Leon Goretzka, the 'chancellor'

Goretzka makes the heart symbol with his hands after his goal against Hungary.Lukas Barth-Tuttas / POOL / EFE

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Against Portugal he caught a shot from the balcony of the area that made the crossbar shiver.

"I had to aim a little lower," lamented Leon Goretzka (Bochum, Germany; 26 years old);

"But there will come a game in which we will need the goal more urgently and I hope to be able to do it."

And so it was against Hungary, a redeeming draw that earned Germany to reach the round of 16, now against England.

So Löw, short of spikers because he plays without a usual center forward - Gnabry does, dry until now -, could include the midfielder in the

, also because Gündogan missed a couple of training sessions due to a head concussion. "I see him starting the rest of the tournament, he contributes what is missing with his dynamics and physical presence," defends Michael Ballack, a former player with whom his physical and arrival football are compared.

In addition to being a savior, Goretzka's goal was vindictive, as he traced a heart with his hands.

Gesture that he picked up later on social networks with the attached comment of "Spread love" and a rainbow flag.

The message made reference to the UEFA veto - it prohibited the Allianz from wearing the colors of the LGTBI collective on its exterior signs as it considered that there was a political background - and towards Hungary, which recently passed laws against homophobia.

Goretzka is clear: “Fritz Walter [legendary ex-footballer who was a paratrooper and a prisoner in World War II] once said that all national players are chancellors in shorts.

It's a great phrase;

footballers should take advantage of the great attention we receive to raise awareness on this type of issue ”.

More information

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• Goretzka saves Germany from burning

It is possible that little Leon's conscience was awakened when he was barely 13 years old and went through a Nazi concentration camp with his father and uncle. “I saw photos on the walls and we went out to the patio, where I recognized some places from the images. Then I started crying. Visiting a concentration camp should be an obligatory activity for everyone, ”says Goretzka. A sensitive issue that he also used to criticize the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which during the pandemic downplayed the covid and the Holocaust. “They are not an alternative; they are a shame for Germany ”, the footballer resolved in an interview for Sunday's

; "We have to make it clear that we live in a democracy that should not be damaged by anyone or anything."

During confinement, Goretzka wasted no time doing endless sets of weights. Taking care of yourself is a condition that was imposed since childhood, since he was diagnosed with a chronic intestinal inflammation that made him recover worse after encounters. Thus, he stopped eating foods with gluten, cow's milk, pork and nuts. “Everything was agreed with the Bayern coaches, because you have to be careful not to lose your acceleration. But I think I found a good mix, ”Goretzka revealed after a visible physical change.

Although the work almost went to waste at the beginning of May, when he had a fibrillar tear that made him miss the last friendlies of the national team, he also participated in the first match of the Euro.

Against England, however, he can start and improve those 49 minutes that he adds in the tournament.

Germany awaits you.

He also awaits his turn: "If I am allowed to play for our country, I want to play for our values ​​and constitution, not for a country that has not paid attention in history."

He's not bad so far, with 14 goals and four assists in 34 games with the

.

Greedy numbers for his suitors, knowing that he ends his contract with Bayern in 2022. But that does not worry him now, focused as he is in England.

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