March 7 – In a rare outburst of feelings that would normally be kept in-house, Germany’s World Cup winner Thomas Muller (pictured) says he is “puzzled” and “angry” by coach Joachim Low’s decision to discard him from the national squad as part of a rebuilding process.
Low has axed Muller and two other Bayern Munich stalwarts of the national team Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels, for what he claims will be a “new start for the German national team” in 2019.
The players were all part of Germany’s World Cup-winning squad in 2014.
“The more I think about it, the more the way it was done, makes me angry,” Muller said in a video posted on social media. “A coach must make sporting decisions, no problem, I do not have a problem with that. “But it’s mostly the character of the decision that I don’t understand. Mats, Jerome and I are still able to play at the highest level.
“The press releases of the German football federation and its president [Reinhard Grindel], prepared in advance, were from my point of view in bad taste and showed a lack of consideration.”
Muller has scored 38 goals in 100 appearances for his country, winning the World Cup golden boot in 2010.
Germany’s next match is a friendly against Serbia in Wolfsburg on 20 March before their first Euro 2020 qualifier against the Netherlands four days later.
Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said he, too, was “irritated” by the timing of Low’s announcement.
“We consider the timing and circumstances of the announcement, both to the players and public, as questionable,” said Rummenigge in a joint statement with sport director Hasan Salihamidzic. “The last international match of the German national team took place on 19 November 2018 – three and a half months ago.”
Löw, who was under pressure to apply a clearout after Germany went out in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup and finished last in their Nations League group, said it was important to make his intentions clear from the start of the new campaign.
“It was important for me that I could personally tell the players and the bosses at Bayern about my thoughts and plans,” he said
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