Angry Muller hits out at coach Low
GERMANY coach Joachim Low’s decision to end Thomas Muller’s international career has left the Bayern Munich midfielder “angry” and struggling to come to terms with the manner in which he received the news.
Low said on Tuesday that the 29-year-old Muller and his Bayern teammates, Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng, both 30, were no longer part of Germany’s plans as they look to move on from their group stage exit from last year’s World Cup.
The trio were part of the Germany squad that won the World Cup in 2014 and Muller said the sudden nature of the announcement had left a bitter taste.
“The more I think about it, the more the way it was done makes me angry,” Muller said in a video on Instagram. “The coach’s decision left me puzzled. A coach must make sporting decisions, I don’t 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.”
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge questioned the timing of the announcement in a joint statement with the club’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.
“The last Germany international was played on 19 November,” Rummenigge said. “We’re disappointed that the players and the public have been informed of this decision some three-and-a-half months later, before crucial games for Bayern.
“We were surprised this happened as part of an unannounced visit by Low and (team director) Oliver Bierhoff to Bayern.”
Defending champions Bayern, who are second in the Bundesliga behind Borussia Dortmund on goal difference, host Wolfsburg on Saturday before facing Liverpool in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie four days later. | MANCHESTER UNITED’S players are convinced caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the right man to be appointed permanent manager after he led the club to the Champions League quarter-finals with a memorable victory at Paris St Germain.
The Norwegian helped the Red Devils pull off one of the greatest comebacks in the competition’s history as his side sealed a dramatic 3-1 win in Paris to go through on away goals despite losing the first leg 2-0.
“I think it has been decided. I think he’s going to get it, he should be (the next manager),” United striker Romelu Lukaku told reporters.
“We won at Tottenham away, Chelsea away, then Arsenal in the FA Cup, now this game today. What else does he have to do? He wants to stay, the players want him to stay. We’re doing really well, we’re playing like Manchester United should play.”
Former club captain Gary Neville had earlier said United’s form under Solskjaer meant the Norwegian should get the permanent job this month.
Luke Shaw also pointed to United’s perfect away record under Solskjaer.
“We’ve had a couple of blips but that’s nine away matches (won in a row) now, they’re not easy games. It shows what sort of job Ole and his staff have done, long may that continue,” Shaw said. “I don’t think I need to say much after all these results, it looks certain (Solskjaer will get the job). We all love Ole and we love the job he’s done so far.” |