Leon Goretzka tracked, ran and fought as if there was nothing holding him back. It paid off for the Germany U21 captain and FC Schalke, as they triumphed 2-1 over FSV Mainz 05.
Schalke’s manager André Breitenreiter declared Leon Goretzka 'Man of the Match', and Horst Heldt gave the defensive midfielder special praise after his "exceptional performance." The 20-year-old evaluated his performance after the game, and spoke about the departure of Julian Draxler and the recent praise from national coach Joachim Löw. DFB.dd has the full details.
Question: Mr. Goretzka, you fought hard against Mainz and didn’t hold back in any challenge. Have you seen many karate films in your time?
Leon Goretzka: None at all. In retrospect I may have been a bit rash at certain times. If you make contact with the player it can end badly. I was, however, highly motivated and wanted to show that on the pitch.
Question: Is this fighting spirit a key part of your game, or were you yourself surprised?
Goretzka: I’m not surprised. It was clear to everyone beforehand that we needed to take three points from the match, especially when looking at the table. We had to give our all, particularly at the end when it got very tight. I don’t think I was the only one who gave 100%.
Question: Was it one of your best games in a S04 kit?
Goretzka: We had a lot of good games in the first half of the season two years ago, and I performed well in those. But that was certainly the best game since my return from injury. Pre-season helped me a lot; I feel fit again and can play to my full potential on the pitch.
Question: You played as captain of the Germany U21 side. Did this give you any extra motivation going into the match?
Goretzka: Of course. It’s a special honour to play for Germany, especially with the armband on. I maintain that you don’t need the armband in order to take responsibility on the pitch. I am one of the more experienced players in the U21 side, which I have showed in the recent games. The fact that I have been entrusted with the captaincy makes it all the more sweet.
Question: The national coach spoke about you prior to the international break, and identified you as one of the players he is going to pay close attention to this season. Has he spoken to you personally?
Goretzka: No, that’s not happened.
Question: If you keep playing like you did against Mainz, surely it is an inevitability?
Goretzka: It’s not my decision but I would be very happy.
Question: Was it hard work earning your first home win of the season?
Goretzka: Definitely. We could have started a lot better. I’ve not experienced many games before where we’ve been able to create so many goal scoring opportunities in the first 30 minutes. We have make sure we use our chances better going forward.
Question: How much better was the match with the support of the crowd?
Goretzka: It really is unique. It’s no secret that there’s a special atmosphere in our stadium, which was exactly the case today. Especially towards the end of the game when Mainz managed to create a couple of chances it was important to hear the support of the crowd. We always get spurred on by them.
Question: Draxler’s absence was not immediately noticeable today, with Max Meyer slotting in very effectively on the left wing. Do you think his departure will create opportunities for others?
Goretzka: The fact that Max and I started together is only possible because of Jule leaving. It’s been a long time since we were able to play together from the beginning. We were both very pleased, which I think was evident on the pitch.
Question: Your manager André Breitenreiter always protects his young players and is very careful in managing their development. Do you think this is a good policy?
Goretzka: Yes definitely. Although I have always said that despite being young, we have already played one or two seasons and gathered a lot of experience. It is always nice to have a helping hand along the way, but ultimately it’s up to us to prove that we are ready to play regularly for the first team.
Question: You have had your fair share of injuries in the past. Are you now able to push on and tie down a regular starting role?
Goretzka: Of course I want to start most games, that much is obvious. We have a lot of mid-week games coming up and will need all of the squad.
Question: On the topic of mid-week fixtures, you are facing Apoel Nicosia on Thursday – what do you think you can achieve in the Europa League?
Goretzka: We will see. It is always nice to have a break from the Bundesliga and play competitively in Europe. We will view every game as a real honour, and approach with the correct attitude.
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Leon Goretzka tracked, ran and fought as if there was nothing holding him back. It paid off for the Germany U21 captain and FC Schalke, as they triumphed 2-1 over FSV Mainz 05.
Schalke’s manager André Breitenreiter declared Leon Goretzka 'Man of the Match', and Horst Heldt gave the defensive midfielder special praise after his "exceptional performance." The 20-year-old evaluated his performance after the game, and spoke about the departure of Julian Draxler and the recent praise from national coach Joachim Löw. DFB.dd has the full details.
Question: Mr. Goretzka, you fought hard against Mainz and didn’t hold back in any challenge. Have you seen many karate films in your time?
Leon Goretzka: None at all. In retrospect I may have been a bit rash at certain times. If you make contact with the player it can end badly. I was, however, highly motivated and wanted to show that on the pitch.
Question: Is this fighting spirit a key part of your game, or were you yourself surprised?
Goretzka: I’m not surprised. It was clear to everyone beforehand that we needed to take three points from the match, especially when looking at the table. We had to give our all, particularly at the end when it got very tight. I don’t think I was the only one who gave 100%.
Question: Was it one of your best games in a S04 kit?
Goretzka: We had a lot of good games in the first half of the season two years ago, and I performed well in those. But that was certainly the best game since my return from injury. Pre-season helped me a lot; I feel fit again and can play to my full potential on the pitch.
Question: You played as captain of the Germany U21 side. Did this give you any extra motivation going into the match?
Goretzka: Of course. It’s a special honour to play for Germany, especially with the armband on. I maintain that you don’t need the armband in order to take responsibility on the pitch. I am one of the more experienced players in the U21 side, which I have showed in the recent games. The fact that I have been entrusted with the captaincy makes it all the more sweet.
Question: The national coach spoke about you prior to the international break, and identified you as one of the players he is going to pay close attention to this season. Has he spoken to you personally?
Goretzka: No, that’s not happened.
Question: If you keep playing like you did against Mainz, surely it is an inevitability?
Goretzka: It’s not my decision but I would be very happy.
Question: Was it hard work earning your first home win of the season?
Goretzka: Definitely. We could have started a lot better. I’ve not experienced many games before where we’ve been able to create so many goal scoring opportunities in the first 30 minutes. We have make sure we use our chances better going forward.
Question: How much better was the match with the support of the crowd?
Goretzka: It really is unique. It’s no secret that there’s a special atmosphere in our stadium, which was exactly the case today. Especially towards the end of the game when Mainz managed to create a couple of chances it was important to hear the support of the crowd. We always get spurred on by them.
Question: Draxler’s absence was not immediately noticeable today, with Max Meyer slotting in very effectively on the left wing. Do you think his departure will create opportunities for others?
Goretzka: The fact that Max and I started together is only possible because of Jule leaving. It’s been a long time since we were able to play together from the beginning. We were both very pleased, which I think was evident on the pitch.
Question: Your manager André Breitenreiter always protects his young players and is very careful in managing their development. Do you think this is a good policy?
Goretzka: Yes definitely. Although I have always said that despite being young, we have already played one or two seasons and gathered a lot of experience. It is always nice to have a helping hand along the way, but ultimately it’s up to us to prove that we are ready to play regularly for the first team.
Question: You have had your fair share of injuries in the past. Are you now able to push on and tie down a regular starting role?
Goretzka: Of course I want to start most games, that much is obvious. We have a lot of mid-week games coming up and will need all of the squad.
Question: On the topic of mid-week fixtures, you are facing Apoel Nicosia on Thursday – what do you think you can achieve in the Europa League?
Goretzka: We will see. It is always nice to have a break from the Bundesliga and play competitively in Europe. We will view every game as a real honour, and approach with the correct attitude.
