Last year’s World cup qualifiers saw football giants out of the game early than they were expected which send mixed reactions across football enthusiasts and the national team coach does not want a repeat of the same in the future.
Germany boss Joachim Loew, his assistant Marcus Sorg and national team general manager Oliver Bierhoff travelled to Munich to close the chapter on the international careers of three World Cup winners.
Ahead of the Euro 2020 qualifiers later this month, Loew told Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller that he is planning for the future without them.
The Bayern trio, who boast 246 caps between them, have effectively been dumped by their country.
“I thank Mats, Jerome and Thomas for the many successful, extraordinary and unique years together,” said Loew. “This is the year for our new beginning. It was important for me that I could personally tell the players and the bosses at Bayern about my thoughts and plans for the new year.”
“It’s time to set the course for the future in the national team, we want to give the team a new face, and I’m convinced that this is the right move.”
“The youngsters coming through will have the room they need to grow. Now it’s up to them to take on responsibility.”
Germany struggled badly a the World Cup last year, being dumped out of the group stage having arrived in Russia as defending champions.Hummels and Boateng came in for a host of criticism for how Die Mannschaft defended during the tournament, while Muller was ineffective throughout.
Loew increasingly sought to blood younger players during the second half of 2018, notably in UEFA Nations League matches, with more minutes offered to those who had starred in the 2017 Confederations Cup – which was effectively a Germany B side.
Hummels continued to feature in the Nations League as a starter, but both Boateng and Muller had only bit-part roles.Germany were relegated from League A, having finished bottom of Group 1, alongside France and Netherlands.
Loew added: “2019 is the year of the new start for the German national football team, and we want to continue the upheaval that we initiated at the end of last year.”
Oliver Bierhoff, confirming that the management structure had effectively retired the trio, said: “Thomas, Mats and Jerome have achieved great things for German football so far and will continue to do so in their club and I still feel very connected to them.
“I’m grateful for their time together in the national team.”We now want to make it clear that this is a new beginning for the squad.”
DFB president Reinhard Grindel backed Loew’s decision, stating: “I appreciate that Joachim wants to carry on changing the shape of the national side.
“Making personnel changes at the start of the qualifying phase for EURO 2020 is the right time.”
Germany face old rivals Holland in their next competitive match, in Amsterdam, on March 24.