Football
Stephan Uersfeld, Germany correspondent 10y

Sami Khedira tipped to be named new Germany captain

Sami Khedira is being tipped to succeed Philipp Lahm when Joachim Low announces the new Germany captain.

- Reus and Gomez make Germany squad

Lahm, along with Miroslav Klose and Per Mertesacker, retired from international duty following the team's success at the 2014 World Cup, and the German FA (DFB) has confirmed the new captain will be named at a news conference on Tuesday.

Real Madrid midfielder Khedira, 27, has emerged as the favourite to take the armband in the German media, although he faces competition from Bayern Munich duo Bastian Schweinsteiger and Manuel Neuer, as well as Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels.

While Khedira is not guaranteed regular football at his club, football weekly kicker wrote on Monday: "Anyone but Khedira receiving the call would come as surprise." The broadsheet FAZ added: "Khedira might not be a fan favourite, but he would be logical selection."

Kicker suggests Schweinsteiger's injury problems -- as well as the fact he is now 30 years old -- count against him, while Neuer has the disadvantage of playing in goal. The Bayern No. 1 would be the first goalkeeper to captain Germany since Jurgen Klinsmann and his assistant Joachim Low took the armband from Oliver Kahn immediately after taking charge in 2004.

Dortmund captain Mats Hummels, who has been named a possible candidate for Germany captaincy by DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach, only became a permanent starter during the World Cup, and kicker wrote: "Calling up a Dortmund player in a selection dominated by FC Bayern players would be dicey."

Bayern attacker Thomas Muller, meanwhile, ruled himself out of the running in an interview with Sport Bild in August.

^ Back to Top ^