Wednesday, April 7th, 2021
How’s it going at … Volland?
Germany’s best striker is left out
By Heiko Lütkehus
Kevin Volland has not regretted his decision against the Bundesliga and for Monaco. The currently best German goalscorer in Europe’s top leagues can even dream of the championship. The EM, however, should take place without Volland – also because he is not good as a DFB savior.
This is how Kevin Volland is known: When the 28-year-old was staged in the home game of AS Monaco against FC Metz with a 1-0 half-left in the penalty area last Saturday, he did not hesitate and knocked the ball past the guest keeper the meshes.
His 14th goal of the season meant the preliminary decision in a previously close duel, which only tipped over in favor of the Monegasque after the break. The ultimately clear 4-0 success allowed the team of ex-Bayern coach Niko Kovac to move up to third place in the table, the Champions League beckons, and even the title still seems feasible with only four points behind Primus OSC Lille.
Volland’s share of the soaring Monaco is large: the attacker, who came from Bayer Leverkusen last summer for eleven million euros, has so far collected a strong 22 scorer points. His excellent goal rate (14 goals in 29 games) makes him currently the most dangerous German offensive player in the top leagues, ahead of stars like İlkay Gündoğan (12 goals), Thomas Müller (10), Serge Gnabry (9), Timo Werner (5 ) and Leroy Sané (4). No wonder that the calls for Volland to return to the national team are getting louder and louder.
DFB team lacks other types of players
For more than four years, national coach Joachim Löw has ignored the tech-savvy left foot, who ran a total of ten times with the eagle on his chest by the end of 2016. Even the obvious need for strikers in German football has not changed his opinion.
However, the DFB coach, who is leaving after the European Championship, has to be given that Volland’s profile does not actually correspond to that of the desperately wanted final player. As in Leverkusen, the 28-year-old can be found almost everywhere in Monaco, even as a nominal tip he acts rather withdrawn to take part in the combination game. With strike partner Wissam Ben Yedder, he keeps swapping positions, so both are hard to believe.
On the other hand, Volland is not suitable for wall players with physical presence and headball strength. However, Löw needs one much more urgently than another connection player between the lines.
The former Hoffenheimer still believes in his comeback chance. “It was a few years ago my last international match. I think that in the last few years I have personally played at the top level for myself and have consistently delivered,” emphasized Volland in an interview with “Sky”.
Kovac wanted to bring Volland to Bayern
He received support from club coach Kovac. “For me, the way he plays football makes him a player for the national team. Kevin is the only typical German center forward. As was Miroslav Klose,” said the Croat at “Sport1”. Volland is “not too old either, on the contrary. At 28, he is in the prime age to be able to play the European Championship for Germany this year,” said the coach: “I have always valued him, he is a great person and players. “
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That’s why Kovac wanted to bring him to Munich during his time at Bayern. The change failed because of the higher fee at the time and the role that Volland was supposed to play as a backup for Robert Lewandowski. Volland recently confirmed to France Football that the record champions had a premonition: “There was contact with my agent, but I never had a specific conversation with Bayern management.”
Volland left it open whether he would have withstood the Bavarian calls, if they had become more serious: “Would I have gone where I had an important role in Leverkusen? I don’t know.” Volland now feels needed in Monaco. “It was very important for me to know that the whole club wants me,” said the native of Allgäu, explaining his move.
From today’s perspective, he should be happy to have dared to take the step abroad. Previously, RB Leipzig is said to have rejected a commitment from Volland for reasons of age. This is reported by “Bild”. It was only in the principality that he was accorded the same esteem that Joachim Löw and many others had recently denied him. Kevin Volland now looks happy – even without a national team.
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