Freiburg goalkeeper duel with Kronenberg in Holland
DThis constellation is unusual and even animated Hansi Flick for joking. When the national football team on Tuesday (8:45 p.m. in FAZ live ticker for the national football team and in the ARD) meets the Netherlands in Amsterdam, the German goalkeeping coach is the club coach of the Oranje keeper. In everyday Bundesliga life, Andreas Kronenberg trains Mark Flekken at SC Freiburg, who is making his second international appearance for Elftal against the DFB selection.
“We put all the strikers in his room with him and he spoke really intensively to the strikers over the last three days and he told them where there were any chances of overcoming Flekken,” joked Flick at the press conference on Monday .
Kronenberg had the job as goalkeeping coach for the national team last summer as the successor to Andreas Koepke taken over by Flick on request. Until the end of the season, however, he will also remain coach of the goalkeepers in Freiburg. “Andi is an absolute expert in the field of goalkeeper training. He trained a lot,” said Flick about the 47-year-old Kronenberg.
Stains like van der Sar
The 28-year-old Flekken made his debut in the Elftal on Saturday in the 4:2 win against Denmark given. When the Danes made it 1-1 by Jannik Vestergaard, the Freiburg goalkeeper didn’t look too happy because he hesitated to run out. Overall, Flekken was able to do it with his first international match but be satisfied.
Bonds coach van Gaal saw it that way: “Flekken will play again,” he announced, adding: “I’ll do that consciously, then he can show himself against Germany.” Above all, Flekken’s football skills convinced the veteran coach: “Mark is incredibly good with his feet, you can’t imagine that. Edwin van der Sar was like that too.” To be compared to this iconic goalkeeper in the Netherlands is like being knighted.
The real number one Justin Bijlow from Feyenoord Rotterdam is currently injured. Nevertheless, the nominations for Flekken are the highlight of his career and a reward for strong performances in the Freiburg jersey, which currently make him one of the best Bundesliga keeper. Van Gaal now demanded of his field players: “We have to use him a lot more in the build-up game. I think it’s a plus that he can open the game, which allows us to keep playing football.”
For a long time nobody in the Netherlands had him on their radar, not even van Gaal. Flekken, who was born in Kerkrade, switched to Alemannia Aachen at the age of 16. He later came to MSV Duisburg, where he had to experience the worst moment of his career in February 2018.
At that time he didn’t notice how a goal for the supposed 2-0 win against Ingolstadt was withdrawn by the referee. While Flekken turned around after the goal celebration and devoted himself to his drinking bottle, the guests scored after a quick counter-attack to make it 1-1, with the goalkeeper only turning back to the game at the last moment, looking puzzled when he hit the ball in his net and settled himself properly disgraced.
