Footballers always like to say that competition stimulates business and boosts performance. With Serge Gnabry the opposite is obviously the case – Bayern and the national team benefit from this.
It is clear that Gnabry will also be on the pitch in the Sinsheim Arena on Friday evening at 8:45 p.m. (live on Erste and on sportschau.de) when the DFB team continues to work on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup against Luxembourg. Gnabry is currently employed by national coach Julian Nagelsmann, as well as this season by Bayern. There he became a mainstay in the record champions’ record start, collecting six goals in six games.
Freed from pressure
Neither Nagelsmann nor Gnabry himself deny that this is closely related to the departures of his long-time offensive colleagues Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sané and Thomas Müller. His game clearly invigorates the lack of competition. Nagelsmann explains it like this: “It really helps Serge that he no longer has to feel like he’s only needed for 20 minutes at the end. Or that there are two top players in his position outside and he’s constantly under pressure to provide goals and assists.”
You shouldn’t take this to mean that Gnabry can’t cope with such pressure or that he can’t assert himself against good players, Nagelsmann quickly adds: “But that means he plays more freely in general, he can work for the team for 90 minutes without scoring points and still know that he will be back in the next game. Feeling this trust just gives him a good and liberating feeling.”
Leadership role in the DFB team? But gladly!
Gnabry can still hear the national coach’s last one or two sentences live because he has to go on the podium right after Nagelsmann at the DFB press conference on “matchday minus one”. That this is a must for him has always been the impression in the past. The ex-Hoffenheimer is not a blatant entertainer. But this time his answers are surprisingly clear and almost seem like he needs them.
When asked about a leadership role in the national team, which he could take on based on his experience alone given his 53 appearances (23 goals, nine assists), he almost seems to have waited: “Absolutely,” he sees himself as having a responsibility, especially for his many young colleagues: “I experienced that back then through Sami (Khedira) or Mesut (Özil), I’m now passing that on and making sure the boys feel comfortable, that they’re doing well.”
Advice also to Florian Wirtz
He has also already sought a conversation with Florian Wirtz, who got off to a difficult start in Liverpool. “Of course I’m trying to help him. Flo shouldn’t doubt himself, we don’t doubt him either. He’s had a big change, it’ll take a hit.”
Wirtz may also have exactly the same problem in Liverpool that Gnabry doesn’t have at the moment. The ex-Leverkusen player sees what million-dollar stars are waiting for their appearances on the Reds bench and puts the pressure on himself to have to deliver. Gnabry admits: “Of course it helps not to have to constantly worry about whether you’ll be back in the next game. That’s why it’s perhaps good for Flo that he’s here with us in the national team now.”