Every week, DFB.de profile a Germany international, who has a big weekend ahead. Today it’s the turn of Julian Draxler, who is getting ready to face his old club for the first time since his transfer from FC Schalke 04 to VfLWolfsburg.
The situation would have lent itself perfectly to someone looking to slyly avoid returning to his old home: A fifth yellow card of the season, for dissent, perhaps, would have resulted in a timely suspension. ‘World Cup winner chickens out’, would have made a good headline. The only problem is: Julian Draxler is not chickening out. He is still on four yellow cards, and so, on Saturday, he will join the VfL Wolfsburg squad as they travel to his old hunting ground of Schalke 04. That is, if his recently contracted flu virus clears up in time.
When the teams last met on the third matchday of the season, Julian Draxler was still in Royal Blue - albeit for the last time after 14 years. On Saturday, he will return to Schalke as an opposition - in the arena where he blossomed into a Bundesliga star, became a Germany international, a World Cup winner, a record breaker. The home he left behind late last summer in search of new challenges, to make a name for himself elsewhere. "Bite the bullet and get it over with," is Draxler’s attitude ahead of the reunion with the Schalke faithful, by whom he was once adored. On Saturday, however, there will be no love lost between him and the stands.
Neuer’s advice: Be "thick skinned"
"It would certainly help if he is thick skinned," said Manuel Neuer. The Germany number one has been there and done that, so to speak. He too spent a number of years in Schalke’s royal blue and upon returning, received a hostile reception from his old friends. "I’m still pleased to be returning to my old hunting ground," said Draxler. "FC Schalke still is and always will be my home club." Around three months ago, ahead of the Ruhr Derby with Borussia Dortmund, Draxler wished his former teammates the best of luck. A kind gesture to his former club.
Julian Draxler joined Schalke when he was just eight years old and made his Bundesliga debut in 2011 at the age of 17 - still the youngest ever Schalke player to make an appearance. That was the first of several records set by Draxler: He is also the youngest player to score in a DFB-Cup final, the youngest DFB Cup winner, the youngest German player to score in the Champions League and the youngest player to reach 100 appearances in the top flight of German football. In May 2014, Draxler led Die Mannschaft out onto the pitch in an international fixture against Poland as the youngest ever captain. Two months later in Brazil, he was crowned a World Champion. Draxler has 16 Germany caps under his belt so far, the last of which came in November in the friendly against France, a game which faded into insignificance due to the Paris terror attacks.
Draxler: "Don’t want to be seen as a young player anymore"
Julian Draxler is not someone to rest on his laurels. The 22-year-old has already written history, but his story is far from finished. His transfer to Wolfsburg was the start of a new chapter in his career: A step which took a lot of courage, because away from home, he will enjoy no leniency, no indulgence from the supporters. Here he is not known as the home-grown "Jule" who worked his way into the first team. "Julian has taken the next logical step in his career by moving to us," said Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs. Draxler has to fight for his place in the Wolf Pack, a challenge his is confronting boldly. "I don’t want to be seen as a young player anymore; I want to be rated as an established Bundesliga professional," he told Sport Bild. "But part of that is putting in a top performance every week. I need to work on that."
Draxler will be in the limelight on Saturday, largely due to his past with Schalke, but also from a Wolfsburg perspective: Whether Wolfsburg will finally win in Schalke again is down to him; down to his creativity, his vision, his speed and his flair. The last five encounters between the sides in the VELTINS-Arena have ended in Schalke wins. Wolfsburg last took home all three points from Gelsenkirchen in September 2009 as German champions. Last Sunday, Julian Draxler got himself on the scoresheet against 1. FC Köln; his third goal of the season, the first of which he scored still in a Schalke top, in the Arena, his home, which he soon after left behind.