Germany coach bans Kuranyi from selection
Reuters - Sunday 12 October 2008, 13:45
BERLIN - Germany coach Joachim Loew said he will no longer select striker Kevin Kuranyi for international duty after his reaction to being left out of the team that beat Russia 2-1 at home in a 2010 World Cup qualifier on Saturday.
"I cannot accept how Kevin reacted yesterday and so in future I will no longer select him to play for the national team," Loew was quoted as saying on the website of the German Soccer Federation (DFB) on Sunday.
Kuranyi left his team colleagues in the stands at the end of the first half in Dortmund and did not return to the team hotel later, the DFB said. All attempts to reach him by telephone afterwards failed, it added.
Instead, two of Kuranyi's friends came to the hotel at around 2300 GMT to collect his belongings, the DFB said.
The 26-year-old Schalke 04 striker, who was previously with Stuttgart, has played 52 times for Germany since 2003, scoring 19 goals.
Germany lead the Group Four standings with seven points from three matches ahead of Wales, who Germany play on Wednesday in Moenchengladbach, with six points.
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