Freiburg keeper Noah Atubolu speaks on delayed German national team call up | OneFootball

SC Freiburg keeper Noah Atubolu recently conceded that he had “no contact with Julian Nagelsmann” and was not expecting a call-up to the German national team any time in the near future. It thus comes as no surprise to learn that the 23-year-old literally slept through one of the defining moments of his career. Atubolu was caching upon some sleep following his side’s late Sunday Bundesliga away match against Borussia Mönchenglabach.

With DFB No. 1 Oliver Baumann struggling with Nausea, Nagelsmann opted to nominate Atubolu on Monday. The Freiburg native – who recently broke a record for consecutive number of league penalties saved – was taking a nap after a Monday morning training session when the call came. Atubolu will join Baumann, Augsburg’s Finn Dahmen, and Stuttgart’s Alexander Nübel on the October international break squad.

“We got home very late on Sunday night after the game in Mönchengladbach and I took a nap after the morning training session,” Atubolu explained in a statement published on Freiburg’s website. “When I woke up, I had several missed calls from national team goalkeeper coach Andreas Kronenberg and SC goalkeeper coach Michael Müller on my phone. They said the driver would be there soon and I had to leave.

“I’m going to the national team with the expectation of soaking everything up and learning as much as I can,” Atubolu went on to say. “It’s a huge honor for me to be in the German national team squad.“

GGFN | Peter Weis