It’s been a long time since a national team player made such a funny, open, and likable debut on the German Football Association’s press podium as youngster Assan Ouedraego. The 20-year-old had the crowd laughing repeatedly during the joint press conference with his Leipzig teammate David Raum in Winston-Salem.
For instance, when he recounted the phone call from national team coach Julian Nagelsmann that caught him while he was on vacation in Marbella. “I was lying on a lounge chair—just chilling with my friends. Then the call came. It went from zero to 180 in an instant. I ran around the corner so no one would hear me. Then he told me he’d like to add me to the squad. I was immediately incredibly happy,” Ouedraogo said—and added dryly: “Then he asked me if I was drunk? But I don’t drink anyway.”
