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Bayern Munich Star Sandro Wagner Quits Germany Following World Cup Snub

Bayern Munich striker Sandro Wagner has taken his World Cup snub to heart by announcing he is retiring from international football.
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Bayern Munich striker Sandro Wagner has taken his World Cup snub to heart by announcing he is retiring from international football.

The German FA made public their preliminary 27-man squad for this summer's big tournament in Russia on Tuesday, and to a lot of people's surprise Wagner's name was missing.

Instead, coach Joachim Low surprisingly picked Freiburg marksman Nils Petersen, as well as the more experienced Mario Gomez, as his only two strikers in the squad.

Speaking about Low's decision, Wagner said, as quoted by the Mail: "For me it's clear that I do not seem to fit in with the coaching team due to my way of always being open, honest and direct."

Low insisted his call was nothing against Wagner, and more about the other two getting in on their own merit. But that appears not to have made the ex-Hoffenheim player feel much better.

Wagner added: "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. The World Cup would have been brilliant. I can't take it seriously but as I've often said, there are more important things in life than football."

The 30-year-old's omission is definitely a shock. He made his international debut just last year, and has since gone on to earn eight caps, scoring five goals. In the Bundesliga in 2017/18, he bagged 15 goals.