The Germany national team are in crisis according to Guardian reporter David Hytner.
Arsenal star Mesut Ozil is reported to be in a group dubbed the ‘Bling-bling gang’ in the Sport Bild. Sami Khedira, Jerome Boateng and Julian Draxler are also reportedly members.
In the other major group in the national team squad is the Bavarians who are made up of Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Thomas Müller and Toni Kroos.
The ‘Bling-bling gang’ are reportedly upset the Bavarians did not do more to influence Germany boss Joachim Low over calling Leroy Sane to the squad.
The Guardian article claims the following:
“Löw and Germany are in crisis. It has gripped with indecent haste and invited scrutiny of the squad, which has been unforgiving. According to Sport Bild, there are factions within it and they have dubbed one of them the “Bling-bling gang” which comprises Özil, Sami Khedira, Jérôme Boateng and Julian Draxler. The other one is the Bavarian group of Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Thomas Müller and Toni Kroos.
“According to reports, the Bling-blingers felt the Bavarians could have done more to lobby Löw over the inclusion of Leroy Sané, who was surprisingly omitted from the squad. Löw’s reason was mainly tactical; Sané would have been behind Draxler and Marco Reus in the pecking order and might have played for only 20 minutes here or there.”
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Ozil started in the shock 1-0 defeat against Mexico on Match Day 1 and was heavily criticised in the German media.
Several former Germany national team players including Lohar Matthaus, Stefen Effenberg and Mario Basler slammed his performance.
“He’s over-rated as a footballer. I have to say it over and over again – he has the body language of a dead frog. It’s pathetic,” Basler stated live on TV, his words were applauded by the live audience.
Additionally Ozil and Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan posed for photographs with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month.
The photographs did not go down well with sections of the German media and fans.
Ozil and Gundogan are both of Turkish origin and saw meeting the president of their other country as not being politically motivated.
