German midfielder Goretzka recently accepted an interview with German media sport.de, in which he talked about his role under national team coach Nagelsmann, the importance of Bayern to the national team, and whether Neuer will return to the national team.
Goretzka said that whenever he puts on the jersey of the German team, he is full of passion, and this may be related to the fact that he has not achieved major success with the German team so far. He admitted frankly: "Obviously, our performance in the European Cup and World Cup was not very good, especially compared with the previous generation of players, who were very accustomed to success. The team almost always reached the semi-finals and won that important championship in 2014."
He understood teammate Kimmich's statement that the current national team is to a certain extent associated with failure: "I understand what Kimmich said France, we have experienced these defeats, early elimination in the group stage, which are very rare things in Germany. But correspondingly, the desire and desire to change the status quo is also very strong."
Goretzka recalled the German team's "difficult" 1-0 victory in Northern Ireland in October: "That game was a game where we invested a lot of energy. The game may not look exciting, but for us as a team, being able to withstand such a game is also very important for the future."
When talking about the role of Bayern players in the national team, he said: "This is generally very helpful to the national team, considering that we are very familiar with each other. The training time is limited, which also makes it easier to run in. "
Goretzka also emphasized: "Of course, we come to the national team with a certain degree of confidence. Everything is going well in the club. We have good momentum and we hope to bring this state to the national team."
Regarding his current role in the national team, Goretzka said that he has two roles on the court. In defence, performing his traditional role as a defensive midfielder as he has done recently alongside club team-mate Pavlovich, the midfielder said: "I try to bring a certain physicality and toughness to the game which I had against Northern Ireland. "
In terms of offense, Goretzka also pointed out: "Once the team enters the offensive third zone, I will move forward a little and try to play the role of No. 10."
Off the court, Goretzka also regards himself as a player. A leader player, he said with a smile: "I was a little shocked to find that I am already the second oldest player in the team. I have also experienced a lot in my career. I hope to lead many young players, give them some help, and lead by example."
Regarding the topic that goalkeeper Neuer may return to the national team before the 2026 World Cup, Goretzka took a conservative attitude: "He has ended his career as the national team goalkeeper, so I don't think now that he will be here by then."
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