Constant since the winter break
Matthijs de Ligt established himself in the center of defense at FC Bayern in 2023, in the Bundesliga the 23-year-old was in five of six games in coach Julian Nagelsmann’s starting XI. For the Dutchman, who is still the third most valuable central defender in the world, the personally “very disappointing” World Cup in Qatar was a kind of wake-up call.
The 23-year-old defender was only used sporadically after playing in the first game of the “Elftal” tournament. This situation “shook him up”, said de Ligt in an interview with the media group “Münchner Merkur/tz”. “I had to change something, try something new. In my opinion, it cannot be the claim of someone with my qualities not to be a regular player at a World Cup,” said the right-footed player, who switched from Juventus Turin to Munich for around 67 million euros last summer. Since the winter break, he has been one of the most consistent players at the record champions.
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He analyzed his situation after the World Cup and thought about what could make him better. “I recovered well for two weeks, so that I can start training again in the last week of vacation.” He also pays more attention to his diet. “I feel more explosive and better in my body than before. That helps me on the pitch: If you’re fit, you’re a little faster – in the game with and without the ball,” said de Ligt before the top game in the league this Sunday against Union Berlin (from 5:30 p.m. in TM -Live ticker).
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During the tournament in Qatar, de Ligt said otherwise when asked about his reserve role: “To be honest, I played more than I expected at this World Cup. I expected not to play. I’m fine,” The Athletic quoted him as saying in early December. From his point of view, lack of fitness is not the reason for his short playing times, emphasized de Ligt at the time: “No, it’s just the way I play. Maybe the coach doesn’t use me and that’s fine with me. I expected that. So for me it’s fine.”
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