Germany and Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira said yesterday that football’s busy playing schedule was challenging its top professionals both physically and mentally. Khedira, preparing with the world champions for a match against minnows San Marino tonight, said he was happy to play for the German national team but the “extremely full” schedule of international matches was an issue that should be discussed.
After the San Marino match, the Germans travel to Milan to face Italy in a friendly international on Tuesday. Khedira spoke with journalists at training in Rimini, Italy who asked about comments by Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge that the frequent league breaks to accommodate international matches were “catastrophic”.
Players regularly complain about the competing pressures on their time created by the scheduling of national and club matches. “It’s an issue that there are many matches and that they need to be somehow scheduled – luckily I’m not an administrator,” Khedira said.
“I enjoy the games (with the national team) but I know the schedule is extremely full. Mentally and physically it’s hard to have to deliver every three days. It is an issue that we can discuss,” said the midfielder.
That did not blur his focus at training, however, even though Germany, World Cup winners in 2014, are ranked second in the world while San Marino is way back at the 201st spot in the global rankings. “It’s a qualifier and we’re taking it seriously. We are not here out of sheer fun,” he said. “But if we are here, we have to enjoy it and I do.”
Khedira has played 16 matches in all competitions so far this season, after another long campaign last season that ended with Germany’s Euro 2016 semi-final loss in July. Last season, he sustained more than half a dozen injuries that ruled him out of action for a total of almost five months.
Rummenigge, who often clashes with German FA officials over the scheduling of international matches, criticised the soccer calendar again last week. “I think the entire calendar is catastrophic because it creates constant breaks in club football,” he said.
“Every time we get some rhythm in the Bundesliga, there is a break. It is not about fewer games. I am not that naive but (world soccer’s governing body) FIFA would be wise to clean up the calendar.”
Ter Stegen, Gundogan to start for Germany
Marc-Andre ter Stegen will replace Germany captain Manuel Neuer for tonight’s 2018 World Cup qualifier at San Marino with Ilkay Gundogan to make his first international start for a year.
Barcelona’s goalkeeper Ter Stegen steps in with Neuer ruled out of the world champion’s qualifier against the tiny microstate because of a virus, and he will also sit out friendly against Italy in Milan.
Sami Khedira is expected to captain Germany against San Marino. Gundogan, who has been in impressive form for the Citizens, and Wolfsburg striker Mario Gomez will both start the qualifier, head coach Joachim Loew has confirmed.
“I believe Marc-Andre ter Stegen will play tomorrow and (Bayer Leverkusen’s) Bernd Leno will play against Italy,” said Loew. “Gundogan and Gomez will also start, as for the rest I have to see in training.”
Gundogan, who scored two goals in City’s recent stunning 3-1 Champions League win over Barcelona, has come off the bench in Germany’s last two qualifiers. A dislocated knee ruled him out of Euro 2016 and he will make his first start for die Mannschaft since the 2-1 win over Georgia in October 2015 which booked Germany’s place at the European championships in France.
A heavy win is expected for Germany in their final qualifier of 2016 having already won their first three games to sit top of Group C. The part-timers of San Marino are bottom of the table. Germany romped to a 13-0 win in 2006 at Serravalle’s Olympic Stadium, the same ground which will host Friday’s qualifier.
However, San Marino have not been beaten by more than four goals in any of their three games so far. They scored their first goal for 15 years in a World Cup qualifier in losing 4-1 to Norway in Oslo last month.
Loew says Germany’s aim is to get three more qualifying points, not break their record for a victory – a 16-0 win against Russia at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. “Those days are over,” said Loew. “You can see that San Marino in their last few games that they kept the score down for most of the matches. They have good players and our aim is not to set a goal record.”