Van Gaal, Loew clash over fitness test ‘madness’

Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal has described the fitness tests for national team players organised by Germany coach Joachim Loew next week as “madness”.

Loew has summoned 29 players, five from Bayern, for four days of tests in Stuttgart that will assess the condition of likely national squad players prior to this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

“I think it’s madness,” said Van Gaal on Friday, the day before his side’s league meeting with Werder Bremen. “For the clubs, paying our players and then making them available to the national team for four days is not right.”

Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Mueller, Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose represent the Bayern contingent in Loew’s selection.

“We could have given them the results of our own physical tests. I’ve never experienced something like this and I’ve coached some big clubs,” added Van Gaal, a former manager of Barcelona, Ajax and the Dutch national side.

Loew responded to his critics by pointing out that the dates for the fitness tests had been agreed in advance.

“This get-together was organised a long time ago with the league and the clubs,” he told the SID German news agency.

“I understand the sporting priorities of Louis van Gaal, but we’re in a World Cup year and it’s in the interest of everyone in German football that the team is well prepared.

“That’s why I expect all the clubs to give all their support to the Nationalmannschaft (German national team) until, and during, the World Cup.”

Germany skipper Michael Ballack will not attend the tests in Stuttgart because his club Chelsea require his services for a Premier League match at home to Birmingham on Wednesday.

Van Gaal, meanwhile, will not participate in a seminar for Bundesliga coaches organised by Loew in Stuttgart on Monday, in which the national boss will outline his programme for the run-up to the World Cup.

The Dutchman will be in Portugal for a charity match raising funds for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.