Coach Joachim Löw donated his lucky sweater from the 2010 World Cup to a children’s charity, which then sold it for €1 million to retailer Galeria Kaufhof, which then donated it to a German football museum being built by the German Football Federation (DFB).

“I hope that the pullover will have a worthy place in the museum and will be well looked after,” said Löw as he handed over the cashmere sweater.

“Maybe I will still need it to bring me luck in other tournaments.”

Germany coach Joachim Loew has excused midfielder Mario Goetze for the final European Championship qualifier against Belgium on Tuesday.

“Goetze had a lot of games last season and has a lot coming up (for Borussia Dortmund) so we simply decided to give him a bit of a rest,” Loew’s assistant Hansi Flick said Sunday.

Germany tops Group A and has already qualified for next year’s tournament with nine wins from nine games. 

Germany cruised to a 3-1 win over Turkey in their Euro 2012 qualifier in Istanbul on Friday night – their ninth-straight win in an impressive group-stage performance.

The Germans had already qualified for the next edition of the Euros, to be hosted by Ukraine and Poland, while Turkey were in desperate need of points to get the edge over their nearest Group A opponents, Belgium.

Bayern Munich trio Mario Gomez, Thomas Mueller and Bastian Schweinsteiger all netted in the win over Turkey.

Germany coach Joachim Loew has a potential headache ahead of Friday’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Turkey in Istanbul with both key strikers Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose struggling to be fit.

Veteran Klose, who plays for Lazio, broke off training on Wednesday with a painful knee, while Bayern Munich’s Gomez is struggling with a groin strain.

Bundesliga coaches expressed surprise and understanding on Thursday for the decision by Ralf Rangnick to resign as Schalke coach because of exhaustion.

Germany coach Joachim Loew said the decision by the 53-year-old coach was “courageous and right.”

In a statement through the German football federation, Loew said: “It shows strength when you sense the batteries are empty and you admit it openly.

“As surprising as his reaction is for everybody it is consistent because he has made it clear that health comes above everything. I wish Ralf a swift recovery.”

Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick has quit the German Bundesliga club after just six months in charge, citing fatigue syndrome as the reason for his decision.

The 53-year-old Rangnick took over from Felix Magath on March 17, and steered the club to the Champions League semifinals last season, before then winning the German Cup courtesy of a 5-0 thrashing of second division side Duisburg in the final.

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho believes Mesut Ozil’s Turkish-German background has made him the player that he currently is.

Ozil was born and raised in Gelsenkirchen to Turkish parents, and Mourinho believes the playmaker has benefitted from learning to play football the German way, as well as having natural Turkish flair in his game.

Coach Joachim Löw said Germany’s last-minute 2-2 friendly draw with Poland has given his players a wake-up call as defensive problems loomed again, while the hosts were left to rue the win that got away.

A 94th-minute goal from Brazil-born striker Cacau spared Germany’s blushes in Gdansk on Tuesday and denied Poland a historic first win over the Germans at the 17th attempt after the hosts took a dramatic 2-1 lead in the 91st minute.