When Sabitzer switched to Bayern Munich for around 16 million euros at the end of August, he was certainly given advance praise. In the Munich star ensemble, however, the ÖFB team player has not yet really arrived. At the same time, Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn attested that the Styrian “didn’t have a long time to get used to it” when he was introduced.
After all, Sabitzer is very familiar with the philosophy of neo-coach Julian Nagelsmann. It was also the newcomer to the Bayern sideline who wanted his ex-player – and got it. Sabitzer had made Nagelsmann’s successor Jesse Marsch “already feel that he missed Julian,” said Leipzig’s managing director Oliver Mintzlaff recently to “Sky” as one of the reasons for Sabitzer’s departure.
For Sabitzer, who according to Bayern is currently not available for an interview, according to his own statements, “a childhood dream” came true. And Bayern saw themselves strengthened with a versatile midfielder who had already proven himself in the Bundesliga and Champions League. But the record so far will not satisfy the 58-time ÖFB team player, who played in Salzburg in 2014/15: Sabitzer has 20 games on his Bayern account, five of them in the starting XI (twice as a left-back).
Sabitzer with room for improvement
Just recently, Bayern’s former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge described Sabitzer to “Sky” as a “luxury transfer” that would not have “improved the squad” “as one might have imagined”. Even his advisor Roger Wittmann admitted there that “he has a lot of room for improvement”. Nagelsmann saw it similarly at the end of November when he assured the media: “There is much, much more to him than we currently see.”
At the beginning of February, the 34-year-old had warm words for Sabitzer. “He’s getting closer and closer now and is developing into a very good squad size, which is what we promised ourselves,” he said. Sabitzer could perhaps provide the proof at his former place of work in Wals-Siezenheim, because on Wednesday he will see his ex-employer Salzburg again in the round of 16 of the Champions League.
Matthew prophesies a difficult time for Sabitzer
In view of the top-class competition, Sabitzer’s situation is not surprising, according to German football legend Lothar Matthäus. “The midfield is basically that of the DFB-Elf.” In addition, Sabitzer is really only suitable for a central role: “He doesn’t have the speed for the outside,” said the German record team player.
Matthew is skeptical. “If everyone else is fit, he’s not a starting eleven player,” said the DFB record team player, recalling “that many who came to Bayern didn’t make it.” Matthew prophesied that Sabitzer would have a difficult time. “Most of the time he only got short assignments, then he might get tense and his team-mates don’t look for it as much as he did in Leipzig.”
