“Am I drunk?”
©IMAGO
It’s been a long time since a national player introduced himself to the press podium of the German Football Association as funny and open as youngster Assan Ouédraogo. The 20-year-old always caused laughter at the joint press conference with his Leipzig club colleague David Raum (28) in Winston-Salem.
For example, when he reported on the call from national coach Julian Nagelsmann that he received while on vacation in Marbella. “I was lying on the lounger – and was incredibly chilling with my boys. Then the call came. Then it went straight from zero to 180. I ran around the corner so that no one could hear me. Then he told me that he would like to nominate me. I was immediately incredibly happy,” said Ouédraogo – and added dryly: “Then he asked me if I was drunk? But I don’t drink either way.”
Ouédraogo quickly left Spain after Nagelsmann’s call, picked up his soccer shoes at home and then flew to North Carolina. He even arrived at the DFB headquarters one day before the rest of the DFB entourage: “It was definitely very boring in the huge area until the team arrived.”
Ouédraogo: Renominated for Lennart Karl by the DFB team
Ouédraogo replaced Bayern youngster Lennart Karl last Friday, who suffered a muscle injury in Chicago before the World Cup dress rehearsal against the USA. There was no exchange with the 18-year-old. “To be honest, we’ve never crossed paths before. We don’t really know each other. The one time he was with the U21s, I wasn’t there. And when I was there, he wasn’t there. Then he was here, I wasn’t there. I was here, he wasn’t there,” said the midfielder, who made his debut in the senior team in November 2025.
In the 6-0 World Cup qualifier against Slovakia in Leipzig, he promptly scored his first international goal after coming on late as a substitute. At the World Cup he now wants to use his strengths not only on the DFB podium, but if possible also on the pitch in the games. About his strengths, Ouedraogo said: “I would describe myself as unpredictable – freestyle. One of my strengths is dribbling.”
Raum praises left-back rival Brown: “Doing it very, very well”
Meanwhile, Raum faced questions about his role at the World Cup. On the left side of defense, Nathaniel Brown (22) from Eintracht Frankfurt was ahead in the last test matches, although the Leipzig player was a regular for most of the time in 2025. “A tournament like this is long. I talked to the coach and I accept my role – and when I come in, I give it my all. Even if I don’t start at the beginning, the team knows that they can rely on me,” said the left-back.
For Brown, who he described as a “very different type of player” than himself, he only had words of praise: “Nene is doing very, very well. He plays very offensively in Frankfurt and does it outstandingly. He played an outstanding season, even though Eintracht struggled. He fought his way into our game. I had physical problems recently, but I’m getting fitter now. We’re well-staffed in this position. If I don’t play, the team can rely on me. That’s why the coach has spoiled for choice.”