Hansi Flick was a little lucky. Because his phone number was not known to the addressee. And who answers the phone when an unknown number calls? Armel Bella Kotchap pressed the green answer button on his cell phone anyway. And almost got a little shock when he heard who answered on the other end of the line. “I was very surprised,” said the 20-year-old. “But I was also very happy.”
Flick invited Bella Kotchap to the national team training course before the final games of the Nations League group stage. On Friday, the German team will meet Hungary in Leipzig before they play England on Monday (8:45 p.m. CEST).
Armel Bella Kotchap should be known above all to those interested in football who followed VfL Bochum, who were promoted to the Bundesliga at the time, last year. There Bella Kotchap took his first steps in the German elite class – and immediately became a regular player. With his robust, physically intensive style of play, the 1.90 meter tall central defender helped Bochum to stay up in the league.
Son of a Cameroon international
After only 22 Bundesliga appearances, an offer from the English Premier League club FC Southampton followed. The German U-21 international switched to the team of Austrian coach Ralph Hasenhüttl on the British island for a transfer fee of eleven million euros. “If you look at his physical qualities, then he fits perfectly into the Premier League. That’s what we were hoping for,” said Hasenhüttl. Bella Kotchap has also become a regular player with the “Saints”. His career curve is pointing steeply upwards.
Armel Bella Kotchap (r.) already had a strong commitment at VfL Bochum
Bella Kotchap was born in Paris in December 2001. He is the son of former Cameroonian international Cyrille Florent Bella, who himself played in Germany for eleven years. Armel also has Cameroonian citizenship through his father’s nationality. After his family settled in the small town of Neuss near Dusseldorf, Bella Kotchap single-mindedly began to work on his career. From a local club in Neuss, he first went to Borussia Mönchengladbach, later moving to MSV Duisburg and then to Bochum. Now he has arrived on the big stage.
Building block for the EM 2024
“I’m the youngest here and still have a lot to learn,” said Bella Kotchap, still a little shy, upon his arrival at the DFB team headquarters in Gravenbruch near Frankfurt am Main. Hansi Flick justified the surprising nomination on the one hand from a sporting point of view. “Armel Bella Kotchap has recently shown very good performances in Southampton and has developed very well. That’s why we decided to watch him for a week,” said the national coach.
In no time at all to become a regular at FC Southampton: Armel Bella Kotchap (centre)
The World Cup tournament in Qatar is likely to come too early for the new international. However, Bella Kotchap is a serious option for the future of the DFB team. At the European Championships in Germany in 2024, Flick needs a competitive team. The casting for it has long since begun. “It’s also important for us what comes after the World Cup,” said Flick.
Against the best attackers
In the days of Gravenbruch, Bella Kotchap wants to convince the DFB coaching team with his training performance. “I play here with players who play at a very high level,” says the newcomer, almost too well-behaved. Because in the Premier League he has to deal with the best attackers in Europe every week. In any case, Bella Kotchap wants to enjoy his time with the DFB: “I’m proud to be here.” The 20-year-old will probably have more opportunities to show himself and his footballing skills with the national team in the future.
