. Anton was victorious at the DFB juniors at continental level in 2017. Because of his performance with the Swabians, who were relegation participants from the previous season Champions League stormed, he returned to the spotlight seven years later at Nagelsmann. “What distinguishes Waldemar for me is that he is a real defender who also has really good movements offensively,” the national coach said about his protégé three weeks ago. Anton is “a very good football player who likes to defend. You don’t find many in the position anymore.”

Yet – after Tah and Rüdiger – he is only number four in the division of central defenders. And behind his future clubmate Schlotterbeck, who as a left-footer is the most likely replacement for Tah. Schlotterbeck’s career in the national team has been extremely eventful so far. It started with there being some time between the first nomination and the debut. Hansi Flick appointed the then professional SC Freiburg in his first DFB squad in September 2021. Schlotterbeck should be part of the restart of the DFB squad. However, he was not used in the five subsequent international matches because he was injured.

Schlotterbeck with unpleasant memories of the European Championships in Qatar

Only in March 2022 did he play his first match in the jersey with the eagle on the chest – and immediately had a miss: in the 2-0 test against Israel he fell asleep for a second, caused a penalty and was able to round goalkeeper Kevin Trapp who saved the penalty. Yet Schlotterbeck was there at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The tournament was not good for the reputation of the defender, who has since moved to BVB: he looked bad in the 1-2 defeat in the first match against Japan, was only substituted against Spain and did not even play in the competition. preliminary round against Costa Rica Mission.

Under Flick, Schlotterbeck was sometimes part of the DFB team, sometimes not. His successor did not see anything in the defender for a long time, until Nagelsmann surprisingly called him up for the European Championship selection. Because he “stabilized himself a lot,” the reasoning goes. Schlotterbeck had a particularly strong second half of the season last season, including a place in the Champions League final, because he minimized his mistakes. The national coach praises the strong opening of the match, his strong left foot and the fact that at 24 years old he is a man for the future. In the last European Championship test against Greece, the defender came off the bench to make his debut under Nagelsmann, and in the last preliminary round match against Switzerland he was able to warm up for half an hour when Tah was already booked.

According to the DFB coach, there is “a duel” between Schlotterbeck and Anton for the Tah spot in the left center of the back four, “both are doing well”. But the new BVB coach Nuri Sahin will probably have to watch closely in the European Championship round of 16. Because when Rüdiger drops out on Saturday (9 p.m.), both will play side by side – in the Dortmund living room of the upcoming BVB duo.