Leroy Sane was on the verge of signing a contract at Bayern Munich. Then, Pep Guardiola called him. In our exclusive Interview, Sane talks about Guardiola, his rise and his goals with Manchester City.

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WELT AM SONNTAG: Leroy, how would you describe your life at the moment?

Leroy Sané: In footballing terms, everything is working out really well. I‘m happy. The players and the coaches are a perfect match. You can see that on the pitch. Winning the player of the month-award was a great honour, too. I consider it to be a recognition of my work and my development. I feel I have arrived in Manchester.

WELT AM SONNTAG: And in private life, too?

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Sané: Yes. During the first seven months I lived in a hotel. It‘s really hard to find an apartment here. In 2017, I moved in an apartment in the city centre. I really like it. I live in the same building as Ilkay.

WELT AM SONNTAG: Ilkay Gündogan, your German teammate?

Sané: Exactly. I sometimes just take the elevator and arrive in front of his apartment. We chill together or go out for dinner with other teammates.

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WELT AM SONNTAG: Do you live by yourself?

Sané: Yes, but my family visits me nearly every match. Especially at the beginning, when my mother often came to visit me in Manchester. It really helped me to settle in.

Lesen Sie auch Leroy Sané „Pep hat mein gesamtes Spiel verändert“

Quelle: Ibrahim Naber

WELT AM SONNTAG: How do you like Manchester?

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Sané: I can get everything I need here. I can go shopping, I can go out with friends in the evening and the people are very relaxed. That's different to life in Germany where people on the street sometimes run straight towards you. Britons are very respectful – if they want to take a photo, they ask politely. Everything is a little bit quieter here.

WELT AM SONNTAG: Do you like it that way?

Sané: It depends on the situation. I‘m not against photos. But perhaps not during eating.

WELT AM SONNTAG: Do you miss your old home, the German Ruhrpott region?

Sané: What do I miss about Ruhrpott? I sometimes miss the language, but mostly I miss the people. When I have time, I sometimes fly home and visit my old friends. That's good for me.

WELT AM SONNTAG: In the beginning, you had some difficulties in Manchester. You were a substitute player. Is it true that you are a bit of a sloppy genius?

Sané: A sloppy genius? No, why?

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WELT AM SONNTAG: Pep Guardiola said at the beginning of the season that you didn‘t deserve to start because of your training performance.

Sané: Pep always demands that we perform with 100 percent and that we really concentrate. Maybe I was lacking some of this at the beginning. I had to prove myself to Pep. After several months I managed to turn things around.

Quelle: Getty Images/Getty Images Europe

WELT AM SONNTAG: Do you need this pressure to play at your best level?

Sané: Every once in a while it's good for me. I like to be under pressure, especially in the big games. But I‘m always motivated. I always want to play, I always want to have fun.

WELT AM SONNTAG: Your development at Man City has been remarkable. You became a starter and an English newspaper called you "a sensation“. What impact has Pep Guardiola had on all of this?

Sané: He changed my whole play. In Germany, my focus was mainly on dribbling. Now, Pep pays close attention to every detail in my play: the way I move, which open spaces I run in, how I work defensively, how I position myself defensively. All this helped me to find open spaces for my teammates, and put myself in a better position on the pitch. Pep has raised me to a whole new level.

WELT AM SONNTAG: Does Guardiola ask you to come to his office and talk about tactics?

Sané: The trainers sometimes come up to me and show me videos of my mistakes. And Pep especially tries to make every player better. He often shows me the skills of players he has trained in the past. For example, he asked me to have a detailed look at how Messi manages one-on-one-situations, and how he moves.

Quelle: Getty Images/Getty Images Europe

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WELT AM SONNTAG: Are you on a level with Messi and Neymar, yet?

Sané: No, I'm still far from being on their level. In the whole world, only a few players are: Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar and Hazard are on a level no one else can currently compete with. The achievements of Özil and Cavani are incredible, too. I'm not that far yet. To be able to play with freedom, I mainly need fun. I don't think and I don't set specific goals for a game. I just let things happen. If I clear my mind, everything else just happens.

WELT AM SONNTAG: Maybe that‘s the reason for your difficulties in the beginning: your mind wasn‘t clear.

Sané: The change from Bundesliga to Premier League isn‘t easy. The football over here is faster and tougher. Of course, I had respect for the big teams, the big names and the new language. The team and the trainers gave me time, they said: " We believe in you, Leroy!“ Now, my mind is clear.

WELT AM SONNTAG: Your father said in a current Interview, that you would play for Bayern Munich now if Guardiola had stayed at the German club. Is that true?

Sané: Very possible, yes. When Pep called me and told me that he wants me on his team, I instantly knew: 'I want to join him'. I had followed his time at Barcelona and at Bayern, and I played with Schalke against him. I recognised that he makes every player better. I also talked to Joshua Kimmich about Guardiola during this time. He also advised me: 'Leroy, if Guardiola calls you and tells you that he wants you on his team, do it'. Of course, Man City is one of the best clubs in the world. I knew that something big was happening here. I wanted to be a part of it.

Quelle: AFP/Getty Images

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WELT AM SONNTAG: It is said that the bosses at Bayern Munich are still annoyed about your rejection.

Sané: I appreciate that Bayern always wants to have the best German talents. But I was more attracted by the foreign country and by the chance to play in a team with the best trainer in the world.

WELT AM SONNTAG: Do think you might return to Bundesliga one day?

Sané: Of course, it would be interesting to play again there one day.

WELT AM SONNTAG: For which team? Only FC Bayern would be in line for you, I guess.

Sané: I could imagine a return to Schalke at the end of my career. This will maybe be my only option, to return to the place where everything started. Schalke is a great club with great supporters and a very special atmosphere. I will never forget my time there.

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Quelle: Getty Images/Getty Images Europe

WELT AM SONNTAG: What do you think you can achieve with Manchester City this season?

Sané: We can play such a great season. If we continue to play on this level, I think we can win everything: Premier League, FA Cup and the Champions League.

WELT AM SONNTAG: Two years ago, your father said in an interview that you haven't achieved anything yet in your career so far'

Sané (laughing): I still haven‘t won a title, yet. So my father is still right.