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Tearful Schweinsteiger ends Germany career with win
BERLIN: Bastian Schweinsteiger let the tears flow on Wednesday as Germany’s captain made his final appearance for die Mannschaft in their 2-0 friendly win at home
BERLIN: Bastian Schweinsteiger let the tears flow on Wednesday as Germany’s captain made his final appearance for die Mannschaft in their 2-0 friendly win at home to Finland.
Schalke’s Max Meyer and Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil scored Germany’s second-half goals, but the night belonged to Schweinsteiger, who played the first 66 minutes in Moenchengladbach on his 121st — and final — international appearance.
“I think you all saw how it effected me. I had just wanted to enjoy every moment, but I hadn’t expected it to be so lovely,” admitted Schweinsteiger who was carried off after the final whistle by his teammates.
Twelve years since his debut, the 32-year-old announced his retirement at the start of August, but head coach Joachim Loew gave the Manchester United midfielder the chance to skipper his country one last time.
Even before kick-off, with German FA (DFB) president Reinhard Grindel heaping praise on the departing captain during a pre-match presentation, Schweinsteiger struggled to hold back the tears.
He gave up, sobbing openly when the 30, 121-strong crowd, which just over half-filled Borussia Park Stadium, gave him a standing ovation.
“I didn’t think that would happen,” Schweinsteiger admitted, referring to his tears, when handed a microphone.
“Thank you for coming, it means a lot to me. It was a huge honour for me to play for Germany and I just want to say ‘thank you’ for everything.”
This was Schweinsteiger’s first match of the season, having been banished to United’s reserves by new coach Jose Mourinho earlier this month, but he has insisted he will not give up on his ‘dream’ to play for the Red Devils.
NEUER NAMED NEW GERMANY CAPTAIN
BERLIN: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was on Thursday named as the new captain of world champions Germany following Bastian Schweinsteiger’s international retirement.
“For me it is a great honour,” said Neuer after the German Football Association (DFB) announced his appointment on their website.
“It makes me proud to be captain of the team, but we all know that we need several players to lead on the pitch, if we are to succeed.
The key things are already always discussed within ‘die Mannschaft’ and decided together. Of course, the captaincy has great symbolic significance. I am very pleased with the trust the coach has shown in me in this appointment.”
Having made his international debut in 2009, in a 7-2 win against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai, Neuer has kept 25 clean-sheets in 71 of his Germany appearances.
