Windfall for German stars after World Cup qualification

Germany qualified for Brazil 2014 as Group C winners having won nine of their 10 matches and eight of the squad qualify for the maximum amount of 20,000 euros per game.

Schuerrle celebrates after scoring yesterday

Curiously, reserve goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler of Hanover 96 collects the maximum sum despite not playing a single minute of the qualifying campaign having been on the bench for every game.

Arsenal stars Mesut Ozil, Per Mertesacker, plus Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer, Thomas Mueller, Jerome Boateng, Philipp Lahm and Chelsea's Andre Schuerrle are the other seven to pick up the full amount.

Chelsea's Schuerrle claimed a second-half hat-trick as Germany came from two goals down to seal a 5-3 win away to Sweden in Tuesday's final World Cup qualifier. Sweden raced into the lead with goals by Tobias Hysen and Alexander Kacaniklic before Ozil pulled one back just before the break.

The Germans then ran riot in the second-half with Mario Goetze equalising before Schuerrle's hat-trick, while Hysen pulled one back for the Swedes.u00a0