European Championship quarter-finals - The man who doesn't ignite: Sané's tournament blemish
Julian Nagelsmann repeatedly emphasizes that he "has a very good connection" with Leroy Sane. "We have a good understanding of each other", the German national team coach states. Indeed, Nagelsmann can be described as both a Sane interpreter and a fan. And that's why Nagelsmann wanted the Bayern Munich professional, who is polarizing among Football-Nationalteam fans, present for the home European Championship.
Despite a three-match suspension leading up to the tournament due to a red card in a test match against Austria (0:2) and a shin problem that significantly affected Sane's form and goal tally during Bayern Munich's second half of the season, Sane was still not a factor at the Heimturnier before the giant Quarterfinal against Spain on Friday (18.00 Uhr) in Stuttgart.
Musiala provides what Sane should
After three ineffective substitute appearances, Nagelsmann surprisingly started the now 28-year-old Sane for the first time from the beginning in the 2:0 against Denmark in the Round of 16. Sane was supposed to deliver what EM star Jamal Musiala did in the 2:0. "The intention was that we - like in Jamal's goal - would have wanted a few more situations with simple runs behind the defense. Leroy has very good depth in the game and very good tempo", Nagelsmann explained.
Sane's strengths, however, did not decisively contribute to his 64th international appearance. And that's been the case in his entire tournament career. Sane is the man who doesn't ignite at tournaments. In eleven appearances since his EM debut in 2016, he has yet to score a goal or make a significant impact. Fans are waiting for the Tournament-Sane.
The tournaments from 2016 to present
EM 2016: At the age of 20, Sane comes on in the 79th minute of the semifinal against host France for Bastian Schweinsteiger in his only EM appearance. The game is already lost at this point, with a score of 0:2 in Marseille.
Confed-Cup 2017: Bundestrainer Joachim Loew skips several established national players for the Confederations Cup a year before the World Cup in Russia and wins the tournament with a prospect team filled with young players. Sane had withdrawn due to a nasal operation. In hindsight, it was almost an own goal.
WM 2018: Loew unexpectedly drops Sane from the World Cup squad in Russia. A harsh blow for Sane, who had not expected it at all.
EM 2021: In all four games leading up to the early elimination against England, Sane starts on the pitch. But only once in the starting lineup. Three times he comes on late. No goal, no notable action.
WM 2022: Sane misses the 1:2 opening match against Japan due to knee problems. In the second game against Spain, he is substituted in with Niclas Füllkrug, who promptly scores the equalizer. In the tournament elimination against Costa Rica (4:2), he plays the full 90 minutes - scoreless.
"It's a bit annoying"
After 163 minutes of play, the zero is also at the goals and assists for Sane. And yet Nagelsmann rarely lets him go, even though he will likely have to sit on the bench against Spain again. "It was the first game from the start for Leroy in a long time. It's not easy to come in perfectly", Nagelsmann said sympathetically after the Denmark game: "He made it significantly better in the second half."
At the real European Championship match against the strong Spanish team, Wirtz had to take the fourth offensive spot next to Ilkay Gündogan, Kai Havertz and Musiala again. And Sane? He can only hope that the tournament still lasts a bit longer and the sentence he said before the start of the EM in the EM camp becomes true again: "It's a bit annoying with my injury. But I just want to show my performance, deliver it, give my contribution as much as possible, and go as far as possible towards the title."
In his role as Germany's national team coach, Nagelsmann expressed a strong affinity towards Leroy Sane, even though the Bayern Munich player has been criticized by some Football-Nationalteam fans. Nagelsmann wanted Sane to be part of the home European Championship, despite facing a three-match suspension and health issues. Initially, Sane struggled to make an impact during the tournament, but he was given a starting spot in the Round of 16 against Denmark. Despite his efforts, Sane's performance during the tournament has not been as impactful as fans had hoped, with no goals scored or significant impacts made in his eleven tournament appearances since 2016.
Sane's tournament struggles date back to the 2016 European Championships, where he made a late substitution in the semifinal against France. A year later, Joachim Loew skipped Sane for the Confederations Cup due to a nasal operation, a decision that Sane himself might view as unfortunate. Loew also omitted Sane from the World Cup squad in Russia in 2018, dealing another blow to Sane's international reputation.
Sane's performances at the past two major tournaments have also been unimpressive. In 2021, he started in all four of Germany's group stage matches but only once in the starting lineup. In the 2022 World Cup, he missed the opening match due to knee problems and had a scoreless run despite playing in the tournament elimination match against Costa Rica.
Despite these setbacks, Sane remains hopeful, expressing his desire to contribute to the team's success and go as far as possible towards achieving the title. In the quarterfinal against Spain, the young talent Florian Wirtz took his place in the starting lineup, while Sane hoped for more opportunities in the tournament.
