Bayern players get Germany preference - Hummels

The defender says that the Schwarzgelben players joke about transfer rumours in training, while revealing that they are confident of finishing second in the Bundesliga

Bayern Munich players get preferential treatment in Germany's national team, according to Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels.

The 25-year-old, who is one of the only BVB regulars in Joachim Low's starting line-up, feels that playing at the Allianz Arena is a massive advantage when it comes to die Mannschaft.

"I believe that, in principle, it is easier to get into the national team if you perform well at Bayern, compared to what the benefits of playing for other clubs are," Hummels told Welt am Sonntag. 

"If someone plays five good games in a row for the Bavarians, there is more talk about them being in the national team than of those who play five good games in a row for Dortmund or Wolfsburg or Bayer Leverkusen."

Hummels' status as an automatic starter for Germany has been rocked in the last 12 months due to mediocre showings on the international stage, but the defender says this has only improved his rapport with head coach Low.

"I have to go say very clearly: in this phase, where I've had a small crisis, my relationship with the national coach has been much better," he added."

"We have since talked very openly. That was very important for me. So I got to know his thoughts and ideas even better. In turn, he has listened to my opinion."


Barcelona-bound? | Hummels laughed off links with Camp Nou
Hummels has been rumoured for a long while to be a Barcelona target, but he laughed off the suggestion of him leaving Signal Iduna Park in the summer and said that the Bundesliga club do well at replacing departed players with quality ones.

"We do have our jokes about [the transfer rumours] and look at them in a much more relaxed way than many might believe," he added.

"Also, this is because we have great confidence in the people in our club's management. I assume that already the new season is being planned and - if we should actually lose players - again good to be fetched. 

"Last summer, we brought on board Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang."

However, with Bayern 14 points clear of the Schwarzgelben in the Bundesliga with a game in hand, Hummels has accepted that finishing second is the best Jurgen Klopp's men can manage this campaign.

"Second place in the Bundesliga is our goal," the defender continued. "It has to be.

"I've never measured success in terms of trophies. I would never say, 'If I have never won the Champions League, I am not happy in life'.

"I do not necessarily want to play for the best team in the world. I would prefer to win the Champions League with Dortmund than six with another club.