Frankfurt am Main (AP) – When Hansi Flick called, Armel Bella Kotchap was clueless at first – and then stunned. “I didn’t know the number,” said the 20-year-old rookie in the national team, to whom many football fans in Germany will also spontaneously say: Armel who?
Armel Bella Kotchap, U21 international and after only one year in the Bundesliga at VfL Bochum now pro in England at FC Southampton, was amazed at his first call to the DFB selection, with which Flick amazed everyone at the start of the Cup year of the world .
Bella Kotchap still wants to “learn a lot”
“I was very surprised, but also very happy,” said Bella Kotchap, born in Paris, when she stepped into the spotlight upon her arrival in the DFB quarterfinals and was asked about her rapid rise and the unexpected prospect of the UEFA Cup. World. The 1.90-meter-tall central defender was modest at first: “I’m the youngest here and I still have a lot to learn.”
Flick encouraged the German-Cameroonian’s steep learning curve to promotion from U21 juniors to A-Team, which initially applied to this week’s Nations League. “Armel Bella Kotchap has developed very well,” said the national team manager. And by leaps and bounds: after only 22 Bundesliga games with Bochum, he was worth around 11 million euros against Southampton in the summer. The physically robust defender has long matured into a junior DFB U21 starter.
He also managed to do it in Southampton with coach Ralph Hasenhüttl quickly. Flick was present in person and spoke to the former Bundesliga manager (FC Ingolstadt, RB Leipzig). He also asked the U21 selection coach Antonio di Salvo. “This is great news for us too, because it is our job to train players for the senior national team,” said Salvo’s former professional enthusiastically about Bella Kotchap’s DFB internal update.
Prospective player for EM 2024
Flick assistant Danny Röhl recently assisted the young defender in Southampton’s 2-1 win over Chelsea and was positively impressed. Now the national team manager also wants to meet Bella Kotchap this week and “get an idea” of the potential player for the European home championship at the latest in 2024. “What comes next is also important to us,” said Flick. He sees the structures in the fast and robust Bella Kotchap: “he defends himself well in Southampton and in the Premier League, that says a lot”.
Bochum, Southampton – Qatar? The World Cup test subject may not think long before Friday’s Nations League matches in Leipzig against Hungary and three days later in his new foster home, England. He wants to show himself in training in Frankfurt and “convince the coach” with his qualities. During the first training session on the new DFB campus, the model athlete suffered a conspicuous scene when he bravely parried a Timo Werner shot in the last game, around the corner and receiving praise from his peers.
Bella Kotchap a new Rüdiger?
“I play here with players who play at a very high level,” said the newcomer. Maybe Bella Kotchap will become a new Antonio Rüdiger. However, he did not name a specific model as a central defender: “I want to learn something from everyone”. The DFB trainee feels he is in the right place in Southampton. “I think I just got a great plan from the club.” Furthermore, coach Hasenhüttl trusts him: “The relationship between us is very good.”
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