Germany national football team

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The Germany national football team (GermanDie deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft) is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund), which was founded in 1900.

From 1950 to 1990, it was more or less the team of West Germany[3] as the DFB is based in Frankfurt, located in the former West Germany. Under Allied occupation and division, two other separate national teams were also recognized by FIFA: the Saarland team (1950–1956) and the East German team (1952–1990). Both have been absorbed along with their records (caps and goal scorers)[citation needed] by the current national team. The official name and code "Germany FR (FRG)" was shortened to "Germany (GER)" in 1990.

Germany is historically one of the three most successful national teams at international competitions, having won a total of three World Cups and three European Championships. They have also been runners-up three times in the European Championships, four times in the World Cup, and further won four 3rd places. East Germany won Olympic Gold in 1976. Germany is the only nation to have won both the men's and women's World Cups. Germany's rivals include EnglandThe Netherlands, and Argentina.

The current coaching staff of the national team include head coach Joachim Löw, assistant coach Hans-Dieter Flick, goalkeeper coach Andreas Köpke, athletic coach Shad Forsythe, athletic coach Oliver Bartlett, scout Urs Siegenthaler, technical director Matthias Sammer, and team manager Oliver Bierhoff.[4]

Contents [hide][edit]HistoryThis section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed(August 2008)[edit]Early yearsBetween 1899 and 1901, prior to the formation of a national team, there were five unofficial international matches between different German and English selection teams, which all ended as large defeats for the German teams. Eight years after the establishment of the German Football Association (DFB), the first official match of the Germany national football team[5] was played on 5 April 1908, against Switzerland in Basel, with the Swiss winning 5–3. Coincidentally, the first match after World War Iin 1920, the first match after World War II in 1950 when Germany was still banned from most international competitions, and the first match in 1990 with former East German players were all against Switzerland as well. Germany's first championship title was even won in Switzerland.

At that time, the players were selected by the DFB as there was no dedicated coach. The first manager of the Germany national team was Otto Nerz, a school teacher from Mannheim, who served in the role from 1923 to 1936. The German FA could not afford travel to Uruguay for the first World Cup staged in 1930 during the Great Depression, but finished third in the 1934 World Cup in their first appearance in the competition. After a poor showing at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Sepp Herberger became coach. In 1937 he put together a squad which was soon nicknamed the Breslau Elf (the Breslau Eleven) in recognition of their 8–0 win over Denmark in the then German city of BreslauLower Silesia (now Wrocław, Poland).[6]

After Austria became part of Germany in the Anschluss of March 1938, that country's national team – one of Europe's better sides at the time due to professionalism – was disbanded despite having already qualified for the 1938 World Cup. As required by Nazi politicians, five or six ex-Austrian players, from the clubs Rapid ViennaAustria ViennaVienna Wien, were ordered to join the all-German team on short notice in a staged show of unity orchestrated for political reasons. In the 1938 World Cup that began on 4 June, this "united" German team managed only a 1–1 draw against Switzerland, and then lost the replay 2–4 in front of a hostile crowd in Paris, France. That early exit stands as Germany's worst ever World Cup result.

During World War II, the team played over 30 international games between September 1939 and November 1942, when national team games was suspended as most players had to join the armed forces. Many of the national team players were gathered together under coach Herberger as Rote Jäger through the efforts of a sympathetic air force officer trying to protect the footballers from the most dangerous wartime service.

[edit]Three German teamsAfter the Second World War, Germany was banned from competition in most sports until about 1950, with none of the three new German states, West GermanyEast Germany and Saarland, entering the 1950 World Cup qualifiers as the DFB was only reinstated as full FIFA member after this World Cup.

[edit]West GermanyAs in most aspects of life, the pre-war traditions and organisations of Germany were carried on by the Federal Republic of Germany, which was referred to as West Germany. This applied also to the restored DFB which had its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and still employed coach Sepp Herberger. With recognition by FIFA and UEFA, the DFB maintained and continued the record of the pre-war team. NeighbouringSwitzerland was once again the first team that played West Germany in 1950, with Turkey and Republic of Ireland being the only non-German speaking nations to play them in friendly matches during 1951.[7]

After only 18 post war games in total, West Germany qualified for the 1954 World Cup, having prevailed against Norway and the "third German state", the Saarland.

[edit]SaarlandMain article: Saarland national football teamThe Saar protectorate, otherwise known as Saarland, split from Germany and put under French control between 1947 and 1956. Saarland did not want to join French organisations and was barred from participating in pan-German ones. Thus, they sent separate teams to the 1952 Summer Olympics and also to the 1954 World Cup qualifiers, when Saarland finished below West Germany but above Norway in their qualification group, having won in Oslo. Legendary coach Helmut Schön was the manager of the Saarland team from 1952 until 1957, when the territory acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany. He went on to coach the championship-winning team of the 1970s.

[edit]East GermanyMain article: East Germany national football teamIn 1949, the communist German Democratic Republic was founded in the Soviet-occupied eastern part of the country. A separate football competition emerged in what was commonly known as East Germany. In 1952 the Deutscher Fußball-Verband der DDR (DFV) was established and the East Germany national football team took to the field. They were the only team to beat the 1974 World Cup winning West Germans in a highly symbolic event for the divided nation that was the only meeting of the two sides. East Germany went on to win the gold medal at the 1976 Olympics. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German reunification in 1990, the eastern football competition was reintegrated into the DFB.

[edit]Das Wunder von Bern'Miss Germany' on the World Cup 1954 in BernMain article: 1954 FIFA World Cup FinalWest Germany, captained by Fritz Walter, met in the 1954 World Cup some of the teams they had played in friendly matches, namely TurkeyYugoslavia and Austria. When playing favorites Hungary in the group stage, with good chances to qualify for the next round even in case of defeat, coach Sepp Herberger did not field his best players, saving them from the experience of a 3–8 loss. West Germany would go on to meet Hungary again in the final, facing the legendary team of Mighty Magyarsagain, which had gone unbeaten for 32 consecutive matches. In a shocking upset, West Germany came back from an early two goal deficit to win 3–2, with Helmut Rahnscoring the winning goal with only six minutes remaining. The success is called "The Miracle of Bern" (Das Wunder von Bern). The unexpected victory created a sense of euphoria throughout a divided postwar Germany. The triumph is credited with playing a significant role in securing the postwar ideological foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany.

[edit]Memorable losses: Wembley goal and Game of the CenturyAfter finishing fourth in the 1958 World Cup and reaching only the quarter-finals in the 1962 World Cup, the DFB had to make changes. Following examples set abroad, professionalism was introduced, and the best clubs from the various Regionalligas were assembled into the new Bundesliga. In 1964, Helmut Schön took over as coach, replacing Herberger who had been in office for 28 years.

In the 1966 World Cup, West Germany reached the final after beating the USSR in the semifinal, facing hosts England at Wembley StadiumWolfgang Weber's last minute goal took the game into extra time, a goal claimed to be controversial by the English, with the ball appearing to hit the hand of a German player as it travelled through the England penalty area before he prodded it in. The first extra time goal by Geoff Hurst, nicknamed Wembley-Tor (Wembley goal) in Germany, is still controversial after all this time. As the Swiss referee did not see the situation properly, the opinion of the Soviet linesman Tofik Bakhramov who believed that the ball bounced back from the net rather than the crossbar led to one of the most contentious goals in the history of football. While the Germans pushed hard to tie the game, spectators entered the field in the final seconds, and Hurst scored another controversial goal giving England a 4–2 win.

West Germany gained a measure of revenge in the 1970 World Cup by knocking England out in the quarter-finals 3–2, having been 2–0 down, before they suffered another memorable extra time loss, this time in the semi-final against Italy at Estadio AztecaKarl-Heinz Schnellinger scored during injury time to level the match at 1–1, and during extra time, both teams held the lead at one time. Memorably, Franz Beckenbauerremained on the field even with a dislocated shoulder, his arm in a sling strapped to his body, as West Germany had used up their two allowed substitutions. Eventually won 4–3 by Italy, this match with five goals in extra time is one of the most dramatic in World Cup history, and is called "Game of the Century" in both Italy (Partita del secolo) and Germany (Jahrhundertspiel). While the exhausted Italians lost to Brazil, West Germany went on to claim third place by beating Uruguay 1–0, and Gerd Müller finished as the tournament's top scorer with 10 goals.

[edit]World Cup title on home soilMain article: 1974 FIFA World Cup FinalIn 1971, Franz Beckenbauer became captain of the national team, and he led West Germany to great success as they became both the European and World Champions. They won the European Championship on their first try at Euro 72, defeating the Soviet Union 3–0 in the final. Then, as hosts of the 1974 World Cup, they won their second World Cup, defeating the Netherlands 2–1 in the final at the Olympiastadion in Munich.

Two matches in the 1974 World Cup stood out for West Germany. The first group stage saw a politically charged match as West Germany played a game against East Germany. Both teams already were qualified for advance to the next round, and the East Germans won 1–0. The West Germans adjusted their line up after the loss and advanced to the final which was the other outstanding match, against the Johan Cruijff-led Dutch team and their brand of "Total Football". Cruijff was brought down early in the German penalty area following a solo run before any of the German players had even touched the ball, and the Dutch took the lead from the ensuing penalty with just a minute gone on the clock. However, West Germany managed to come back, tying the match on a penalty scored by Paul Breitner, and winning it with Gerd Müller's goal just before half-time. A second goal by Müller was ruled offside.

[edit]Late 1970s and early 1980sWest Germany failed to defend their titles in the next two major international tournaments. They lost to Czechoslovakia in the final of Euro 76 in a penalty shootout by a score of 5–3 after the match finished 2–2, with Uli Hoeneß famously kicking the ball sky high. Since that loss, Germany has not lost a penalty shootout in major international tournaments. In fact, until Lukas Podolski's shot was saved by the Serbian goalkeeper Vladimir Stojković during group play of the 2010 World Cup, the last penalty missed by a German player dates back to the 1982 World Cup semifinals when the French goalkeeper Jean-Luc Ettori savedUli Stielike's shot.

In the 1978 World Cup, Germany was eliminated in the second group stage after losing 2–3 to Austria, who had already been eliminated from the round of 16. Schön retired as coach afterward, and the post was taken over by his assistant, Jupp Derwall.

West Germany's first tournament under Derwall was successful, as they earned their second European title at Euro 80 after defeating Belgium 2–1 in the final. West Germany then reached the final of the 1982 World Cup, though not without difficulties. They were upset 1–2 by Algeria in their first match, but managed to advance to the second round with a controversial 1–0 win over Austria. Then, in the semifinal againstFrance, they came back from down 1–3 during extra time to tie the match 3–3 and won the following penalty shootout 5–4. In the final, they were defeated by Italy 1–3.

During this period, West Germany also had one of the world's most productive goal scorers in Gerd Müller, who racked up fourteen goals in two World Cups (1970 and 1974). His ten goals in 1970 are the third-most ever in a tournament, behind France's Just Fontaine and Hungarian Sándor Kocsis. Though Müller's all-time World Cup record of 14 goals was broken by Ronaldo in 2006, it took Ronaldo three tournaments to do so (1998, 2002, and 2006). Germany's Miroslav Klose is in third place all-time, with fourteen goals, scored over three tournaments (2002, 2006, and 2010).

[edit]Beckenbauer's triumph as coachFranz BeckenbauerAfter being eliminated in the first round of Euro 84Franz Beckenbauer returned to the national team to replace Derwall as coach. In the 1986 World Cup, West Germany finished as runners-up for the second consecutive tournament after again beating France 2–0 in the semi-finals but losing to the Diego Maradona-led Argentina in the final, 2–3. In Euro 88, West Germany's hopes of winning the tournament on home soil were spoiled by the Netherlands, as the Dutch gained revenge of their loss in 1974 by beating them 2–1 in the semifinals.

In the 1990 World Cup, West Germany finally won their third World Cup title in its unprecedented third consecutive final appearance. Captained by Lothar Matthäus, they defeated Yugoslavia (4–1), UAE (5–1), the Netherlands (2–1), Czechoslovakia (1–0), and England (1–1, 4–3 on penalty kicks) on the way to a final rematch againstArgentina. West Germany won 1–0, with the only goal being a penalty scored in the 85th minute by Andreas Brehme. Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup as the national team's captain in 1974, thus became the first person ever (followed only by Mário Zagallo) to win the World Cup as both player and coach, and the first as both captain and coach.

[edit]Olympic footballMain article: Germany Olympic football teamOlympic medal recordMen's FootballBronze1988 SeoulTeamPrior to 1984, Olympic football was an amateur event, meaning that only non-professional players could participate. Due to this, West Germany was never able to achieve the same degree of success at the Olympics as at the World Cup, with the only medal coming in the 1988 Olympics, when they won the bronze medal. Since then, however, no German team has managed to qualify for the Olympics. West Germany also reached the second round in both 1972 and 1984. On the other hand, East Germany did far better, winning a gold, a silver and two bronze medals (one representing the United Team of Germany).

[edit]After Reunification: Berti VogtsIn February 1990, months after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the draw for the 1992 European Championship qualifying tournament saw East Germany and West Germany drawn together in Group 5. After West Germany's 1990 World Cup win, with assistant Berti Vogts taking over as the national team coach, the retiring Beckenbauer infamously predicted that the German team, with additional former East Germans to choose from, would be invincible for years to come. The reunification of Germany was confirmed in August to take effect on 3 October 1990, with the access of the former GDR to the Federal Republic of Germany. The members of the East German association Deutscher Fußball-Verband acceded to the DFB in November, while the 1990–91 seasons would continue, with the restructuring of leagues scheduled for 1991–92. The first game with a unified German team, including former East German internationals such as Matthias Sammer and Ulf Kirsten, was against Switzerland on 19 December.

In Euro 92, Germany reached the final, but lost 0–2 to surprise winners Denmark. As the defending champions in the 1994 World Cup, they were upset 1–2 in the quarterfinals by Bulgaria even though they led for the first part of the match.

Reunified Germany won their first major international title at Euro 96, becoming the European champions for the third time. They defeated hosts England on penalty kicks (6–5 after a 1–1 draw) in the semifinals and the Czech Republic 2–1 in the final, a match decided by a golden goal scored by Oliver Bierhoff.

However, in the 1998 World Cup, Germany were again eliminated by a less-heralded opponent in the quarterfinals, this time in a 0–3 defeat to Croatia. Vogts stepped down afterwards and was replaced by Erich Ribbeck.

[edit]Oliver Kahn/Michael Ballack EraFollowing another early World Cup exit in 1998 along with the retirement of many key players and discouraging results under Ribbeck, Germany's standing as one of the world's elite national sides was in question.

In Euro 2000, the aging team went out in the first round after failing to win any of their three matches, including an embarrassing 0–3 loss to an understrength Portugal side (who had already advanced to the next round). Ribbeck resigned amid strong public criticism and was replaced temporarily and then permanently by Rudi Völler - after planned successor Christoph Daum was involved in a drug scandal.

Coming into the 2002 World Cup, expectations of the German team were low due to poor results in the qualifiers. This included not directly qualifying for the finals for the first time. The team nonetheless dealt a thrashing to Saudi Arabia 8–0 in their first match. In the knockout stages, riding on the heroics of Oliver Kahn and Michael Ballack they produced three consecutive 1–0 wins against Paraguay, the United States, and co-hosts South Korea, setting up a final against Brazil, the first World Cup meeting between the two. Unfortunately Ballack was suspended for the final due to accumulated yellow cards and Kahn was injured during the final proper. In a hard-fought match, Germany thus lost 0–2. Nevertheless, German captain and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn won the Golden Ball, the first time in the World Cup's history that a goalkeeper was named the best player of the tournament, as well as the Yashin-Award for the best goalkeeper in the tournament.

Germany failed to build on their success in 2002 and again exited in the first round of Euro 2004, this time drawing their first two matches and losing the third. As was the case in 2000, the team exited losing to an understrength side that had already advanced, in this case the Czech Republic. Even though Germany dominated the match, they could not score, losing to a Czech goal scored on the break. Völler resigned afterwards, denouncing the constant media criticism in a famous TV interview. The national team had to find their third new coach in six years after having had only six coaches in the previous 75 years. When prospective candidates including Ottmar Hitzfeld and Otto Rehhagel turned down the job, former national team player Jürgen Klinsmann, who had never held any coaching jobs before, was appointed. In similar style to Beckenbauer's former role as team manager without a coaching license, the experienced Joachim Löw from Stuttgart was appointed to assist him. Klinsmann made Michael Ballack the captain following Euro 2004. Klinsmann's main task was to lead the national team to a good showing at the 2006 World Cup being hosted in Germany.

Prior to the start of the tournament, hopes were not as high for Germany as in previous tournaments (even in Germany itself), even though it was the host nation. Critics pointed out the apparent lack of quality players in the squad and coach Klinsmann's decision to live in America rather than Germany. However, Germany won the opening game of the World Cup against Costa Rica 4–2. They continued to develop both confidence and support across the group stage, conceding no further goals as they beat Poland 1–0 and Ecuador 3–0, with Miroslav Klose scoring twice and Lukas Podolski adding another in the last match. Germany finished on top of their group with three wins. The team went on to defeat Sweden 2–0 in the round of 16, with Lukas Podolski netting both goals in only 12 minutes, from assists by Miroslav Klose.

People watching the Germany vs. Argentina match at the Donau Arena inRegensburgGermany faced favorites Argentina in the quarter-finals, a team that Germany had not defeated since the 1990 World Cup. Germany's shutout streak was broken shortly after half time as Argentina scored first to grab a 0–1 lead. However, Michael Ballack's cross, flicked on by Tim Borowski, allowed Klose to head in the equalizer with 10 minutes to spare. During the subsequent penalty shootout, goalkeeper Jens Lehmann saved two shots while his teammates all converted their shots to win the shootout 4–2. After the game, the Argentinians started a brawl, which later resulted in a match ban for midfielder Torsten Frings after Italian television networks showed video footage of him participating in the fight.

Expectations rose in Germany following these results, with many thinking that a record eighth appearance in the World Cup final was possible even though a starter was missing and the players were tired after already playing a tough 120 minutes against Argentina. In the semifinal match against Italy, the match went to extra time again, and hopes grew high that another penalty shootout would take the team to the final match in Berlin. However, despite Klinsmann's focus on fitness, the speed and concentration of the German players faded, and they conceded two goals in the final ninety seconds of extra time.

Despite having their dreams of playing in the final dashed, Klinsmann's squad quickly recovered their composure, and journalists noted the team's upbeat mood in the practices leading up to the third-place match. Three starters, including captain Michael Ballack, would not be available for the third place match, and their opponent Portugal's goalkeeper, Ricardo, had up to that point conceded only one goal in regular play. Nonetheless, Germany thoroughly defeated Portugal 3–1, at one point leading 3–0 due toBastian Schweinsteiger's two goals and an own goal, also off his shot, by Portugal's Petit.

With this victory, Germany ended the World Cup on a high, not only with the 3–1 win over Portugal in the battle for third place, but also with several awards: Miroslav Klose was awarded the Golden Boot for his tournament-leading five goals, becoming the first player from the united Germany to earn it, and fellow striker Lukas Podolski won the 'Best Young Player' award. Furthermore, four of Germany's players (Jens LehmannPhilipp LahmMichael Ballack, and Miroslav Klose) were selected for the tournament All-Star Team. In addition, with 14 goals scored, the German side scored more goals than any other team in the tournament. After the tournament, over 500,000 people honored the team by giving them a hero's welcome at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Germany had a much better World Cup than many—both at home and abroad—had believed possible.[citation needed]

Germany's entry into the Euro 2008 qualifying round was marked partially by the promotion of Joachim Löw to coach. In a group with the Czech Republic and the Republic of Ireland, Germany qualified comfortably, defeating San Marino in a record 13–0 away win along the way.

For the final tournament, Germany were placed into Group B alongside PolandCroatia and longtime rivals Austria. Germany defeated Poland 2–0 but suffered an ignominious 1–2 defeat to Croatia, compounded by a red card for Bastian Schweinsteiger for an aggressive off-the-ball incident. Germany entered the knockout round with a victory over Austria in the last match of group play. The only scorer of the game was Michael Ballack, who scored in the 49th minute with a powerful long-distance free-kick that was later chosen as the German Goal of the Year. Their quarterfinal opponent was Portugal. Germany started well and took an early lead after Schweinsteiger converted a cross from Lukas PodolskiMiroslav Klose made it 2–0 after heading in a free kick by Schweinsteiger. Portugal responded with a goal right before halftime, but Germany reclaimed their two-goal lead in the second half when Schweinsteiger assisted another header, this time by Michael Ballack. Germany saw out the rest of the match comfortably, conceding a late consolation goal, leaving the final score at 3–2.

Germany went into their semifinal match against Turkey as the overwhelming favorites. However, the team put up a nervous and shaky performance, falling behind due to Uğur Boral's goal in the 22nd minute.Bastian Schweinsteiger equalised, and Miroslav Klose put Germany ahead with less than twelve minutes left only for Semih Şentürk to level the score in the last minutes of the match. Just as the game was heading for extra time, defender Philipp Lahm cut inside past Colin Kazim-Richards, exchanged passes with Thomas Hitzlsperger, and stole in at the near post to score in the final minute, sending Germany into thefinal against Spain.

Spain were the heavy favorites but Germany was believed to be one of the few sides able to challenge them. After the opening fifteen minutes in which Germany dominated and nearly scored a few times, Spain got into their game and took the lead with a goal by Fernando Torres. Germany ended up losing the match 0–1, finishing as the runners-up of the tournament.

For the qualification for World Cup 2010, Germany were placed in a group with Azerbaijan (led by former Germany coach Berti Vogts), FinlandLiechtensteinRussia, and Wales.

[edit]2010 FIFA World Cup finalsMain article: 2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 World Cup draw, which took place on 4 December 2009, placed Germany in Group D, along with AustraliaSerbia, and Ghana. Throughout the tournament, Germany impressed by playing an attractive, attacking style of football. On 13 June 2010, they played their first match of the tournament against Australia and won 4–0. They lost their second match 0–1 to Serbia. Their next match against Ghana was won 1–0 by a goal from Mesut Özil. Germany went on to win the group and advanced to the knockout stage. In the round of 16, Germany humiliated England 4–1. However, the game controversially had a goal scored byFrank Lampard disallowed, despite video replays that showed the ball beyond the goal line. In the quarterfinals, Germany defeated Argentina 4–0; this match was also celebrated striker Miroslav Klose's 100th international cap and the match in which he tied German legend Gerd Müller's record of 14 World Cup goals, one behind the all-time record of 15 World Cup goals, which is held by Ronaldo of Brazil. In the semi-final on 7 July, Germany lost 1–0 to Spain. Germany played Uruguay for Third Place, as in 1970, and won the match 3–2 on 10 July.

Germany scored the most with a total of 16 goals in the 2010 World Cup, in comparison, the winning nation Spain scored only 8 goals. The German team became the first team since Brazil in 1982 to record the highest goal difference in a World Cup without winning it.

The German team reflected the changing demographic of Germany. It was significantly multicultural, as 11 of the players in the final 23-man World Cup Finals roster were eligible to play for other countries, despite 10 of the 11 being born or raised in Germany. The 11th, Cacau, arrived from Brazil in his late teens.[8]

Main article: 2010 FIFA World Cup Group DTeamv · d · ePldWDLGFGAGDPts Germany320151+46 Ghana31112204 Australia311136−34 Serbia310223−13


13 June 2010
20:30
Germany 4 – 0 AustraliaMoses Mabhida StadiumDurban
Attendance: 62,660
Referee: Marco Antonio Rodríguez (Mexico)Podolski  8'
Klose  26'
Müller  68'
Cacau  70'(Report)18 June 2010
13:30
Germany 0 – 1 SerbiaNelson Mandela Bay StadiumPort Elizabeth
Attendance: 38,294
Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spain)ReportJovanović  38'23 June 2010
20:30
Ghana 0 – 1 GermanySoccer CityJohannesburg
Attendance: 83,391
Referee: Carlos Eugênio Simon (Brazil)ReportÖzil  60'27 June 2010
16:00
Germany 4 – 1 EnglandFree State StadiumBloemfontein
Attendance: 40,510
Referee: Jorge Larrionda (Uruguay)Klose  20'
Podolski  32'
Müller  67', 70'ReportUpson  37'3 July 2010
16:00
Argentina 0 – 4 GermanyCape Town StadiumCape Town
Attendance: 64,100
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)ReportMüller  3'
Klose  69', 89'
Friedrich  74'7 July 2010
20:30
Germany 0 – 1 SpainMoses Mabhida StadiumDurban
Attendance: 60,960
Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)ReportPuyol  73'10 July 2010
20:30
Uruguay 2 – 3 GermanyNelson Mandela Bay StadiumPort Elizabeth
Attendance: 36,254
Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico)Cavani  28'
Forlán  51'ReportMüller  19'
Jansen  56'
Khedira  82'[edit]Euro 2012 qualificationMain article: UEFA Euro 2012 qualifyingGermany will be competing in Group A in qualification for UEFA Euro 2012, together with KazakhstanTurkeyAustriaBelgium, and Azerbaijan. They already topped the group and qualified after their 6-2 win over Austria.




Teamv · d · ePldWDLGFGAGDPts Germany8800285+2324 Turkey8422118+314 Belgium83321611+512 Austria82241216−48 Azerbaijan8215921−127 Kazakhstan8107520−153 Austria --3–00–21–22–00–0Azerbaijan 7 Oct--1–11–33–21–0Belgium 4–44–1--0–17 Oct1–1Germany 6–26–111 Oct--4–03–0Kazakhstan 11 Oct2–10–20–3--0–3Turkey 2–011 Oct3–27 Oct2–1--


[edit]2014 FIFA World Cup qualificationMain article: 2014 FIFA World Cup qualificationTeamv · d · ePldWDLGFGAGDPts Germany00000000 Sweden00000000 Republic of Ireland00000000 Austria00000000 Faroe Islands00000000 Kazakhstan00000000 Austria —DateDateDateDateDateFaroe Islands Date—DateDateDateDateGermany DateDate—DateDateDateKazakhstan DateDateDate—DateDateRepublic of Ireland DateDateDateDate—DateSweden DateDateDateDateDate--


[edit]ResultsRecent results within last 12 months and upcoming fixtures.

DateCompetitionVenueHome TeamResultAway TeamScorers2010-10-08Euro 2012 QOlympic StadiumBerlin Germany3–0 TurkeyKlose  42', 87' Özil  79'2010-10-12Euro 2012 QAstana ArenaAstana Kazakhstan0–3 GermanyKlose  48' Gómez  76' Podolski  85'2010-11-17FriendlyUlleviGothenburg Sweden0–0 Germany2011-02-09FriendlySignal Iduna ParkDortmund Germany1–1 ItalyKlose  16'2011-03-26Euro 2012 QFritz-Walter-StadionKaiserslautern Germany4–0 KazakhstanKlose  3', 88' Müller  25', 43'2011-03-29FriendlyBorussia-ParkMönchengladbach Germany1–2 AustraliaGómez  26'2011-05-29FriendlyRhein-Neckar-ArenaSinsheim Germany2–1 UruguayGómez  20' Schürrle  35'2011-06-03Euro 2012 QErnst-Happel-StadionVienna Austria1–2 GermanyGómez  44', 90'2011-06-07Euro 2012 QTofiq Bahramov StadiumBaku Azerbaijan1–3 GermanyÖzil  30' Gómez  41' Schürrle  90+3'2011-08-10FriendlyMercedes-Benz ArenaStuttgart Germany3–2 BrazilSchweinsteiger  61' (pen.Götze  67' Schürrle  80'2011-09-02Euro 2012 QVeltins-ArenaGelsenkirchen Germany6–2 AustriaKlose  9' Özil  23', 47' Podolski  28' Schürrle  84'
Götze  89'2011-09-06FriendlyPGE ArenaGdańsk Poland2–2 GermanyKroos  68' (pen.Cacau  90+4'2011-10-07Euro 2012 QŞükrü Saracoğlu StadiumIstanbul Turkey Germany2011-10-11Euro 2012 QEsprit ArenaDüsseldorf Germany Belgium2011-11-12FriendlyOlimpiysky National Sports ComplexKiev Ukraine Germany2011-11-15FriendlyImtech ArenaHamburg Germany Netherlands2012-02-29FriendlyWeserstadionBremen Germany FranceBetween 8 June 2012 and 1 July 2012
UEFA Euro 2012


2012-08-15Friendly Germany ArgentinaBetween 7 September 2012 and 15 October 2013
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 3
Matches against
 Sweden
 Republic of Ireland
 Austria
 Faroe Islands
 Kazakhstan

2013-02-06Friendly Italy Germany2013-08[9]Friendly Brazil Germany2014-03-05Friendly France Germany[edit]StadiumsGermany does not have a national stadium, so the national team's home matches are rotated among various stadiums around the country. They have played home matches in 39 different cities so far, including venues that were German at the time of the match, such as Vienna, Austria, which staged three games between 1938 and 1942.

National team matches have been held most often (42 times) in the stadiums of Berlin, which was the venue of Germany's first home match (in 1908 against England). Other common host cities include Hamburg(34 matches), Stuttgart (29), Hanover (24) and Dortmund. Another notable location is Munich, which has hosted numerous notable matches throughout the history of German football, including the 1974 World Cup final, which Germany won against the Netherlands.

[edit]KitThe 2006 World Cup saw an unprecedented widespread public display of the national flag in Germany.Adidas AG is the longstanding kit provider to the national team, a sponsorship that began in 1954 and is contracted to continue until at least 2018. Nike, Inc. had been courting the team, and in August 2007 reportedly offered as much as €500 million to outfit the team for an eight-year period – a figure that is six times what Adidas currently pays – but the federation decided to remain with Germany-based Adidas.[10]

The national team's home kit has always been a white shirt and black shorts. The colours are derived from the 19th century flag of the north German State of Prussia. The away shirt colour has changed several times. Historically, green shirt with white shorts is the most often used alternative colour combination, derived from the DFB colors (and the ones of a playing field),[citation needed] though it is also reported that the choice is in recognition of the fact that Ireland, whose home shirts are green, were supposedly the first nation to play Germany in a friendly game after World War II.[11] This is false, as their first match after WWII was in fact against Switzerland.[12] Other colours such as grey and black have also been used. A change, from black to red, came in 2006 on the request of Jürgen Klinsmann, citing that teams in red are statistically more successful, and perceived as more intimidating.[13] He hoped to use the red away shirt as first choice for the 2006 World Cup despite less than impressive results when playing in these colors (for example, the 1–4 loss in Italy), but Germany played every game at the 2006 World Cup in its home white colours. In 2010, the away colours then changed back to a black shirt and white shorts, but at the tournament the team dressed up in the black trousers from the home dress. The new away kit was worn by the team for the first time in a friendly against Argentina on 3 March 2010.

[edit]NicknameIn Germany, the team is typically referred to as the Nationalmannschaft (national team), DFB-Elf (DFB eleven), DFB-Auswahl (DFB selection) or Nationalelf (national eleven), whereas in foreign media, they are regularly described as Die Mannschaft (literally meaning "The Team").

[edit]Competition recordsGermany has won the World Cup three times, behind only Brazil (five titles) and Italy (four titles). It has finished as runners-up four times. In terms of semifinal appearances, Germany leads with 12, two more than Brazil's 10, which had participated in two more tournaments. In the last 15 World Cup tournaments, Germany has always reached at least the stage of the last eight teams. Germany has also qualified for every of the 17 World Cups it has entered – it did not enter the inaugural competition in Uruguay of 1930 for economic reasons, and could not qualify for or compete in the post-war 1950 World Cup as the DFB was reinstated as a FIFA member only two months after this tournament.

Germany has also won the European Championship three times (France and Spain are the only other multiple-time winners with two titles), and finished as runners-up three times as well. The Germans have qualified for every European Championship tournament except for the very first EC they entered in 1968. For that tournament, Germany was in the only group of three teams and thus only played four qualifying games. The deciding game was a scoreless draw in Albania which gave Yugoslavia the edge, having won in their neighbor country.

Germany played in the FIFA Confederations Cup twice, in 1999 (first round exit) and in 2005 (third place) as hosts.

See also East Germany and Saarland for the results of these separate German teams, and Austria for the team that was merged into the German team from 1938 to 1945.

[edit]FIFA World Cup recordFIFA World Cup recordFIFA World Cup Qualification recordYearRoundPositionPldWD *LGFGAPldWDLGFGA 1930Did Not Enter–––––– 1934Third Place3rd4301118110091 1938First Round10th2011353300111 1950Banned–––––– 1954Champions1st650125144310123 1958Fourth Place4th62221214–––––– 1962Quarter-Final7th4211424400115 1966Runners-up2nd64111564310142 1970Third Place3rd650117106510203 1974Champions1st7601134–––––– 1978Second Group Stage6th6141105–––––– 1982Runners-up2nd732212108800333 1986Runners-up2nd7322878521229 1990Champions1st75201556330133 1994Quarter-Final5th531197–––––– 1998Quarter-Final7th53118610640239  2002Runners-up2nd7511143106311912 2006Third Place3rd7511146–––––– 2010Third Place3rd750216510820265 2014To Be Determined 2018 2022Total3 Titles17/1999601920206117745517221356*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.**Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won.***Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.[edit]Confederations Cup recordMain article: FIFA Confederations CupYearRoundGPWD*LGSGASquad 1992Did not qualify------- 1995Did not qualify------- 1997Did not enter------- 1999Round 1310226Squad 2001Did not qualify------- 2003Did not enter------- 2005Third Place53111511Squad 2009Did not qualify------- 2013 2017 2021Total2/884131717-*Denotes draws including knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.**Gold background color indicates that the tournament was won.Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.[edit]UEFA European Championship recordMain article: UEFA European ChampionshipUEFA European Championship recordYearRoundPositionGPWD*LGSGA 1960Did Not Enter 1964 1968Did Not Qualify 1972Champions1st220051 1976Runners-up2nd211064 1980Champions1st431063 1984Group Stage5th311122 1988Semi Final3rd421163 1992Runners-up2nd521278 1996Champions1st6420103  2000Group Stage14th301215 2004Group Stage12th302123  2008Runners-up2nd6402107  2012Qualified 2016To Be DeterminedTotalChampions11/1438191095539Note All tournament wins except Euro 1996 were won as West Germany

[edit]Personnel[edit]Current technical staffPositionNameHead coach Joachim LöwAssistant coach Hans-Dieter FlickGoalkeeping coach Andreas KöpkeFitness coach Shad ForsytheFitness coach Yann-Benjamin KugelFitness coach Masaya SakihanaMental coach Dr Hans-Dieter HermannBusiness manager Oliver BierhoffAthletic supervisor Matthias SammerHead scout Urs SiegenthalerScout Christofer ClemensTeam doctor Professor Dr Tim MeyerTeam doctor Dr Hans-Wilhelm Müller-WohlfahrtTeam doctor Dr Josef SchmittPhysiotherapist Wolfgang BunzPhysiotherapist Klaus EderPhysiotherapist Christian HuhnPhysiotherapist Christian Müller[edit]Players[edit]Current squadPlayers called up for friendly match against Poland on 6 September 2011 .[14]

Caps and goals as of 6 September 2011.#Pos.PlayerDate of Birth (Age)CapsGoalsClub12GKTim Wiese17 December 1981 (age 29)50 Werder Bremen22GKRon-Robert Zieler12 February 1989 (age 22)00 Hannover 962DFMarcel Schmelzer22 January 1988 (age 23)50 Borussia Dortmund3DFBenedikt Höwedes29 February 1988 (age 23)30 Schalke 045DFMats Hummels16 December 1988 (age 22)90 Borussia Dortmund14DFHolger Badstuber13 March 1989 (age 22)151 Bayern Munich15DFChristian Träsch1 September 1987 (age 24)90 VfL Wolfsburg16DFPhilipp Lahm (Captain)11 November 1983 (age 27)834 Bayern Munich17DFPer Mertesacker29 September 1984 (age 26)761 Arsenal20DFJérôme Boateng3 September 1988 (age 23)160 Bayern Munich4MFLars Bender27 April 1989 (age 22)10 Bayer Leverkusen6MFSimon Rolfes21 January 1982 (age 29)241 Bayer Leverkusen9MFAndré Schürrle6 November 1990 (age 20)84 Bayer Leverkusen10MFLukas Podolski4 June 1985 (age 26)9243 1. FC Köln13MFThomas Müller13 September 1989 (age 21)217 Bayern Munich18MFToni Kroos4 January 1990 (age 21)211 Bayern Munich19MFMario Götze3 June 1992 (age 19)92 Borussia Dortmund11FWMiroslav Klose9 June 1978 (age 33)11262 Lazio23FWCacau27 March 1981 (age 30)195 VfB Stuttgart[edit]Recent call-upsThe following players have also been called up to the Germany squad within last 12 months and are still available for selection.

Pos.PlayerDate of Birth (Age)CapsGoalsClubLatest Call-upGKManuel Neuer27 March 1986 (age 25)220 Bayern Munichv.  Austria, 2 September 2011GKRené Adler15 January 1985 (age 26)100 Bayer Leverkusenv.  Azerbaijan, 7 June 2011INJDFDennis Aogo14 January 1987 (age 24)70 Hamburger SVv.  Brazil, 10 August 2011DFArne Friedrich29 May 1979 (age 32)821 VfL Wolfsburgv.  Azerbaijan, 7 June 2011DFHeiko Westermann14 August 1983 (age 28)243 Hamburger SVv.  Italy, 9 February 2011DFAndreas Beck13 March 1987 (age 24)90 1899 Hoffenheimv.  Sweden, 17 November 2010DFSascha Riether23 March 1983 (age 28)20 1. FC Kölnv.  Sweden, 17 November 2010DFMarcell Jansen4 November 1985 (age 25)363 Hamburger SVv.  Kazakhstan, 12 October 2010MFMesut Özil15 October 1988 (age 22)276 Real Madridv.  Austria, 2 September 2011MFBastian Schweinsteiger1 August 1984 (age 27)8922 Bayern Munichv.  Austria, 2 September 2011MFSven Bender27 April 1989 (age 22)10 Borussia Dortmundv.  Austria, 2 September 2011INJMFMarco Reus31 May 1989 (age 22)00 Borussia Mönchengladbachv.  Austria, 2 September 2011INJMFİlkay Gündoğan24 October 1990 (age 20)00 Borussia Dortmundv.  Brazil, 10 August 2011MFSebastian Rudy28 February 1990 (age 21)00 1899 Hoffenheimv.  Azerbaijan, 7 June 2011MFLewis Holtby18 September 1990 (age 20)20 Schalke 04v.  Azerbaijan, 7 June 2011MFSami Khedira4 April 1987 (age 24)201 Real Madridv.  Azerbaijan, 7 June 2011INJMFKevin Großkreutz19 July 1988 (age 23)30 Borussia Dortmundv.  Italy, 9 February 2011MFMarko Marin13 March 1989 (age 22)161 Werder Bremenv.  Sweden, 17 November 2010FWMario Gómez10 July 1985 (age 26)4719 Bayern Munichv.  Austria, 2 September 2011INJFWPatrick Helmes1 March 1984 (age 27)132 VfL Wolfsburgv.  Sweden, 17 November 2010NotesINJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.

[edit]Famous past playersMain article: List of Germany international footballers[edit]Most capped playersBelow is a list of the 20 players with the most caps for Germany as of 6 September 2011 (* denotes players still available for selection). Players who had played for the separate East German Team (in the scope of this list: Streich 102, Dörner 100, Kirsten 100: 49 East Germany and 51 Germany, Croy 94 and Weise 86) do not appear in this list.

#PlayerGermany CareerCapsGoals1Lothar Matthäus1980–2000150232Miroslav Klose*2001–present112623Jürgen Klinsmann1987–1998108474Jürgen Kohler1986–199810525Franz Beckenbauer1965–1977103146Thomas Häßler1988–2000101117Michael Ballack1999–201098428Berti Vogts1967–19789619Sepp Maier1966–1979950=Karl-Heinz Rummenigge1976–1986954511Lukas Podolski*2004–present924312Rudi Völler1982–1994904713Bastian Schweinsteiger*2004–present892214Andreas Brehme1984–1994868=Oliver Kahn1995–200686016Andreas Möller1988–1999852917Philipp Lahm*2004–present83418Arne Friedrich*2002–present82119Karlheinz Förster1978–1986812=Wolfgang Overath1963–19748117=Bernd Schneider1999–2008814[edit]Top goalscorersBelow is a list of the top 10 goalscorers for Germany, as of 6 September 2011 (* denotes players still available for selection):

Note: former East Germany players (in the scope of this list: Streich 55 and Kirsten 34: 14 East Germany and 20 Germany) are not included in this Wikipedia list, though they are included in DFB records

#PlayerGoalsCapsAvg/Game1Gerd Müller68621.092Miroslav Klose*621120.553Jürgen Klinsmann471080.43=Rudi Völler47900.525Karl-Heinz Rummenigge45950.476Uwe Seeler43720.60=Lukas Podolski*43920.478Michael Ballack42980.439Oliver Bierhoff37700.5310Fritz Walter33610.54[edit]CaptainsThis is the list of Germany captains since Germany's first participation in a World Cup in 1934 (current as of 26 March 2011).
Note: the column "games" signifies overall games as captain, not overall caps. East German captains are not included. Captained games outside the player's main period are also included.

PlayerPeriodGamesNotesFritz Szepan1934–193930Paul Janes1939–194231Fritz Walter1951–195630Honorary captainHans Schäfer1957–196216Helmut Rahn1958–19598Herbert Erhardt1959–196218Uwe Seeler1962–197040Honorary captainWolfgang Overath1970–197114Franz Beckenbauer1971–197750Honorary captainBerti Vogts1977–197820Bernard Dietz1978–198119Karl-Heinz Rummenigge1981–198651Harald Schumacher198614Klaus Allofs1986–19888Lothar Matthäus1988–199475Honorary captainJürgen Klinsmann1994–199836Oliver Bierhoff1998–200123Oliver Kahn2001–200449Michael Ballack2004–201055Philipp Lahm2010–present16[edit]Tournament records[edit]ManagersMain article: Germany national football team managerNamePeriodMatchesWinsDraws1LossesWin %HonoursDFB committee1908–19286318133228.6Otto Nerz1928–19367042101860Third place at the 1934 World CupSepp Herberger21936–1942
1950–196416292264456.8Winner of the 1954 World Cup, Fourth place at the 1958 World CupHelmut Schön1964–197813987312162.6Runner-up of the 1966 World Cup, Third place at the 1970 World Cup, Winner of Euro 72, Winner of the 1974 World Cup, Runner-up of Euro 76Jupp Derwall1978–19846744121165.7Winner of Euro 80, Runner-up of the 1982 World CupFranz Beckenbauer1984–19906634201251.5Runner-up of the 1986 World Cup, Winner of the 1990 World CupBerti Vogts1990–199810266241264.7Runner-up of Euro 92, Winner of Euro 96Erich Ribbeck1998–200024106841.7Rudi Völler2000–20045329111354.7Runner-up of the 2002 World CupJürgen Klinsmann2004–200634199658.8Third place at the 2005 Confederations Cup, Third place at the 2006 World CupJoachim Löw32006–7149121068.1Runner-up of Euro 2008, Third place at the 2010 World CupTotal385149117318757.7Notes
  1. Includes matches won or lost on penalty shootouts.
  2. Record includes periods of pre-division Germany (1936–1942 – 65 matches: 40 wins, 12 draws, 13 losses) and West Germany (1950–1964 – 97 matches: 52 wins, 14 draws, 31 losses; no national team matches and no national coaches between 1942 and 1950).
  3. Record as of 6 September 2011.[15][16]
[edit]See also[edit]References
  1. ^ "All matches of The National Team in 1909"DFB. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  2. ^ Note that this match is not considered to be a full international by the English FA, and does not appear in the records of the England team
  3. ^ The DFB, re-inaugurated in 1949, incorporated the clubs of West Berlin as well so in those times "Deutschland" would have been the team of the Federal Republic and West Berlin (nobody called it by that name, though)
  4. ^ "Das Team hinter dem Team" (in German). dfb.de. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  5. ^ In early times it was simply called "die 11 besten Spieler von Deutschland" or just "die Bundesauswahl" (the Federation XI). Tags like "National team" or "National XI" werent introduced until after World War I
  6. ^ "All matches of The National Team in 1937". dfb.de. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
  7. ^ "West Germany – International Results". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
  8. ^ Hytner, David (17 June 2010). "World Cup 2010: Germany reap the rewards of the liberation generation"guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  9. ^ "DFB-Team spielt 2013 abermals gegen Brasilien" (in German). Kicker. 31 May 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  10. ^ "German FA turns down Nike offer, sticks with Adidas". London: guardian.co.uk. 24 August 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  11. ^ Ingle, Sean (10 June 2008). "The most violent European Championships ever – Plus: the best bench warmers; David Trezeguet's claim to fame; and why the Germans (used to) wear green.". London: Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
  12. ^ "Statistics. All Matches of the national team in 1950". DFB. Retrieved 20 June 2008. (As can be seen from the DFB statistics page, the 1950 match against Switzerland was Germany's first international match in eight years. Republic of Ireland did not play Germany until October 1951.)
  13. ^ Jürgen Zelustek, Thomas Niklaus / sid (1 February 2006). "Traditionstrikot vor dem Aus – Klinsmann steht auf Rot" (in German). Spiegel Online. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  14. ^ "Die Nationalmannschaft [The National team]" (in German). Deutscher Fußball-Bund. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  15. ^ "International game results". dfb.de. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
  16. ^ "National Team Coaches". dfb.de. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
[edit]External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to: Germany national football teamPreceded by
1950 Uruguay World Champions
1954 (First title)Succeeded by
1958 Brazil Preceded by
1970 Brazil World Champions
1974 (Second title)Succeeded by
1978 Argentina Preceded by
1986 Argentina World Champions
1990 (Third title)Succeeded by
1994 Brazil Preceded by
1968 Italy European Champions
1972 (First title)Succeeded by
1976 Czechoslovakia Preceded by
1976 Czechoslovakia European Champions
1980 (Second title)Succeeded by
1984 France Preceded by
1992 Denmark European Champions
1996 (Third title)Succeeded by
2000 France