Bayern Munich has hit out at Germany coach Joachim Low over the timing of his announcement that Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller will no longer be considered for selection.
Low confirmed in a Bild interview on Tuesday the experienced Bayern trio - all part of Germany's triumphant squad at the 2014 World Cup - are being dropped ahead of Euro 2020 qualifying.
Germany had an appalling title defence at the World Cup in Russia last year, failing to progress from the group stage, before suffering relegation in its inaugural Nations League campaign.
Boateng, Muller and Hummels have played 246 international matches between them and Bayern complained that Low and Germany's general manager Oliver Bierhoff arrived unannounced at the club's Sabener Strasse training facility to inform the players.
In a statement co-signed by chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, Bayern made clear the club's position on Low's latest move.
"National coach Joachim Low has decided not to consider our players Thomas Muller, Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng in the future," the statement said.
"Basically, we do not comment on sporting decisions of the national coach, the nomination of the squad of the national team is solely the responsibility of Joachim Low.
"However, we believe the timing and circumstances of the announcement of this decision to the players and to the public is questionable. The last international match of the German national team took place on November 19, 2018.
"The fact that the players and the public got informed about three months later irritated us, right before the key matches of Bayern next Saturday in the title race of Bundesliga against Wolfsburg and just days later the crucial return leg in the last 16 next Wednesday against Liverpool.
"Bayern have great respect for the athletic merits of Thomas, Mats and Jerome for the national team and German football."
Bayern has moved level on points with Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga table, while Niko Kovac's men held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Champions League clash.
Low's Germany, meanwhile, plays Serbia in a friendly on March 20 before embarking on a Euro 2020 qualifying group containing the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Estonia and Belarus.
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