Finally "do something with it": Sané gets a clear announcement from Bierhoff

Leroy Sané is once again experiencing bitter days with the German national soccer team: the highly talented professional plays little and if so, then weakly.

Finally "do something with it": Sané gets a clear announcement from Bierhoff

Leroy Sané is once again experiencing bitter days with the German national soccer team: the highly talented professional plays little and if so, then weakly. DFB director Bierhoff promises that the offensive players will be given every help, but the support is finite.

Oliver Bierhoff has taken on DFB problem child Leroy Sané after all the pats from national coach Hansi Flick. "It's not an easy situation for him. We're helping him, but of course he has to help himself. In the end, as a player, you have to fight your way out of it," said the manager of the national teams and academy after the 1-1 (1-1) in the Nations League in Hungary.

Sané was not used in Budapest. He came over five minutes later than all the other professionals to warm up before the game, only towards the end of the game was he allowed to stretch a bit, but he didn't seem particularly committed either. "You shouldn't overinterpret your body language, that's his way," said Bierhoff: "But it's important, he knows, that he has to perform despite this body language." At the start of the Nations League in Italy, the Munich player played from the start, but weakly. He came on as a substitute against England (1-1 each) and again failed to impress.

"Hansi is very communicative, is very constructive, always tries to win the players over," said Bierhoff about the internal handling of Sané: "But at some point you have to say, that's it now - and then a player has to do something make of it."

Flick himself, who always supported Sané on critical days during their time together at Bayern Munich, does not speak publicly about individual players. "Those who have known me for a long time know that I don't take anyone out here," Flick said after the extremely staid 1-1 draw against a newly assembled Italian team at the beginning of the Nations League round, after a rather disappointing 58 minutes of his offensive player had been addressed. Flick continues: "For me, the entire team is always responsible. And I don't take a single player out of it." The German national team will play against Italy again next Tuesday.