Werder Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings took a swipe at Germany
coach Joachim Loew after inspiring his side to a 4-2 win over
Wolfsburg.
Loew was in the stands at the Werder Stadion, but certainly
not to watch Frings, who he has already excluded from his plans.
And Frings criticised the coach for ending his international
career several months ago by saying he prefers to look at younger
players such as Mesut Ozil and Marko Marin in his position.
"I am already through with that issue," said Frings. "I can
play as well as I want, but it doesn't interest anybody anyway.
"We all know that to play in the national team, the way you
perform has nothing to do with it anyway."
Frings has appeared 79 times for Germany but he was told late
last year he no longer figured in Loew's plans, effectively
confirming the 33-year-old's retirement from international
football.
And while Loew seems to be reconsidering his decision to drop
Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi, Frings does not expect to be given
the same treatment.
"We are not in a dream world," he told Sky television. "We
are in the here and the now and the fact is, I am not allowed to
play (for Germany) anymore.
"My hopes of playing at the World Cup have already been taken
from me."
His coach Thomas Schaaf has not given up hope, however, and
believes Loew would be wrong not to reconsider Frings if he is
pondering reinstating Kuranyi.
"You can see how fantastically he has played in the second
half of the season and he can't do more than what he is doing,"
said Schaaf.
"If the situation were to change again, then I would be very
happy."
Bremen's win lifts them up to third place above Bayer
Leverkusen and on course for a place in the Champions League next
season.
"We have now overtaken Leverkusen and we want to defend this
third place now," added Frings.
