The ÖFB keeper probably won’t get to hold on to too many balls in the Football Nations League against Kazakhstan, but it’s still important to keep the focus. Pentz relies on a trick: chewing gum, as the Salzburg native told us on Tuesday at the national team camp in Vienna.
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“I’ve found that it helps me. It’s a good activity to keep you focused,” Pentz said. The Bröndby professional needs two pieces of chewing gum per half; a Danish brand is preferred.
“Everyone expects you to keep a clean sheet”
For Pentz, games like the one in Kazakhstan are “the most difficult games because everyone expects you to keep a clean sheet. But a ball can still get through again and again.” Then it’s important to be wide awake. “That’s Manuel Neuer’s art, for example, having little to do and then making a great save in the 80th minute,” explained the 27-year-old.
Pentz is still considered ÖFB’s first goalie, but this status could be shaken, after all Alexander Schlager is back in action at Red Bull Salzburg. “That’s great because it’s good for Austrian football.” Pentz did not want to describe the current situation as a classic competition. “It’s different than in a club, more of a togetherness. We just make sure we have a good time and win games. Then it doesn’t matter who plays.”
Denmark legionnaire wants to keep Stammleiberl
The Denmark legionnaire also made it clear that he absolutely wanted to keep his regular body. “I’m not going to sit here and say it’s nice on the bench in Kazakhstan.” In the 4-0 win against Kazakhstan in Linz in October, Schlager was in goal, and three days later in the 5-1 win against Norway, Pentz was again the goalkeeper.
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Image: GEPA pictures/Armin Rauthner
Source: Nachrichten
