Germany’s forward Miroslav Klose celebrates after scoring during a Group G match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup against Ghana at the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza on June 21, 2014. (AFP)
Germany striker Miroslav Klose, who capped a record-breaking career with the national team by winning the World Cup last month, has retired from international football.
Poland-born Klose, who scored twice in the tournament in Brazil to become the competition’s record goal scorer of all time with 16 goals, said on Monday the time was right to end a 13-year career with the German national team.
The forward is the second member of Germany’s World Cup winning team to quit after the tournament following captain Philipp Lahm last month.
“Winning the title in Brazil was a childhood dream come true,” the 36-year-old Lazio striker said in a statement released by the German football Association. “I am happy and proud to have contributed to this big success for German football. For me there could be no better moment to complete the national team chapter.”
Germany’s second most-capped player behind Lothar Matthaeus made the first of his 137 international appearances in 2001 and went on to become the top German scorer of all time with 71 international goals. He broke Gerd Mueller’s 40-year-old record of 68 goals in June.
RECORD SCORER
Germany’s only out-and-out striker in the World Cup squad, Klose was initially benched in the tournament but earned back his starting spot and scored once against Ghana in the group stage and then again in their 7-1 semi-final demolition of hosts Brazil in the semi-final. The latter goal also meant he overtook former Brazil striker Ronaldo on the World Cup scorers list.
“When I met up with Miro last week he told he me he had thought long about it and talked to his family,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said. “I immediately sensed that his decision was irreversible and that I cannot convince him otherwise.
“You can always count on Miro to keep his word and that was the case in Brazil as well. I have a lot of respect for Miro’s decision as well as for his unbelievable national team career that is all but impossible to trump.
“As player and a human being, we will be missing Miro and I am happy and grateful to have been allowed to work with Miroslav Klose.”
Tall and strong in the air, Klose is known for his superb timing and leaping ability and has been consistently efficient in front of goal, helping Germany reach two finals and two semi-finals in his four World Cup participations.
A lethal finisher, Klose was a relatively late starter for Germany after playing no role in any of the country’s national youth squads. He then went on to play in four World Cups starting in 2002 and also competed in three European championships.
Klose and Lahm will be honoured before Germany’s friendly game against World Cup finalists Argentina on Sept. 3 but neither will feature in that game as per their own requests, DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach said.
“Miro is not only an outstanding player but as man he is an absolute role model,” Niersbach said. “In all the years he always remained modest and with his feet on the ground.
“We will stage a proper farewell for him and Philipp Lahm in Duesseldorf and we will respect their wish which has been agreed with Loew that they not play against Argentina.”
Germany players hail Miroslav Klose on social networks.
“Thank you for all your goals, Miro! you are already a legend!” tweeted playmaker Mesut Oezil.
Lukas Podolski tweeted: “Thanks Miro for all the great years and moments that we shared. You have your place in list of the legends. Poldi.”
Mario Goetze, who came on for Klose in last month’s World Cup final and scored the 1-0 winner against Argentina, also took to Twitter. “Thanks Miro #Klose Your statistics speak for themselves, but you are even more remarkable as a person!” Goetze tweeted.
FIVE FACTS ON KLOSE
Klose the model European citizen
Born in Poland to a footballing father Josef and handball international mother, he was brought up in France till he was eight-years-old, his father played for Auxerre, then joined his footballing father in Germany where he had moved. Klose said in an interview in 2008 he did not wish to be known as either Polish or German but as European. He and his wife Sylvia instil the same principles in their two sons Noah and Luan speaking to them in Polish at home while they speak German at school.
Lazio ultras leave him cold
Klose was less than amused when at a Rome derby in 2011 between his present club Lazio and AS Roma the fascist section of fans who follow the former brandished a banner with his name on it and the insignia SS—the elite and fanatical military followers of Adolf Hitler. “Sport and politics are two separate entities. I also feel disgusted that my name should be associated on the same banner as the SS,” he said.
Benediction from Pope
Klose, a devout Roman Catholic, achieved a dream of his to meet the Pope personally when he had a general audience with the now retired German Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 at the Vatican. They held a long conversation by the standards of such meetings with the Pope being Bavarian and Klose having played for Bayern Munich prior to moving to Lazio they probably had a lot to chat about especially as the striker had only days previously aided Lazio to beat Roma.
Poles advances rebuffed
Poland did try to convince him to play for the country of his birth when then Polish coach Jerzy Engel went to see him at his club Kaiserslautern. However Klose declined the offer. “I have a German passport, and if things are still running this way, I have a chance to play for Rudi Voeller (the then German coach),” he said. While Klose has said he might have made a different choice had the Poles come to see him earlier but given what has transpired since he made the right decision.
Klose puts his hands up
Klose may look like he would kill his mother to get the ball over the line but in fact he made a rare sporting gesture with regard to a ‘goal’ he was awarded for Lazio against Napoli in September 2012. A scrappy effort saw the final touch come off the striker and he celebrated but such was the virulent reaction from the Napoli players to the referee giving the goal that the match official thought something was off and consulted his linesmen. They had seen nothing so as a last resort he asked Klose and the ‘European’ admitted the goal should not stand as it had gone in off his hand so the referee chalked it off. Klose was patted on the back and congratulated for his gesture by the Napoli players.