“Rotzig” is the word Florian Wirtz, the most expensive transfer in the history over Liverpool and the entirety of British football, has used to describe himself. In typical German fashion, there is no exact English translation. It’s somewhere between “cheeky” and “arrogant.” “Brazen”, if not almost “cocky.”
This sense of confidence with an edge perfectly captures Wirtz’s approach on and off the pitch. Whether it’s the type of pass he should deploy or the club he should join, he has always known what he wants.
Like countless children all over the globe, a young Florian was asked by his teacher to write down what he wanted to be when he grew up. Wirtz’s mum kept that scrap of paper and unfurled it on his 18th birthday. There was one word on it: “Fußballer.” Unlike almost every other daydreaming kid, Wirtz fulfilled that ambition.
Even when making difficult decisions during his dream career, the spindly playmaker has demonstrated an iron will. Liverpool’s move for Wirtz this summer seemingly materialised out of nothing, quashing the very public and confident pursuit from Bayern Munich because Wirtz—and his unique support system—bucked the trend of German talent getting sucked into the vortex of the perennial Bundesliga champions. Wirtz, it’s fair to say, has never been fazed by a bit of controversy.
