“He has improved a lot” – Nagelsmann about selecting Goretzka for Germany

15 months after his last game for Germany, Goretzka is back with the German national team! DFB coach Nagelsmann has explained, why he gave the Bayern Munich player a call after not selecting him for over a year.

It’s December 2023: The final result of the game against Austra is 0-2 – all the players are frustrated, the fans are disappointed and the hype before the EUROS at home are at an all-time low. This was the overall mood when Leon Goretzka played his last game for Germany.

After 57 international caps, Goretzka still had high hopes of fulfilling his dream of playing a home tournament; Nagelsmann however, made the tough call to exclude Goretzka from the final selection for the EUROS. A huge blow for the midfielder.

Fast forward a few months and you can see Goretzka finally playing at his best again for his club – and his good form didn’t go unnoticed! He’s been included in the latest squad selection and his coach has some praising words for him before his comeback:

“Our squad selection is mainly based on current form. Who deserves to be part of the team right now? In my opinion, Leon [Goretzka] is in good form currently, he’s playing a great season and has also improved and matured outside of the pitch.”

“He’s had a difficult phase in the summer with club and country; but he fought his way back and found good form again. In this form he can play a crucial role for us. Leon [Goretzka] has found a good mix of being an attacking threat and helping with the build-up play. He’ll fit in well!”

Let’s see how Goretzka will fare this time around in the games against Italy in the Nations League.