San Marino hit back at ‘arrogant’ Muller

SAN Marino have hit back at Thomas Muller and accused the German striker of arrogance and disrespect after he said playing the minnows has “nothing to do with professional football”.

Germany’s 8-0 rout on Friday night of San Marino saw Joachim Low’s men reinforce their grip at the top of their World Cup qualifying group with a five-point lead on Northern Ireland.

Afterwards Muller said that playing a “team of amateurs” in the “pouring rain” left Germany’s stars exposed to injury.

“This is nothing to do with professional football,” Muller (pictured, AFP) told German media. “Of course, it’s a highlight for San Marino to play the world champions. But these games, in such slippery condii tions, leave you exposed too unnecessary risks.”

That sparked an angr y response from the perennial al whipping boys, who are botttom of Group C with no pointsts after shipping 17 goals in four ur games.

San Marino coach Pierangelo o Manzaroli told Sport Mediaset: t: “When a small country like San n Marino play against the worldd champions Germany, a result lt like this can happen.

“The important thing is we should never lose respect. Peoople have to have self-control ol post-match. In this case, that didn’t happen.”

Alan Gasperoni, reportedly a San Marino press officer, went even further in his criticism and sent Muller an angry Facebook rant listing 10 reasons why Germany’s trip to San Marino was useful.

“Dear Thomas, you’re right. There’s no point in these games. To you,” he wrote in comments that went viral and were widely picked up in Italian a n d G e r - m a n media.

“Mo r e o v e r , dear Thomas, there’s no point in you coming to San Marino for a weekend that was free of Bundesliga football when you could have been snuggled up with your wife in your luxury villa. Or maybe get invited to a big sponsor’s event where you’d pocket thousands of euros.” His “10 reasons” included: “Your f e d e r a t i o n (and ours) p o c k - eted money from the sale of image rights with which, in addition to paying you for your trouble, help build facilities for the children of your count country, football schools and safer stadiums.”

Spe Speaking on Monday, the eve of Germany’s friendly with Italy i in Milan, Low stood up for Mulle Muller.

“In San Marino, they have a lot of very amateur players, so I didn’tdidn see anything disrespectful in t the comments by Thomas Mulle Muller,” Low said. “Players like him area used to playing in very comp competitive leagues; they’re used t to going up against fellow profe professionals.

“Fro “From our point of view there was always respect for San M Marino.”