Last season, Jonathan "Jonny" Burkardt was FSV Mainz 05's top scorer in the Bundesliga with eleven goals. However, the captain of the U21 national team is still goalless this season. That's not the only reason why the 22-year-old wrote off the football World Cup in Qatar in winter.

Jonathan Burkardt was one of the Bundesliga promoters last year. Although the U21 national player played 29 games for FSV Mainz 05 in the 2020/21 season, last season the native of Darmstadt was the top scorer for Mainz with eleven goals. That's why national coach Hansi Flick called the 22-year-old in November last year and gave Burkardt hopes for the senior national team.

But currently the U21 European champions of 2021 seem a long way from appearing at the World Cup in Qatar. Not only is the attacker goalless in the Bundesliga so far, but contact with the national coach has also broken off. "There was recently no contact with national coach Hansi Flick. So I think that the U21 national team is still on my agenda," explains Burkardt in the picture.

While things are not going according to plan for Burkardt himself, his team has made a great start to the season. Coach Bo Svensson's team took ten points from the first five games. "It definitely feels good. But how we played is more important than the points and the place in the table. The fact that we've attacked higher again in Gladbach, as we imagine it to be. Still, it's for some dreams , where this start could possibly lead, way too early in the season."

The attacker has been goalless since April. However, the U21 national team captain is not worried. "I'm just putting pressure on myself to perform again here in Mainz, to help the team and to be successful. I don't look back far, I'm just judging this season. I was injured at the beginning, but I'm back on a good note Away. I don't care about the goal situation in itself - I care about my performance. I wasn't satisfied against Leverkusen. But now in Gladbach I think I played well again. I can build on that," Burkardt looks positively the near future.

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This article was originally published on 90min.com/de as Jonny Burkardt writes off the World Cup in Qatar.