As of: March 27, 2024, 6:27 a.m
By: Alexander Kaindl
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He is something of an all-purpose weapon and was recently nominated for the DFB.
Jonas Hofmann is disappointed by the recent disregard.
Leverkusen – Everything went according to plan for Jonas Hofmann: Bayer Leverkusen has been at the top of the table for ages, has good chances of reaching the DFB Cup final in Berlin and is also one of the top favorites in the Europa League.
The Heidelberg native did not play a leading role in the national team, but new national coach Julian Nagelsmann had always nominated him.
Then, sometime in the spring, the break came.
Jonas Hofmann: From indispensable scorer to substitute player
Hofmann was suddenly no longer a regular player in Leverkusen.
By February 3rd, the offensive man was in the starting line-up in 18 of 19 Bundesliga games.
He then surprisingly sat on the bench against Darmstadt, FC Bayern and Heidenheim.
Hofmann didn't really have anything to blame himself for, as he had previously contributed five goals and eight assists to Leverkusen's high rise in the Bundesliga.
In the victories against Mainz and Cologne, Hofmann was again part of the first eleven, as well as in the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 against Agdam.
However, he had to be replaced after 28 minutes with muscular problems.
In general, it was not a good March 14th for the former Gladbacher: A few hours earlier, Nagelsmann had presented his DFB squad for the games in March.
For the first time under his direction, Hofmann was absent.
Proved himself in a variety of positions in the German national team: Jonas Hofmann.
© Laci Perenyi / Imago
“If he thinks so”: DFB star switches to fighter mode after Nagelsmann is booted out
The 31-year-old was naturally disappointed when he was not nominated.
Nagelsmann justified the decision in a phone call by saying “that the momentum is not on the side of the players who are not there right now,” said Hofmann in a media round on Tuesday.
Furthermore, he was quite defiant: “We come first.
I don't know if there's a better momentum for a player right now.
If he thinks that my momentum is not on my side at the moment, then I have to accept that and do everything I can to get that momentum back on my side.”
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Of course, Hofmann still dreams of a place in the squad at the European Football Championship in Germany.
“If you still have two months left, there are still enough games to show yourself in order to get back on the train,” said Hofmann: “That was also the message that the train hasn’t left yet.
And so of course it’s up to you to deliver.”
Despite the personal disappointment, the offensive player followed the German team's convincing victory in Lyon on Saturday - and even sang along to the national anthem while standing in front of his own television.
Hofmann sings the national anthem in front of the TV and is happy for his Leverkusen colleagues
He said his three Leverkusen teammates Florian Wirtz, who took the lead in the first minute, Robert Andrich and Jonathan Tah each had an “outstanding game”.
When the Germans meet the Netherlands on Tuesday evening (TV information about the game), Hofmann will certainly keep his fingers crossed again.