“Do this in our family”
There is no longer a place for Goretzka at FC Bayern
Leon Goretzka receives a mixture of encouragement and pity from his teammates. But that shouldn't help him at FC Bayern. The 29-year-old has no place in new coach Vincent Kompany's squad. Interested parties come from abroad.
Joshua Kimmich showed compassion for his friend Leon Goretzka, for Thomas Müller the 29-year-old is still “one of us” – but after six years at FC Bayern he apparently no longer has a future. When Munich won 4-0 (2-0) in the first round of the cup at SSV Ulm, new coach Vincent Kompany did without Goretzka in the squad – even though the professional was fit.
Sports director Max Eberl emphasized that we talk to the players “quite openly” about their chances: “They know about it. We talked about the great performance that we have in the squad. And then each player has to decide for themselves how to deal with it .” The situation for Goretzka was “certainly not nice,” added Eberl, “as a player you want to be on the pitch.”
Goretzka still has a contract with the Munich team that is valid for two years until 2026. Bayern would of course “respect all contracts,” said Eberl, but the fact that one can still “say what sporting prospects look like is completely normal.” Atlético Madrid and SSC Napoli have reportedly expressed interest. However, sports director Christoph Freund evaded the question of whether there had already been any concrete inquiries. That is “not the big issue at the moment”. But with a player like Leon Goretzka, who is “very good,” there are of course always interested parties.
Goretzka probably doesn't want to leave
“What's the word? We're not a money-getter. We also have to make sure everything works and fits,” said Eberl when asked about de Ligt's move to Manchester United. Goretzka's calculations shouldn't be completely different. Kompany said they wanted to be very clear with the players. “We do it in our family, but outside of it we don't have to say anything about it.”
However, there could be different opinions. Sky and the “Abendzeitung” report that Goretzka wants to stay in Munich and make it through. He should therefore not have any discussions with other clubs. If he really doesn't get a chance from Kompany, a change in the winter could become an issue.
From a player's point of view, Kimmich said, he could say “that I really enjoy being on the pitch with Leon. Everyone knows that we are very good friends, so I feel a little sorry for him. But in the end, I'm not the one doing it can make the decision.” However, it is not the first time this summer that Goretzka has been left out. National coach Julian Nagelsmann also did without him for the home European Championship.
Goretzka shows “us as teammates how important we are to him. And that is mutual as well,” said Müller. He trains excellently, “but if you look at the squad, there are always hardships.” And everything else remains to be seen, “I honestly have no idea.” A good week before the start of the Bundesliga at VfL Wolfsburg, the signs point to farewell.
