Completely exhausted, Serge Gnabry collapsed into one of the white bench seats with a bottle of water after intense training in the Tokyo heat.
In the 90 minutes that Thomas Tuchel had his players toil on the lawn of the Olympic Stadium on the eve of the second test match on FC Bayern Munich’s Asia trip on Saturday (12.00 p.m. / DAZN) against Kawasaki Frontale, the bleached Gnabry in the muscle shirt had the Japanese Impressed fans with his powerful actions.
The national soccer player should get an additional boost in the pre-season after his last up-and-down season from a remarkable mega-praise from his coach. Together, Tuchel and Gnabry appeared at the press conference before training. And without being asked, the coach raised a hymn to the offensive player, who at times was even considered a candidate for sale. “Serge has everything you need to build a successful team. Not only in terms of his (football) quality, which he undoubtedly has, but also as a person, as a character,” said Tuchel.
“All you need”
Gnabry was characterized by incredible diligence, modesty and team spirit. “He feels like training every day and is always ready to give everything for the team. That’s why Serge really has everything you need if you want to build a team at the very highest level. Then as a coach you can be very happy when Serge is in the team,” added Tuchel. Those were astonishing and surprising words from the coach’s mouth, especially in contrast to the many critical comments by Tuchel; recently about actors like Leon Goretzka or Sadio Mané.
Gnabry had previously been asked about many rumors about him. And the 28-year-old replied that he saw his future with the record champions. “No one has come yet, so I’m still relaxed. I feel very comfortable at Bayern. I signed a new contract last year, so there are no discussions at the moment.” And these are superfluous after Tuchel’s appreciation.
Contract until 2026
Gnabry’s contract runs until 2026. In the final sprint to the eleventh championship title in a row, he scored several important goals and also polished his image and standing with the Munich bosses. In the summer he was also busy on vacation in Japan. Gnabry even trained in Tokyo with Saturday’s opponent Kwasaki Frontale. “That helped me a lot,” he said when he returned to the metropolis with FC Bayern.
Fashion friend Gnabry has become a Japan fan. He wanted to get to know the country’s culture, “and the fashion and the food,” as he said: “I had a very cool time here. I really liked Tokyo, I’ll definitely be back.”
As in the 1: 2 against Manchester City, winger Gnabry will probably have to act in the center of attack again for lack of alternatives against Kawasaki. Because the wait for Harry Kane goes on. Even if there should be new million-dollar negotiations between Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern on the 30th birthday of the desired striker.
Kim before debut
Another million-man should appear against Kawasaki Frontale for the first time for Bavaria, as announced by Tuchel. The South Korean Min-Jae Kim, who came from the Italian champions SSC Napoli for 50 million euros, will play one half. “We’re looking forward to his debut. Hopefully that will give him a boost,” said Tuchel about the 26-year-old.
The defensive giant and successor to Lucas Hernández completed intensive training after his military service and will form a defensive bulwark together with Dutchman Matthjis de Ligt in the future. In Tokyo, Tuchel incorporates “jet lag, insomnia and the type of heat” into his training. But it is noticeable how intensively he lets Gnabry, Kim and Co. work on the marketing trip. “You also have to be strict, demand things and be consistent when it’s necessary. And if we want to achieve our absolute maximum as a group,” explained Tuchel.
