Wagner treating Germany players like idiots: Loew
MUNICH: Germany coach Joachim Loew has hit out at Sandro Wagner after the striker opted to retire from international football.
Wagner announced he would no longer be available for the World Cup holders after he was among the notable absentees from Loew’s preliminary 27-man squad for Russia. “For me, it is clear that I don’t seem to fit with the coaching team with my way - always open, honest and direct to address things,” Wagner had said.
Loew suggested Wagner has been too hasty. “I find his reaction a bit exaggerated, he told Bild.
“Everyone who knows us knows how we always encourage players to speak out, to be open and honest, to be critical. These things are very important to us.
“He says that others do not open their mouths. What should Jerome (Boateng), Mats (Hummels) think? That’s totally nasty.
“I feel that the criticism of Wagner is criticism directed at his team-mates. He acts as if some players who have been playing for us forever and are leading players are complete idiots. As if they were only in the team because they don’t say their opinion.” The man who Diego Maradona described as his ‘best-ever rival’ has played the most World Cup games, having been part of the German side in all editions from 1982-98. He was captain of the West Germany side that won in 1990. Matthaeus is widely considered one of the best players in the ‘sweeper’ position, even though he played mostly as a midfielder in his prime. He also holds the record for most international apperances for Germany with 150 caps and is the only German to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award. The Polish-born German striker was never hugely prolific at club level but seemed to find another gear in the World Cup. The highest scorer in the history of the tournament with 16 goals, Klose is also the top scorer for his country. Germany never ended on the losing side when he scored. He scored in all editions from 2002 till 2014, even winning the Golden Boot in 2006. Klose is now part of Germany’s support staff and coach Joachim Loew will hope he can pass on a few tricks to the current batch. The man nicknamed Il Capitano never won a tournament with Italy but his World Cup career is still enviable. He made his World Cup debut at home in 1990, under the management of his father Cesare, where Italy eventually finished third. He was appointed Italy skipper after the 1994 edition and led the side till 2002. His ability to play centre-back or left-back meant Maldini never really missed a game. He is the third-most capped player for Italy behind Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon. Although he never won the trophy, Seeler scored nine goals across four editions (1958-1970) and was the first player to score at least two goals in four consecutive editions (Miroslav Klose was the second). Seeler played the 1966 final where West Germany lost 3-4 to England in extra time. As fate would have it, his first World Cup appearance came four years after Germany won their maiden World Cup (1954) and his last appearance was in 1970, four years before Germany again won the World Cup. El Diego’s World Cup career spanned four editions (1982-1994) during which Argentina won in 1986 and finished second in 1990. Maradona was most sublime in 1986 when his infamous ‘Hand of God’ and a strike that was voted ‘Goal of the Century’ (in 2002) took place against England. He almost won the Cup for Argentina in 1990 but a tactical Germany denied him that glory. Maradona’s World Cup career however ended on a sour note in 1994 when he was sent home after two games for failing a drugs test.