Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz (18) tore his cruciate ligament and it came as a shock – not only for Bayer 04 but also for the national team.
BILD reached his father and advisor Hans Wirtz (68) on Monday afternoon.
BILD: Mr. Wirtz, how is your son?
Wirtz: “I have the feeling that he is more composed than I am. For me, the shock rigidity will last a few more days. I only saw the scene in the stadium, so far I haven’t been able to look at the TV pictures.”
Foto: Getty Images
” data-zoom-src=”https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/florian-wirtz- wird-vom-platz-tragen-65fee4784efc4817bffd0a3c6602a11a-79450120/Bild/7.bild.jpg”/> Florian Wirtz is carried off the pitchFoto: Getty Images
BILD: You and your wife Karin went straight down from the grandstand into the dressing room. What happened then?
Wirtz: “Of course there were a few tears. We as parents can only be there for him, especially my wife tried to comfort and calm him down. But there is no consolation in a moment like this. What made Florian and us very happy was the sympathy of his teammates, who were all worried about him. And you felt that it wasn’t played.”
BILD: How will Florian cope with this difficult situation?
Wirtz: “He will shed a tear at every game he misses. That’s normal too. He is still so young and loves this game. But Florian has matured a lot in the last year, he will also accept this situation professionally. Soon after the diagnosis, he was very understanding and looking ahead.”
BILD: Did you notice that the Cologne fans were cheering for the injury?
Wirtz: “No I have not. And you shouldn’t overdo it either. I forgive them. That’s the herd instinct in the fan block. I don’t think most fans were aware of the seriousness of the injury. Thomas Kessler from 1. FC Köln called me on Monday. I think that here in the region nobody wished something like that for Florian.”
BILD: Does your son see his participation in the World Cup in danger in winter?
Wirtz: “Of course the topic plays a role in his head. It was also a nice gesture from the national coach that he called Florian. Now the way is the goal. The rehabilitation is absolutely in the foreground.”