Jonas Hector has surprisingly ended his career in the German national soccer team after 43 international matches. As his club 1. FC Köln and the German Football Association (DFB) announced on Thursday, the 30-year-old FC captain gave private reasons for his decision. Hector had already informed national coach Joachim Löw and his club about his intention in personal talks at the beginning of September and, at his own request, had not been considered for the three games in October against Turkey, Ukraine and Switzerland. The “kicker” had first reported about Hector’s resignation.
“I have great respect for Jonas Hector’s decision. In addition to all of his sporting qualities, we have always valued his great character, his calmness and his trust, ”said DFB director Oliver Bierhoff on the defensive player’s withdrawal. “With Jonas you could also talk about topics outside of football,” said Bierhoff. Hector has “never forgotten where he comes from and lived the values of our team”.
FC sports director Horst Heldt also showed understanding for Hector’s decision. “Taking this step voluntarily shows what our captain is like: straightforward and courageous. All of us at FC are proud that his consistently strong performances at FC over the years have led him to the national team, where he became a permanent fixture in Jogi Löw’s team, ”praised Heldt.
Hector made his debut for the German national team on November 14, 2014. One of his three goals in a DFB dress was particularly unforgettable. In the quarter-finals of the European Championship 2016, he converted the decisive goal against Italy. Hector also took part in the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup with the DFB. When he won the Confed Cup in Russia in 2017, he was on the pitch in four of the five games. The Cologne player played his last international match on November 19, 2019 in a 6-1 win against Northern Ireland in European Championship qualification.
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