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Joachim Löw
| Captain = Michael Ballack
| Most caps = Lothar Matthäus (150)
| Top scorer = Gerd Müller (68)
| pattern_la1=_blackshoulders|pattern_b1=_Germany local 2006|pattern_ra1=_blackshoulders|
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| First game = Switzerland 5 - 3 Germany
(Basel, Switzerland; 5 April, 1908)
| Largest win = Germany 16 - 0 Russia 22x20px
(Stockholm, Sweden; 1 July, 1912)
| Largest loss = England 9 - 0 Germany
(Oxford, England; 16 March, 1909)
| World cup apps = 16
| World cup first = 1934
| World cup best = Winners, 1954, 1974, 1990
| Regional name = European Championship
| Regional cup apps = 9
| Regional cup first = 1972
| Regional cup best = Winners, 1972, 1980, 1996
}}The German national football team (Die deutsche Nationalmannschaft) represents the German Football Association (DFB) in international football competitions since 1908. After 1949, during the Cold War, the (East) German Democratic Republic fielded its own team (as the Saarland had to do until 1956, too), while the DFB team represented the (Western) Federal Republic of Germany and was generally known as West Germany. Since the former East German states joined West Germany in the German reunification of 1990, the colloquial names of both the united state and its team has reverted back to simply Germany.

Germany has been the most successful European national team at international competitions, having won a total of 3 World Cups and 3 European championships; the East German team also won an Olympic title in 1976.

The current coaching staff of the national team include head coach Joachim Löw, team manager Oliver Bierhoff and goalkeeper coach Andreas Köpke.

History and Success

Germany has won the World Cup three times, behind only Brazil (five titles) and Italy (four titles). It has finished as runners-up four times, two more than any other side. In terms of semifinal appearances, Germany leads with 11, one more than Brazil's 10, which had participated in two more tournaments (all 18, in fact). Germany has also qualified for every of the 16 World Cups it has entered - it did not enter the inaugural competition in Uruguay of 1930, and was barred from entering the post-war 1950 tournament.

Germany has also won the European Championship three times (France is the only other multiple-time winners with two titles), and finished as runners-up twice. The Germans have qualified for every European Championship tournament except for the very first EC they entered in 1968. Germany played only 4 qualifying games in the only group of 3 teams, and managed only a 0-0 in Albania while Yugoslavia won there, giving Yugoslavia the edge.

Early years

Between 1899 and 1901 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 was played on 5 April 1908, against Switzerland at Basel, with the Swiss winning 5-3. The players were selected by the DFB as there was no dedicated coach at that time.

The first coach of the Germany national team was Otto Nerz, a school teacher from Mannheim, from 1923 to 1936. Germany did not travel to Uruguay for the 1930 event, but finished third in the 1934 World Cup in their first ever World Cup appearance. Two years later, Sepp Herberger took over as coach.

After Austria was made part of Germany in the Anschluss of 1938, Austrian players from Rapid Wien were ordered to join the German team on short terms for political reasons. In the 1938 World Cup, the "united" German team was knocked out in the first round after two games against Switzerland, the only time this has happened in a World Cup.

The team played over 30 international games between September 1939 and November 1942.

Post WWII

Three German teams

After the war, Germany was banned from competition in most sports until late 1950 or longer, with all three (or four when counting Austria) new German states being barred from entering the 1950 World Cup qualifiers.

The Saar (protectorate), otherwise known as Saarland, had been split off from Germany and put under French control between 1947 and 1956. They had separate teams in the 1952 Summer Olympics and also in the 1954 World Cup qualifiers, when they 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 merged with Germany in 1957. For the history and records of the Saarland team, see Saarland national football team.

From 1949 to 1990, East Germany (German Democratic Republic) were represented by a separate national football team, for example, winning the gold medal in 1976 in Olympic football. The "other Germans" were also the only team able to beat Germany (West) when they won the 1974 World Cup, a highly symbolic event for both parts of the nation. For the history and records of the East German team, see East Germany national football team.

As in most aspects of life, the pre-war traditions and organisations of Germany were carried on by West Germany, and this applied also to the DFB which was based in Frankfurt/Main and still employed coach Sepp Herberger. Switzerland was once again the first http://www.rsssf.com/tablesd/duit-intres.html team that would play West Germany in 1950, with Turkey and Ireland being the only non-German language opponents in friendly matches during 1951. Yet, after 18 post war games, West Germany (considered to represent all of Germany by many) was qualified for the 1954 World Cup, having prevailed against Norway and the "third German state", the Saarland.

The Miracle of Bern

West Germany, captained by Fritz Walter, met in the 1954 World Cup some of the teams they had played in friendly matches, namely Turkey, Yugoslavia and Austria. When playing favorites Hungary, coach Sepp Herberger did not field his best players, saving them from the experience of a 3-8 loss. Meeting again in the final, the team led by Fritz Walter came back from an early two goal deficit to win 3-2, with Helmut Rahn scoring the winning goal with only six minutes remaining. The success is called the Miracle of Bern (Das Wunder von Bern). It created a sense of euphoria in postwar Germany and is credited with playing a large role in the country's economic recovery.

Memorable losses: "Wembley goal" and "Game of the Century"

After finishing fourth in the 1958 World Cup and reaching the quarter-finals in the 1962 World Cup, Helmut Schön took over as coach in 1964. In the 1966 World Cup, West Germany reached the final after beating the USSR in the semifinal, facing hosts England at Wembley Stadium. Wolfgang Weber's last minute goal took the game into extra time, a goal claimed to be controversial, 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.

Geoff Hurst scored two controversial goals, giving England a 4-2 win. The first extra time goal by Hurst, nicknamed Wembley-Tor (Wembley goal) in Germany, has remained controversial even to this date. Many Germans believed that the goal was given incorrectly, citing the possible bias of the Soviet linesman, and a 1995 research by Oxford University using computer video analysis of the television footage that concluded the shot had not crossed the goal line. England forward Roger Hunt was adamant that the ball had crossed the line, and this remains one of the most contentious goals in the history of football. With the Germans pushing hard to tie the game, spectators entered the field in the final seconds, and Hurst scored again.

West Germany suffered another memorable extra time loss in the 1970 World Cup, this time in the semi-finals to Italy at Estadio Azteca. Karl-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 Beckenbauer remained on the field even with a dislocated shoulder, his arm in a sling strapped to his body, as West Germany had used up all three of its substitutions. Eventually won 4-3 by Italy, this match is one of the most dramatic in World Cup history, and is called Jahrhundertspiel (Game of the Century) in both Mexico and Germany. West Germany went on to claim third place by beating Uruguay 1-0, and Gerd Müller finished as the tournament top scorer with 10 goals.

World Cup title on home soil

In 1971, Franz Beckenbauer became captain of the national side, and he led West Germany to great success as they became both the European and world champions. First they won the European Championship for the first time in Euro 72, after beating the Soviet Union 3-0 in the final. Then as hosts of the 1974 World Cup, they won their second World Cup title, after beating the Netherlands 2-1 in the final at Olympiastadion.

Two matches in the 1974 World Cup stood out for West Germany. The first group stage saw a politically charged match as West and East Germany played each other, which the East won 1-0. The other match was the final against the Johan Cruijff-led Dutch team and their brand of Total Football. It began dramatically as Cruijff was brought down in the German penalty area following a solo run, and the Dutch took the lead from the ensuing penalty before any of the German players had even touched the ball and 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 mistakenly ruled offside.

Late 1970s and early 1980s

West Germany failed to defend their titles in the next two major international tournaments. First 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. Then in the 1978 World Cup, they were eliminated in the second group stage after losing 3-2 to Austria. Schön retired as coach afterwards, and the post was taken over by his assistant Jupp Derwall.

West Germany's first tournament under Derwall was successful, as they won Euro 80 after beating Belgium 2-1 in the final, their second European title. West Germany then reached the final of the 1982 World Cup, but not without difficulties. They were upset 2-1 by Algeria in their first match, but managed to sneak into the second round with a controversial 1-0 win over Austria as the result advanced both teams at the expense of Algeria. Then in their semi-final against France, they came back from 3-1 down during extra time to tie the match 3-3, and won the following penalty shootout 5-4. In the final, they were comfortably beaten by Italy by a score of 3-1.

Beckenbauer's triumph as coach

After being eliminated in the first round of Euro 84, Franz Beckenbauer returned to the national team and replaced Derwall as coach. In the 1986 World Cup, West Germany finished as runners-up for the second consecutive time, after again beating France 2-0 in the semi-finals, but losing to the Diego Maradona-led Argentina 3-2 in the final. 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 semi-final.

In the 1990 World Cup, West Germany finally won their third World Cup title after two consecutive second-place finishes. Captained by Lothar Matthäus, they were worthy champions as 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 against Argentina. In a dull match, West Germany won 1-0 with the only goal being a penalty scored in the 85th minute by Andreas Brehme. Beckenbauer, who won the title as captain in 1974, thus became the second person (after Mário Zagallo) to have won the World Cup as both a player and a coach, and the first as both a captain and a coach.

Mixed results in the 1990s

After the World Cup win in 1990, assistant Berti Vogts took over from Beckenbauer as the national team coach. Moreover, the reunificiation of Germany meant players from East Germany, such as Matthias Sammer and Ulf Kirsten, became eligible to represent the new unified team. In Euro 92, Germany reached the final, but lost 2-0 to surprise winners Denmark. Then as defending champions in the 1994 World Cup, they were upset 2-1 in the quarter-finals by Bulgaria after taking the lead.

Germany won their first major international title after the reunification at Euro 96, becoming European champions for the third time. They defeated England, who were the hosts, again on penalty kicks (6-5, after a 1-1 draw) in the semi-finals, 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 quarter-finals, this time in a 3-0 rout by Croatia. Vogts stepped down afterwards and was replaced by Erich Ribbeck.

Into the 21st century

Entering the 21st century, Germany's standing as one of the best national sides in the world and a team that almost always reach the later rounds of major tournaments was starting to be threatened by disappointing results. In Euro 2000, they went out in the first round after failing to win any of their three matches, including an embarrassing 3-0 loss to a second-string Portugal side (the Portuguese having already advanced) and a 1-0 defeat to rivals England. Rudi Völler replaced Ribbeck as coach, initially on a temporary basis, and later permanently 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, including a 5-1 home defeat against England. However, they started out strong by thrashing Saudi Arabia 8-0 in their first match. At the knockout stages, 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 most successful teams in World Cup history. However, with the pivotal Michael Ballack suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, Germany's chances had declined. In a hard-fought match, Germany lost 2-0. German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn was voted the best player of the tournament, the first time in the World Cup's history a goalkeeper became the best player of the tournament. Simultaneously, he won the Yashin-Award as the best goalkeeper.

Unfortunately, Germany failed to build on their success in 2002, and again exited in the first round of Euro 2004 without winning a match. As was the case in 2000, the Germans bowed out after losing to the second-string side of a team that had already advanced, in this case that of the Czech Republic. Völler resigned afterwards, denouncing the constant media criticism in a famous TV interview, and the national team had to find their third new coach in six years, after having had only six coaches in the previous 75 years. As 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, experienced Joachim Löw from Stuttgart would take care of the actual coaching responsibilities. Klinsmann's main task was to lead the national team to a good showing at the 2006 World Cup, which Germany hosted. See 2006 updates for details.

2006 World Cup

Although the host nation, hopes prior to the start of the tournament proper were not as high for Germany in the 2006 World Cup as in previous tournaments, even in Germany itself. Critics had pointed out the apparent lack of quality players in the squad and coach Klinsmann's decision to live in America rather than Germany.

Germany, however, 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, winning every game and finishing top of the group, having conceded no further goals.

The team went on to produce a string of impressive wins against Sweden and favourites Argentina in the knockout round. Sweden was felled 2-0 in the round of 16, with Lukas Podolski netting both goals in only 12 minutes, from assists by Miroslav Klose.

Germany faced favourites Argentina in the quarter-finals, a team that Germany had not defeated since the 1990 World Cup. Lehmann's shutout streak was broken shortly after half time as Argentina scored first to grab a 1-0 lead. However, Ballack's free kick allowed Klose to head in the equalizer with 10 minutes to spare. During penalties, Lehmann stopped two shots while his teammates made all of the necessary goals to win the decisive shootout 4 - 2. These results produced much expectation in Germany, many thinking a record eighth appearance at the final was possible.

Unfortunately for the fans, the team lost 0-2 to Italy, having conceding two goals in the dying ninety seconds of the 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 after the semi-final. Three starters, including captain Michael Ballack, would not be available for the third place match. They faced a full strength Portuguese team, with goalkeeper Ricardo having only conceded one goal in regular play. Nonetheless, Germany thoroughly routed Portugal 3-1, at one point being up 3 goals to nil from Bastian Schweinsteiger's two goals and an own goal, also off his shot, by Portugal's Petit.

Germany managed to end the World Cup on a high, not only with a 3-1 win over Portugal in the battle for third place, but also with an impressive string of awards: Miroslav Klose was awarded the Golden Boot for his 5 tournament goals, and fellow striker Lukas Podolski won the 'Best Young Player' award. Furthermore, four of Germany's players (Jens Lehmann, Philipp Lahm, Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose) were selected for the 'Mastercard All-Star Team'. In addition, at 14 goals scored, the German side put away more goals than any other team. At the end of their tournament, more than 500,000 people celebrated the team's return by giving them a heroes welcome at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. All in all, Germany had a much better World Cup than many - at home and abroad - ever believed possible, and the team will hope to go even further with their progress at Euro 2008.

World Cup record

;Notes
# 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).

Notes

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* Germany does not have a national stadium, and rotate their home matches among various stadiums across the country.
* The national team's home dress has always been a white jersey and black shorts, while the away jersey colour has changed several times. Historically, green shirt with white shorts is the most often used alternative colour combination, derived from the DFB colours (and the ones of a playing field). Other colours such as grey and black have also been used. The last change, from black to red, came in November 2004 on the request of Klinsmann, citing that teams in red are statistically more successful, and perceived as more intimidating. 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 colours (for example, the loss in Italy), but the FIFA decided that Germany had to play in its traditional colors.
* Germany played in the FIFA Confederations Cup twice, in 1999 (first round exit) and in 2005 (third place) as hosts.
* Interestingly, Germany did not beat a European team in the finals of either the World Cup or the European Championship between their victory over the Czech Republic in the Euro 96 final and their victory over Poland in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a span of 10 years and 9 matches. Their record against non-European teams in the World Cup during this period is 9 wins and 1 loss (against Brazil in the 2002 final).
* It was also often reported in the media that they have not beaten a "major football power" since their 1-0 victory over England in 2000 until Germany beat Argentina during the World Cup 2006 quarter finals (Germany won the penalty shootout with 4-2). However, when reaching the final of the 2002 World Cup, Germany could only beat those "non-major football powers" which had qualified to play against them, not the "major football powers" that were eliminated early from a tournament. For example, Germany beat both Mexico and the United States during this period, who were both ranked in the top ten of the FIFA World Rankings at the time.
* Since their penalty shootout loss to Czechoslovakia in Euro 76, Germany has not lost a penalty shootout in major international tournaments. In fact, the last penalty missed by a German player dates back to the semi-finals of the 1982 world cup when French goalkeeper Jean-Luc Ettori saved Ulrich "Uli" Stielike's shot. In particular, England suffered two heartbreaking semi-final losses to Germany on penalties in the 1990s. As England striker Gary Lineker once said: "Football is a game with 22 people and in the end the Germans always win." In reality, Germany or German teams are among the teams with the most final losses (sometimes also very unlucky), for example in the FIFA World Cup or in the UEFA Champions League, yet they had to win first to get there.
* German teams have something of a tradition of beginning their history against Switzerland: The first match of a German national team ever, the first match after World War I in 1920, the first match of a West German team after World War II in 1950 when Germany was still banned from most international competitions, and the first match of the reunited German team in 1990 were all against Switzerland. West Germany's first championship title was even won at the 1954 FIFA World Cup, on the road, at Wankdorf Stadion in Bern, Switzerland. Most of the home games (7 since 1911) were at Stuttgart's Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion. Klaus Fischer also scored Germany's "ARD Goal of the Century" there against the Swiss in 1977, with a "Bicycle kick" ("Fallrückzieher"), his trademark move with which he also scored the important 3:3 equalizer in overtime (108th minute) at the vs France, but this was not among the Top 10 of the WC Goal of the Century
* Germany can boast of having the first and only goalkeeper to win the Player of the Tournament award following a World Cup, that being Oliver Kahn in 2002 as well as having one of the world's greatest ever goal scorers in Gerd Muller.
* Germany have reached 11 World Cup semi-finals, more than any other nation.

External links

*DFB statistics of the national team
*RSSSF archive of Germany results
*Germany Football Team World Cup 2006 News
*World Cup 2006 News
*Germany: "And they never give up..."
*Germany Euro 1996 national team on Coca-Cola can
*Match reports on Germany's matches in the 2006 World Cup

Category:European national football teams
Category:Football in Germany
Germany