Goalkeeper Leno ponders over the degree of the discord
The decision by Bernd Leno to turn down a spot on the German national football team for their last two Nations League games has sparked quite a bit of discussion - much to Leno's surprise. "I must admit, I didn't anticipate all the chatter and write-ups about it," the 32-year-old goalskeeper shared in an interview with Sky.
Leno, the primary keeper for English Premier League side FC Fulham, didn't dispute the public version of events. As reported, national coach Julian Nagelsmann proposed a spot in the team for Leno without guaranteeing any playing time. Leno then declined joining the training camp, which included matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina (2:1) and the Netherlands (1:0).
"Most of what was in the media was accurate. Julian Nagelsmann was clear about the situation," Leno confirmed, adding that he had no issues with the conversation: "There was no mincing of words, so everything's fine."
Due to Marc-André ter Stegen's severe leg injury (patellar tendon tear), the German Football Association (DFB) had an available goalkeeping spot. Nagelsmann then chose to give Oliver Baumann and Alexander Nübel one game each. Leno was only to serve as the third-choice keeper on the bench.
Nagelsmann, in his own words, had presented Leno with a "very interesting medium-term perspective" as the national coach explained before the Bosnia-Herzegovina match. With Leno's refusal, the possibility of a DFB return is now "not shut, but it's also not opening up any further." He said slightly bitterly, "In the end, everyone has to make their own choices about how they want to handle things. And if he chooses to handle things like this, that's his prerogative." Leno, as he put it, "isn't 25 anymore, but he does have a certain level of maturity to evaluate things. And if he evaluates them like this, he can do so for himself."
The German national football team missed out on having Leno as their goalkeeper during their last two Nations League games, given his decision to turn down the invitation. Despite Nagelsmann offering him a potential role in the future, Leno chose to focus on his club career with FC Fulham.
