Leroy Sané wants to finally fulfill his "task"
Especially when it comes to the German football national team, Leroy Sané has yet to fully show his immense potential. His DFB record is disappointing, but he could get a chance to make amends this Friday: in the EURO 2024 quarterfinals against Spain.
Dark clouds are gathering ominously over the DFB headquarters in Herzogenaurach. It's not raining, but the weather app predicts rain for the evening. A thunderstorm is still in the air. Yet the older man at the barricades at the Media Center is not deterred. He wears a 2014 Germany jersey and is hunting for autographs - even though there's no chance here. It was supposed to be Thomas Mueller, but instead it's Leroy Sané who shows up for the press conference. He would take that too, he says.
Inside, Sané is at the disposal of the journalists and journalists. And it gets right down to business. Yesterday, Joshua Kimmich and David Raum were there. In particular, the latter had his special action, the cross to Niclas Füllkrug for the late equalizer against Switzerland. Sané also hopes to get his tournament moment soon. "That's my job, which I also want to fulfill," says the 28-year-old Bayern star. The best would be this Friday against Spain (6 PM/ARD, MagentaTV and in the ntv.de-Live Ticker), in the home EURO quarterfinals.
That would be a special moment in several ways. Earlier, on Facebook, one could indicate a relationship status as "it's complicated." That describes the combination of Leroy Sané and major tournaments with the German football team quite well. It's hard to believe: For such a talented offensive player, who has generated a total transfer fee of 101 million euros, only one assist at a major tournament has been achieved so far.
Low ignores and despairing
At the EURO 2016, the then 20-year-old Sané only got a brief appearance in the 0:1 semifinal loss to France. The game was already decided, his influence was negligible. The same was the case at the Confederations Cup victory a year later. When the DFB team won their last title, Sané shines with absence. He had to withdraw short-term due to a nasal operation.
At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Sané did not even travel with the DFB team to the Quartier in Watutinki, but stayed in Germany instead. National coach Low left the promising winger unexpectedly at home, taking Julian Brandt instead. At the time, Sané was a mainstay in the Manchester City team and had taken the next step under trainer guru Pep Guardiola, becoming more consistent.
Why Low left him at home back then was never fully explained. Sané would have filled a gap in the squad that Low had complained about two years earlier: A tempo dribbler, who quickly and penetratingly over the wings looks for one-on-one situations. Some speculated at the time that it was due to domestic politics - Low took Brandt instead, whom he had left at home two years earlier. However, there were also doubts about Sané's supposed lack of attitude and body language.
At the 2021 European Championship, Sané was finally back in action. The previous year, during the first Corona summer, he had switched from England to FC Bayern, taking time to recover from his cruciate ligament tear. His first EM start was in the third group game against Hungary, where he was supposed to replace the injured Thomas Mueller. He disappointed, and even let Bundestrainer Joachim Loew curse loudly at him. The German team still managed a 2:2 and a place in the round of 16. There, they lost 0:1 against England.
And Sané's story at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was also quickly told. He missed the 1:2 defeat against Japan due to knee problems. In the second game against Spain, the attacker was substituted on at the same time as super sub Niclas Füllkrug, but it was Füllkrug who scored, not Sané. He got a 90-minute appearance in the last group game against Costa Rica, which ended in a 4:2 victory. However, the German team's morale flew home after the win.
Nagelsmann trusts and hopes
And this time? Will the Home-EM 2024 be his tournament? Sané was one of two players, whom the coach gave a special role during the March friendlies. He would not give up on Sané, Nagelsmann said three months ago. He often emphasized the special bond between them. They both know each other from club days. Nagelsmann also knows that it's not clear which Sané he'll get this time: the strong one from the first half of the season, who can make a difference, from FC Bayern, or the unstable one from the second half.
The winger has been working on a pelvic bone injury in the past weeks and months. A nasty affair, as Sané also explained at the press conference, because you can't really protect that area and you can't really appreciate it. He often felt good before games, but afterwards, it started to hurt again. It sometimes took "five, six days" to get better, he said. But he has largely recovered. It's not completely gone yet, he explained, but he no longer has any pain. "That's the positive."
So far, it's not yet Sané's tournament, no one is leaning out of the window for him. The Bayern star got his playing time in the three group games, but couldn't leave a lasting impression. In the round of 16 against Denmark, he started surprisingly for Florian Wirtz, Nagelsmann hoped for something that the German team lacked in the last game: more depth, more tempo, more runs behind the opposing defense line. It worked out fairly well. Sané showed commitment, wasn't afraid of a sprint. Offensively or defensively. But you could see his lack of game practice, especially in the first half: sometimes he started too early, sometimes too late.
Does he start against Spain as well? He doesn't know yet, says Sane. Against Denmark, he only found out on the match day. "It was good for me to have a longer playing time again. It had been a while." In Nagelsmann's system, he is the fourth force for the three places in the offensive midfield, alongside Bessamer, captain Ilkay Gündogan, and the magicians Jamal Musiala and Wirtz. A Sane in the starting lineup could also be a hint as to what the national team trainer plans against Spain: fast and direct or possession-based?
For Sane, on the other hand, a decisive goal, a brilliant assist against a big opponent, against whom the German team last won a mandatory game in 1988, that would be a good opportunity to finally have a tournament moment. Then there will certainly be more autograph hunters in front of the DFB headquarters.
Leroy Sané expressed his desire to have his tournament moment soon, particularly against Spain in the EURO 2024 quarterfinals. The German national team coach, Julian Nagelsmann, has not given up on Sané, stating that he continues to trust him and believes in his potential.
