National team: Löw replaces the team council

The German national football team has officially abolished the team council. "Together with the players, we have discussed that a classic team council old style is no longer suitable for our togetherness," said DFB Director Oliver Bierhoff the "Sport Bild". The move had hinted in recent months. Already in June, captain Manuel Neuer had reported that there were only "different rounds" in which "topic-related" team matters were discussed.

Bierhoff said the move was also "an expression of mutual trust and living flat hierarchies in the national team". Team manager Thomas Beheshti said: "Outside of the international matches we inform and communicate through our app, so we keep each other up to date."

The team council was for many years a permanent institution of the DFB and was formed mostly by the players who were high in the hierarchy of the team. He was involved, among other things, in negotiating the bonuses for the players before a tournament. At the World Cup in Russia Jérôme Boateng, Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels were still on the team council. After Loew had sorted them out this spring, the panel had lost its meaning.