Captain Manuel Neuer has taken part in Germany’s first full training session at their training camp in Italy. “He was fully involved and can deal with all the workload,” coach Joachim Löw announced following the session. Löw still firmly believes that Neuer will be ready to travel with the world champions to Russia. “Right now there’s no problem. It’s looking good," added Löw, who is taking things „day by day”, before concluding, “if we feel he can perform at 100 per cent, then he’ll come with us.”
Müller possible Germany captain at World Cup
Thomas Müller is already captain Neuer’s deputy at FC Bayern, but Germany coach Löw has stated that the 2010 Golden Boot winner will also fulfil the role at the summer’s World Cup should Neuer not be fit to play. “Thomas can do an amazing stand-in job because he’s a player with a good relationship to everyone in the team,” Löw said in a newspaper interview. “Even in the most serious of moments, he never forgets to have fun.” When asked of Neuer’s current fitness, which has been cast into doubt by the broken foot that has seen him out since September, the Germany coach responded: “I’m optimistic and am assuming Manuel Neuer will make it.”
Ancelotti takes over at Napoli
Former FCB head coach Carlo Ancelotti is the new coach at Serie A runners-up Napoli. Following a meeting in Rome on Tuesday with the club’s president Aurelio de Laurentiis, he held further discussions with the club’s board on Wednesday. As the Neapolitans announced on their homepage, Ancelotti has been given a three-year contract. The 58-year-old replaces Maurizio Sarri, who had led the club to second place in 2017/18.