One of the most criticized decisions made by Joachim Löw in the lead-up to the 2018 World Cup was not including Leroy Sané, Manchester City forward, in the German National Team's squad for the tournament. The coach chose not to call up the 22-year-old striker, despite his exceptional season with Pep Guardiola's team and being named Young Player of the Year in the Premier League.
This undoubtedly caused great displeasure in Leroy Sané himself, as he believed he had earned the right to be part of Germany's representatives in Russia 2018. However, after the World Cup, the former Schalke 04 player revealed that Joachim Löw explained the reasons for not calling him up in a private conversation they had.
"I spoke with Joachim Löw about my non-call-up to the World Cup and I accepted that decision. He gave me good reasons why he chose not to call me and that's why everything is fine. However, it was a pity for me that they were eliminated in the group stage. It was a little difficult to accept," said Leroy Sané to Sky Sports.
During the last season with Manchester City, Leroy Sané scored a total of 14 goals and was a key piece in winning the Premier League title. Despite being considered one of the best German players of today, Joachim Löw preferred to call up other players like Julian Brandt and Leon Goretzka for Russia 2018.