Colours
Home: white shirts with black trim and Schwarz-Rot-Gold horizontal band, black shorts, white socks
Away: red shirts with gold trim and black vertical band, red shorts, red socks
Overview
Coach: Joachim Löw.
The two shirts designed for 2007-2009 and the 2008 European Championship in Austria and Switzerland were somewhat leftfield, in that they incorporated a series of new design features and details. While the look of the white home shirt was essentially horizontal and defined by a wide black band across the chest, the second red shirt was a more vertical design, defined by a black centre band running down the middle. The combination of horizontal and vertical designed had of course been seen with the 1998-2000 shirts, but these ones were far better thought out.
The design of the white home shirt was somewhat simple: the garment itself was plain white with little in the way of additional colour, all of which was incorporated into the main design – the thick black band that extended most of the way across the chest. Below the black band were two thinner bands of red and gold, with the right side of the band finishing in a black circle containing the national eagle crest which was woven in white/silver thread. Above the crest were the three championship stars, woven in gold.
The circular collar was white, but with a black section in a different stretchable material; lining the inside of the collar were the years of the Mannschaft’s six World Cup and European Championship victories, with the former in red and the latter in gold. Immediately below the neck on the front of the shirt was the Adidas logo stitched in black thread. Both the “Climacool” label and a new circular hologram were situated at the bottom of the shirt on either side.
Michael Ballack in the 2007-09 Heimtrikot, in the Euro 2008 final against Spain
The black shorts worn with the 2007-2009 white shirt were neat and simple – plain black with the three trademark Adidas stripes down the sides in white. Both the national eagle and the three gold stars were positioned on the front of the wearer’s right leg, while the Adidas logo – also in white – was located on the back of the left leg. The Trikot was completed by the standard white socks, which were slightly different in that they had a black top on which were the three horizontal stripes in white. The front of each sock had “DFB” in black lettering, while the back had a black Adidas logo.
Euro 2008 proved to be a successful campaign for coach Jogi Löw, with the Nationalmannschaft reaching the final with a series of inspired displays, the most memorable of which was against Turkey when roving wing-back Philipp Lahm struck a dramatic last-minute winner that made even Bundeskanzler Angela Merkel leap off her seat. The final in Vienna against a solid Spanish side was not to witness the same level of high drama, though it was clear that the Löw’s rapidly-improving side were the second-best team in the tournament.
The away shirt during 2007-2009 was red with a central black vertical stripe, with the national eagle positioned in the centre of the shirt. Like the white home shirt there was a rounded neck made of black material, and on the shoulders were the three Adidas stripes in old gold – a slightly paler shade of gold as compared to the more usual yellow gold as found on the German flag.
The national eagle and three championship stars were also woven in old gold, as was the Adidas logo; the eagle was positioned on the black central stripe and the Adidas logo to the left (the wearer’s right). At the bottom of the shirt were the “Climacool” label and circular hologram. The use of the paler gold colour meant that the traditional yellow-gold could only be found on the outer circle of the national crest that had first appeared on the 2003-2005 designs. The reverse of the 2007-2009 shirt was all red save for two slivers of black at the top, though at the base was another interesting yet subtle feature – a neatly embossed national eagle.
Miroslav Klose is challenged by Finland’s Sami Hyypia in the 2008 World Cup Qualifier in Helsinki
For this away kit, the usual white shorts were replaced by red ones, creating an all-red look for the first time. The design was fairly simple – red with the three side stripes in old gold, with the eagle and stars also in old gold on the wearer’s right leg. On the back of the left leg was the Adidas logo, also in old gold. The red socks had black tops, on which were the three horizontal stripes in white. As with the home socks, there was a “DFB” on the front and an Adidas logo on the back, but in white instead of black.
My one lasting memory of this shirt was when it was sported by the Nationalmannschaft during what was an entertaining 3-3 draw with Finland in Helsinki during the qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with the prolific Miroslav Klose scoring a superb hat-trick as the Nationalelf came from behind three times.
Tournament Record
2008 UEFA European Championship, Austria/Switzerland: runners-up
Shirt Debuts
White: v Cyprus, 17.11.2007, Hannover.
Team: Lehmann – A. Friedrich, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Lahm – Hitzlsperger – Fritz (77. Hilbert), Podolski – Trochowski (66. Borowski) – Gomez (73. M. Hanke), Klose
Score 4-0 (Fritz 2., Klose 20., Podolski 53., Hitzlsperger 82. / -)
Red: v Belarus, 27.05.2008, Kaiserslautern.
Team: Lehmann – Lahm, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Hitzlsperger – Odonkor (79. Fritz), Ballack (46. Jones), Frings (67. Trochowski), Schweinsteiger (46. Marin) – Klose (54. Neuville), Podolski (54. Helmes)
Score 2-2 (Klose 10., Korytko o.g. 20. / Bulyga 61., 88.)
Shirt Images
