SC Freiburg defender Matthias Ginter has spoken candidly about the disappointment of missing Germany's World Cup squad, revealing that Julian Nagelsmann informed him of the decision only hours after Freiburg lost the Europa League final. The 32-year-old entered the closing stages of last season producing arguably some of the best football of his career.
Ginter registered five goals and five assists during the Rückrunde and helped Freiburg embark upon an historic Europa League campaign that ultimately ended with a 3-0 final defeat to Aston Villa in Istanbul. Approximately twelve hours later came another setback. Nagelsmann informed Ginter that he would not be traveling to the World Cup.
"It was one big disappointment," Ginter told Kicker , explaining that the combination of the lost final and Germany omission represented one of the bitterest periods of his career.
The timing rendered processing either setback particularly difficult. Ginter still had club obligations, supporter events and family responsibilities after returning from Istanbul. Only when the World Cup actually began did the reality of watching from home fully sink in. It marked the first World Cup since 2010 that Ginter had followed purely as a spectator.
The disappointment was understandable given the strength of Ginter's performances during the months preceding Nagelsmann's decision. Ginter emerged as one of Freiburg's most influential players during the spring, shortly after making his 400th Bundesliga appearance. His European performances were particularly striking.
Get German Football Newsnamed Ginter Man of the Match despite Freiburg's 1-0 Europa League defeat away at Genk after an imposing defensive display in which the veteran contested 17 direct duels and continually attempted to drive his struggling team forward.One week later, Ginter helped completely reverse the tie.
The centre-back opened the scoring and assisted Igor Matanović as Freiburg demolished Genk 5-1 in the return leg. GGFNsubsequently documented both the comeback and Ginter's growing hopes of forcing his way back into Nagelsmann's national team
At that stage, Ginter confirmed that he remained in contact with the Bundestrainer and admitted being disappointed about another omission. Nagelsmann nevertheless indicated that nothing had been completely decided. Ginter could therefore still reasonably believe his World Cup prospects remained alive.
His case only strengthened. Following another commanding Europa League performance against Celta Vigo in April, German football legend Lothar Matthäus described Ginter's display as the "perfect game". GGFN examined the increasingly compelling case for a Germany recall after a performance in which Ginter dominated defensively, repeatedly progressed possession and even supplied an additional attacking presence when Freiburg required one.
Ginter now acknowledges that another international comeback has become increasingly unlikely. His most recent Germany appearance came three years ago, and he accepts that his age inevitably changes the calculation. By the time another major tournament arrives, the veteran Freiburg defender will be 34.
Ginter consequently described this summer as probably "the last realistic opportunity" for a proper national-team return. He nevertheless sees little point in formally announcing an international retirement after such a long absence. The Freiburg defender can instead look back upon nine years around the senior German national team, more than 50 caps, two international titles and an Olympic medal.
There remains, however, a trace of competitive instinct. Ginter admitted that his natural inclination remains to attempt one final push rather than simply declare the chapter closed. At the same time, the absence of constant national-team considerations has produced an unexpected sense of freedom.
For virtually Ginter's entire professional career, every season involved parallel objectives at club and international level. Selection, tournaments and Germany commitments always occupied part of his thinking. That pressure has now largely disappeared. Ginter described himself as feeling "very, very free" ahead of the new season.
That should not be confused with declining ambition. After more than 500 professional appearances, Ginter believes experience allows him to compensate for physical qualities that were never the defining features of his game. Ginter even insists that his personal expectation is to be a better footballer at 32 than he was at 26.
His next objective is therefore not defined by Germany selection. Instead, it concerns extending Freiburg's extraordinary recent trajectory after the pain of Istanbul. The national-team disappointment may still linger, particularly given how close Ginter appeared to forcing his way back into the picture.
But after spending years chasing parallel ambitions for Freiburg and Germany, the veteran defender enters the coming campaign with an unusually uncomplicated task. Play football, continue performing at the level that almost earned him a remarkable international comeback, and see where it leads.
