Thomas Mueller says the Germans' shock early exit from the World Cup will provide "huge motivation" when he starts the new season with both Germany and Bayern Munich. Mueller, 28, was one of several 2014 World Cup winners who played poorly in Russia as previous holders Germany crashed out after the group stages by finishing bottom of their pool. Humiliating World Cup defeats to South Korea and Mexico will motivate Mueller and his team-mates in Germany's first match of the new Nations League tournament against newly-crowned World Cup winners France in Munich on September 6.

"It's about how we can do better," Mueller told the Bayern Munich website. "After going out like that, you handle the failure very badly, because no one expected it." Mueller was a long way from his best in Russia, as were fellow Germany stars Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira, Mats Hummels and Mesut Ozil. Ozil announced his retirement from the national team last month amid the furore sparked by his meeting with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the eve of the World Cup, which brought Ozil's loyalty to Germany into question.