

This is possibly the toughest decision a professional player has to make during his career, because contrary to the club, representing your country had a whole different meaning. During 2014, Bayern Munich full-back Philipp Lahm decided to leave Germany after the World Cup in Brazil. This was his most difficult choice and after knowing that Bastian Schweinsteiger decided the same thing this week, he felt very proud of his former teammate for such a difficult decision.
Talking to reporters this week, Lahm expressed how proud he felt for Bastian: "It is his decision. I have great respect for him and his 120 caps, he is a world champion. We had a great time in the national team as well. I have noticed it and the first thing that came to my mind was respect for his great and unbelievable career. Now I wish him all the best.
"I was always glad when he was on the pitch beside me. You could always count on him and this is so important - especially in really important games. You always had someone you could count on. We had great times and experienced a lot together. For me he is an outstanding footballer and a sensational guy. I wish him all the best."
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