Nico Schlotterbeck
Nico Cedric Schlotterbeck
Written by Nicolas Horn and Christian Spiller for Die Zeit:
The centre-back is likely to be this squad’s Flibbertigibbet – a happy-go-lucky presence. Nico Schlotterbeck has for some time been regarded as one of Germany's biggest defensive talents – because he is robust, good with headers, can pass and even dribbles forward from time to time. Everything you want from a modern centre-back. Unfortunately, he is also often caught out of position, and can be reckless in tackles or when clearing. It often looks as if he can't control his strength, and he needs coaches who can put his talent back on the right track. His BVB colleague, Mats Hummels, defended him in May: ‘It's crazy how little appreciation this boy still gets!’ Alongside Hummels, he kept PSG from scoring over two legs in the Champions League semi-finals. Schlotterbeck’s role model is Fabio Cannavaro, whom he saw play from the stands at the 2006 World Cup. Cannavaro’s level is still a long way off, though.
