Maximilian Beier was also one of the jokers who enlivened the DFB team against Switzerland – and who is yearning for more appearances. He just didn’t get the penalty he was hoping for.
The seconds before the European Championship debut: Maximilian Beier receives final instructions on the standards from Julian Nagelsmann. Getty Images
Toni Kroos has already made 324 passes at this European Championship, Maximilian Beier has now made six. When he answered questions from the media in the mixed zone late on Sunday evening after his European Championship debut in the 1:1 draw against Switzerland, you got an idea of how each of them must have felt.
Beier found what had just happened “absolutely unbelievable” and the mood in the dressing room “crazy”. And of course he would have “laughed at” anyone who had predicted that he would play in the European Championships at home a year ago, something that no one should have worried about retrospectively because nobody would have dared to do so at the time anyway.
Beier’s most striking scene does not appear in any statistics
But at around 10:22 p.m. it happened. Beier, who was considered the first candidate to be cut from the provisional European Championship squad, but then recommended himself for more in his international debut against Ukraine (0:0), came on for Robert Andrich and fulfilled the national coach’s last-minute order in the remaining 25 minutes of the game: “Enjoy it, have fun,” Julian Nagelsmann told him when he was substituted, nothing more was needed: “I know my tasks. I was briefly explained where I should be for the set pieces.” And then it started.
One successful dribble, three tackles, eleven ball contacts, six passes: Beier’s stat sheet gives at best an idea of how he also contributed to revitalizing the German offensive game. His most striking action did not appear in any statistics: In the 70th minute, he was grabbed by Silvan Widmer in the box, but was not awarded the penalty that would actually have been in line with UEFA guidelines.
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He was “looking at the Germany side of things,” so he would “of course have liked to have seen him point to the spot. But if he doesn’t give the penalty and the VAR doesn’t intervene because it’s not a clear wrong decision… I can’t argue with the referee any more now, otherwise I’ll get a yellow card too. Just accept it.”
“I didn’t know what to do with myself”
They still managed to win the group because two other jokers, David Raum, who provided the cross, and Niclas Füllkrug, who scored the goal, did what they were supposed to. “I didn’t know what to do with myself, I just ran into the crowd,” said Beier, describing the seconds after the 1:1. So was he able to enjoy his debut as Nagelsmann had hoped? “Absolutely. It was unbelievable.”
He would therefore like to play a few more passes at this European Championship. “It would be stupid if I said no now,” he replied with a grin when asked about more appearances. “Yes, of course I want more!”
2024-06-24 14:02:43
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