Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Kate Connolly in Berlin

Unhappy families: Matthäus claims Germany travel plans caused World Cup rift

Lothar Matthäus
The former Germany captain Lothar Matthäus believes tension over flying family members out to North America caused a rift in the current squad. Photograph: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

Lothar Matthäus, the former Germany captain turned pundit, has blamed the team’s crushing World Cup defeat by Paraguay in part on the players’ dogged efforts to have their families, even parents, in tow, which he said had led to tension within the team and a lack of concentration on the football.

“While there’s a lot that needs to be processed about what happened on the pitch, what happened off the pitch also needs to be a topic of discussion,” Matthäus said.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.