Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala and Bayer Leverkusen phenom Florian Wirtz were front-and-center, answering questions from the press — and of course, the topic of the duo one day being club teammates came up.
Wirtz dealt with the question the best he could.
“I think we both feel comfortable at our clubs at the moment. But we joked from time to time that we think it would be cool to play together at a club at some point. I would definitely be happy to spend more time with Jamal,” said Wirtz (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “Jamal is a very nice guy. I get on very well with him off the pitch, we can do a lot together. We get on well on the pitch too, I really enjoy playing with him. We are not allowed to do (just) what we want. The coach is happy about good actions, but there’s a plan that the team wants to carry out together. We are responsible for creating chances and scoring goals. We should make the right decisions at the right moments.”
Musiala said that he and Wirtz get along well off-the-pitch and that while the Bayer Leverkusen ace is the better table tennis player, Musiala holds the edge on the basketball court.
“Off the pitch, he can play table tennis well, but I have more qualities when it comes to basketball. On the pitch, we complement each other well and play well,” Musiala remarked.
Both players noted the importance of captain İlkay Gündoğan to the German national team.
“I get on quite well with Ilkay, he’s also the one I hang out with the most off the pitch. We have a really cool relationship, he’s an experienced player who gives us both structure. He has a lot of qualities and has won a lot of titles,” Musiala stated.
Wirtz echoed Musiala sentiments.
“He’s not our captain for nothing. He is a player with a lot of quality who can support us well with his experience. That’s why he is very important for the team,” said Wirtz.
Musiala then got into his development as a player for both club and country.
“Some players still call me Bambi. I don’t have a problem with that, it’s a cool nickname. But I thought I was growing out of it a bit. I’ve also made progress in terms of development, gained a bit of weight and so on. That’s my goal, to improve year after year,” Musiala said.
Musiala will be looking to put in a more productive showing at the EUROs than he did at the 2022 World Cup where he had trouble with this finishing. For Wirtz, the EUROs represent a second chance after he was forced to miss the 2022 due to injury.
“It was a serious setback that I was injured before the World Cup. But I agreed with the coaching staff that I would have to get 100% fit again. That’s why I’m now really looking forward to the game against Scotland,” said Wirtz.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on where the German national team stands ahead of its EURO 2024 opener against Scotland? Well, we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show, where we hit on the team’s form, Julian Nagelsmann’s potential starting lineup, and why fans are correct to be at least a little concerned. if you want to check it out, you can get it on Spotify or below: