It’s been four years since Friedhelm Funkel once attached great hopes to the name Marvin Ducksch – they were hopes that were ultimately not to be fulfilled. As coach of Bundesliga promoted Fortuna Düsseldorf, Funkel welcomed the attacker as a new addition to his squad in the summer of 2018. With the recommendation of 18 second division goals for Holstein Kiel, Ducksch came to the Rhineland, where things should not go well for today’s Werder professional. His haul at the end of the 2018/19 season: just 16 appearances, one goal and one assist. Means: After a commitment at SC Paderborn in the 2014/15 season, Ducksch was not able to assert himself in the football upper house for the second time. However, it could work out with Werder, believes Funkel, who explained to “Kicker” why.
“Marvin can survive in the Bundesliga,” says the 68-year-old, who was in charge of 1. FC Köln until the summer of 2021 and has been unemployed since then. Compared to Ducksch’s first two Bundesliga attempts with Paderborn and Düsseldorf, there is now an important difference in Bremen: the striker is not new to the club. “When you’ve already scored 20 goals for your team and got promoted with them, you already have a lot more recognition.”
In addition, Ducksch, who is now 28, has matured over the years: “Everyone develops – you can see that in them,” emphasizes Funkel. The legendary coach is already convinced of the purely sporting qualities of the striker and sees him as a “super-intelligent player”. In Ducksch’s third attempt, the Bundesliga could finally see that soon.
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