THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016 SPORTS Euro 2016 Germany’s ‘100-million-euro-man’ Mueller BERLIN: Famously mistaken as a ball- thing which distinguishes FC Bayern boy by Diego Maradona after his Munich,” enthused the club’s director of Germany debut in 2010, Thomas Mueller sport Matthias Sammer. “He is an will need no introduction at Euro 2016. absolute role model, an absolute gem Despite having earned 70 caps and and he’s irreplaceable.” scored 31 goals for Germany, Mueller is still only 26 and is a shoe-in for club or Sunny sense of humor country whether as a winger, attacking Perhaps the greatest testament to midfielder or striker. He insists he is just Mueller’s talent is that in a squad of an average guy and his name is so typi- superstars at Bayern, head coach Pep cally German that 700,000 countrymen Guardiola, much like Germany boss are also called Thomas Mueller, except Joachim Loew, is a fellow convert to this one has well over nine million fol- Louis van Gaal’s famous dictum that, lowers on Facebook. Bayern fans when fit, “Mueller always plays”. Off the dubbed him the ‘100-million-euro-man’ field, he is not your typical footballer. His after Manchester United reportedly wife is not a model, but a dressage rider. tabled a massive bid for the Bavarian- The couple own several horses. He has born product who joined Bayern from neither a fancy haircut or a flash tattoo regional team TSV Paehl as a 10-year-old. and the lanky Jack-the-lad is the joker in His brother Simon still plays for the club. the Germany and Bayern squad. “It’s basically crazy the numbers He was asked, in English, straight which are currently kicking around in after winning the 2014 World Cup final if football-that’s just business,” Mueller he was disappointed to have missed out NUREMBERG: This file photo shows players of Germany’s national football team posing prior to the UEFA 2016 European replied when asked about his bling nick- to James Rodriguez on winning the Championship qualifying round Group D in Nuremberg, southern Germany. — AFP name. “No one is worth 100 million Golden Boot as the tournament’s top euros, it’s just a trade figure.” Last scorer. Using a thick Bavarian dialect, serving frothy mugs of beer in his upper his high work rate. When Germany fin- Mueller ‘El Flaco’-the Skinny One-after December, Mueller signed a contract Mueller jokingly told the baffled female Bavarian home village’s beer garden as ished third at the 2010 World Cup, he left the German’s hat-trick in the 4-0 win extension with Bayern until June 2021, reporter to stick the trophy where the scoring goals for club and country. He South Africa with both the Golden Boot over Portugal in the opening group reportedly making him 15 million euros sun doesn’t shine, because “we’ve just grew up a Bayern fan, slept under a and the best young player award and match of Brazil 2014 playing as a False ($17 million) per season. But the sky’s won the World Cup!” He left giggling duvet in the club’s colors and went to wrote himself into German football folk- Nine. Should Schweinsteiger fail to the limit in terms of what a Premier team-mate Bastian Schweinsteiger to games at the Olympic Stadium with his lore with two goals in the 4-1 trouncing recover in time from a medial knee liga- League club would potentially pay for translate. Schweinsteiger declined. cousins. Mueller is the first to admit that of England in the last 16. Four years on, ment injury, Mueller could find himself the forward Bayern regard as ‘irreplace- Mueller looks like he would be just as he is not the fastest in a sprint, “but I’m Maradona, who by then knew exactly going from Jack-the-lad to captaining able’.”Thomas Mueller embodies every- comfortable bantering with locals and pretty good over 10kms”, in reference to who he was talking about, dubbed his country in France.— AFP Injury shadow clouds Loew’s Euro campaign BERLIN: Joachim Loew will look to add the European crown in France to Germany’s 2014 World Cup triumph, but die Mannschaft’s head coach has team worries. With the clock ticking down to Germany’s first Group C game against Ukraine in Lille on June 12, Loew is waiting on captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, defenders Jerome Boateng, Emre Can and Benedikt Hoewedes, plus midfielder Julian Draxler. “That’s five players capable of playing an important role that are injured. I admit a certain concern,” Loew said recently. “You always get such problems ahead of every tournament. In 2014, Sami SAINT-DENIS: This file photo shows Ukraine’s head coach Mikhail Fomenko attending Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger were injured the FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifying football match at the Stade de France, outside but we managed it. But of course now I hope Paris. —AFP they’ll all stay fit and their injuries won’t return.”Manchester United’s Schweinsteiger is the biggest concern having injured knee liga- ments before the March friendlies against Steely Fomenko leads England and Italy. “We’re in regular contact about how his progress is coming along and I’m hopeful,” said Loew. To add to his worries, Loew’s Ukraine to Euro 2016 team is suffering from erratic form. They backed up a 3-2 defeat to England, having thrown away KIEV: Drilled in Soviet discipline, Mykhalylo “Two weeks later one of the secretaries of the a 2-0 lead in Berlin, with a 4-1 thumping of Italy Fomenko has taken a no-frills Ukraine side to regional Communist party branch took me to in Munich in March. Germany’s head coach Joachim Loew the European Championship finals giving Kiev and handed me over to Central With Mats Hummels as his only World Cup hope to a country at war. As a teenager, Committee secretary.” winner in the back four, Germany’s defense having never played for his country at senior lev- stretch and lessen the risk of injury. If yoga kept Fomenko was plucked from a machine plant He quickly stood out on the field and was crumbled against England when the Borussia el. Under his stewardship, Germany have Ryan Giggs playing past his 40th birthday, it can team and virtually forced to become one of named in the Soviet national team that fin- Dortmund captain went off and Loew’s side cemented their reputation as a tournament work for the Germans. Loew can still rely on the Dynamo Kiev’s most influential players of ished second at the 1972 European found themselves out-muscled and out-thought team-capable of raising their performances for core of his World Cup-winning squad. Manuel the 1970s. As a coach, Fomenko guided Championship. Fomenko gained 24 caps in in midfield. Things improved against Italy, but the big occasions. He replaced Jurgen Neuer is a shoe-in at goalkeeper, as are centre- Dynamo to a famous Champions League vic- all. Fomenko played under legendary coach Loew will expect his team to improve their fin- Klinsmann as head coach in 2006 as Germany backs Jerome Boateng, who is back in training at tory over a Barcelona side coached by the Valery Lobanovsky, who made him Kiev’s cap- ishing and urgency in their final friendlies went onto finish as runners-up at Euro 2008, Bayern Munich after a groin injury, and Mats late Johan Cruyff. tain in 1975, the year they won the Soviet against Hungary and Slovakia and Hungary then third at the 2010 World Cup. Hummels in front of defensive midfielders If he can recreate such a force at Euro league, the European Cup Winners’ Cup and before their departure for their Euro base in They reached the last four of Euro 2012, beat- Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira. 2016, the 67-year-old Fomenko-who took the European Super Cup. Fomenko hung up Evian, south-west France. The Germans finished en 2-1 by Italy in Warsaw, before qualifying In attack, Thomas Mueller, Mesut Ozil and over the national side after they crashed out his boots at the age of 30 because of a back top of their Euro 2016 qualifying group, but their unbeaten for the 2014 World Cup finals. Loew’s Toni Kroos can be confident of their places, but of the Euro 2012 that they co-hosted in the injury but joined a coaching academy to start defensive frailties were exposed by defeats away crowning glory came in Brazil where they beat both wing-back roles are up for grabs while first round group-will certainly become a a new career in the game that has taken him to both Poland, who they will again meet in the hosts 7-1 in one of the most incredible World Mario Goetze and Mario Gomez are vying for the football legend. Ukraine start in one of the to nearly 20 clubs and national sides, includ- Group C, and the Republic of Ireland. Cup games ever before lifting their fourth world striker’s berth. Loew will demand high standards toughest groups in France however against ing Iraq and Guinea. title. His contract will take him through to the at a pre-Euro camp in Switzerland and he is not 10th anniversary Germany, Poland and Northern Ireland. The 2018 World Cup. His record of 86 wins in 129 one to pull his punches, especially with fringe “There are a few areas which are important silver-haired Fomenko’s meandering route to Barcelona upset matches, with 22 draws and 21 defeats, gives players.