MY ACCOUNT
Leon Goretzka says he is “annoyed” by reports about unrest within the Bayern Munich squad which he claims are not true.
Bayern and head coach Julian Nagelsmann have come under pressure following three straight Bundesliga draws, but they maintained their winning start in the Champions League with a 2-0 victory over Barcelona on Tuesday.
There have been reports of friction within the Bayern squad towards Nagelsmann, with issues including rotation and game time.
Goretzka came off the bench at half-time and played a key role in Bayern’s win over Barcelona, with both goals coming in the second half. The appearance was only the 27-year-old midfielder’s fifth of the season in all competitions after missing six weeks late in pre-season following knee surgery.
Bild claimed this week that the Germany international, along with new Dutch addition Ryan Gravenberch, were unhappy with their playing time this season, with the former specifically irritated when he learned he was not starting against the Blaugrana.
The report claimed that Goretzka felt his training performances warranted a starting position but Nagelsmann preferred Marcel Sabitzer in midfield to offer defensive stability to allow Joshua Kimmich to be more offensive minded.
“I promised myself that I’d not say anything about it because my words might be interpreted in a different way,” Goretzka told reporters after Tuesday’s win. “I have no problem with the coach not starting me today.
“I was out for six weeks and it was clear that I wouldn’t play from the start. Sabi did a great job.
“These alleged problems in the dressing room are conveyed in a way that really annoys me. We get along really well in the team.”
Leroy Sane, who netted Bayern’s second goal in the 54th minute, threw a bottle in frustration after being substituted off in the 80th minute.
Sane embraced Nagelsmann along with teammates on the bench before throwing the bottle and going down the tunnel.
“I wasn’t angry about my substitution,” Sane explained.
“The bottle had to suffer a bit because I didn’t play a good game. The goal was nice, but I wasn’t entirely happy with my performance today.”
