In the world of sport, we have a tendency to dichotomise rivalries that define their eras. The mercurial genius of Ayrton Senna fought against the cold pragmatism of the ‘Professor’, Alain Prost. Poster…
Tag: germany
If only for a day: the Christmas truce match of 1914
The Christmas Truce match of 1914 between warring Allied and German soldiers on the Western Front is the stuff of legend. But did it really take place?
Oliver Kahn and the heroics against the USA in 2002 that saved Germany and laid a future blueprint
This feature is part of Virtuoso The sign of a good goalkeeper is they save the shots they’re supposed to save. The sign of a great goalkeeper, however, is when they save…
Jupp Heynckes: the methods and mind behind Bayern Munich’s loyal innovator
Forgive this comparison if you were not born in the generation that will immediately relate, although I suspect that with the slight help of Google, your memory may be jogged. When I…
Sepp Maier: the man whose brilliant blueprint later gave us Kahn, Lehmann and Neuer
During the late 1960s and early 70s, West German football was the dominant force in the game. As well as Die Mannschaft lifting the World Cup in their homeland in 1974, Bayern…
The damned career of Christoph Metzelder
In the end, it was a career of unfulfilled potential, one cruelly defined by injuries. Christoph Metzelder, ever the optimist, didn’t see it like that though: “I am just thankful for my…
FC Fidel: when Cuba joined the German fourth tier
Cuban football is a minor mystery to the outside world. The league is amateur, in the literal sense, and the national team only contests one or two competitive ties each World Cup…
The renaissance of KFC Uerdingen
What do Brian Laudrup, Oliver Bierhoff and Aílton have in common? They’ve all played for a club that now plays his football in the 3. Liga, the third tier of German football. That club…
The three sides of Lukas Podolski: international legend, hometown hero and club-level enigma
The presence of loyalty is scarce in modern football, but often you get a glimpse of genuine adoration from a player towards a club. Cologne was the home away from home for…
Joachim Löw, Angela Merkel and the decade that changed Germany on and off the pitch
When Joachim Löw has dinner with Angela Merkel, he always orders the same thing. Merkel’s cook, Löw told Bild newspaper in 2016, makes a mean cordon bleu with chips. As for what…
How Germany became an example to the world of football
In a culture that models itself on punctuality and efficiency, German football has been packed with teams that are organised, strong and physically fit. Following a complete shake-up, coaching methods and precedencies…
Where do the powerful talents of Matthias Sammer rank in German football?
Dresden is not the clichéd city that some tourists associate Germany with, but it is by far one of their most culturally significant centres. It is tough to escape the influence of…
How the biggest match-fixing scandal in Bundesliga history changed the German game forever
Horst-Gregorio Canellas was furious. His lips were trembling and his forehead was beginning to sweat. His brain was full of words needing to be spoken – words that could propel German football…
The World Cup Series: 1986 and 1990
Join host Jim Hart and World Cup experts Steven Scragg and Stuart Horsfield as they look back at Diego Maradona’s sublime 1986 finals, taking Argentina to glory, and perhaps the most romanticised…
How Mario Gómez, often against the odds, proved himself as Mr Reliable
André Schürrle stormed down the left flank, his rapid pace always his most valuable asset. During this match – in this exact moment – he couldn’t have used it more effectively, propelling…
Heroes or culprits? The troubling relationship between Schalke’s glory days and the Nazis
I HAVE ALWAYS enjoyed delving into pictures from decades ago. There is something timeless about them. The black-and-white photographs leave room for interpretation, encouraging the beholder to vivify the image in their…
Reinhard Libuda: the forgotten German wizard who became a hero at Dortmund and Schalke
NOWADAYS IT’S NORMAL to see fans complaining about the quality of international football. National team coaches have to wait for the infrequent international breaks to impose their philosophies upon players who spend…
The East German curse: how footballing reunification failed
When RB Leipzig were promoted to the Bundesliga in 2016 they were only the fifth club from the former East Germany to grace the Bundesliga, and the first since 2009. Of those…