Retirement of Lahm predicted to advantage Bayern

Retirement of Lahm predicted to advantage Bayern - Matthaus's perspective

In a surprising turn of events, one of Germany's most iconic footballers, Philipp Lahm, announced his retirement from international football less than a week after winning the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Lahm, who served as Bayern Munich's skipper and was a great captain who brought top performances over the years, leaves behind an illustrious career marked by three World Cup participations and three European Championships.

With Lahm's retirement, national team coach Joachim Low is on the hunt for a new captain. Lothar Matthäus, a World Cup-winning captain himself (in 1990), has expressed his views on the potential successor. Matthäus feels that Lahm's decision to step away from Germany commitments will benefit him in other areas, and he has predicted Joshua Kimmich as a strong contender for the role.

Sami Khedira and Manuel Neuer are also expected to move up in the team hierarchy following Lahm's departure. Notably, Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was previously the vice-captain, could potentially take over the captaincy, as Matthäus has suggested.

Lahm made his international debut in 2004 and, over the course of his career, came 37 appearances short of tying Lothar Matthaus' record of 150 appearances for Germany. Despite this, Lahm retired after making 113 appearances for his country.

Matthäus has stated that Lahm has tried to maintain fitness for other important tasks, and he believes Lahm's retirement from international football will benefit his club Bayern Munich. Lahm served as the club's skipper, and his absence may create a leadership vacuum that others will need to fill.

As Germany moves forward, the search for a new captain continues, and the future of the national team is uncertain. However, with talented players like Kimmich, Khedira, Neuer, and Schweinsteiger ready to step up, the future looks promising for the German squad.