Havertz released by Germany to avoid quarantine and not ‘endanger’ Chelsea deal

Club football and international football can often be at odds with each other, but in the case of Kai Havertz, we’re seeing some great early synergy between Germany and Chelsea — even as UEFA have insisted on holding these two rounds of Nations League games just prior to the start of the new season and with the coronavirus pandemic still going strong.

As confirmed by Bayer Leverkusen earlier today, Havertz had left the Germany squad after their 1-1 draw with Spain yesterday in order to complete his long-awaited Chelsea transfer. This has also been confirmed by Germany head coach Jogi Löw, who explained that they didn’t want to jeopardize this “huge” move. That’s why Havertz didn’t feature in the match against Spain and that’s why he’s not traveling with the team to Switzerland, for whom the UK has a two-week quarantine requirement at the moment.

“[We] didn’t want to take another risk that something could be endangered in this deal. There is the problem that if he has signed the contract and enters Switzerland, he may have to be in quarantine.”

Havertz, like most players, of course wanted to be involved and play for his national team, but he also wanted to set himself up for the best possible start to life at Chelsea.

“We knew that the last details would be clarified today and tomorrow with his contract with Chelsea. The player was a bit torn. On the one hand, he wanted to join the national team. On the other hand, he absolutely wants to take this step.

“Of course, we also know about the importance and magnitude [of the move]. That is of course a huge story.

-Joachim Löw; source: SportBuzzer via Google Translate

Germany team director Olivier Bierhoff confirmed that they are giving this situation their full care and attention and wanted to behave most “responsibly” to make sure things go as smoothly as possible.

“The future belongs to Kai, both at a club level and with the national team. Obviously we’d have preferred it if he was able to concentrate fully on the start of the international campaign, but we’re aware of the importance of the move for both Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Kai, so we want to deal with it responsibly.

“At the same time, it’s an honour and a big compliment for German football when young German players are in demand by top international clubs. The national team can also benefit from the experience these players gain abroad — both in terms of sport and personal development. We’ve been in constant communication with Rudi Völler in order to find a good solution together.”

-Olivier Bierhoff; source: DFB

Thanks, guys!