Leon Goretzka is not even in the squad for FC Bayern’s away game in Kiel. Lothar Matthäus is surprised by coach Vincent Kompany’s decision.
“I miss him in the squad. Everyone praised him for how he trained this week. We also heard that Kompany praised him highly. I am of course surprised that he is not in the squad. But we should accept the coach’s decision,” said the record international player on Saturday ahead of the match at Sky.
Kompany himself subsequently explained Sky Reporter Patrick Wasserziehr: “If it’s not Leon, it’s someone else. I have 21 players. Let’s see at the end of the week, we have three games. Now it’s about 20 here. After that we’ll need everyone, definitely.”
Sports director Max Eberl was also asked about the Goretzka decision: “We communicated clearly from the beginning that we would have a very balanced squad. That we have a player in Aleks Pavlovic who has now become a national player, and that we will make a transfer with Palhinha. Leon knew that beforehand. That we are planning to use Josh (Kimmich) in midfield again. Then it is just that the competition at Bayern Munich is high,” Eberl said at the table at Sky Moderator Sebastian Hellmann made it clear.
Eberl: Goretzka “naturally angry”
And he continued: “We also said that if Leon is there and is ready to face the situation, then he will be treated completely normally. Leon is a great guy. I like him a lot, even though he is obviously angry at the moment. I understand that. But that is part of football life.”
Goretzka was already missing from the squad for the DFB Cup in Ulm. In the Bundesliga opening match against VfL Wolfsburg, he sat on the bench for 90 minutes, and against SC Freiburg he was substituted on as a central defender at least in the closing stages.
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