Bayern Munich striker Joshua Zirkzee was slammed by Bild for a “hapless and unmotivated” training performance and took to the Dutch media to clear his name.
Bayern Munich striker Joshua Zirkzee has been pretty opportunistic for the senior team this season. The 18-year-old has racked up three goals and one assist in six games across all competitions, even playing as a stand-in for Robert Lewandowski in a few games.
However, the Dutch youngster came under fire in an April issue of Bild, where he was criticized for looking “hapless and unmotivated” during Bayern Munich’s small-group training sessions.
Given the opportunity by De Telegraaf to clear his name, Zirkzee seized the moment once again. As captured by the website Football Oranje, Zirkzee took a swing at his critics and brushed off the notion that his “hapless and unmotivated” play was a consistent issue.
“I thought it was a bit too much, unnecessary,” said Zirkzee. “Everyone has a training in which they score less goals. Do I have to keep walking around with a happy face? On the one hand it motivates me even more. On the other hand I think: let it go. As long as trainers and fellow players believe in me. That is the most important thing, I will continue to work for that.”
Now that Zirkzee has officially refuted the Bild report, he can re-focus his efforts to preparing for Bayern Munich’s upcoming match against Union Berlin on Sunday.
