Germany coach Joachim Löw has named Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller in his squad for the first time for the upcoming friendlies against Italy and England. The 33-year-old will compete with FC Bayern Munich Manuel Neuer and René Adler of Hamburger SV for a place between the posts.
“Manuel Neuer is still our No1 and we know we can rely on Rene Adler and the younger goalkeepers like Ron-Robert Zieler and Marc- André ter Stegen,” said Löw. “However, we’ve been monitoring Roman Weidenfeller for some time now and his consistently good performances for Borussia Dortmund both in the Bundesliga and the Champions League haven’t gone unnoticed. We’re looking forward to having him here and getting to know him better.”
Low explained that his team for next year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil is far from set in stone: “We don’t need to make any decisions with regard to the goalkeepers or indeed any other positions just yet. The squad for the tournament will be named in May 2014. Until then, we’re glad to have the opportunity to test out any tactics or players we can. Competition for places is only going to get tougher over the next few months.”
Löw: "Schweinsteiger essential"
The 53-year-old has named a 24-man squad for the final two international fixtures of the calendar year against Italy in Milan (15 November, 20:45 CET) and England at Wembley (19 November, 21:00 CET).
Bayern midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger will miss both games as he undergoes surgery on his troublesome right ankle, though Löw is unconcerned about the Germany centurion’s fitness: “I hope Bastian comes away from the operation free of any complaints. I’m sure he’ll rediscover his best form for both Bayern Munich and the national team. He’s essential for us, especially looking ahead to the World Cup in Brazil.”
Klose and Schmelzer return
Returning to the squad, meanwhile, is Miroslav Klose, who was absent for the qualifying matches against the Republic of Ireland and Sweden in October following a foot operation. “It’s good for us that Miro’s back,” said Löw. “He’s an asset to any squad.”
Dortmund defender Marcel Schmelzer also makes his comeback after sitting out the last two internationals with a thigh tear, though Lukas Podolski (Arsenal), Mario Gomez (ACF Fiorentina) and Ilkay Gündogan (Dortmund) remain unavailable.
Low: Milestone in Milan
The match against Italy will be a particularly special one for Löw as he celebrates 100 games in charge of die Nationalmannschaft. Germany have won 68 of their 99 matches since he took the helm, drawing 16 and losing 15. On average the team has gained 2.2 points per game under Löw, giving the former SC Freiburg midfielder a better record than any of his predecessors.
“Far more important than the milestone itself is the fact that I’m still enjoying the job and carrying it out with just as much energy and motivation as I was when I began against Sweden over seven years ago,” said the Bundestrainer.
“This milestone does however present me with an opportunity to thank people for all their trust and support over the past few years, particularly DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach, Hansi Flick, Andreas Köpke, Oliver Bierhoff and Urs Siegenthaler, as well as all the players and staff. We’ve still got some major objectives we hope to achieve together and it’s great that we can continue our work as a group.“
Low: "Wembley is legendary"
Löw believes that Friday’s hosts Italy “are absolutely world-class tactically – they’ve always performed at a very high level. The Italians are both clever and efficient and we wanted to play against them because we can only develop if we compete with strong opponents.”
The international fixture calendar for 2013 then comes to a close on 19 November with a classic duel against England at Wembley, a match arranged as part of the English FA’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
“Wembley is legendary,” said Löw. “Playing there is a great experience for any player. It’s the kind of atmosphere we can expect to encounter in Brazil and any game against our English friends is always exciting. It will be an emotional end to an eventful year, in which we’ve qualified for the World Cup and we’re looking forward to the coming weeks and months and to getting stuck in to our planning for Brazil.”
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Germany coach Joachim Löw has named Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller in his squad for the first time for the upcoming friendlies against Italy and England. The 33-year-old will compete with FC Bayern Munich Manuel Neuer and René Adler of Hamburger SV for a place between the posts.
“Manuel Neuer is still our No1 and we know we can rely on Rene Adler and the younger goalkeepers like Ron-Robert Zieler and Marc- André ter Stegen,” said Löw. “However, we’ve been monitoring Roman Weidenfeller for some time now and his consistently good performances for Borussia Dortmund both in the Bundesliga and the Champions League haven’t gone unnoticed. We’re looking forward to having him here and getting to know him better.”
Low explained that his team for next year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil is far from set in stone: “We don’t need to make any decisions with regard to the goalkeepers or indeed any other positions just yet. The squad for the tournament will be named in May 2014. Until then, we’re glad to have the opportunity to test out any tactics or players we can. Competition for places is only going to get tougher over the next few months.”
Löw: "Schweinsteiger essential"
The 53-year-old has named a 24-man squad for the final two international fixtures of the calendar year against Italy in Milan (15 November, 20:45 CET) and England at Wembley (19 November, 21:00 CET).
Bayern midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger will miss both games as he undergoes surgery on his troublesome right ankle, though Löw is unconcerned about the Germany centurion’s fitness: “I hope Bastian comes away from the operation free of any complaints. I’m sure he’ll rediscover his best form for both Bayern Munich and the national team. He’s essential for us, especially looking ahead to the World Cup in Brazil.”
Klose and Schmelzer return
Returning to the squad, meanwhile, is Miroslav Klose, who was absent for the qualifying matches against the Republic of Ireland and Sweden in October following a foot operation. “It’s good for us that Miro’s back,” said Löw. “He’s an asset to any squad.”
Dortmund defender Marcel Schmelzer also makes his comeback after sitting out the last two internationals with a thigh tear, though Lukas Podolski (Arsenal), Mario Gomez (ACF Fiorentina) and Ilkay Gündogan (Dortmund) remain unavailable.
Low: Milestone in Milan
The match against Italy will be a particularly special one for Löw as he celebrates 100 games in charge of die Nationalmannschaft. Germany have won 68 of their 99 matches since he took the helm, drawing 16 and losing 15. On average the team has gained 2.2 points per game under Löw, giving the former SC Freiburg midfielder a better record than any of his predecessors.
“Far more important than the milestone itself is the fact that I’m still enjoying the job and carrying it out with just as much energy and motivation as I was when I began against Sweden over seven years ago,” said the Bundestrainer.
“This milestone does however present me with an opportunity to thank people for all their trust and support over the past few years, particularly DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach, Hansi Flick, Andreas Köpke, Oliver Bierhoff and Urs Siegenthaler, as well as all the players and staff. We’ve still got some major objectives we hope to achieve together and it’s great that we can continue our work as a group.“
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Low: "Wembley is legendary"
Löw believes that Friday’s hosts Italy “are absolutely world-class tactically – they’ve always performed at a very high level. The Italians are both clever and efficient and we wanted to play against them because we can only develop if we compete with strong opponents.”
The international fixture calendar for 2013 then comes to a close on 19 November with a classic duel against England at Wembley, a match arranged as part of the English FA’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
“Wembley is legendary,” said Löw. “Playing there is a great experience for any player. It’s the kind of atmosphere we can expect to encounter in Brazil and any game against our English friends is always exciting. It will be an emotional end to an eventful year, in which we’ve qualified for the World Cup and we’re looking forward to the coming weeks and months and to getting stuck in to our planning for Brazil.”
