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…
Tag: germany
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
It’s a troubling coincidence that Schalke’s greatest years occurred during Nazism. And while they weren’t active supporters, nor were they fervent opposers
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…
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…
I HAVE ALWAYS loved history. Experiencing the world through the eyes of the past has been an interest for as long as I can remember, and when I was to choose a…
Imagine a meeting of football fans from all over Germany. They would gather in the stuffy backroom of some dive bar, have a few pints and talk about football. Perhaps talking isn’t…
THE PANZER DIVISIONS rumbled to a stop as the unmistakable spires of the Kremlin came into view. Finally, the Wehrmacht were within touching distance of the Russian capital. Since the invasion of…
MY FAMILY HAS a history of storytelling. Both my father and I have, at least once in our lives, had serious ideas for a book. Where this stems from, I have no…
SC FREIBURG’S Schwarzwald Stadion is blessed with much more natural charm than most grounds. The rolling hills of the Black Forest tower out over the back of the modest North Stand, frequently…