Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has apologized for not shaking the hand of German President Joachim Gauck after Bayern's Champions League final loss to Chelsea in Munich.

A photo of a vacant-looking Schweinsteiger, silver medal in his hand, walking past Gauck's extended hand without even looking at the president featured in most German newspapers on Monday.

"It's absolutley not the case, it's a misunderstanding," Schweinsteiger said in a statement issued through the club of the apparent snub. "If you put yourself, even a little bit, in my situation and if you look at the photo, you can see I'm completely in my own world after such a disapointment. I was shocked, disapointed, like paralyzed. I just didn't see the president's hand. I'm sorry I gave another impression at that time. I want to apologize to the president for that."

Schweinsteiger missed his penalty kick in the shootout that Chelsea won 4-3 after overtime ended, 1-1.