Germany Must Win Back Fans After World Cup Failures – Leon Goretzka

Germany midfielder Leon Goretzka has said the national team is determined to make amends for the disappointments of their last two FIFA World Cup campaigns and restore faith among supporters.

Naija News recalls that the four-time world champions crashed out at the group stage in both Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, a sequence of results that marked one of the bleakest periods in the country’s football history.

With Germany preparing for another shot at global glory, Goretzka admitted the squad is driven by a desire to repair their relationship with fans and re-establish the nation among football’s leading powers.

“Obviously, we want to put things right. The memories don’t really bother us anymore, but it’s true that the sense of euphoria and that togetherness with the fans perhaps aren’t quite there at the moment,” Goretzka told FIFA.com.

“They’ve lost faith in us a little, and we’d love to win them over again. That’s actually my biggest personal motivation, and the same goes for the whole team.

“You can and should always learn from your mistakes, but dwelling on them now won’t do us any good. We simply want to look ahead and take this opportunity in front of us. We know we have a good team.”

The midfielder’s comments come after Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann suggested his side should be viewed as outside contenders rather than favourites for the World Cup.

Goretzka acknowledged that Germany’s recent record does not justify placing the team among the tournament’s leading candidates, despite his preference for carrying that tag.

“Can I be honest? I’d rather we were favourites. I know that role well from my time at Bayern, and when you’re favourites, the chances are greater that you’ll pull it off,” added Goretzka.

“That said, it wouldn’t be right for us to regard ourselves as favourites for the World Cup after the last few years. The role we have now is certainly not a bad one, and the sooner we accept that, the more we can gain strength from it.”