Leroy Sané congratulates Schalke 04 on revival and speaks on potential return | OneFootball

German national team veteran Leroy Sané had a chance to catch up with the pinnacle of German footballing journalism recently. In a major interview with Kicker, Sané spoke on all the expected topics. Answers as to what it felt like to depart the Bundesliga and Bayern Munich, as well as his continued absence from the German national team, were fairly safe and prosaic. 

Matters got a bit interesting when Sané was asked to comment on the current fortunes of his former academy side FC Schalke 04. An away defeat against Karlsruher SC this weekend unfortunately meant that Schalke were unable to maintain their place at the top of the 2. Bundesliga table. Sané nevertheless found the Gelsenkirchen club’s general revival under the new managerial regime of Frank Baumann.

“It’s looking pretty good at the moment,” Sané told Kicker. “We all know that Schalke belongs in the first division. What the fans are doing there, even in the second division, is very special. They’re doing very well. it’s become a community again. The coach [Miron Muslic] is doing a good job. He comes across as cool. I’ve seen a few videos on social media. I’m really happy about that.

“Maybe I play for Schalke again, who knows?” Sané said when reflecting on a potential return to the Bundesliga. “That would be exciting. It was pretty funny how Leon [Goretzka] and I would run onto the pitch with Bayern every time we played Schalke and look at each other and say, ‘It was always really cool here.’

“It was always a great feeling to be able to play football in that stadium [the 62,000 seat Veltins Arena] in front of those fans,” Sané continued. “I think that would be a great story, but I still have a little time. I’m just only turning 30!”

GGFN | Peter Weis