Against Saudi Arabia last Saturday, İlkay Gündoğan got off the bench to replace Marco Reus. His arrival was met with a chorus of jeers, boos and whistles from the Leverkusen crowd. To the casual watcher, it must have been a
There has been much said about the Confederations Cup, a tournament that creates mixed feelings for football fans. For some, it is a summer gathering, a FIFA indulgence that holds no real value and provides little more than an annoying
It all began on a chilly and damp evening in Leverkusen, on 24th March 2001. Up against Albania in a crucial World Cup qualifier, the Nationalmannschaft had taken the lead five minutes into the second half after a stunning strike
Just days after lifting the World Cup trophy in Rio de Janeiro, Germany’s much-respected Spielführer Philipp Lahm created a stir in the footballing world by announcing his retirement from the Nationalmannschaft. For many German fans who had expected him to