As of: March 15, 2024, 7:02 p.m
By: Luca Hartmann
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Leon Goretzka is fighting for a place in national coach Julian Nagelsmann's European Championship squad.
A question about the distribution of roles in the DFB team annoys the DFB star.
Frankfurt - There are important weeks ahead of Leon Goretzka in his football career: With FC Bayern, the 29-year-old wants to save a so far messed up season, while at the same time bringing his own performance back to a top level - because it's also about his place at the European Championships!
When asked about his role in the national team, Goretzka reacts irritably.
DFB star Goretzka annoyed: “It comes out of my ears”
National coach Julian Nagelsmann has a surplus of players for Goretzka's position in central midfield.
Toni Kroos should be in the DFB team after his return.
Captain İlkay Gündoğan was in the starting line-up in every game under Nagelsmann.
Goretzka, on the other hand, has to fight for his DFB place, dueling with other players like Pascal Groß and Robert Andrich.
Most recently, Goretzka's form at FC Bayern has shown an upward trend again, and his claim is likely to be a regular place in the DFB team.
But Goretzka finds the question of his exact role annoying.
“To be honest, this discussion about who’s role comes out of my ears,” the 57-time national player made clear in an interview with
Sport 1
.
Leon Goretzka is annoyed by questions about the distribution of roles in the DFB team.
© IMAGO/Herbertz / Nico Herbertz
Goretzka wants to “get back on track” with the national team
It’s more about “getting on track with the national team.
It's not about any roles, but about us becoming successful again as a team.
“I just see what awaits me,” says Goretzka.
However, Goretzka leaves it up to coach Nagelsmann whether the return of Toni Kroos would endanger his own place in the central midfield of the DFB team.
“In the end, I play where the coach puts me.
That's what I've always said.
“That probably sounds really boring, but at the end of the day it is,” explains the Bayern star.
“I always see it as my duty to help the team – no matter where I’m lined up.”
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VfB sports director Fabian Wohlgemuth calls for this “medium-term goal”.
Nagelsmann apparently does without Goretzka
However, it is questionable whether Goretzka will even have the chance to help the DFB team in the upcoming international test matches against France and the Netherlands.
Apparently, Goretzka was not taken into account by Nagelsmann and is missing from the squad - instead, his Bayern colleague Aleksandar Pavlović will probably be preferred and can hope for his debut in the DFB jersey.
Around three months before the start of the European Championships, that would be a hard blow for Goretzka.
At FC Bayern, Pavlovic has blossomed in recent weeks and established himself in central midfield.
It was only in the last Bundesliga game against Mainz that Pavlovic and Goretzka formed the record champions' midfield center together - this will probably not happen in the national team for the time being.
(luha)