Füllkrug discusses Stuttgart battle and Germany call-up after "Topspiel" defeat

Niclas Füllkrug was disappointed that Werder Bremen could not reward themselves for a strong performance after losing 1-0 to Stuttgart in the Bundesliga Topspiel of matchday nine.

"I didn't think our first half was bad either, although the second half was obviously better. Overall, we put in a good performance, so we're disappointed that we couldn't reward ourselves," Füllkrug said after the game. "I'm still proud of my team. We're a fantastic group."

The striker felt Bremen had enough opportunities to get something from the match, but praised Stuttgart's defensive effort.

"I think they defended with everything they had. We should really have scored one or two goals. You have to accept a game like this sometimes. It can happen, and it can happen against Stuttgart," he explained.

Füllkrug also discussed his physical duel with Stuttgart defender Jeff Chabot, describing it as a good battle. "Of course, he was pulling at me, but I still managed to hold up a lot of balls and help our game," the Bremen forward said.

Despite the setback, Füllkrug remains confident about the team's progress. "I'm proud of where we are as a team at the moment, and we'll keep going," he added.

The 33-year-old was also asked about his Germany call-up, but admitted his focus was still firmly on Bremen's defeat. He revealed that “he had held a brief conversation with Jürgen Klopp”, which he described as pleasant, and was naturally pleased with the nomination. Füllkrug added that “Klopp had already given him an indication of how things could develop in the future”, something he respects.