Former Bayern and Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger believes the new Germany generation deserve their opportunity to follow in his footsteps and defend the country’s FIFA World Cup crown in Russia.
While Schweinsteiger’s midfield colleagues from 2014 will still have key roles to play this summer, there has been something of a changing of the guard and the former Germany captain believes the current crop of youngsters will be just as important this time around, with Joachim Low’s squad boasting nine Bundesliga-based World Cup debutants.
“It’s time for other players. I think Germany can defend the trophy – they’ve got a real chance,” Schweinsteiger, who retired from international football following UEFA Euro 2016, told kicker.