Schweinsteiger: Germany performances deserve more respect

09-Oct-2012 8:18:00 PM

The midfielder believes that his side should be praised more for their displays in major tournaments despite not winning any silverware for 16 years

Bastian Schweinsteiger has called for more respect for his Germany team, following criticism of the side and their lack of honours in recent times.

The midfielder was speaking ahead of his side's World Cup 2014 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland, in which he will captain the side in the absence of the suspended Philipp Lahm.

And he believes that Die Mannschaft should be praised for their performances - despite not winning a competition since 1996 and losing out to Italy in the semi-finals of Euro 2012.

"[Semi-final finishes] should not be taken for granted. We did not drop a point in the qualifiers, we beat top 10 teams in our group and then lost just one game," he said.

"I think it is a pity, it is not always fair but that is the way it is. There are other teams who have targets and it is not easy to keep winning.

"I don’t think everything is bad, not many teams can claim to have such a track record. I think the respect is missing a bit. It is not written down anywhere that we are going to win every game."

The Bayern Munich star missed his side's first two qualifiers against Austria and Faroe Islands through injury and a loss of form, but he admitted he is looking forward to representing his country in Dublin due to the unique support Giovanni Trapattoni's side are given by their fans.

"It is a special feeling playing there. The atmosphere is different, it has this special something," he added.

"We had the joy of playing there five years ago and it is difficult to win there. It would be a huge advantage to get the three points but they are a tough team with a clever fox of a coach."

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