Leroy Sané made his debut in the starting lineup during the recent European Championship match against Denmark. For the 28-year-old, it has been a long and painful journey to reach this point.
The season with FC Bayern Munich was particularly challenging for Sané. He was repeatedly plagued by injuries that wouldn’t go away. Despite the pain, the 28-year-old pushed through, rarely training and dragging himself from game to game. Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel commented in the spring, “He (Sané) is someone who can tolerate pain incredibly well. […] He has a lot of minor injuries and is paying a bit of a price for overexertion.”
In response to a question from SPORT1, Sané confirmed during the DFB press conference on Tuesday, “I can’t say whether I would do it again. It depends on whether there’s a major tournament or an important match. I didn’t know if I would make it to the tournament. We had a relatively good chance to go far in the Champions League. That’s why I took the risk.”
LEROY SANÉ WINS THE RACE AGAINST TIME
Adding to his difficulties with the DFB was the red card against Austria, resulting in a two-match suspension. Despite not being nominated, Sané traveled to the DFB training camp in March to participate in team meetings and stay close to the squad.
His efforts were quickly rewarded upon his return. In the last friendly match before the European Championship against Greece, he showcased his skills: the native of Essen was substituted in when the team was down 0-1, invigorated the game, and quickly set up the equalizer.
This performance was a key reason he ultimately won the race against time, fulfilling his dream of playing in a home European Championship. His next big goal: the “Finale dahoam 2.0″—the 2025 Champions League final in Munich with FC Bayern. Sané now feels very comfortable in Munich, where he is under contract until the summer of 2025.