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Two of the greatest players in the history of the German national team have said "Servus": Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer were given a fitting farewell in Munich's Allianz Arena before Germany's UEFA Nations League match against the Netherlands kicked off. Following the home European Championship in the summer, the two 2014 World Cup winners retired from international football after earning 131 and 124 caps respectively. Former FC Bayern player Toni Kroos (114 caps), who was unable to be present in the stadium on Monday evening, and İlkay Gündoğan (82), who also recently stepped down from the national team, were also honoured.
Fan tifo for four legends
Before the national anthems were played, Neuer, Müller and Gündoğan took to the pitch at FC Bayern's home to the applause of the fans, who had also prepared an impressive tifo. The word "Legends" stood out in huge letters in the Südkurve, with images of the departing players and a banner reading: "Thanks for everything, lads" underneath.
The fans in the Allianz Arena welcomed Müller, Neuer and Co. with an impressive tifo. | Getty
"The time went by incredibly quickly. It was a fantastic experience when I think of the other guys I played alongside, some of whom had world-class careers," Müller said in a TV interview ahead of the match, adding: "You needn't think so highly of yourself because others did well too and you wouldn't have made it into the limelight without them."
With a total of 131 caps for Germany, Müller ranks third in DFB history. His tally of 45 goals puts him in equal sixth place. Neuer, with 124 appearances, is the most-capped goalkeeper in the history of the German FA. The pair were crowned World Cup winners together in Rio in 2014, with Neuer also being honoured as the tournament's best goalkeeper.
Harry Kane and Konrad Laimer were in international action on Sunday:
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