Joachim Löw has said he is planning Germany’s future without the experienced Bayern Munich trio of Thomas Müller, Jérôme Boateng and Mats Hummels.
Löw told the players and their club on Tuesday as Germany prepare to kick off the year against Serbia on 20 March. “This is the year for our new beginning,” the manager said. “It was important for me that I could personally tell the players and the bosses at Bayern about my thoughts and plans.”
Löw thanked the trio for “many successful and outstanding years together” but the announcement will have shocked them. The manager has been under pressure to start a regeneration of the national team after going out of the group stage of the 2018 World Cup and finishing last in their Nations League group and thus being relegated.
The German FA president, Reinhard Grindel, backed Löw’s decision. “I welcome the fact he has taken this new start for the national team one step closer. The start of the Euro 2020 qualifiers is the right time to make these changes in personnel.”
Müller has made 100 appearances for Germany with Hummels capped 70 times and Boateng 74. All three were part of the squad who won the World Cup in 2014.
