"How out of touch are you actually?" - Journalist slams Arsenal star Kai Havertz for his comments about 'a lack of support' from German fans
BILD journalist Alfred Draxler has slammed Germany and Arsenal star Kai Havertz for his comments about the lack of support from German fans.
Die Mannschaft lost 4-1 against Japan in a friendly at the Volkswagen Arena on Saturday, September 9. Ahead of the game, Havertz, in a press conference, spoke about a lack of support for the team. He said that compared to other teams, Germany had less support at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Arsenal star said (via Sport Bible):
“Anyone should have noticed when looking back at the World Cup that we didn’t have that much support in the country. We were really on our own."
He added:
"When you saw what other nations had for fans and support, I think that was something we were missing a bit. As the saying goes, the fans are the twelfth man and provide support even in bad times. We didn’t always feel it 100 percent.”
Draxler, though, has hit back at Havertz, slamming his and Germany's performance and saying that the forward is 'out of touch'. He wrote:
"All you can say is: Is it still okay, Mr. Havertz? How out of touch are you actually? Have you ever spoken to a fan? Have you asked him why he is currently very critical of your performance?"
He also told Havertz the price of tickets for Germany's upcoming friendly against France at the Signal Iduna Park on September 12:
"Do you actually know how much a ticket for the game against France on Tuesday in Dortmund costs? I bet you don't know. I'm telling you: between 25 and 100 euros. If a family wants to watch an international match, it's really, really expensive."
Germany were eliminated in the group stage at the World Cup and have now lost their last three games.
Kai Havertz's poor start to the season with Germany and Arsenal
The German forward moved to Arsenal from London rivals Chelsea in a £65 million move in the summer but has failed to justify his price tag.
Havertz has been unable to provide a goal contribution in five games across competitions for Arsenal. He has largely played as a midfielder under Mikel Arteta alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, but his performances have drawn criticism from fans and pundits.
Havertz also failed to make an impact for Germany in their 4-1 loss against Japan on Saturday while playing as a forward. He won just three of his eight duels, completed 50% of his dribble attempts and created one chance .
He will next feature for Germany against France on Tuesday before facing Everton with Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday (September 17).