It is bitter for the German national team and for Nico Schlotterbeck (26): The soccer star will miss the rest of the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA due to an injury. Shortly after an official announcement by the German Football Association, Schlotterbeck himself has also spoken out. He still cannot find words for his elimination.
"Hi fans, I still need some time to process all of this and talk about it later. Therefore, there will be no detailed words from me about this for now", the 26-year-old writes on Instagram. He thanks the fans for their understanding. What matters now, however, is the team. He explains: "They deserve the full support of all Germans. Let us stand together and show that we stand behind this German team in good and difficult moments and support them on their way to the World Cup title."
Schlotterbeck out for several months
The DFB and his club Borussia Dortmund announced on Monday that Schlotterbeck was injured so severely in the second World Cup group match that he will be out for an extended period. "Nico suffered a medial ligament injury in his left ankle on Saturday during the 2-1 victory against Ivory Coast and will be out for several months", the official DFB Instagram account wrote. However, the soccer player will remain with the team for now.
BVB announced on its homepage that the professional soccer player was "thoroughly examined" at the DFB headquarters in North Carolina on Sunday and will be unavailable to both teams for several months. "I feel extremely sorry for Nico, he was in really good form and was indispensable from our national team's starting lineup", BVB sporting director Lars Ricken (49) is quoted as saying. "The fact that he is now out of the World Cup due to an injury is very unfortunate and incredibly bitter. But Nico showed last year how he came back even stronger after an injury. He will do so again this time, we are convinced of that."
