Bayern Munich player Paul Wanner has had a very good year, figuring out a solid development plan and implementing it well enough that he now has found a loan to a Bundesliga club in Heidenheim. By all accounts, it seems that Wanner has a solid plan for his future at club level. But when it comes to the international scene, his future is a lot less set in stone. Wanner is able to represent both Austria and Germany and has represented Germany’s youth teams so far, but a decision remains far away.
Speaking to Sport Bild, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, Wanner had this to say about his international future: “As of today, I don’t know yet. The ÖFB [Austria’s governing body of football] tried very intensively, I had good conversations with coach Ralf Rangnick and his assistant Lars Kornetka. I really appreciate that.”
But Germany were much more hesitant. “The DFB are now trying very hard, but it took a little longer. Since Hannes Wolf has been responsible for me at the DFB, the contact has become much more, and there was also contact with Julian Nagelsmann.”
“It took a little longer.” It has become a real trend for Germany to not contact youngsters and try to convince them to represent Germany. The likes of Kenan Yildiz and Lazar Samardžić are perfect examples of this. Will the same thing happen with Wanner? And will this practice come back to haunt Germany? Time will tell…
Looking for some thoughts on Germany’s group stage performance, Bayern Munich’s wild start to the transfer season, and why the New World Order in the front office might not have a long-term plan at this stage? Good, then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show! You can get the podcast on Spotify or below: