Herbert Hainer doesn’t understand Hansi Flick omitting Leon Goretzka from Germany squad

Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka was one of Hansi Flick’s most notable omissions for the German national team squad for their upcoming friendlies against Japan and France during the international break. As far as the midfielders Flick did pick, he went with Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sané, Joshua Kimmich, Julian Brandt, Pascal Gross, Ilkay Gundogan, Jonas Hofmann, Florian Wirtz, and Kevin Schade. Thomas Müller has also replaced Niclas Füllkrug as the striker has pulled out of the camp due to an injury.

Even with Bayern’s addition of Konrad Laimer this summer, Thomas Tuchel has been starting Leon Goretzka in all of Bayern’s Bundesliga matches, which was a bit of a surprise due to the preference Tuchel had been showing through most of preseason to play Kimmich and Laimer alongside one another in midfield. When he had learned of his omission from Germany’s September squad, Goretzka took to social media to vent his disappointment at not being picked after a decent start to the season for Bayern. He vowed to keep doing his part for Bayern and asked for the continued support of the national team in the build to, and all through next summer’s European Championships.

You know how proud it makes me to play for Germany. I’m extremely disappointed with the surprising decision not to be there in September. The last few weeks in particular have felt really good again and I was really looking forward to making my contribution to the national team so that we can get back on the road to success as a team. You all have that, all of Germany deserves that! At the same time, I have to accept the coach’s decision and will continue to work hard every day to continue the good start to the season.

I wish us all two successful games and I’m happy if we all support the boys at the games together! At the latest for the EM in our country we need you all! Thank you for your support!

He’s not the only one that shares the sentiment, but Bayern president Herbert Hainer explained recently that he did not understand Hansi Flick’s decision to leave Goretzka out of Germany’s squad. He’s been a mainstay in the Die Mannschaft squad, but Hainer also believes that this will just turn into an incentive opportunity for Bayern’s midfielder, driving him to work twice as hard. “Leon Goretzka has always been part of the national team in recent years. I don’t understand Hansi Flick’s decision, but I’m sure that Leon will take it as an incentive and return to the national team,” Hainer explained.

The next chance to make the national team squad comes in October for Goretzka, an international break in which Germany will play friendlies against the United States and Mexico in North America. At the end of November, they are also scheduled to play a friendly against Austria in Vienna.