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
Think of those large house spiders you might occasionally see scuttling across your floor, usually during a warm summer evening. Just a blur of almost abnormally long, skinny legs, moving erratically and always managing to evade you as you try
This was billed as a prestige friendly to end the calendar year, and seen by some as the third chapter in a three-part series that had started with the Mannschaft’s 3-0 win in Hamburg a year previously. Given the almost
So, it’s the final piece of what has been a dramatic and ultimately disappointing year for the Nationalmannschaft – and the third act of a three-part show against the Netherlands that started just around this time last year in Hamburg.
Another autobiography, another round of controversy – this time from current skipper Philipp Lahm. Those of us who follow the German game closely will know that Lahm is an intelligent, articulate, thoughtful man who wears his heart on his sleeve