Sign up or login to track your favorite teams

Sign Up for Bleacher Report

As a registered user you can subscribe to your favorite teams, post comments, write your own articles, and much more.

You must register in order for that functionality to work!







Validating sign up form ...

Bleacher Report articles are written by fans like you

Do you want to cover your favorite sports, teams, and leagues?

Processing writing preferences ...

Great, , you're signed up!

i.e. Big 10, LeBron James, USC Football

Selected Tags:

Logging in ...

In perhaps the oddest news from the international match-up weekend, German international and Schalke 04 forward Kevin Kuranyi did not board the team bus after Saturday’s 2-1 win over Russian in World Cup qualifier action...

Kuranyi Leaves German National Team After Russia Match

by David Wilson (Senior Writer)

5

279 reads

Breaking News

October 12, 2008


In perhaps the oddest news from the international match-up weekend, German international and Schalke 04 forward Kevin Kuranyi did not board the team bus after Saturday’s 2-1 win over Russian in World Cup qualifier action. 

Germany’s coach Joachim Low reported in a statement on the German Football Federation website on Sunday:

“I cannot accept a reaction such as that shown by Kevin, and therefore I will no longer select him in future for the national side.”

Kuranyi watched from the stands as forward Lukas Podolski and midfielder Michael Ballack each scored in the first half of the match.  Members from the 26-year-old’s entourage arrived at the German national team’s hotel to pick up his belongings on Sunday.  Is Kuranyi’s international career over at 52 caps?

How will his home supporters at Schalke react when he returns to the club’s stadium?   It will be interesting to see when Schalke hosts Paris St. Germain in UEFA Cup action on October 23rd. Kuranyi leads the club in scoring this season, with four goals. 

Will the exile of Kuranyi open the door again for Mario Gómez, who did not play well at Euro 2008?  The 23-year-old forward who plays for VfB Stuttgart should certainly benefit from Kuranyi’s odd decision. Gómez has three goals so far in 2008-09 Bundesliga action.

Track this Article on My B/R
Flag This Article
Share This Article

5 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. illya mclellan 8 months ago

    I thought Low was pissing him around in the Euro, don't blame the guy. You see this sort of thing from time to time with coaches and players.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

  2. Andrew McNair 8 months ago

    Kris Boyd and Scotland...same story.

    Edit Comment Cancel

    Reply
    Great Comment (
    0
    )

Leave a Comment

  • You must register to post a comment.

    • Want to write for Bleacher Report

    We are a community of fans who write about sports. And we're growing.

    Learn More and Sign Up »

    Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Getty Images.
    Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Getty Images is strictly prohibited.