Two tournaments, two group-stage exits. The wounds of Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 may have healed, but the pain has certainly not been forgotten. are determined to right the wrongs of the last two tournaments, but they do not enter as favourites. Instead they are a team looking to reclaim their traditional place in the football hierarchy.
Nobody understands that more than Leon Goretzka. The midfielder is itching to enjoy a successful campaign with his country – who will look to take the first step towards redemption against before clashes with and . Goretzka has added motivation as he looks for a new club after leaving Bayern Munich.
In this interview with FIFA, Goretzka talks openly about the collective motivation that has arisen from Germany’s recent disappointments, gives his honest assessment of the team’s chances, and lifts the lid on how he rebuilt his relationship with coach Julian Nagelsmann, which was put to the test around EURO 2024. He also reveals what drives him on and what he expects of the team in North America.
Leon Goretzka: Obviously, we want to put things right. The memories don’t really bother us anymore, but it’s true that the sense of euphoria and that togetherness with the fans perhaps aren’t quite there at the moment. They’ve lost faith in us a little, and we’d love to win them over again. That’s actually my biggest personal motivation, and the same goes for the whole team.
You can and should always learn from your mistakes, but dwelling on them now won’t do us any good. We simply want to look ahead and take this opportunity in front of us. We know we have a good team.
The situation is indeed a little different to previous tournaments. I don’t think we’ll be among the top favourites, let’s be honest. Nevertheless, there are very high expectations of us as a footballing nation, and rightly so. We have some top stars in our team, and I believe that if we’re all fit and in form, we can achieve a lot at this World Cup. If we’re able to grow as a team during the tournament, the sky’s the limit. But I don’t see us as top favourites.
We have it in us to bring that physicality onto the pitch. Those qualities are also absolutely essential for us as a team, especially in terms of the way we want to play. In other words, the potential is there – we just have to make sure we realise it every game.
Nothing is more important for a team – or for team spirit – than that winning feeling. I’ve seen that many times in my career. That’s why it was vital that we beat the Swiss, simply to gain that confidence. We can also get ourselves out of difficult situations during matches; we know we have the individual quality to turn games round.
It was certainly a difficult time. We worked well together at Bayern and had a lot of trust in each other. Of course, it became more difficult with the European Championship. It’s no secret that it wasn’t an easy conversation for either of us. Naturally, I was hugely disappointed, but it wasn’t easy for him either. And then, after a while, we sat down together as there were some issues that had to be resolved. We both wanted to get back on the same wavelength, and now we’ve put the foundations in place to work well together again.
Can I be honest? I’d rather we were favourites. I know that role well from my time at Bayern, and when you’re favourites, the chances are greater that you’ll pull it off. That said, it wouldn’t be right for us to regard ourselves as favourites for the World Cup after the last few years. The role we have now is certainly not a bad one, and the sooner we accept that, the more we can gain strength from it.
We need to grow together as a team and better understand what the person next to us is doing on the pitch. I believe that physicality will also play a major role. I played in the Club World Cup last year, so I know the conditions will be extreme. That will certainly be a factor, and that’s why we’ll have to be in peak condition. And then, just as in every tournament, luck will of course be a big factor. If everything comes together, then we really can go far.
Sources: FIFA Official
