Germany coach Joachim Loew has calmed the war-of-words between manager Oliver Bierhoff and striker Lukas Podolski ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Ecuador as their two-match tour of the USA gets under way.
"For me personally as a coach, he (Podolski) is incredibly important and an extremely important team player," said Loew, speaking from Germany's American training camp in Florida.
"I am completely satisfied with his commitment and his attitude."
Trouble brewed at the start of the week when team manager Bierhoff said Podolski had spent a "year of stagnation with the national team" since joining Premier League side Arsenal from Cologne last July.
The 27-year-old brushed off the comments with some annoyance.
"If Mr. Bierhoff sees it that way, that is his opinion, I don't really care. We don't have to discuss everything," said Podolski, who has made 108 appearances for Germany.
"If there is progress, there can also be periods of stagnation from time to time."
Loew has said Podolski, his Arsenal team-mate Per Mertesacker and Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler are all in the frame to captain Germany against Ecuador, ranked 10th in the world compared to second-placed Germany, at Boca Raton, Florida.
But Bierhoff has said Podolski must be able to take criticism.
"I am a friend of clear words. And also players must be able to take criticism and also live with the facts," said Bierhoff.
"He has helped us repeatedly and is incredibly important for the team, but his development last year with the national team was just not satisfactory."
After the friendly against Ecuador, Germany fly up to Washington DC to play the United States on Sunday.
Source: AFP
