Matthäus was interviewed by Bild and other German media, discussing Klopp's coaching of the German national team, squad composition, the Ballon d'Or race, and the current status of several players. This is the second part of the article.

Since we have a FIFA Best Men's Player here, let's briefly touch on the Ballon d'Or.

Former FIFA Best Men's Player.

Former FIFA Best Men's Player.

I think that award should last forever, shouldn't it?

Yes, forever. So, what's your take on the current Ballon d'Or race? I feel like it's never been this way before, where practically every player with a chance keeps voicing their opinion and campaigning for themselves.

As far as I know, only two players have really engaged in this kind of "campaigning": Yamal and Mbappé.

As for Kane, I haven't heard him say anything. Olise himself doesn't like to talk much. So there haven't been any rumours coming from him.

Rodri is smart enough—he's already won it once. From that perspective, he's very calm about it. Right now, only two players are seeking a bit more attention.

Both players have a chance and have performed well. For Mbappé, I think something is missing. He hasn't won any trophies in the last 12 months. Yamal won two trophies, but it hasn't been his best season. Especially during his time at Barcelona, he's also dealt with some injury problems.

So at the moment, I'd somewhat "campaign" for Kane. Both Kane and Olise have plenty to talk about: trophies, outstanding performances, plenty of goals, and high entertainment value. Most importantly, their image off the pitch is also very clean.

You just mentioned Olise. His performances on the pitch are truly enjoyable—I think there's no debate about that. But off the pitch, I feel he could be more media-savvy in some respects. Now we're seeing him at Oktoberfest for the second weekend in a row: a hat on his head, and the wrong colour, with his hair covering his face. So our patience with this is slowly wearing thin.

But we don't want to change the player. I think he's fine as he is. Why should he talk?

If he doesn't want to talk himself, just because we want him to? Because it would put him in the headlines?

He doesn't want that—it's not his personality. Some people, like me, will stand in front of a camera and talk. Didi also talked more back then.

As for Olise, what he enjoys most is going somewhere that makes him comfortable after a match. His comfort zone might not be microphones and cameras, but his home environment. I don't see a problem with that at all.

Similarly, even though he's now wearing a blue hat, and people in Munich think that's the wrong colour, it doesn't matter. I don't think there's an issue here. We also have blue microphones and red microphones here. Everything is integrated.

Some teams are now playing in the fourth division, which is a bit difficult for me as a Munich football fan. But they'll also find their way and develop again. Maybe it just takes time.

If he wore a red hat, because that's Bayern Munich's colour, no one would complain. But I hope he stays as he is.

If he can play the way he does now, then he can wear whatever he wants. He can also skip any interview. Because for me, his entertainment value on the pitch is far more important than his interviews.

Didi just mentioned that Wirtz at Liverpool seems almost "out of place". What's your view? After a less-than-ideal start to the season, how much pressure is he under now? Also, Didi brought up the idea again: maybe he should consider moving to Bayern Munich—perhaps the environment there would suit him better. What do you think?

Didi has his opinion. And to a certain extent, there's some truth to it. Wirtz's performances at Liverpool over the last 15 months haven't reached the level he had at Leverkusen. Everyone has seen this, including Didi. And Didi knows the Premier League better than I do—he watches Premier League matches regularly.

I know that at the weekend, the Bundesliga and Premier League are his main focus. We all know what Wirtz is capable of.

He needs to realize his potential. Of course, he no longer has the same environment at Liverpool as before, or teammates who will constantly pass to him and help him out. Now he needs to get through this situation. I believe that if he can overcome it, he'll show his level again. He'll become a key player like he was at Leverkusen.

Should Hönneß call him again?

You could try. But at Bayern Munich, I don't know what position he could be an undisputed starter in right now.

Of course, his abilities are good enough to be a starter. But the question is, can he improve the team?

On the left there's Diaz, on the right there's Olise, and in the middle there's Musiala, who's rediscovering his best form. So at the moment, I don't actually see Bayern needing a new player.

We still have Gnabry—Bayern has many great players in attack. I think, especially in attacking positions, Bayern doesn't need new players.

And for Wirtz, I think this is a challenge for him now. He needs to face the problems he's experiencing and prove himself in England.

That's how he can grow. Now he needs to show his strength, demonstrate his resilience. And at the same time, prove to those criticizing him that he still has what it takes.

I think this is a big challenge he's facing, and the best time to start is on Tuesday.

However, he won't be able to play because he's in the second group.

Yes, in the two Nations League matches—at home against Serbia and in Thessaloniki against Greece. That's where he can prove to German fans, especially to German fans, that he still has the abilities we so admired in the past.

Is Ter Stegen the right number-one goalkeeper for Germany? Did Klopp make the right decision?

For me, yes. Simply because of his abilities. If he's now healthy and getting playing time, then in my opinion, he's clearly Germany's number-one goalkeeper.

So, what about Ulreich's situation now? If a player isn't the clear number-one at his own club, is it difficult for him to be number one for the German national team?

Yes, Klopp likes to experiment. He's called up many new players.

Of course, Ulreich has a disadvantage: he's not the number-one goalkeeper at his own club. However, there's still time for him to become number one.

Right now, there may be other goalkeepers ahead of him, because they are starters at their respective clubs.

I think, unfortunately, Ulreich probably won't get as much playing time as last year, unless Manuel Neuer gets injured—but no one wants to see that happen.

Last year, he certainly benefited from Neuer's injury. On the other hand, I think Manuel Neuer ultimately wants to play as much as possible in his final season. Of course, this will affect Ulreich's opportunities.

But after that, he'll become Bayern Munich's number-one goalkeeper. And any German player who becomes Bayern Munich's number-one goalkeeper will undoubtedly have a long-term opportunity to become Germany's number-one goalkeeper.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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