Uefa Nations League

FIFA has revised its rules after consultation with UEFA, whose member associations are involved in next month's international friendlies and Nations League matches.

With the COVID-19 crisis still affecting daily life across the planet, football's governing body has introduced temporary measures to help to reduce the health risk to players and impact on clubs.

As such, clubs will not have to release their players to represent their countries if it would involve a mandatory period of self-isolation of at least five days.

That applies whether the period of quarantine would take place in the country of origin or arrival.

"In light of the recent evolution of the coronavirus pandemic, the Bureau of the FIFA Council has unanimously decided to temporarily adapt the rules concerning the release of players during the upcoming September international window, which is to be played only by UEFA member associations," read a statement.

"The situation of the pandemic is rapidly evolving across the world and many national governments have again implemented travel and immigration restrictions due to a renewed increase in COVID-19 infections.

"Some of these measures directly impact international competition, such as mandatory periods of quarantine or self-isolation and travel restrictions.

"As a result, in order to ensure that the well-being and health of all individuals involved in international competition is respected, the Bureau of the FIFA Council has, after consultation with UEFA, decided that the general rules which normally oblige clubs to release players for national team matches should not apply in the following instances:

- there is a mandatory period of quarantine or self-isolation of at least five days upon arrival at:
- the location of the club which has an obligation to release the player to an association team; or
- the location where a representative team match is scheduled to take place;
- there is a travel restriction to or from either location (a. or b. above); and
- no specific exemption from the relevant authorities relating to the above decisions has been granted to players of a representative team.

"Furthermore, all participants in matches during international windows must abide by the health and safety protocols established by the relevant competition organiser."

The revised measures apply from August 31 to September 8 for men and from September 14 to 22 for women.

Greenwood, 19, and Phil Foden, 20, were removed from the Three Lions' squad prior to the game in Denmark last month after it emerged they had ignored coronavirus-prevention protocols in Iceland following England's 1-0 Nations League win, a game in which both players made their senior debuts.

An Icelandic website had published a story where Foden and Greenwood appeared to be shown in a Snapchat video posted by one of two women they were said to be socialising with – the country's self-isolation rules prohibited such a meeting.

As such, they have been left out by Southgate for the upcoming friendly with Wales and subsequent Nations League games against Belgium and Denmark, though the England manager did stress that from now on their call-up chances will be judged on form rather than past indiscretions.

But Manchester United's Maguire is back in the picture. The centre-back was dropped in August after initially being found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and repeated attempts at bribery at a misdemeanours court in Greece.

However, Maguire's legal representatives lodged an appeal, meaning the court's initial verdict was nullified and a full retrial will now take place at a more senior court. The defender has since been back in action domestically for the Red Devils.

Greenwood's absence has provided an opportunity for in-form Everton striker Calvert-Lewin, who is enjoying a scintillating start to the 2020-21 season, scoring eight goals in five matches.

Included in that record is a pair of hat-tricks, scored in the 5-2 Premier League win over West Brom and Wednesday's 4-1 EFL Cup dismantling of West Ham.

There are also maiden call-ups for Arsenal talent Bukayo Saka and Leicester City's Harvey Barnes, while Jack Grealish is also named - the Aston Villa star was only included last month as a late replacement for Marcus Rashford.

England squad in full:

Dean Henderson (Manchester United), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley); Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Michael Keane (Everton), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Kyle Walker (Manchester City); Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United), Declan Rice (West Ham), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Harry Winks (Tottenham); Tammy Abraham (Chelsea), Harvey Barnes (Leicester City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Danny Ings (Southampton), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).

The former senior Reggae Boyz coach, who resigned his post following a failed Copa America campaign, was the surprise selection by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to lead the country's football forward. He replaces interim manager John O'Shea, who took charge of the team after Stephen Kenny departed the post last November.

Hallgrimsson, 57, will get a baptism of fire of sorts, as his first assignment with Ireland will be Nations League action against England in September. Ironically, his tenure with the Reggae Boyz started similarly, albeit with a friendly against World Champions Argentina.

Still, the Icelandic coach, who led Iceland when they eliminated England during the 2016 Euro 2016 Championships,  seems ready to hit the ground running, with eyes on the 2026 World Cup.

Didier Deschamps' side won by the same scoreline when the teams met in Moscow two years ago and they came out on top again in the Nations League Group A3 clash at the Stade de France.

A fine strike from Dejan Lovren put the visitors in front, but Antoine Griezmann struck and Dominik Livakovic scored an unfortunate own goal in the space of three first-half minutes to turn the game around.

Substitute Josip Brekalo restored parity after the restart, only for Dayot Upamecano's header and a penalty from Olivier Giroud to keep Les Bleus level with Portugal at the top of the group.

Mbappe missed the decisive penalty as France sensationally crashed out of Euro 2020 at the hands of Switzerland in the round of 16.

The 22-year-old, who was embroiled in a pre-tournament public war of words with fellow forward Olivier Giroud, ended the European Championships without a goal amid links with Real Madrid.

Following reports of Mbappe being a disruptive figure within the France team, the Paris Saint-Germain sensation felt a lack of support in the aftermath of the country's Euro 2020 exit.

As France prepare for Thursday's Nations League semi-final against Belgium, Varane was asked about Mbappe's comments.

"I think that in the group, it's quite clear and it was immediately clear after the match, that we are together," France and Manchester United defender Varane told reporters.

"When things go well and when they don't go well, we take responsibility together and we don't leave anyone out.

"That's the state of mind of this group and that's our mentality. Our philosophy. We're not going to change that."

Talk of Mbappe moving to LaLiga giants Madrid has intensified after the Frenchman revealed he told PSG of his intention to leave the capital club at the start of the season.

Mbappe, who is out of contract at the end of 2021-22, has made no secret of his desire to join Madrid, where countryman Karim Benzema, head coach Carlo Ancelotti and Los Blancos president Florentino Perez have spoken openly about the PSG target.

Varane, who left Madrid for Premier League powerhouse United before the transfer window closed, added: "For Kylian, it's simply his future, he's the one who decides, he's the one who has the maturity to choose with his family.

"Whether he stays or goes, he knows. I think he is down to earth and he knows clearly what he wants. I think it's not my role to advise him or to make a decision for him. He knows very well on his own."

Ronald Koeman left his post as national team boss last month to take over at Barcelona following the dismissal of Quique Setien.

De Boer, who made 112 Netherlands appearances and played at two World Cups for his country, has signed a two-year deal that takes him through to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The 50-year-old enjoyed a promising start to his coaching career, leading Ajax to four straight Eredivisie titles between 2011 and 2014.

However, his appointment may come as somewhat of a surprise given a poor track record since departing the Amsterdam club.

An ill-fated 85-day spell as Inter coach was followed by a forgettable 10-week stay in charge of Crystal Palace.

De Boer did win the U.S. Open Cup during an 18-month stint at MLS side Atlanta United but he departed the team two months ago following an indifferent start to the season.

Previously, De Boer worked for the national team as assistant coach to Bert van Marwijk at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa where Netherlands were beaten by Spain in the final.

His first assignment comes in the friendly match against Mexico on October 7 before the Nations League double header against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Italy.

Koeman was originally scheduled to remain in the post through Euro 2020 but tournament was rescheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic and he opted not to pass up the chance to take over at Barca.

Toney was left out of the matchday squad by Gareth Southgate for the 1-0 defeat to Italy and, while he was included in the 23 players chosen for the Germany match, he was not called upon off the bench.

The 26-year-old had been called up for the first time by Southgate after a superb start to the season in which he netted five times in Brentford's first six league games.

And Frank says Toney must use this disappointment to fuel his performances for the Bees, telling reporters: "Of course Ivan hoped to come on the pitch. 

"I think in life and football the way you get success is you can show resilience and come back from smaller setbacks.

"It is a minor setback, a minor disappointment, but you need to move forward and just prove people wrong by performing well and that's the only thing he can do.

"So it's actually relatively simple. But a little bit more difficult of course to do it day in day out. But Ivan has a strong mentality and he will do everything he can to perform well."

Timo Werner scored either side of half-time following Leroy Sane's equaliser as Leon Goretzka turned in a dominant midfield display in Leipzig. 

It was far from plain sailing for Germany on Saturday, however, with Andriy Shevchenko's depleted Ukraine side – who hit the post three times – taking a 12th-minute lead. 

Goretzka set up two goals in the space of 10 minutes to give Germany the advantage by the interval and while defensive solidity evaded the hosts, Werner's second wrapped up the points.

One of four players to keep his place in Germany's starting XI, Philipp Max created two chances inside the opening five minutes, with Goretzka and Robin Koch failing to hit the target. 

Yet Max was partly at fault as, against the run of play, Ukraine took the lead – the PSV defender's weak challenge enabling Oleksandr Zubkov to squeeze the ball back for Roman Yaremchuk to lash home. 

Ukraine's lead lasted just 11 minutes, Goretzka robbing Oleksandr Zinchenko of possession before setting up Bayern Munich team-mate Sane, who arrowed a left-footed strike across Andriy Pyatov. 

Goretzka had his second assist in the 33rd minute, crossing for Werner to head in from close range after getting on the end of Koch's delightful pass. 

Ukraine were inches away from equalising early in the second half, as Zinchenko's deflected effort hit the upright. 

Sane then sent a tame finish straight at Pyatov, but – after having a hopeful penalty appeal for handball dismissed – Germany had their third in the 64th minute. 

Ilkay Gundogan fed Matthias Ginter, whose cross was swept home by Werner via a deflection. Marlos and Moraes did strike the woodwork at the other end, but the visitors failed to muster a comeback.

The former Iceland and Jamaica boss will lead the Boys in Green for the forthcoming Nations League and 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, and will be officially unveiled at a press conference on Thursday.

Hallgrimsson resigned from his role with Jamaica 10 days ago following the Reggae Boyz's exit from the Copa America group stages, and fills the void that was held by John O'Shea on an interim basis after Stephen Kenny's departure last November.

Along with Lars Lagerbeck, the 57-year-old guided Iceland to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals - famously beating England along the way - and, in sole charge, he led his nation to their maiden World Cup appearance two years later.

Only the nation's second head coach from outside the UK and Ireland after Giovanni Trapattoni, Hallgrimsson's first game at the helm will be against England in the Nations League on September 7.

"It is an honour to be appointed Head Coach of the Ireland Senior Men's National Team," he told the official FAI website. 

"Ireland is rightly a proud footballing nation which has consistently produced talented players and enjoyed many memorable moments at major international tournaments.

"We have a young and exciting team that has genuine potential. I am looking forward to working closely with the players to help coach and guide them towards improved performances and results, ensuring we qualify and compete at major tournaments on a regular basis.

"It is my responsibility to coach, prepare and develop our team as best as possible to deliver results on the pitch, and to make our supporters happy and proud."

Germany allowed Havertz to leave their training camp in Stuttgart on Friday to complete a switch to Chelsea, where he signed a five-year contract.

The Blues also raided the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner, with Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr having also arrived at Stamford Bridge as reinforcements for the 2020-21 season.

Low was disappointed to see Havertz leave the Bundesliga but hopes playing abroad can help him have a bigger impact with the national team.

"I see it as a negative when such great talents like Kai are no longer in the Bundesliga," Low told a news conference on Saturday.

"But I also see the positives. Abroad, the players develop their personalities.

"I think the time is right for Kai, and the same goes for Werner. If they take the next step that will of course help us too."

Havertz was an unused substitute in Germany's 1-1 draw with Spain in the Nations League on Thursday, with Low not playing him due to his Chelsea transfer not being completed at that point.

"Kai was torn. Kai would have been good for us in the second half against Spain, but I also knew his situation," said Low.

"He would have liked to have played for the national team, but in such situations, when a transfer is imminent, you have to be careful."

Germany will be without Havertz when they face Switzerland on Sunday but Low expects to have every other player available, having confirmed Leroy Sane did not suffer a muscle injury against Spain.

"Bernd Leno will be in goal. For everyone else, I'll wait for training," said Low.

"I told Leroy we weren't taking any risks. He did not suffer any muscular injuries, but it was not to be expected that he would last the 90 minutes.

"Switzerland's development has been very good since 2014, including as individuals. They are now one of the big players. I see parallels between Switzerland and Spain in terms of the style of play."

Since completing a €100million move to Real Madrid in June 2019, Hazard has been beset by injury problems and limited to just 25 appearances in all competitions.

He has scored two goals and supplied four assists for Los Blancos, after a final campaign at Chelsea in which he registered 16 goals and 15 assists in the Premier League alone.

A muscle injury meant his first outing of 2020-21 did not come until October 27 and three games into his return he tested positive for coronavirus.  

Hazard was again positive for COVID-19 at the weekend and will consequently miss Belgium's crunch Nations League Group A2 clash with Denmark.

However, Martinez is confident the 29-year-old will soon return to his previous heights and play an important role for Madrid and Belgium.

"Eden really wanted to join us and play the last three games in 2020," said Martinez on Tuesday.

"He has had a really complicated year. I am convinced that 2021 will be a fabulous year for Eden Hazard, and also the national team."

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois added: "It's a shame he'll miss this match, but we have enough quality to win without him.

"The group has more experience, we know what we have to improve. We have one of the best teams in the world."

Martinez will also be without the suspended duo Axel Witsel and Thomas Meunier for the meeting in Heverlee, where a point will be enough for Belgium to qualify for the Nations League Finals.

"We are not going to focus on the absentees. I am looking at the players that will have the chance to put themselves forward, to seize an opportunity," said Martinez.

"I have many solutions to compensate for the absences of Wistel and Meunier. There is Thomas Foket, Thorgan Hazard and Nacer Chadli among others.

"Denmark are a very strong team but we want to participate in the Finals so we will do everything to win. We are not going to aim for a draw. We have to win for the fans and to end the year on a good note."

Belgium missed out on a place in the inaugural Nations League Finals in 2019 after losing their final group game against Switzerland 5-2.

Courtois insists they have learned from that performance and know they cannot take Denmark lightly.

"We know their strengths and weaknesses. If they win, they will quality. We have to show intensity from the first minute to the last, be careful and focused. We will not easily win this game 4-0," said Courtois.

"We had relaxed a bit that day [against Switzerland], it's true. We learned from that match. We are ready for Wednesday."

Germany led 2-0 after a 52nd minute penalty from Ilkay Gundogan and a goal from Kai Havertz in the 67th, but that advantage was wiped out in just over 15 minutes.

Luke Shaw struck in the 72nd, Mason Mount equalised three minutes later, and a penalty to Harry Kane put the English up 3-2 in the 83rd.

Ultimately, an 87th-minute leveller from Havertz saw the two sides share the points, and it gave Flick some mixed emotions.

"The first half was balanced, in the second we deservedly led 2-0 – then we made individual mistakes," he said. "It must not happen that we give up a lead like that. 

"But we came back, that's the positive. It was a good test, we take a lot of positive things with us, but also negative things. There's some work for us to do, but we're optimistic, otherwise we could stay at home."

Midfielder Joshua Kimmich provided a little more insight into exactly what went wrong to allow such a rapid collapse.

"We had everything under control and deservedly led 2-0 – then we became far too passive," he said. "No longer pushing through consistently, defending far too deep, no longer having the courage to play against the ball… but in terms of body language and engagement, it was an improvement.

"Everyone now has six weeks to get a good feeling and then we will attack."

After scoring two goals, Havertz said to only get a draw from a match like that "must of course worry you" but suggested that it "was another good game to learn from".

Meanwhile, Gundogan was not afraid to talk about Germany's lofty goals, saying they are heading to Qatar with the plan of making the final.

"It's not unrealistic," he said. "Of course, a lot has to come together. I don't see a team that is miles ahead.

"We have shown over long periods that we can do it at the highest level. We have to try to do that for 90 minutes. At a World Cup you have much less leeway to make mistakes than today."

Harry Kane had an early goal incorrectly ruled out but it soon became a tale of frustration for England against the side who famously humiliated them against the odds at Euro 2016.

Kyle Walker's red card teed up the prospect of another ignominious outcome, but Sterling won a spot kick in the final minute when Sverrir Ingason – who, like Walker received a second booking – handled his shot following a right-wing corner.

The Manchester City forward rolled his effort home before a further stoppage-time sting in the tail.

Joe Gomez clumsily fouled substitute Holmbert Fridjonsson in the box, although Birkir Bjarnason opted for a contrasting approach to Sterling's and blazed woefully high and wide.

Lodeweges, who was assistant to Ronald Koeman until his departure to Barcelona earlier this month, had the responsibility of selecting the full squad for the first time.

He has taken the opportunity to introduce fresh faces and recall some familiar ones not seen in the selection for several years, while Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt remains sidelined after knee surgery.

Attacking midfielder Ihattaren impressed in his 22 Eredivisie appearances for PSV in 2019-20 and declared for the Netherlands last year having also been eligible for Morocco.

Ball-playing centre-back Schuurs broke into Ajax's first-team squad before Dutch football was halted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Similarly, attack-minded left-back Wijndal – also 20 years old, like Ihattaren and Schuurs – earned rave reviews with AZ prior to the 2019-20 campaign being cancelled.

While those three will be hoping for their first caps, Leroy Fer and Tim Krul are aiming to return to action with the national side after significant periods away.

Krul last played for his country in October 2015, while Fer's absence has been 11 months longer – he featured most recently against Mexico in November 2014.

Daley Blind was among several on the provisional list, but he has been discarded after a recent health scare in an Ajax friendly.

The centre-back, who was last year fitted with a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator after being diagnosed with heart muscle inflammation, collapsed in the meeting with Hertha Berlin but insisted he was "feeling fine" when he provided an update on Wednesday.

Myron Boadu, Teun Koopmeiners and Calvin Stengs were among the more surprising omissions of those on the provisional list.

The Netherlands face Poland on September 4 and Italy three days later.

Netherlands squad in full:

Jasper Cillessen (Valencia), Marco Bizot  (AZ), Tim Krul (Norwich City); Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries (PSV), Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Hans Hateboer (Atalanta), Perr Schuurs (Ajax), Joel Veltman (Brighton and Hove Albion), Stefan de Vrij (Inter), Owen Wijndal (AZ); Donny van de Beek (Ajax), Leroy Fer (Feyenoord), Mohamed Ihattaren (PSV), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Kevin Strootman (Marseille), Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool); Luuk de Jong (Sevilla), Quincy Promes (Ajax), Ryan Babel (Galatasaray), Steven Bergwijn (Tottenham).

The former Newcastle forward pounced two minutes from the end of a tight encounter on Thursday after a shot from Manchester City’s Champions League final match-winner Rodri was deflected into his path.

Spain had taken a third-minute lead through Yeremy Pino but Italy soon levelled with a penalty from Ciro Immobile.

Italy’s Davide Frattesi then had a goal chalked off for a narrow offside and Joselu had the final say, just four minutes after coming on.

The game was largely played at a slow pace but it got off to a lively start.

Pino gave Spain an instant advantage after robbing Italy captain Leonardo Bonucci on the edge of the area and firing past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

It was a lead that was soon erased as Italy were awarded a spot-kick seven minutes later after a shot from Nicolo Zaniolo was blocked by the arm of Robin Le Normand. Immobile made no mistake from 12 yards.

Italy were unfortunate not to be in front soon after as Frattesi finished superbly from a lofted Jorginho pass but VAR intervened.

Italy went close again before the break when Rafael Toloi volleyed just over and Spain had another chance when Alvaro Morata shot straight at Donnarumma.

The second half lacked dynamism but both sides had opportunities.

Rodri, fresh from his winner in City’s Istanbul triumph on Saturday, tried to catch Donnarumma out with an overhead kick that dropped over before Zaniolo forced a good save from Unai Simon at the other end.

Rodri was involved again for what proved the winner when his shot was blocked and Joselu calmly dinked past Donnarumma.

Spain will now play Croatia in Sunday’s final with Italy facing the Netherlands in the third-place play-off.

Kane is set to win his 50th cap for the Three Lions on Sunday when England visit Belgium in the Nations League.

The Spurs star already has 32 goals to his name for his country, putting him 21 behind Manchester United legend Rooney.

Still only 27, Kane has a lot of international football ahead of him, giving him a clear opportunity to overhaul Rooney and cement his place as England's greatest ever goalscorer.

"In terms of what's possible, I think the goalscoring record is the real interesting one," Southgate told a media conference.

"His strike rate for us is quite phenomenal really. He's got time on his side to crack on and chase Wayne's record, which would be a remarkable feat in itself.

"I know from his perspective, whilst personal achievement is something he's driven towards he's all about the team winning now, he's been to a World Cup, won the Golden Boot, in the end you want to win as a team.

"He's totally focused on that and the team having success. He would want in the next few years to be able to look back on the team having achieved, as well as some of those personal milestones."

Asked about his favourite moment from his time coaching Kane for England, Southgate pointed to his injury-time equaliser against Scotland at Hampden Park during qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, where he went on to win the Golden Boot with six goals as the Three Lions reached the semi-finals.

"The equaliser at Hampden sticks in my mind, that was a very important goal for us at a critical moment," said Southgate.

"Of course, his goals at the World Cup, to win the Golden Boot is an incredible personal achievement.

"There have been so many. It's a special moment for him, we've had three or four players get to that 50-cap milestone in the last year or so, for all of them it's a fantastic achievement."

England have failed to win any of their three Nations League matches in June after following up a 1-0 defeat to Hungary with a pair of draws against Germany and Italy.

Relegation from group A3 remains a threat for England – who have scored just one goal in those games – and preparation matches for the World Cup in Qatar are limited due to the mid-season placing for the competition, meaning Southgate's side have few opportunities to find rhythm before the tournament. 

Recent performances have led to increased question marks as to whether Southgate can get the most out of a wealth of attacking talent, and he himself insisted he would 'not outstay his welcome' in the role.

However, Kane has sprung to the defence of the man who led England to their first international final since 1966 last year, where the Three Lions lost in the final of Euro 2020 in a penalty shoot-out to Italy.

"I think we have been one of the most successful England teams in the past 50 years or so. So, I think we are definitely on the right track," he said ahead of Tuesday's clash with Hungary. 

"I can't speak highly enough of Gareth. Gareth is a fantastic manager; a fantastic person and we are all really looking forward to being with each other for another major tournament. 

"I had him with the 21s and then obviously since he's been with the senior team and I think he really understands what the England team needs to be successful."

Kane added: "I think if you look at where we were in 2016 compared to where we are now, we've made massive improvements and strides. We've knocked down a lot of hurdles in major tournaments by doing stuff an England team hasn't done for a long, long time. 

"We'll keep trying to improve and making the country proud. I think we've done that and we all have that major hunger and desire to win a major tournament. I think it's still a good possibility."

Kroos will this week represent Germany in the Nations League, a competition formed two years ago with the aim of replacing friendly matches.

The Club World Cup has also recently been expanded and there is talk of a new European Super League being formed in the coming years.

However, Real Madrid midfielder Kroos is completely against the idea of cramming more fixtures into an already packed schedule.

"With the invention of all these new things we seem to be just the puppets of FIFA and UEFA," he said.

"These competitions are created to suck everything out of every single player physically and to suck out as much money as possible.

"When certain things work well it is a good idea to leave them that way."

Speaking on his Einfach mal Luppen podcast, which he hosts together with brother Felix, Kroos also took aim at fellow professionals who choreograph their goal celebrations.

Referencing celebrations by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has previously sported a Spiderman mask, and Antoine Griezmann, who simulates dance moves from video game Fortnite, Kroos said: "I find it very silly.

"Even worse is if there are any objects hidden in their socks. Aubameyang once celebrated and took out a mask. That's where it ends with me.

"I don't think that's a good role model, either. What nonsense."

World Cup-winning boss Low has been under huge pressure following last month's 6-0 Nations League humbling at the hands of Spain.

It was Germany's heaviest defeat since losing to Austria in a friendly in 1931 by the same scoreline and led to rumours that Low, in charge since 2006, was on his way out.

German Football Association (DFB) president Fritz Keller offered his backing to Low in the days after the loss and the governing body last week confirmed he will stay in charge.

However, reports in Germany have suggested Keller tried to convince Low to cut short his contract by a year so that a new coach could be brought in after next year's rescheduled Euro 2020.

Low broke his silence at a news conference on Monday and, while disappointed at what has been said and reported in the past few weeks, he is hopeful of now moving on.

"I would like to put one thing in the right light: I am always open to constructive criticism," he said. "So I was amazed to read and hear certain stuff after the Spain defeat.

"We were all disappointed and angry that we let the fans down in the final game of 2020. The anger is still seething inside me. We don't have the chance to correct the result. 

"As always, we immediately started looking ahead. There were also some discussions with the DFB last Monday - it wasn't possible earlier. 

"I grew up with the fact that things that are discussed internally remain internal. It has to do with trust and credibility. You can also openly express your opinion. 

"But I was very annoyed that a lot of things leaked out after the first press release - by whoever. That disappointed me immensely. 

"I also said at the meeting that there were things that had happened that disappointed me. I made it clear to Fritz Keller once again on the phone what I heard about the matter.

"There is nothing more to say about it. But that stays with me. We have spoken out and that is the end of the matter for me."

Speaking at the weekend, meanwhile, Germany team director Oliver Bierhoff revealed he held talks with Ralf Rangnick over succeeding Low as head coach.

"I'm not sure whether he actually said that or hinted at it," Low said. "He didn't speak to me personally about it. But of course it's part of his job to think about it fundamentally.

"What happens if...? What are the next steps...? That's why he doesn't have to talk to me about it. That's not a problem for me. I think that's a manager's job. 

"As Oliver always said: After the next tournament, a balance will be drawn. Then the association and also the coach have to decide whether the goals have been achieved or not. 

"So it is completely normal to take care of things that can happen in good time. This is completely understandable for me."

The DFB released a statement a week after the Spain debacle stating Low would be given "time and emotional distance" before a decision would be made on his future.

Again, though, Low was unhappy with the wording of the statement.

"There was a press release that I needed an emotional distance. That was incomprehensible to me. I've been there for a long time and have seen a lot of things. 

"I said give me a day and then I'll be available for anything. I was disappointed with that, with some things that got public. Which partly did not correspond to the truth. 

"I have once again made it very clear internally that I want unity and trust in things that are discussed internally. I made that clear."

Germany's defeat to Spain brought an end to a 12-match unbeaten run and saw them finish second in Nations League Group A4. 

But with preparations now underway for Euro 2020, and with the World Cup 2022 qualifying draw taking place on Monday, Low is readying himself for a busy period.

"I went into last week's meeting knowing the outcome could go either way - yes or no that I'd stay on. If it was to be yes, I wanted it to be with conviction. That was important.

"The defeat still hurts but as a coach you have to ask yourself 'is everything still on the right path?' For me the players want to follow this path. That is the most important thing.

"We have always experienced difficult situations. You learn to deal with it. In any case, we were very disappointed and angry after the 6-0 loss. 

"We started to initiate a change in 2019 and are absolutely convinced that we will embark on this path. We knew there would be setbacks and that was factored in from the start. 

"There is absolute trust in the players and their performance. Overall, we had a very good year in 2019. We have developed very well. In 2020 the development stopped a little. 

"We need players next year that are totally fresh, then we have great potential. If you disregard the Spain game, we are on the right track, which we are convinced of. 

"Of course we have to correct things, we also check ourselves. But we are convinced of the red line or the path we are going."

Spain were heading for successive Group A4 defeats before substitute Gerard Moreno struck to cancel out Remo Freuler's first-half opener in a game that saw Sergio Ramos miss two penalties.

Having started with Gerard and Alvaro Morata in Wednesday's 1-1 friendly draw with the Netherlands, Luis Enrique reverted back to his striker-less system at St Jakob-Park by recalling Dani Olmo to lead the line.

It was ultimately Villarreal striker Gerard who made the difference for Spain as he got on the end of Sergio Reguilon's left-sided cross and clinically converted from seven yards out – one of 20 shots the visitors attempted.

Luis Enrique's side have scored three goals in their past five games but the coach has stood by his decision to leave out the likes of Morata and Gerard in Basel until the second half.

"Soccer can be like this," he said. "It is a wonderful game but sometimes it does not do justice. A lot of things happened and we tried to play our style. 

"We felt that a number nine was not going to be necessary in the first half. We lacked a bit of freshness but I think Switzerland were good.

"We lacked when it came to the most difficult thing – scoring. On the basis of the first half we deserved to win, and on the basis of the second as well. It is easy to say after the game that Morata had to play or Gerard should have played."

Spain have taken one point from their past two Group A4 matches, having lost 1-0 to Ukraine last month, and now face Germany – one point better off after beating Ukraine 3-1 on Saturday – in a final-game shootout for top spot on Tuesday.

"I already have a plan for the Germany game," Luis Enrique added. "We will have to see how the players recover and take that into account.

"But we now know that we need to win or be out, as if it was a knockout game in the European Championship."

Arguably the biggest selection call of all, however, was Luis Enrique's decision to bring in Unai Simon over benched pair David de Gea and Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal for the second match running.

Simon made two saves but was well beaten for Freuler's opener and was caught out in the second half when racing way off his line and failing to get the ball, with Ramos getting back to block Haris Seferovic's shot on the line.

Asked to explain his goalkeeping pecking order, Luis Enrique said: "I have always declared that I am happy with all three of them.

"I will keep calling on them. Unai has been very good."

Gerard's late goal was his fourth for Spain, each being scored in the month of November, and was of particular relief to Ramos following his remarkable double penalty miss.

The Spain skipper was making his 177th international appearance, seeing him overtake Italy great Gianluigi Buffon as the most-capped European male player.

Yann Sommer was equal to both spot-kicks but Luis Enrique is keeping faith with Ramos, who had scored his previous 25 for club and country.

"There is a list of shooters and Ramos is first," he said. "He would take every penalty that was in the game. 

"He had been on a good run but football has these moments. We are not going to criticise him now."

Spain are now unbeaten in 10 away games against Switzerland, which is their best such run against any opponent.