Jonathan Fischer, from Danish supply teacher to Metz goalkeeper, still learning his trade | OneFootball

Jonathan Fischer, Metz’s Danish goalkeeper, is balancing a steep Ligue 1 learning curve with a lifelong appetite for study as the club sit bottom and goals fly in.

According to L'Équipe, the 24-year-old arrived in the summer from Fredrikstad for €3m on a four-year deal. Standing 1.98m and 90kg, he once grew almost 30 cm in a year, a spurt that left visible marks on his back.

Raised at AB Copenhagen, he turned professional at 21 in 2022 with Hobro and stayed for a year and a half before moving to Norway, then to Metz. Before going pro, he trained from 17-19 while working 8-15 as a supply teacher for children aged seven to 15, covering maths, sciences, Danish, English, German, history and religions.

Now taking French classes with team-mates Giorgi Tsitaichvili and Giorgi Abuachvili under a teacher named Olivier, he warms to a playful approach to learning. On the pitch there is less joy, with Metz owning the division’s worst defence and Fischer conceding 30 of their 34 goals, though he tries to stay upbeat despite post-defeat frustration.

Head coach Stéphane Le Mignan sees a diligent, curious keeper with strong distribution who has yet to be decisive enough, his average rating at 5/10, and perhaps needing a hint of audacity. Goalkeeper coach Christophe Marichez urges him to step outside the comfort zone, while Fischer rejects the idea that keepers must be “crazy”, blaming perception from the stands.

Fischer says he must improve in the air, in positioning and anticipation, and is struck by Marichez’s daily standards, even learning English to help him. Away from football he unwinds with his Icelandic partner Hekla, an artist who sketches landmarks such as Metz Cathedral, and he dreams of edging towards the levels of Peter Schmeichel and Manuer Neuer.

Source: L'Équipe