Berlin: World Cup winners Lukas Podolski, Per Mertesacker andSami Khedira will be among the guests when former Germany coach Joachim Loew enjoys an official farewell at the World Cup qualifier with Liechtenstein next month.
Part of the guest list for the November 11 event was revealed by fellow 2014 champion Benedikt Hoewedes, who will also be at the game in Wolfsburg in his new role as a liaison between the German Football Federation (DFB) and the national team.
“A part of the national team family are coming together – players,coaches and support staff who have accompanied him over the years and mean a lot to him, who have become world champions together with him.Lukas Podolski, for example, Per Mertesacker, Sami Khedira, to name just three,” Hoewedes told the DFB website.
Long-time Germany goalkeeping coach Andreas Koepke will also say goodbye at the event.
Loew, 61, coached Germany between 2006 and this year’s Euro tournament, and was assistant coach 2004-2006. The 2014 World Cupt riumph topped a highly successful first half of his reign but results in major championships then badly fell away.
“Hoewedes said he would like to see “a full stadium and a worthy backdrop for one of the most successful national coaches we’ve ever had.”
The farewell was originally scheduled for the September internationals but was postponed at Loew’s request so new coach Hansi Flick could settle into the job. Germany have already qualified for the 2022 World Cup, winning all five games under Flick so far.
He will nominate his next squad on November 5. — dpa
