Lothar Matthäus believes Thomas Müller has transformed the German team since his return

In an interview with “RTL/ntv”(via AZ) Bayern Munich and Germany legend Lothar Matthäus spoke about Thomas Müller’s positive impact on Die Mannschaft. Lothar senses a return of light heartedness in the team courtesy of Müller and believes it is the key to Germany’s success at the Euros.

Ever since Germany’s early exit from the world cup followed by the unceremonious axing of senior players, the atmosphere in the German camp never looked settled. Confusing player selections, poor tactics and severe underperformance gave off the image of a disoriented team. Perhaps those factors affected the team’s spirits as Lothar believes the players were wound up tight. “I had the feeling that the players didn’t even know they were allowed to laugh in training, that they could smile, even sometimes at a mistake,” Matthäus said.

Photo by Alexandra Beier/Getty Images

However, with the return of Thomas Müller, Lothar senses a feeling of lightness once again in the German team. “Now people are laughing on the pitch again. There’s fun again and I just think that’s connected with the name Thomas Müller,” Matthäus said, attributing the positive impact to the Bayern vice-captain.

Matthäus believes the Raumdeuter’s qualities on and off the pitch has transformed the team and will play a key part in Germany’s success at the Euros: “Thomas Müller is back and Thomas Müller has transformed the team.”

Müller’s presence in the locker room is often highly underrated, capable of drawing out the laughs as well as spearheading his team to war like an army general. After a disappointing start to the tournament, Müller’s off pitch abilities will be vital for the players to reset and prepare for the remaining fixtures ahead.