By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Many footballers can tell a story about one particularly difficult game in their career. Most of them will most likely talk about a challenging episode when they had to return to their former club wearing the shirt of a rival team.
Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka is facing that tough type of game this weekend when returning to Schalke 04 as an employee of Bayern Munich. Schalke's supporters don't have a lot of time for the Bavarians, after seeing their best players end up there time and time again.
Most of the fan sentiment can be explained away by unrealistic fan expectations but footballers like Goretzka can't avoid having to go through this difficult fixture.
Goretzka played for Schalke for five years and joined the side coming from the second division. He developed into a top-class footballer and a German international in the Royal Blues shirt. For many of Schalke's fans, the 23-year-old was the promise securing future success. He was meant to help to win the first national league title since the Bundesliga's start in 1963.
But last summer Goretzka left and joined Bayern. He insisted on taking the next step in his career, but Schalke's fans felt betrayed by their former hero.
"Leon has a strong mind and will get along with the atmosphere," said Bayern coach Niko Kovac adding he would prefer to see "scenes we saw last Wednesday" when Benfica Lisbon fans cheered their former hero Renato Sanches as the Portugal midfielder returned to his hometown club with his new side.
According to Kovac, Goretzka will have to deal with an extraordinary amount of pressure.
Goretzka can't expect to be treated like his teammate Sanches. "It won't be like that," Goretzka said. During the last days, Goretzka tried to prepare for his special trip back to the Royal Blues and talked to Manuel Neuer. The German international and 2014 world champion once chose the same track when joining Bayern and had to face the fans' harsh reactions.
Gelsenkirchen-born Neuer played for Schalke for 11 years before joining Bayern Munich in 2011.
Neuer said he is looking forward to seeing if Schalke's fans can "catch up with the Benfica supporters" adding that he once made his "own experiences" some years ago.
"The hate you face just shows you how much they once loved and admired you," Neuer told Goretzka. The midfielder himself assumes Schalke's fans will be divided into two factions.
"Some will still be positive and wish me well. They understood that I left because I wanted to take the next step and gain further experience. The others have already shown their disapproval, and they will do so in this game," Goretzka emphasized.
Bayern coach Kovac seems convinced it does not help to hide when a problematic situation lies ahead. He already announced Goretzka will be in his starting eleven at kick-off.
