BERLIN: Germany chief coach Joachim Loew named goalkeeper Manuel Neuer as the new captain of the national football team, to succeed retired midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Loew explained on Thursday that it is "logical" to name Neuer as a successor to Schweinsteiger since the Bayern Munich goalkeeper has everything required to be a skipper, reports Efe.
Neuer has already captained Germany in several matches during the last European championship when Schweinsteiger was absent because of injury.
The goalkeeper, who played 71 international matches, will lead Germany for first time on Sunday against Norway in the qualifiers for the FIFA 2018 World Cup.
The new captain made his international debut in June 2009 against the United Arab Emirates, when Germany won 7-2.
Neuer said he is "proud to be Germany captain" indicating that there should be more than one leader in the field to achieve success.