Schweinsteiger tribute to jailed Hoeness after Germany win

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Schweinsteiger tribute to jailed Hoeness after Germany win

Bastian Schweinsteiger paid tribute to jailed Bayern Munich legend Uli Hoeness after Germany's World Cup triumph here Sunday.

Schweinsteiger, who turned in a magnificent performance in the German midfield, had words of support for Hoeness, who was jailed for three-and-a-half years for tax evasion in May.

"Special greetings to someone who many of us wouldn’t have been here without: Uli Hoeness," said Schweinsteiger.

"Many thanks for your support of us (Bayern Munich players) and we believe that it will all be okay and we’re behind you."

Hoeness, a member of West Germany's 1974 World Cup winning side, was a hugely influential figurer at Bayern, Schweinsteiger's club.

Schweinsteiger meanwhile celebrated an "unbelievable" victory.

"We’ll enjoy the moment, it’s unbelievable," he said.

"Thank you to the whole of Germany for your support.

"We could feel how much you have got behind us here.

"It was an unbelievable performance, but how the boys on the bench have got into it is something I have never experienced before.

"That gave us so much power, now because of it we have won the World Cup."

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-07-14