East Germany national football team
Encyclopedia
The East Germany national football team was from 1952 to 1990 the football team of East Germany, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland
and West Germany
.
After German reunification
in 1990, the Deutscher Fußball Verband der DDR (DFV), and with it the East German team, joined the Deutscher Fußball Bund (DFB) and the German national football team that had just won the World Cup.
coached selections of Saxony
and the Soviet occupation zone before moving to the West. On 6 February 1951, the GDR applied for FIFA
membership, which was protested against by the German Football Association
, which was already a full member. FIFA accepted the GDR association (later called DFV) on 6 October 1951 as a provisional member, and on 24 July 1952 as a full member.
The first international game, not competitive but rather a display of good will, took place on 21 September 1952 against Poland in Warsaw, losing 3-0 in front of a crowd of 35,000. The first home game was on 14 June 1953 against Bulgaria, a 0-0 in front of a crowd of 55,000 at Heinz-Steyer-Stadion
in Dresden
. Only three days later, the Uprising of 1953 in East Germany
would have prevented the permitted assembly of that many Germans. On 8 May 1954 games resumed, with a 1-0 loss against Romania. The East Germans had not even considered to enter the World Cup which was won by the West Germans two months later. This caused much euphoria not only in the West, and the GDR tried to counter this by abandoning their policy of presenting a group of socialist role models of their "new German state"; instead, players were selected purely according to ability. The GDR entered the qualification for the WC 1958 and were hosts to Wales on 19 May 1957 at the Zentralstadion
in Leipzig
. 500,000 tickets were requested, officially 100,000 were admitted, but 120,000 in the crowded house witnessed a 2-1 victory.
|-
|colspan=3|1 as United Team of Germany
East Germany was not as successful as its Western counterpart in World Cups or European Championships. It never qualified for the finals of the European Championship
and only qualified for one World Cup
, in 1974
. However, they were always serious contenders in qualifying throughout their history.
That tournament was staged in West Germany
, and both German teams were drawn in the same group in the first round. With successful games against Chile and Australia, both German teams had qualified early for the second round, with the inter-German game determining first and second in group. Despite this lack of pressure to succeed, the match on 22 June 1974 in Hamburg
was politically and emotionally charged. East Germany beat West Germany 1-0, thanks to a goal by Jürgen Sparwasser
. This was rather a Pyhrric victory, as the DFV wound up in the possibly stronger second round Group A. The GDR lost to Brazil and the Netherlands, but secured 3rd place in a final game draw with Argentina. On the other hand, the DFB team changed its line-up after the loss, and went on to win all games in the other second round group B, against Yugoslavia, Sweden, Poland, and the World title against the Netherlands.
East Germany did however achieve significantly greater success in Olympic football
than the amateur teams fielded by the Western NOC of Germany
. In 1956
, 1960
, and 1964
both states had sent a United Team of Germany
. For 1964
, the East German side had beaten their Western counterparts in order to be selected. They went on to win Bronze for Germany. As GDR, they won Bronze in 1972
in Munich, Gold in 1976
, and Silver medal in 1980
in Moscow, In absence of boycotting Western nations. In the 1980s, football declined in the GDR, as did other parts of public life.
Millions of East Germans had moved to the West
before the Berlin Wall
was erected in 1961, and some escaped in a successful Republikflucht
attempts also afterwards. All East Germans were automatically entitled to receive a West German passport, but players who had caps for the DFV, like Norbert Nachtweih
and Jürgen Pahl
who flew in October 1976 at a U21-match in Turkey, were ineligible for international competition for the DFB due to FIFA rules. Lutz Eigendorf
had escaped to the West in 1979 and died in 1983 in a mysterious car crash in which East German Stasi
agents were involved.
Shortly after the reunification, players who had played for the East German team were allowed by FIFA to be eligible for the now un-rivalled German team
of the DFB. See players with caps for both East Germany and unified Germany, like Matthias Sammer
and Ulf Kirsten.
, which East Germany won 1-0. Three other games were played in Olympic Football
where only players with amateur status could represent West Germany, like the young Uli Hoeneß who delayed his pro career in 1972. In the inter-German qualification prior to the 1964 Olympic Games
, the two played a two-legged preliminary round tie, the GDR advancing to represent Germany as they won their home leg 3-0, while the FRG won the return 2-1. In the 1972 Olympic Games
, the GDR and FRG, having qualified from their First Round groups, met in the Second Round, with the GDR winning 3-2.
The draw for 1992 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
took place on 2 February 1990, with East Germany drawn in Group 5 along with Belgium, Wales, Luxembourg - and West Germany. By 23 August that year, the East German parliament confirmed reunification for 3 October. The planning for the opening fixture away to Belgium on 12 September was too far along to be cancelled, and so it was played as a friendly. It was also planned to play East Germany's home fixture against West Germany, scheduled for 21 November 1990 in Leipzig
as a friendly to celebrate the unification of the DFB and DFV, but the game was cancelled due to rioting in East German stadia.
, which include ten qualifying and final tournament games of the Olympics that are no longer counted by FIFA
. The numbers counted by FIFA are shown in parentheses.
, which include goals scored in ten qualifying and final tournament games of the Olympics that are no longer counted by FIFA
. The numbers counted by FIFA are shown in parentheses.
The numbers are from the website of the DFB
.
Saarland national football team
The Saarland national football team was the association football team representing Saarland from 1950 to 1956 during the French occupation following World War II...
and West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
.
After German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
in 1990, the Deutscher Fußball Verband der DDR (DFV), and with it the East German team, joined the Deutscher Fußball Bund (DFB) and the German national football team that had just won the World Cup.
History
In 1949, before the GDR was founded and while regular private clubs were still banned under the Soviet occupation, efforts were made to play football anyway. Helmut SchönHelmut Schön
Helmut Schön was a German football player and manager. He is best remembered for his exceptional career as manager of West Germany....
coached selections of Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
and the Soviet occupation zone before moving to the West. On 6 February 1951, the GDR applied for FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
membership, which was protested against by the German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
, which was already a full member. FIFA accepted the GDR association (later called DFV) on 6 October 1951 as a provisional member, and on 24 July 1952 as a full member.
The first international game, not competitive but rather a display of good will, took place on 21 September 1952 against Poland in Warsaw, losing 3-0 in front of a crowd of 35,000. The first home game was on 14 June 1953 against Bulgaria, a 0-0 in front of a crowd of 55,000 at Heinz-Steyer-Stadion
Heinz-Steyer-Stadion
The Heinz-Steyer-Stadion is a Football and athletics stadium in Dresden, which is currently used by the Dresdner SC. It has a capacity of about 30.000, but is currently restricted to about 5.000 for soccer matches . It was also the first stadium of Dynamo Dresden...
in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. Only three days later, the Uprising of 1953 in East Germany
Uprising of 1953 in East Germany
The Uprising of 1953 in East Germany started with a strike by East Berlin construction workers on June 16. It turned into a widespread anti-Stalinist uprising against the German Democratic Republic government the next day....
would have prevented the permitted assembly of that many Germans. On 8 May 1954 games resumed, with a 1-0 loss against Romania. The East Germans had not even considered to enter the World Cup which was won by the West Germans two months later. This caused much euphoria not only in the West, and the GDR tried to counter this by abandoning their policy of presenting a group of socialist role models of their "new German state"; instead, players were selected purely according to ability. The GDR entered the qualification for the WC 1958 and were hosts to Wales on 19 May 1957 at the Zentralstadion
Zentralstadion (1956)
Zentralstadion was a multi-use stadium in Leipzig, Germany. It was initially used as the stadium of Lokomotive Leipzig matches. It was replaced by the current Zentralstadion in 2004. The capacity of the stadium was 100,000 spectators.-External links:* *...
in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. 500,000 tickets were requested, officially 100,000 were admitted, but 120,000 in the crowded house witnessed a 2-1 victory.
|-
|colspan=3|1 as United Team of Germany
United Team of Germany
The Unified Team of Germany , competed in the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Winter and Summer Olympic Games as a united team of athletes from the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic...
East Germany was not as successful as its Western counterpart in World Cups or European Championships. It never qualified for the finals of the European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
and only qualified for one World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, in 1974
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
. However, they were always serious contenders in qualifying throughout their history.
That tournament was staged in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, and both German teams were drawn in the same group in the first round. With successful games against Chile and Australia, both German teams had qualified early for the second round, with the inter-German game determining first and second in group. Despite this lack of pressure to succeed, the match on 22 June 1974 in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
was politically and emotionally charged. East Germany beat West Germany 1-0, thanks to a goal by Jürgen Sparwasser
Jürgen Sparwasser
Jürgen Sparwasser is a retired German football player and later briefly a football manager.Sparwasser started his playing career in the youth department of his hometown club BSG Lokomotive Halberstadt in 1956. In 1965 he moved to 1. FC Magdeburg where he gave his senior debut in January 1966...
. This was rather a Pyhrric victory, as the DFV wound up in the possibly stronger second round Group A. The GDR lost to Brazil and the Netherlands, but secured 3rd place in a final game draw with Argentina. On the other hand, the DFB team changed its line-up after the loss, and went on to win all games in the other second round group B, against Yugoslavia, Sweden, Poland, and the World title against the Netherlands.
East Germany did however achieve significantly greater success in Olympic football
Football at the Summer Olympics
Association football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...
than the amateur teams fielded by the Western NOC of Germany
Germany at the Olympics
German athletes have taken part in most of the Olympic Games since the first modern Games in 1896. Germany has hosted three Olympic Games, in 1936 both the Winter and Summer Games, and the 1972 Summer Olympics. In addition, Germany had been selected to host the 1916 Summer Olympics as well as the...
. In 1956
Football at the 1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Olympic Games football tournament with just 11 competing nations suffered from cancellations. It was an undistinguished tournament that featured mis-matches and walkovers.-Background:...
, 1960
Football at the 1960 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 1960 Summer Olympics was held from 26 August to 10 September in 1960 throughout Italy.-Venues:-Medalists:-Group A:---------------------Group B:---------------------Group C:--------...
, and 1964
Football at the 1964 Summer Olympics
The football competition at the 1964 Summer Olympics started on October 11 and ended on October 23. Only one event, the men's tournament, was contested...
both states had sent a United Team of Germany
United Team of Germany
The Unified Team of Germany , competed in the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Winter and Summer Olympic Games as a united team of athletes from the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic...
. For 1964
Football at the 1964 Summer Olympics
The football competition at the 1964 Summer Olympics started on October 11 and ended on October 23. Only one event, the men's tournament, was contested...
, the East German side had beaten their Western counterparts in order to be selected. They went on to win Bronze for Germany. As GDR, they won Bronze in 1972
Football at the 1972 Summer Olympics
Final results for the Football competition at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Nürnberg, Passau, and Regensburg.-Medalists:-Group A: ---- -----------------Group B: ---- ----------------...
in Munich, Gold in 1976
Football at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Final results for the Football competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and Sherbrooke. Groups A, C and D had only three teams instead of four, as Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia national teams adhered to African-led boycott of the Games against the participation of New...
, and Silver medal in 1980
Football at the 1980 Summer Olympics
thumb|right|Official Programme of the match [[USSR]] vs [[Venezuela]]The football tournament at the 1980 Summer Olympics started on July 20 and ended on August 2. Only one event, the men's tournament, was contested...
in Moscow, In absence of boycotting Western nations. In the 1980s, football declined in the GDR, as did other parts of public life.
Millions of East Germans had moved to the West
Republikflucht
"Republikflucht" and "Republikflüchtling" were the terms used by authorities in the German Democratic Republic to describe the process of and the person leaving the GDR for a life in West Germany or any other Western country .The term...
before the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
was erected in 1961, and some escaped in a successful Republikflucht
Republikflucht
"Republikflucht" and "Republikflüchtling" were the terms used by authorities in the German Democratic Republic to describe the process of and the person leaving the GDR for a life in West Germany or any other Western country .The term...
attempts also afterwards. All East Germans were automatically entitled to receive a West German passport, but players who had caps for the DFV, like Norbert Nachtweih
Norbert Nachtweih
Norbert Nachtweih is a German former professional football defender.He played from 1978 until 1992 as defender and midfielder for Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern Munich. Afterwards he went to French Ligue 1 side AS Cannes , where he played together with Zinedine Zidane and appeared in 43 games...
and Jürgen Pahl
Jürgen Pahl
Jürgen Pahl is a former goalkeeper in football. He fled together with Norbert Nachtweih from a match of the East Germany under-21 team to West Germany and was subsequently banned for a year. He played from 1978 to 1987 in the Bundesliga team Eintracht Frankfurt and won the 1980 UEFA Cup with them...
who flew in October 1976 at a U21-match in Turkey, were ineligible for international competition for the DFB due to FIFA rules. Lutz Eigendorf
Lutz Eigendorf
Lutz Eigendorf was a German football player.-International career:He made his debut for the GDR in an August 1978 match against Bulgaria, immediately scoring his first two goals in a 2–2 draw. He went on to collect six caps, scoring three goals...
had escaped to the West in 1979 and died in 1983 in a mysterious car crash in which East German Stasi
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security (German: Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), commonly known as the Stasi (abbreviation , literally State Security), was the official state security service of East Germany. The MfS was headquartered...
agents were involved.
Shortly after the reunification, players who had played for the East German team were allowed by FIFA to be eligible for the now un-rivalled German team
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
of the DFB. See players with caps for both East Germany and unified Germany, like Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer is a retired German football player and coach who is now working as technical director of the DFB . He played as a midfielder, and later in his career as a sweeper....
and Ulf Kirsten.
East vs. West
Over the years of their separate existence, the GDR and FRG played each other only a handful of times. The only notable meeting with professionals from the West was at the 1974 World Cup1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
, which East Germany won 1-0. Three other games were played in Olympic Football
Football at the Summer Olympics
Association football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...
where only players with amateur status could represent West Germany, like the young Uli Hoeneß who delayed his pro career in 1972. In the inter-German qualification prior to the 1964 Olympic Games
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
, the two played a two-legged preliminary round tie, the GDR advancing to represent Germany as they won their home leg 3-0, while the FRG won the return 2-1. In the 1972 Olympic Games
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
, the GDR and FRG, having qualified from their First Round groups, met in the Second Round, with the GDR winning 3-2.
Euro 92 qualifying
1992 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 1992 was a series of parallel association football competitions to be held over 1990 and 1991 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 1992, to be held in Sweden. The draw for the qualifying rounds was held on 2 February 1990.There were a total of seven groups...
took place on 2 February 1990, with East Germany drawn in Group 5 along with Belgium, Wales, Luxembourg - and West Germany. By 23 August that year, the East German parliament confirmed reunification for 3 October. The planning for the opening fixture away to Belgium on 12 September was too far along to be cancelled, and so it was played as a friendly. It was also planned to play East Germany's home fixture against West Germany, scheduled for 21 November 1990 in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
as a friendly to celebrate the unification of the DFB and DFV, but the game was cancelled due to rioting in East German stadia.
World Cup record
- 19501950 FIFA World CupThe 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
- Did not enter (GDR applied for FIFA membership on 6 February 1951) - 19541954 FIFA World CupThe 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
- Did not enter - 19581958 FIFA World CupThe 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
to 19701970 FIFA World CupThe 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
- Did not qualify - 19741974 FIFA World CupThe 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
- Round 2 (final eight) - 19781978 FIFA World CupThe 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
to 19901990 FIFA World CupThe 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
- Did not qualify
European Championship record
- 1960 to 1988 - Did not qualify
- 1992 - Withdrew from qualification
Most capped players
Below is a list of the 25 players with the most caps for East Germany. The numbers are from the website of the DFBGerman Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
, which include ten qualifying and final tournament games of the Olympics that are no longer counted by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
. The numbers counted by FIFA are shown in parentheses.
| # | Player | East Germany career | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joachim Streich Joachim Streich Joachim Streich is a former East German footballer, who won the bronze medal with East Germany at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.... |
1969–1984 | 102 (98) |
| 2 | Hans-Jürgen Dörner Hans-Jürgen Dörner Hans-Jürgen „Dixie“ Dörner is a former German football player and who now coaches. He distinguished himself during his career by being named East Germany's player of the year three times - the only East German player to do this besides goalkeeper Jürgen Croy.Dörner's playing career began in 1960... |
1969–1985 | 100 (96) |
| 3 | Jürgen Croy Jürgen Croy Jürgen Croy is a former international football goalkeeper for the German Democratic Republic.-Sporting career:... |
1967–1981 | 94 (86) |
| 4 | Konrad Weise Konrad Weise Konrad Weise is a former German football player.Weise played almost whole his career for FC Carl Zeiss Jena .... |
1970–1981 | 86 (78) |
| 5 | Eberhard Vogel Eberhard Vogel Eberhard "Ebse" Vogel is a former German football player.Vogel played for FC Karl-Marx-Stadt and FC Carl Zeiss Jena .... |
1962–1976 | 74 (69) |
| 6 | Bernd Bransch Bernd Bransch Bernd Bransch is a former footballer from East Germany.Bransch began his sporting career as a youngster at BSG Motor Halle-Süd... |
1967–1976 | 72 (64) |
| 7 | Peter Ducke Peter Ducke Peter Ducke is a Sudeten German and a former East German football player. He was born in Bensen, Sudetenland, Germany during World War II. His older brother Roland was also a successful footballer.... |
1960–1975 | 68 (63) |
| 8 | Martin Hoffmann | 1973–1981 | 66 (62) |
| = | Lothar Kurbjuweit Lothar Kurbjuweit Lothar Kurbjuweit is a former German football player, who works as Director of Sport for FC Carl Zeiss Jena.-International career:... |
1970–1981 | 66 (59) |
| 10 | Ronald Kreer Ronald Kreer Ronald Kreer is a former German professional footballer.Kreer began his career playing for the youth side of BSG Lokomotive Delitzsch and then 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig. After being promoted to the Leipzig senior squad, Kreer played 241 games in the DDR-Oberliga for the club, scoring 10 goals... |
1982–1989 | 65 (65) |
| 11 | Gerd Kische Gerd Kische Gerhard "Gerd" Kische is a former German football player.Kische played most notably for FC Hansa Rostock .... |
1971–1980 | 63 (59) |
| 12 | Matthias Liebers Matthias Liebers Matthias Liebers is a former German professional footballer.He began his youth career with Lokomotive Leipzig in 1965, and was promoted to the senior squad in 1968, where he played in the DDR-Oberliga at the top level of the East German football league. He played 321 games for the club, scoring 37... |
1980–1988 | 59 (59) |
| 13 | Reinhard Häfner Reinhard Häfner Reinhard Häfner was a German footballer who now works as a football coach.Häfner played children's and youth football for his hometown club BSG Motor Sonneberg. As a junior player he was assigned to FC Rot-Weiss Erfurt before joining Dynamo Dresden in 1971... |
1971–1984 | 58 (54) |
| 14 | Jürgen Pommerenke Jürgen Pommerenke Jürgen Pommerenke is a former German football midfielder and manager.Pommerenke played his entire professional career for 1... |
1972–1983 | 57 (53) |
| 15 | Rainer Ernst Rainer Ernst Rainer Ernst is a former German footballer who amassed 56 caps for East Germany.-Career:Until the age of 14, Ernst played in the Dynamo Neutrelitz youth side. He then transferred to BFC Dynamo, where he played in 203 league games, scoring 88 goals, until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990, when... |
1981–1990 | 56 (56) |
| = | Henning Frenzel Henning Frenzel Henning Frenzel is a German former footballer. Frenzel was active in East Germany, and spent his entire career with Lokomotive Leipzig , where he totalled 420 appearances and 152 goals, respectively the third and fourth best in the DDR-Oberliga... |
1961–1974 | 56 (54) |
| 17 | Jürgen Sparwasser Jürgen Sparwasser Jürgen Sparwasser is a retired German football player and later briefly a football manager.Sparwasser started his playing career in the youth department of his hometown club BSG Lokomotive Halberstadt in 1956. In 1965 he moved to 1. FC Magdeburg where he gave his senior debut in January 1966... |
1969–1977 | 53 (48) |
| 18 | Andreas Thom Andreas Thom Andreas Thom is a former German football player who was capped by East Germany, and later Germany. He is a youth coach at Hertha BSC.-Club career:... |
1984–1990 | 51 (51) |
| 19 | Hans-Jürgen Kreische Hans-Jürgen Kreische Hans-Jürgen Kreische is a former East German footballer. Kreische spent his entire career with his hometown club, Dynamo Dresden, scoring 127 goals in 234 DDR-Oberliga games between 1964 and 1978... |
1968–1975 | 50 (46) |
| 20 | Ulf Kirsten | 1985–1990 | 49 (49) |
| 21 | Dieter Erler Dieter Erler Dieter Erler was a German footballer.He began his footballing career with Chemie Glauchau in 1953. He transferred to Wismut Gera in December 1958, and then after a brief spell, moved to SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt in January 1959... |
1959–1968 | 47 (45) |
| = | Jörg Stübner Jörg Stübner Jörg Stübner is a former German footballer who amassed 47 international caps for East GermanyStübner began his career with BSG Motor Halle in 1973 and transferred to SG Dynamo Dresden in 1979, where he gained the nickname "Staubsauger" , scoring 14 goals in 182 appearances... |
1984–1990 | 47 (47) |
| 23 | René Müller René Müller René Müller is a German former footballer. Müller was first-choice goalkeeper of the East German national team for much of the 1980s, and was twice East German Footballer of the Year. He played for Lokomotive Leipzig for fourteen years, and later had spells with Dynamo Dresden, Sachsen Leipzig and... |
1984–1989 | 46 (46) |
| = | Dirk Stahmann Dirk Stahmann Dirk Stahmann is a former East German football player. He spent his entire career with 1. FC Magdeburg.Shortly after his 20th birthday, on March 25, 1978, Stahmann played his first competitive match in 1. FC Magdeburg's first team... |
1982–1989 | 46 (46) |
| 25 | Rüdiger Schnuphase Rüdiger Schnuphase Rüdiger Schnuphase is a former German football player.Schnuphase played for Rot-Weiss Erfurt , FC Carl Zeiss Jena and Rot-Weiss Erfurt .... |
1973–1983 | 45 (45) |
Top goalscorers
Below is a list of the 15 top goalscorers for the GDR. The numbers are from the website of DFBGerman Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
, which include goals scored in ten qualifying and final tournament games of the Olympics that are no longer counted by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
. The numbers counted by FIFA are shown in parentheses.
| # | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joachim Streich Joachim Streich Joachim Streich is a former East German footballer, who won the bronze medal with East Germany at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.... |
55 (53) |
| 2 | Hans-Jürgen Kreische Hans-Jürgen Kreische Hans-Jürgen Kreische is a former East German footballer. Kreische spent his entire career with his hometown club, Dynamo Dresden, scoring 127 goals in 234 DDR-Oberliga games between 1964 and 1978... |
25 (22) |
| = | Eberhard Vogel Eberhard Vogel Eberhard "Ebse" Vogel is a former German football player.Vogel played for FC Karl-Marx-Stadt and FC Carl Zeiss Jena .... |
25 (24) |
| 4 | Rainer Ernst Rainer Ernst Rainer Ernst is a former German footballer who amassed 56 caps for East Germany.-Career:Until the age of 14, Ernst played in the Dynamo Neutrelitz youth side. He then transferred to BFC Dynamo, where he played in 203 league games, scoring 88 goals, until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990, when... |
20 (20) |
| 5 | Henning Frenzel Henning Frenzel Henning Frenzel is a German former footballer. Frenzel was active in East Germany, and spent his entire career with Lokomotive Leipzig , where he totalled 420 appearances and 152 goals, respectively the third and fourth best in the DDR-Oberliga... |
19 (19) |
| 6 | Martin Hoffmann | 16 (15) |
| = | Jürgen Nöldner Jürgen Nöldner Jürgen Nöldner is a German former footballer who was active in East Germany. He is the son of Erwin Nöldner, a resistance fighter killed by the Nazis in 1944.-Playing career:... |
16 (16) |
| = | Andreas Thom Andreas Thom Andreas Thom is a former German football player who was capped by East Germany, and later Germany. He is a youth coach at Hertha BSC.-Club career:... |
16 (16) |
| 9 | Peter Ducke Peter Ducke Peter Ducke is a Sudeten German and a former East German football player. He was born in Bensen, Sudetenland, Germany during World War II. His older brother Roland was also a successful footballer.... |
15 (15) |
| = | Jürgen Sparwasser Jürgen Sparwasser Jürgen Sparwasser is a retired German football player and later briefly a football manager.Sparwasser started his playing career in the youth department of his hometown club BSG Lokomotive Halberstadt in 1956. In 1965 he moved to 1. FC Magdeburg where he gave his senior debut in January 1966... |
15 (14) |
| 11 | Ulf Kirsten | 14 (14) |
| 12 | Günter Schröter Günter Schröter Günter Schröter is a German former footballer and coach who has appeared in 39 matches for East Germany.... |
13 (13) |
| 13 | Wolfram Löwe Wolfram Löwe Wolfram Löwe is a former German football player.Löwe played almost whole his career for 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig .... |
12 (12) |
| = | Dieter Erler Dieter Erler Dieter Erler was a German footballer.He began his footballing career with Chemie Glauchau in 1953. He transferred to Wismut Gera in December 1958, and then after a brief spell, moved to SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt in January 1959... |
12 (12) |
| 15 | Willy Tröger Willy Tröger Willy Tröger was a German footballer who played as a striker, spending his entire career with Wismut Aue, and making 15 appearances for the East Germany national team.-Career:... |
11 (11) |
Players with caps for both East Germany and Germany after 1990
The rules of FIFA prevented players who had caps for the DFV team from playing for the DFB team before the unification of DFB and DFV in 1990.The numbers are from the website of the DFB
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
.
| Player | East Germany | Unified Germany | Overall | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caps | Goals | Caps | Goals | Caps | Goals | |
| Ulf Kirsten | 49 | 14 | 51 | 20 | 100 | 34 |
| Matthias Sammer Matthias Sammer Matthias Sammer is a retired German football player and coach who is now working as technical director of the DFB . He played as a midfielder, and later in his career as a sweeper.... |
23 | 6 | 51 | 8 | 74 | 14 |
| Andreas Thom Andreas Thom Andreas Thom is a former German football player who was capped by East Germany, and later Germany. He is a youth coach at Hertha BSC.-Club career:... |
51 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 61 | 18 |
| Thomas Doll Thomas Doll Thomas Doll is a former footballer and coach. He is currently the Manager of Al-Hilal.- Career :... |
29 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 47 | 8 |
| Dariusz Wosz Dariusz Wosz Dariusz Wosz is a German former footballer who played mostly as a playmaker. He is coach of the VfL Bochum U-19 team-Early life:Wosz's family migrated to Halle from Polish part of Silesia.-Club career:... |
7 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 24 | 1 |
| Olaf Marschall Olaf Marschall Olaf Marschall is a retired German footballer and a football sports manager.-Club career:Marschall's career started in the GDR at BSG Chemie Torgau and was soon transferred to 1. FC Lok Leipzig. There, he rose to stardom, becoming one of the most prolific scorers in the East German league and... |
4 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 17 | 3 |
| Heiko Scholz Heiko Scholz Heiko Scholz is a former German footballer who is currently manager at Viktoria Köln.-International career:Scholz represented both East Germany and unified Germany internationally.-External links:**... |
7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Dirk Schuster Dirk Schuster Dirk Schuster is a retired German soccer player.-Career:Schuster, who lived his youth in the DDR, was one of the first East German players to make the move into the West, starting in Eintracht Braunschweig and soon moving on to Karlsruher SC in 1991, where he established himself as a respected... |
4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Coaches
- 1952-1953 Willi Oelgardt
- 1954 Hans Siegert
- 1955-1957 János GyarmatiJános GyarmatiJános Gyarmati was a Hungarian footballer and coach. He played for Szeged FC, and won three caps for Hungary between 1937 and 1938. He later coached in East Germany, managing VP Dresden, DHfK Leipzig, Vorwärts Berlin and Dynamo Berlin, as well as coaching the East German national team from 1955 to...
- 1958-1959 Fritz Gödicke
- 1959-1961 Heinz KrügelHeinz KrügelHeinz Krügel was a former football player and manager.-Playing career:At age 6, Krügel began his playing career in the youth teams of then SC Planitz. He remained there until 1948 and had his biggest success as a player there, when he won the Championship of the Eastern Zone in the same year...
- 1961-1967 Károly Soós
- 1967-1969 Harald Seeger
- 1970-1981 Georg BuschnerGeorg BuschnerGeorg Buschner was an East German football player and manager.He earned 6 caps for the East Germany national football team between 1954 and 1957, and later coached the team from 1970 to 1981...
- 1982-1983 Rudolf KrauseRudolf Krause (footballer)-External links:*...
- 1983-1988 Bernd StangeBernd StangeBernd Stange is a German football manager currently managing Belarus.Stange was born in a Sorbian town of Saxony. He started playing at an early age and was called into the East German youth team...
- 1988-1989 Manfred ZapfManfred ZapfManfred Zapf is a German former footballer, later a coach. A defender, Zapf spent his entire senior career with 1. FC Magdeburg, and captained the club to its greatest successes – three DDR championships, four cups, and the Cup Winners' Cup of 1974...
- 1989-1990 Eduard GeyerEduard GeyerEduard Geyer is a German football manager and former player. He has had a long and varied career, particularly notable for being the last manager of the East German national team. He has recently been sacked from his second spell as manager of Dynamo Dresden.-Playing career:Geyer was born in...
External links
- DFB statistics of the national team (contains information on East Germany caps and goalscorers)
- RSSSF archive of East Germany results
- RSSSF history of East Germany national team
- RSSSF record of East Germany international caps and goals