Story
Nico Schlotterbeck: how it all started
Who doesn't remember how Nico Schlotterbeck hammered the ball in under the crossbar from over 20 metres out against Union Berlin? How he became a towering figure at the heart of defence in many a Champions League thriller? The tall fair-haired left footer is 24 years old and can look back on well over 100 Bundesliga appearances as well as a double-digit number of international caps and Champions League outings. But how did it all start? How did the little boy from the Swabian Rems Valley become the football star he is today?
In our search for Nico's roots, we ended up in Weinstadt, an amalgamation of several small villages around 15 kilometres east of Stuttgart. The Schlotterbecks live in one of these villages, Beutelsbach. In the land of spaetzle and Maultaschen, things are orderly and tranquil. A Swabian idyll surrounded by half-timbered houses and vineyards. In the living room, the photos of their two boys - from pre-school age to their latest professional pictures - are a testament to the parents' pride in their children.
Nico Schlotterbeck was born in Waiblingen shortly before the turn of the millennium. The second son of Marc and Susanne, he is the brother of Keven, who is two-and-a-half years his senior. He owes his name Nico to his mother. If dad had had his way, he would have been called Cedric. "My dad's favourite film is Little Lord Fauntelroy," Nico tells us, adding: "He watches it every year at Christmas and cries every time without fail, as he just thinks it's such a lovely film. Little Cedric is the lead character in the film and that's why he wanted to call me Cedric. Thank goodness my mum got her way."
Marc used to be a promising amateur footballer himself before he had to end his career at the age of 19. A mysterious viral illness that attacked his joints and still affects him today dashed any hopes of a playing career early on. Today, however, he is living his dream through his two sons. Both Nico and Keven have established themselves in the Bundesliga.
It became apparent very early on that Nico and Keven had the talent of their father and uncle. Marc's brother Niels was a successful professional footballer himself and scored 30 goals in over 200 games in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 for Stuttgarter Kickers, SC Freiburg, MSV Duisburg, Hansa Rostock, 1860 Munich, Hannover 96 and Waldhof Mannheim. The fact that they both stand out today with their strong left foot is due to their early childhood. "When they were very small and could only just kick a balloon, I always made sure to put the balloon on their left foot," explains dad Marc, who was left-footed himself and is convinced that being left-footed gives you a better chance of making it as a footballer.
Keven and Nico could hardly be more different in character. The older Keven is rather calm, while the younger Nico is a bundle of energy. "Nico was always on the go. If either of them fell off their chair, it was Nico and not Keven," remembers his mum with a laugh.
In addition to brother Keven, the lively little Nico had another very close friend from a very early age: Antonio "Toni" Papadopoulos from the immediate neighbourhood. "The two of them were together day and night, basically like close brothers," says father Marc. Immediately after school, the two of them went to the football pitch not far from their flats every day and played football. At the age of five, they joined the local club SC Weinstadt. Nico's first coach, Andreas Berkowitsch, remembers the ambitious youngster well: "You had to know how to deal with him. He wasn't as easygoing as the other boys. He had a lot of questions early on." Toni and Nico quickly stood out thanks to their footballing prowess. "They were the leaders and talkers. But when they lost, there were sometimes tears," recalls Berkowitsch. Ambition is one of Nico's outstanding characteristics. "He'll do anything to win. Even when playing cards. He definitely can't lose," reports his father Marc. Perhaps that's what defines a successful player.
It soon became clear that the football scene in Weinstadt was too small for Nico and Toni's big ambitions. The Stuttgarter Kickers became aware of the pair's potential. Nico met coach Jörg Schuller. Unlike Toni, however, he only met him after the second trial training session. The first time, Nico had shown little interest in adapting to a new environment. However, after being told that this would not be enough, he really stepped on the gas the second time round and was able to impress. "He won us over with his technique, his dynamism and his strong left foot, and we realised that we had a really good player on our hands," says Schuller. "That was the most formative time in my youth," says Nico looking back. Schuller still raves about those days today. "Nico developed enormously in his three years with us, he was extremely eager to learn and always wanted to be challenged." And he praises his hard work in training: "Nico was unstoppable."
It is 25 kilometres from Beutelsbach to the Kickers' training ground in Degerloch. But Marc and Susanne were more than willing to make the effort. They drove their boys to and from training several times a week, year in, year out. Marc: "We once calculated that we drove around half a million kilometres for the boys." This meant the youngsters didn't get any pocket money, as it all went towards fuel costs, explains Susanne.
During this time, Nico and Toni not only played in international youth tournaments against big teams such as Amsterdam, Real Madrid and Juventus, but also played at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK for the first time. A large department stores' chain organised a national small-sided Junior Cup for street teams. Nico, Toni and a few friends set up "FC Bananenflitzer" and, after several regional qualifying tournaments, made it through to the final, which was played at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK in November 2012 during the half-time break of the Bundesliga match against VfB Stuttgart. Although the boys from Weinstadt lost the final, Nico will never forget the experience. "That was unbelievable. Playing in front of 80,000 people was a bit overwhelming. It's probably just as daunting for many professional teams today as it was for us back then as twelve-year-olds. But the fact that I was playing here at the age of twelve and am now playing every fortnight - that's the kind of story that only football can write."
There is also an anecdote from his time at Stuttgarter Kickers that still haunts Nico today. There is a video on the internet of him as a 14-year-old talking about how he wants to win the Ballon d'Or one day. "That was actually more of a joke. My friends didn't believe that I would actually go and say that. But I did, and it still haunts me to this day." Back then, Fabio Cannavaro was his great hero. The Italian was the first (and still the only) defender to be voted winner of the Ballon d'Or, and emulating his role model seemed only logical at the time.
Then things fell through with the Kickers. The next year's youth coach didn't favour Nico. When father Marc informed his son that he was to be dropped, tears flowed. The initial impulse was to quit completely, but his unbridled ambition grew into a never-say-die attitude. Brother Keven remembers: "Nico then started to change his diet from wheat to spelt at the age of 15. He always said he wanted to be a professional footballer. There was no plan B. That's why he did everything he could to achieve his goal." Nico's guiding principle: he doesn't want to reproach himself later on for not having done everything he could to achieve his dream. The contacts of his uncle Niels, who founded a football school after finishing his playing career and still runs it successfully today, also proved useful during this time. He helped Nico play for a year at VfR Aalen in a lower-class junior team. Niels managed to get Nico invited to a trial training session at Karlsruher SC. The U19 coach at the time, Lukas Kwasniok (now head coach at second-tier club SC Paderborn), immediately recognised Nico's abilities. He was included in the U19 squad at the age of just 16. His first call-up to the German U18 national team followed shortly afterwards. Karlsruhe was the most important and at the same time most stressful time in Nico's development. "He left the house early in the morning and travelled to school in Stuttgart. At lunchtime, Susanne took him from school to the main railway station and gave him lunch. Then he ate and studied on the train to Karlsruhe, trained at KSC, took the train back in the evening and wasn't home again until half past nine," says Marc, describing the daily routine. There wasn't much time left for fun.
In 2017, Nico moved to SC Freiburg, where his brother Keven was already playing for the U23 team. Nico won the DFB-Pokal with the U19s, made several appearances in the Regionalliga and then celebrated his Bundesliga debut against Hertha BSC on 9 March 2019. An unforgettable day for mum Susanne too. "It was my birthday. I was in the car after Keven's Regionalliga game in Balingen when Marc called me from Freiburg and told me that Nico had been substituted on. I was listening to the radio and suddenly the reporter shouted: 'Goal for Freiburg, 2-1, Nico Schlotterbeck!' I had to stop and shed a few tears. Only later did it come out that it was an own goal by Ibisevic, who had been pressured by Nico in an aerial battle."
The rest is history. After 65 Bundesliga games for Freiburg and Union Berlin, Nico's move to BVB has also come full circle. In Dortmund, he will reunite with his best friend "Toni" Papadopoulos, who plays for the U23s but has also moved up to the first-team squad on several occasions, including games against Sevilla and Manchester City in the Champions League in 2022/23. One dream for the future remains: "There's one thing that's even better than playing with your best friend - it's playing with your own brother. We've already experienced that, and we'll definitely experience it again at some point in the future."
That would also make things a lot easier for Marc and Susanne. Keven now plays for VfL Bochum, and the parents want to be able to watch all of their sons' matches live. If the matches are at the same time, they have to split up accordingly. "They love us and football more than anything," says Nico, "and I'm always really happy when I see my parents in the stands at the warm-up and wave to them. I then know that someone is there for me and that gives me extra strength." Father Marc looks back proudly and happily on their journey together: "Brothers in the Bundesliga are very rare. The fact that our two boys have made it in different ways is a huge success for our family."
Nico is well aware that his parents' huge passion for football and their great willingness to make sacrifices during his youth played a big part in him becoming an Bundesliga star today. "My parents are the kindest people in the world and have always supported me. Today I realise that I can't take that for granted. I hope that I will take this as an example and raise my children in the same way." With the birth of his first child at the end of last year, Nico has already embarked on this mission, and can now pass on his experiences to his own children. "In football, you need the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time. Plus a bit of quality - then you can make it."
And maybe even win a Ballon d'Or one day.
