Football was waiting for something like this… (Opinion by Jorge Barraza, Último tango)

Knees are usually a relentless executioner in football, they have ruined or diminished hundreds of promising careers. Aside from those two dark points, everything that promises Florian Wirtz It is luminous, a sun that covers the entire world map of the ball.

He is, without a doubt, the greatest recent appearance in world football in terms of talent, a German in the South American style: clean and forward dribble, masterful deep pass, intelligence, offensive vocation, winning mentality, magnificent right-footed shot, the map of the court in the head… All varnished with high technical condition. He is the perfect Bayer pill.

What similarity does he have with Haaland or Mbappé…? None, these are power footballers, exclusively linked to goals. For a start, Wirtz He is a classic 10, he plays and makes people play. He is not big, just 1.76 tall and 70 kilos. And he is all quality, creativity. It would be like comparing Batistuta with Zidane.

For there to be a goal, the goal situation must first be created. That's what he takes care of Wirtz. And it also converts. His numbers speak well: 17 goals and 18 assists so far this season. However, he gave many more magical passes. It happens that the pass-goal is valued if the finisher gets it right. It is the case of Messimust have put two thousand heads-up in his career, but his teammates converted only 20 percent, and that is what is finally awarded to the assistant.

One hundred and twenty years he waited Bayer Leverkusen to be champion of Germany. It was just now, with the stellar emergence of this 20-year-old boy. It is not coincidental. Whenever a great star emerges, transcendent things happen in the clubs. There is the work of Xabi Alonso, a masterpiece, the notable contribution of the entire team, and the differential share of Florian Wirtz.

One hundred and twenty years and the day so dreamed of was better in reality than in the dream: Bayer won 5 to 0 and Wirtz he made a hat trick. The title acquires the label of milestone because it has broken 11 consecutive consecrations of the Bayern Munich. And the slowdown of the Bavarian giant has a lot to do with Wirtz. Everything has to do with him. It appears and boom… something transcendent happens.

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Footballers are like fingerprints: no two are alike. Yes they have reminiscences. There is in it something of George Best, his daring, the little boy-faced genie who will do you harm; the movements and liveliness of Platinum, even a great physical resemblance. And if we return to the homeland, a few drops of Littbarski. But nothing to do with the German legends that preceded it. Not even with Beckenbauer nor with Gerd Müller nor with Rummenigge. It's another mold. Florian Wirtz It is the product of going out to play in the square after having watched TV. She saw those outside. The genes entered through his eyes.

“There are good players and there are 'pretty' players, who do spectacular things, but not necessarily efficient,” he says. Xabi Alonsothe architect of Bayer feeling of Europe. Why is Messi so good? Because he knows how and when to play with simple passes. Messi says: 'Are you in a better position? Here's the ball!' It's not always about making the brightest move, but rather the best and smartest one.

Florian can do that. That's why he is so good,” explained the Basque. And he concluded: “Florian is a gift for me as a coach. He is a different player from the rest.” The curious thing is that, after taking over at Bayer, Alonso had to wait several months to “getting to know” the young wonder in football, since he was in rehabilitation after undergoing surgery, but as soon as he was healthy he made room for him.

“Now, after the injury, I enjoy training more, playing with the ball, possession football… I feel very good, in shape. I love receiving and accelerating and, if I can score goals, much better” , declared the already idol of the BayArena. Despite the introverted nature of him, he was the most acclaimed at the celebration of the Bundesliga by the fans, who nickname him 'Fußballgott' (God of football). When he scored his third goal that day, the crowd forgot that he was German and invaded the field. Hundreds came over to him wanting to hug him. Florian was not afraid, he knew it was an avalanche of affection.

Transfermarkt he raised his price at 110 million euros. And it will increase again shortly. They are golden stocks. But that is the anti-romantic side of this story. Poetic is the meteoric and beautiful career of this little boy (the term is never quite right).

At 17 years and 15 days he made his debut in the First Division. And two weeks after that he scored his first goal, no less than at Bayern Munich and with Neuer in the arch. That's how he does everything. A few days ago they gave him ownership in the Germany team and after 7 seconds he scored a colossal goal against France. The fastest goal in history with the white shirt. Step and leave a mark. And he could have been earlier in everything if the damn injuries weren't involved.

Despite being the local, Germany He was third in the betting to win the Euro Cup next July. With Wirtz becomes a favorite. Although he had been giving away wonders for two years before and Hansi Flick had it in mind, he could not be there.he World Cup
in Qatar 2022 because of that damn torn ligament in his left leg that kept him between doctors and kinesiologists for 9 months. He didn't lose anything, on the contrary, he was saved from the German mess: they were eliminated in the first phase.

There is already a list of clubs interested in the jewel, the first of them the Bayern Munich, the feared white shark that absorbs schools of new figures. All. One comes out and gulp, it's from Bayern. His father and representative, Hans-Joachim Wirtz, He hinted that, “for the moment, everything is designed for Florian to continue playing in Leverkusen the next season”.

However, he will be able to endure it for another year, not two. The pharmaceutical giant Bayer He is one hundred percent owner of the club, although he does not make his financial power weigh on the progress of the institution, he allows it to be managed with its own resources.

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Someone must have lost their position in the Cologne, the enemy of the neighborhood. Wirtz played there, in the neighboring club, but in January 2020 they went to look for him from Leverkusen and they let him go. It is a discovery of Simon Rolfes, current sports director of the “aspirins”, in one of the many grassroots football matches he watched during his two sabbatical years.

“I'm happy with many signings,” he confessed, although this one was the highlight: “It's a special case. I discovered it when I was 13. When I returned to the club, the first thing I did was ask when my contract with Cologne ended. They told me that in 2020 and it became my priority. Having brought him in for free is incredible. He has taken the club to another level,” Rolfes said. Wirtz was 16 years old. Four months later he appeared in professional football. The rest is told here.

Mbappe He has been waiting for nine seasons to receive the Golden Ball, He always lacked something to crown him. It may reach ten. Yeah Wirtz wins the treble (Bundesliga, German Cup, Europa League), he will be a serious candidate. And he has the Euro Cup left to prove. The universal audience will discover it there. Mbappé also has the same possibilities, but he should hurry up…
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Last tango
JORGE BARRAZA
For the time
@JorgeBarrazaOK