Thursday June 24th 2021
The Kings of Leon
Giant Goretzka breaks Hungary’s heart
By Stephan Uersfeld
Leon Goretzka was a footballer for a long time. Then he changes. It gets bigger and bigger than the game. But only because he has mastered the game can he be so great offside. The boy from Bochum saves Germany against Hungary. And cheer with heart. That’s not new.
When he was a Bloomberg reporter visited, Goretzka has developed a clear plan. “I would definitely not recommend that he start here,” says Konrad Goretzka. He has just driven his son to training at VfL Bochum. The Opel plant in Bochum is about to be shut down, and with it the city’s great car past between the Ruhr and the Autobahn. His son, Leon, was 17 years old at the time and about to join the first team in the second division. The Ruhr area giants Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 are courting him. Real Madrid too. In the end, Schalke wins. One of the last victories over BVB. “You can say with certainty that Dortmund were also interested, but I decided for Schalke and I believe that I did everything right,” said Goretzka.
In the next few years he will make his way. At Schalke, then at Bayern and also in the national team. He currently has 194 Bundesliga games, 44 European Cup games, 34 international matches and numerous titles with FC Bayern on his calling card. A great player already. But not just for what he does on the pitch. More on that in a moment.
Before the European Championship, he was plagued with injury concerns. It was not at all clear whether he would make it to the tournament and what role he could play there. He’s slowly working his way back, playing for a few minutes against Portugal and when Müller is out against Hungary, many are expecting him in the starting line-up. Does not happen. Leroy Sané starts. Not very successful. And even when İlkay Gündoğan weakens, it takes time. Löw needs someone like Goretzka who can run from box to box, not only knows the way to the goal, but also wants to go. Then he comes. Germany conceded the 1: 2 and is facing the end. The so charged game against the Hungarians.
Everywhere everyone is in a rainbow intoxication, except for the guest block, which continues to throw around wildly with insults. It’s full of Hungarian hooligans who are notorious for their hatred and not just right thoughts. And now only a few minutes before the victory in the Allianz Arena. Then comes Goretzka. He shoots from 14 meters, the ball is deflected and lands in the goal. He turns away to cheer with his teammates and makes up his mind.
One heart against hatred
Goretzka forms a heart. For the past day or two, everything has been overloaded. Germany in a rainbow intoxication. There was no question of progressing against Hungary. But in this game, which you can easily write an entire book about, you need that one moment of clarity. It is Jamal Musiala’s class that puts Goretzka in this position and it is his determination that makes him cheer now. Not quietly, but with this gesture that the black block of Hungary fans also understands. With this gesture that breaks the excitement of the past few days down to what counts in the end. Look here, he calls out to them, I’ve heard all of this and this is my sporty answer. And this: this is the heart that you lack. It is a gesture that Hungarians understand too. They turned up again with their combat troops, the “Carpathian Brigade”, and LGBTIQ-hostile double holders can be seen in the stadium. You know: it’s over. Your anger can almost take hold. But it bounces off Goretzka’s muscular body.
In the last few days there has been a lot of talk about the values of football that you now have to stand up for and now represent. The boy from Bochum, whose father worked at the plant for over 30 years, has been responsible for this for a long time. “I myself want to use the attention and reach that sporting success gives me to put topics on the agenda that need to be discussed. I see that as my job,” he told Deutsche Bahn magazine. The real types are always challenged at the regulars’ table. This means those who rebel, who break through established behavioral patterns and are therefore disruptive. And even if the Effenbergs and Baslers primarily mean themselves at the regulars’ table, Goretzka is one of those guys.
When national players İlkay Gündoğan and Leroy Sané were racially insulted by a group of German fans at the international match in Wolfsburg in March 2019, he said: “I am a child of the Ruhr area. When asked about the nationality of Schalke, Dortmund or Bochum. For us, integration is not an issue, but a matter of course. ” It was a shock for the Bayern professional back then, he says. He now lives this matter of course a little more openly. Real guy. Cool guy. Who lives his values and defends them against attacks. No matter where they come from. “If I am allowed to play for our country, I want to play for our values and constitution, not for a country that has not paid attention in history. Black, red and gold are the colors of our democracy, not the right,” he told the German Train. With his jubilation against Hungary, he has now also played for the colors of the LGBTIQ community. Konrad Goretzka doesn’t have to worry anymore.
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