Bayer captain puts the brakes on euphoria
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While the discussion has broken out among experts and fans as to whether the top talents Lennart Karl (17) and Said El Mala (19) absolutely have to go to the World Cup next summer with the national team, an established DFB player is putting the brakes on the euphoria. “Basically, you have to say that you shouldn’t – let’s put it that way – fall into the trap of just looking at the extremely large number of young, talented players who are currently coming along,” warned Robert Andrich (31). “Sky” interview.
The Leverkusen captain added: “I think people are currently talking a lot about these four or five boys, although we also have players with Flo (Florian Wirtz; editor) and Jamal (Musiala) who are a bit more experienced. You shouldn’t make the mistake of just focusing on that. It’s very good that we have all these guys, that may not have been the case in such abundance in recent years. But beyond that, we also have players who have already gained certain experience “I think it’s the mix that matters in the end and we’ll have a good balance.”
Andrich was not taken into account by national coach Julian Nagelsmann in November for the final two games of the World Cup qualification. For the first time since his first nomination in October 2023, the flexible defensive player missed a call-up to the DFB team, for which he has made 19 international appearances so far. But he still sees good chances for a World Cup ticket.
“The basic principle must of course be that you play – and play well. Everything else is then no longer in your hands. Of course, the position also plays a role somewhere. Accordingly, I can only influence the things that I have in my own hands: playing a lot, being fit, staying fit and performing well. Everything else can only be decided by the national coach,” said Andrich.
He can score points with his versatility. “I’m actually not the type of person who makes any demands or says: I have to play right there now and I don’t care about anything else. I just want to help the team and make the team better with my qualities, no matter what position. Accordingly, it doesn’t matter whether I play left-back, central defender, right central defender or even striker,” emphasized Andrich.
