Germany manager Joachim Low: Philipp Lahm staying in midfield
Germany head coach Joachim Low says that Philipp Lahm will not move back to his natural position of fullback and will stay in the midfield for Germany's quarterfinal game against France on Friday.
"I have made up my mind already on Philipp Lahm's role," Low told Germany's Die Zeit newspaper. "And I am sticking by it to the very end.
Lahm, who played right back for years for both club and country, was moved to midfield last season by Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola. But a forced substitution during extra time of Germany's win over Algeria in the round of 16 put Lahm back at his old position, leading some to think Germany would be better off if they kept him there.
His passing and tackling statistics improved considerably following the transition on Monday, which saw Sami Khedira partner Bastian Schweinsteiger in the Germany midfield. However, not even that is going to convince Germany boss Joachim Low to alter Lahm's position in Rio de Janeiro.
According to Low, the 30-year-old Lahm will only see time back on defense "if we have a problem on the right," adding that it would have to be "an emergency scenario."
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