World NewsNo Major Changes - Low |
JOACHIM Low has confirmed there will be no "radical changes" to the Germany squad following their Euro 2008 final defeat to Spain.
Although several members of the squad are now the wrong side of 30, Low is confident he will not need to make too many alterations to his playing corps ahead of the start of World Cup qualifiers.Two key thirtysomethings, Michael Ballack and Torsten Frings, impressed in Austria and Switzerland and Low has no intention of moving them aside.
He told German newspaper Bild: "Michael Ballack and Torsten Frings still have the hunger for success.
"It should be expected that they will go on to 2010.
"Others like Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm and Lukas Podolski have not yet reached their peak.
"We will integrate new players but there will be no radical change.
"The squad did well in qualifying and at the European Championships. We were the only large footballing nation to have reached the semi-finals of the World Cup and the Euros in the last two years."
There have been suggestions that 38-year-old goalkeeper Jens Lehmann would retire from international duty following Euro 2008 but Low is adamant he will not rush the Stuttgart man on a decision.
"Jens Lehmann has not yet suggested to me that he will retire," he added.
"We will have more personal talks about it."
Werder Bremen midfielder Frings has already started looking ahead to the World Cup qualifiers as Germany target a place in the finals in South Africa.
"We want to develop ourselves further and to reach the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with ambitious goals.
"The World Cup is my next large goal with the team."
Copyright (c) 2008 Press Association
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