If you want to make a career in football, a good story can not hurt. Something that the spectators associate with a player in addition to the athletic quality. Like Miroslav Klose with the rise of the carpenter at the SG Blaubach-Diedelkopf, the brothers Boateng with the Weddinger Käfigbolzplatz, or the young Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger with their Bromance.
The audience does not connect much with Lukas Klostermann. At most, that the 23-year-old right-back plays at RB Leipzig and more recently in the German national team, which meets in the evening in the European Championship qualifier in Tallinn on Estonia (20.45 / Liveticker SPIEGEL, TV: RTL). Here Klostermann can serve with a good story.
Four times winner of "Deutschland sucht den Supersprinter"
Until 17 he switched between football and athletics back and forth. As a high school student, he won four times in the context of the Istaf in Berlin invented competition with the sleek name "Germany seeks the Supersprinter". In 2006 he managed there with 7.21 seconds over 50 meters of the "Supersprint record". His father Andree once stood in the final of the German Championships over 110 meters hurdles.
That he is an athlete in football jersey, would be a shortening of the facts. But it is already striking how fast this Klostermann can run. In 2016, he will be sprinting over 30 meters in just 3.72 seconds. The "kicker" wrote that he was "faster than Bolt". The Jamaican supersprinter Usain Bolt needed 3.78 seconds for his first 30 meters. The comparison is of course still not allowed because Bolt only then took on speed properly.
For national coach Joachim Loew the special speed Klostermanns an argument to set it up ever since his debut against Serbia in March (1: 1). Another is Klostermann's new interpretation of the right-back, as Löw wishes: "At the highest level you also need offensive impulses from the full-backs," said the 59-year-old after the 2-2 draw with Argentina on Wednesday, "and there Lukas really improved. "
Significantly involved in four of the past six German hits
Klostermann only gets to five internationals, but already on an impressive quota: He was instrumental in four of the past six German goals. Against Argentina, he put the 1: 0 by Serge Gnabry on and initiated the 2: 0 by Kai Havertz with a sprint from his own half. When 2-0 in Northern Ireland in early September Klostermanns flank landed past the forehead of Julian Brandt at Marcel Halstenberg, who drove the ball in the angle. And in the 2-4 against the Netherlands before he had prepared the 1-0, after he had appeared free in front of goal, but failed. Gnabry dusted off.
That scene illustrates what Löw meant when he said Klostermann often offensively has good action when breaking through the opposing defensive, but still has to improve in the final.
A good test yesterday, Sunday it continues. #Management #GERARG @DFB_Team pic.twitter.com/vNhQvjfEww
- Lukas Klostermann (@ lukaskl96) October 10, 2019At his club, he is now animated to more Torgefahr. Although Ralf Rangnick offered him in the past season in Leipzig sometimes in a five-line, and Klostermann scored five goals. But for Rangnick the defensive was always in the foreground. Under his successor Julian Nagelsmann, whose preferred formation is the Fünferkette with far-advancing full-backs, Klostermann must act more offensive. Loew now benefits from this: "Lukas is now increasingly taking the deep path." Especially against extremely defensive opponents like now against Estonia Löw needs these breakthroughs by Klostermann.
RB Leipzig shapes the national team like never before
In any case, Leipzig is shaping the national team as much as it has never done before. With Klostermann, left-back Marcel Halstenberg and striker Timo Werner RB is three national team. So much is also Dortmund, if you count next to Brandt and Marco Reus the injured Nico Schulz. From FC Bayern there are five national players. This is also a reflection of the balance of power in the Bundesliga. RB has established itself as a top club, and with him Klostermann has grown.
In 2016 he won silver in Rio de Janeiro with the German Olympic selection. Back in the winter of 2016, the "kicker" called him "one of the biggest defensive hopes in Germany". But shortly after Rio, he tore the cruciate ligament. Otherwise he might already have been a candidate for the Confed Cup 2017 - and the audience would have known more about him.
At Klostermann it was in the national team but so far mostly so that he never existed as an individual. He was always perceived as a twin of his RB colleague Halstenberg. Both last formed a Leipzig defense winged pliers - also because Schulz left injured missed and the Parisian Thilo Kehrer right. But in contrast to the five years older Halstenberg Klostermann is far from his performance limit. And he has more to offer to sweepers.
"My goal is to make a lot of games and play after the successful European Championship qualifier at the European Championships next summer," said Klostermann now before the match in Estonia. That was offensive enough.
