Germany captain Philipp Lahm has described the reported leak of team information from within the squad a "disgrace".

Lahm and his team-mates comfortably progressed to the Euro 2012 semi-finals after their 4-2 defeat of Greece, but manager Joachim Low reprimanded his team for allowing personnel changes to be handed to the German media.

Low made the changes on Friday afternoon at 1.30pm and within an hour a German news agency announced the shock inclusion of Miloslav Klose, Andreas Schurrle and Marco Reus for the match.

The leak has caused some disruption to Germany’s semi-final preparations, and Lahm demands more discipline within the squad ahead of their clash with Italy.

"It is an issue, I must admit it and I think now everyone should be aware who he passes the line-up to," Lahm said. "We must be extra careful now. Whether someone play or they do not play, it is out of the question to pass the line-up to advisors. Exchanges with closest family are understandable, but that is it.

"It’s a pity if leaks occur. The whole nation is behind us so it’s a disgrace for the line-up to be in the public eye so early. The one with the problem is the guy who has done this because he is damaging the hopes of the entire nation. It’s a shame, but we won’t be hiring a detective."

Lahm says Spain have set the benchmark in recent years, but believes Germany have what it takes to topple the reigning World and European champions.

"The movement of the players is the key to running any game, and this is a reflection of how the Spanish have progressed how the game is played," Lahm said. "They let the ball do the running, not the people."