England and Germany football rivalry
Encyclopedia
The English
and German
national football teams have been sporting rivals since the end of the 19th century. The teams officially met for the first time in November 1899, when England beat Germany in four straight matches. Notable matches between England and Germany include the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final
, and the semi-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup
and UEFA Euro 1996.
The rivalry is considered to be solely an English phenomenon—in the run-up to any competition match between the two teams, many English newspapers will print articles detailing results of previous encounters, such as those in 1966 and 1990. Football fans in England often consider Germany to be their main sporting rivals and care more about this rivalry than those with other nations, such as Argentina or Scotland. Most German football fans, however, take little interest in their rivalry with England, and instead consider the Netherlands to be their traditional footballing rivals. , England holds a narrow lead in victories according to FIFA, with twelve wins to Germany's eleven.
instigated a four-game tour of Germany
and Austria
by a representative England team in November 1899. The England team played a representative German team in Berlin
on 23 November 1899. The German side lost 13–2. Two days later a slightly altered German side lost 10–2. The third and fourth matches were played in Prague
and Karlsruhe
against a combined Austrian and German side and were won by England 8–0 and 7–0.
The first ever full international between the two teams was a friendly match played on Saturday 10 May 1930, in Berlin
. England were 1–0 and 2–1 up in the game, but after losing a player to injury went behind 3–2 before a late goal from David Jack
brought the scores to 3–3, which was how the game finished.
The next match between the two teams was played on 4 December 1935, at White Hart Lane
in London
, the first full international to take place between the teams in England and the first since the rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis in 1933. It was also the first match to stir up particular controversy, as The Observer
newspaper reported protests by the British Trades Union Congress
that the game could be used as a propaganda event by the Nazi regime. "No recent sporting event has been treated with such high seriousness in Germany as this match ... Between 7,500 and 8,000 Germans will travel via Dover, and special trains will bring them to London. A description broadcast throughout Germany ... Sir Walter Citrine
, General Secretary of the TUC, in a further letter to Sir John Simon
, the Home Secretary
, said that 'such a large and carefully organised Nazi contingent coming to London might confirm the impression among people in this country that the event is being regarded as of some political importance by the visitors'."
Of the match itself, however, which England won 3–0, the same newspaper reported the following week that: "So chivalrous in heart and so fair in tackling were the English and German teams who played at Tottenham in mid-week that even the oldest of veterans failed to recall an international engagement played with such good manners by everybody."
The next game between the two teams, and the last to be played before World War II
, was again in Germany, a friendly at the Olympic Stadium
in Berlin on 14 May 1938, played in front of a crowd of 110,000 people. It was the last occasion on which England played against a unified German team until the 1990s. This was the most controversial of all the early encounters between the two teams, as before kick-off the English players were ordered by the Foreign Office
to line up and perform a Nazi salute
in respect to their hosts. How compliant the players were with this situation has been a matter of debate, with a feature in The Observer in 2001 speculating that they were "perhaps merely indifferent players (who had undoubtedly become more reluctant, to the point of mutiny, by the time the post-war memoirs were published)."
A BBC News Online
report published in 2003 reported that the salute was calculated to show: "that Germany, which two months earlier had annexed Austria, was not a pariah state. The friendly game effectively helped clear the way for Chamberlain
's "Peace for our time" deal with Hitler, which, in turn, led to Germany's invasion of Czechoslovakia." England won the match 6–3, but according to German writer Ulrich Linder, author of the book Strikers for Hitler: "To lose to England at the time was nothing unusual because basically everybody lost to [them] at the time. For Hitler the propaganda effect of that game was more important than anything else."
The two countries did not meet again on a football pitch for sixteen years. Two German states had been founded in 1949, with the Germany national football team
continuing its tradition, based in the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany
) from 1949 to 1990. The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) fielded a separate national football team
; although the English did play some matches against them, the rivalry never developed the same edge or high profile.
In a friendly at Wembley Stadium on 1 December 1954, England won 3–1 against an under-strength (West) German side, who were at the time the champions of the world, having won the 1954 FIFA World Cup
. England won further friendlies against (West) Germany in 1956 (3–1 at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin) and 1965 (1–0 in Nuremberg
).
, which was to be held in England. England again won 1–0, with a goal from Nobby Stiles
, and the match also saw the first appearance for England of West Ham United striker Geoff Hurst
.
Both countries had a successful World Cup in 1966, and met in the final played at Wembley on Saturday 30 July 1966. This was and still is the most important match ever played between the two teams, and it was also the first time they had ever met in a competitive game as opposed to the friendly matches they had played before. It was also a highly eventful and in some respects controversial game, which created the modern rivalry between the teams.
England led 2–1 until the very end of the game, when a German goal levelled the scores and took the match into extra time. In the first period of extra time, England striker Geoff Hurst had a shot on goal which bounced down from the crossbar
and then out of the goal, before being cleared away by the German defenders. The England players celebrated a goal, but the referee was unsure as to whether or not the ball had crossed the line when it hit the ground. After consulting with his linesman
, Tofik Bakhramov
, the referee awarded a goal to England. Bakhramov, from the USSR, became famous and celebrated in English popular culture
as "the Russian linesman", although he was actually from Azerbaijan
. When England played the Azerbaijan national team
in a World Cup qualifier in October 2004—in a stadium named after Bakhramov—many England fans travelling to the game asked to be shown the grave of the official, who had died in 1996, so that they could place flowers on it, and before the game a ceremony honouring him was attended by Hurst and other footballing celebrities.
Germany, however, did not believe that the ball had crossed the line, with commentators such as Robert Becker of Kicker
magazine accusing the linesman of bias because the German team eliminated the USSR in the semi-final. Modern studies using film analysis and computer simulation have conclusively shown the ball never crossed the line. (Goal-directed Video Metrology). In Germany it led to the creation of the expression "Wembley-Tor", or "Wembley-Goal", a phrase used to describe any goal scored in a similar fashion to Hurst's.
England, however, scored another controversial goal at the end of extra time, winning 4–2. This goal came after fans began to spill onto the field, thinking the game was over, which should have stopped play. The goal, a third for Hurst making him the only man ever to score a hat-trick
in a World Cup final, was described by BBC Television
commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme
in a now-famous piece of commentary, "They think it's all over... it is now!
", referring to the English fans who had spilled onto the field. The expression has become a famous and celebrated part of English popular culture, indelibly linked with the game in the minds of the English public.
The 1966 final's influence on the culture surrounding the England team would not end there, however. Despite playing on their home soil, England wore their away kit of red shirts, white shorts and red socks, and since then England fans have had a special affinity for their team's away kit, with retro
1966 shirts selling well in recent years.
The game is often held as having been the height of English sporting achievement, but it also created some less favourable legacies; a common chant among England supporters at Germany games is "Two World Wars and One World Cup" to the tune of "Camptown Races
".
Two years after the World Cup, on 1 June 1968, the two teams met again in another friendly match, this time in West Germany, in which the Germans won their first victory over an English team, thirty-eight years after they had first played. The scoreline was 1–0, Franz Beckenbauer
scoring for West Germany, but as Hugh McIlvanney
wrote in his match report for The Observer: "Comparing this miserable hour and a half (in which fouls far outnumbered examples of creative football) with the last great meeting between the countries is entirely fatuous. But that will not prevent the Germans from doing it. Their celebrations will not be inhibited by the knowledge that today's losers were almost a reserve team, and even the agonies of boredom they shared with us will now seem worthwhile. They have beaten England, and that is enough."
in Mexico
. England were 2–0 up in the game, but Beckenbauer and Uwe Seeler managed to draw the scores level at 2–2 in the second half. In extra-time, Geoff Hurst had a goal mysteriously ruled out and then Gerd Müller scored another goal in extra time to win 3–2. England had been weakened by losing their goalkeeper Gordon Banks
to illness, and also substituted Bobby Charlton
, one of their leading players, while the Germans were in the midst of their comeback. As McIlvanney put it when reflecting on the loss five days later, "Sir Alf Ramsey's team are out because the best goalkeeper most people have ever seen turned sick, and one who is only slightly less gifted was overwhelmed by the suddenness of his promotion. In sport disaster often feeds upon itself but this was a sickeningly gluttonous example."
The result was psychologically damaging for English morale—as The Guardian
newspaper described in a 2006 feature: "Four days later Harold Wilson
blamed Labour
's loss in the general election on the defeat. This marked the start of two decades of German footballing dominance and England's decline."
Two years later the teams met once more, this time in the quarter-finals of the European Championship
, which were at the time held on a home-and-away basis. England lost 3–1 at Wembley on 29 April 1972 in the home leg, and on 13 May could only draw 0–0 in West Germany, being knocked out of the competition. Said The Observer in 2001: "England may have been robbed of the chance in Mexico ... but there were no shortage of excuses – the heat, the hostile crowd, the food which had felled Banks, the errors of Bonnetti ... It was a conspiracy of fate more than a footballing defeat. In 1972, there were no excuses at all. West Germany did not just knock England out of the European Championships, they came to Wembley and comprehensively outclassed England." McIlvanney wrote in his match report for The Observer: "No Englishman can ever again warm himself with the old assumption that, on the football field if nowhere else, the Germans are an inferior race."
—ended in a disappointing 0–0 draw. However, when the teams next met competitively, at the 1990 FIFA World Cup
, it was a rather more dramatic and eventful clash in the semi-finals, the first time England had reached that far in the competition since their win in 1966.
In summer of 1990, the process of German reunification
had advanced far, with the Deutsche Mark being introduced in the East two days before the semifinals on 3 July. Unlike in previous decades, East German fans could openly support the German team of the DFB which by then had a 80+ year tradition.
The England team had started the event poorly and had not been expected to reach that stage of the competition, but in the game were able to match the stronger German team, managed by Franz Beckenbauer
. The Germans took the lead in the 59th minute when a free-kick from Andreas Brehme
deflected off Paul Parker and over goalkeeper Peter Shilton
. West Germany's lead was equalised by Gary Lineker
in the 80th minute, while David Platt had a goal ruled out in extra time. The result was thus decided by a penalty shoot-out—the England team's first—which West Germany won 4–3 after misses from Stuart Pearce
and Chris Waddle
. West Germany went on to beat Argentina
in the final.
The match stayed heavily in the English popular consciousness not simply for the football and the dramatic manner of the defeat, but also for the reaction of star player Paul Gascoigne
to receiving a yellow card. His second of the tournament, his realisation that this would see him suspended for the final should England make it prompted him to burst into tears on the pitch. Said The Observer in 2004, "There are half a dozen images that define this decade of change, which help to show why football widened its appeal. First, and most important, is the sight of Paul Gascoigne crying into his England shirt after being booked in the 1990 World Cup semi-final against West Germany. Unaggressive and emotional, a billboard image that helped to start an apparently unstoppable surge in popularity for the national team."
Despite this rehabilitation of the image of football aided by the English national team's success in the 1990 tournament, the close nature of the defeat to Germany helped to increase the antipathy felt towards the German team and the German nation in general. Mark Perryman wrote in 2006: "How could we expect to beat mighty (West) Germany, who had only narrowly lost the final four years previously? To my mind it is the fact that we so nearly did, then lost in the penalty shoot-out that explains the past 16 years of an increasingly bitter rivalry."
Germany reunited in October 1990. For the DFB team, few things changed apart from players previously capped for East Germany becoming eligible for the German team which was not dubbed "West" by the English anymore. This made little difference to the tone and emotion of the rivalry.
England's first match against the unified Germany since 1938 was a friendly in 1991 at Wembley, which the Germans won 1–0. Five years later, at the 1996 European Championships, England played a unified German team for the very first time in a competitive fixture, when they met in the semi-finals. As with the 1966 World Cup, the tournament was being held in England, and the semi-final was played at Wembley Stadium. England's fans and the team were confident, particularly after wins in the group stage over Scotland (2–0) and the Netherlands (4–1) and their first ever penalty shoot-out victory, over Spain
, in the quarter-finals. So vivid were the memories of 1966 for England fans that a media clamour ensued for England to wear red jerseys, instead of the unfamiliar-looking grey away kit that had been launched earlier that year (as England had not submitted details of any red kit to UEFA before the tournament, this was never going to be permitted, and England did wear grey).
The build-up to the game was soured, however, by headlines in English tabloid newspapers which were regarded by many as overly nationalistic, and even racist
in tone, as they had been as well against Spain before the previous match. Particularly controversial was the Daily Mirrors headline "Achtung! Surrender! For You Fritz, ze Euro 96 Championship is over", accompanied by a mock article aping a report of the declaration of war between the two nations in 1939. The editor of the paper, Piers Morgan
, subsequently apologised for the headline, particularly as it was at least partially blamed for violence following England's defeat, including a riot in Trafalgar Square
.
England had taken the lead in the game in only the third minute, through tournament top scorer Alan Shearer
, but in the sixteenth minute Stefan Kuntz
equalised, and despite many close shots and a disallowed goal from the Germans, the score remained level at 1–1 until the end of extra time. The match was settled by another penalty shoot-out, as in 1990, and although this time all five England penalty-takers were successful, so were all five German players. The shoot-out carried on to "sudden death" kicks, with Gareth Southgate
missing for England and Andreas Möller
scoring for Germany to put the hosts out. Germany, as in 1990, went on to win the tournament.
and the Netherlands
, with the England–Germany game taking place in Charleroi
in Belgium. Before the game, held on 17 June 2000, there was trouble with incidents of violence with England fans in the town centre, although these were mostly brief and did not involve confrontations with German fans. Nonetheless, reporting of the violence did to a degree overshadow the match result in some media coverage.
The match itself was a scrappy affair that lacked the drama of many of the previous encounters, with England sneaking a 1–0 win thanks to a second-half header by striker Alan Shearer. There was enthusiastic celebration of this result in England, particularly as this it was the first time that England had won a competitive match against Germany since the 1966 World Cup final. The German reaction was more pessimistic. Rounding up the German media coverage, The Guardian reported: "'0–1! Germany weeps. Is it all over?' asked the mass circulation Bild newspaper in a front-page banner headline. 'Shearer tells us to pack our bags,' wrote Berlin's Der Tagesspiegel."
In the event, both England and Germany lost their final group matches and both were knocked out in the first round, finishing third and fourth respectively in their group.
Before the 2000 European Championship, England and Germany had already been drawn together in the same qualifying group for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
. England's home match against Germany was played on Saturday 7 October 2000, and was particularly significant as it was to be the last international fixture ever to be played at the old Wembley Stadium, before it was demolished and rebuilt. However, England did not get the result they would have wanted, and lost 1–0 to a German free kick
scored by Dietmar Hamann
. "It was the last refuge of the inadequate. Half-time neared, England were a goal down and a sizeable section of the crowd sullied the ever-dampening occasion. 'Stand up if you won the War,' they sang", wrote journalist Ian Ridley
in his match report for The Observer.
The result prompted the immediate resignation of England manager Kevin Keegan
, and by the time the return match was played at the Olympic Stadium
in Munich
on 1 September 2001, England were now managed by their first ever foreign coach, Sven-Göran Eriksson
. Expectations on the English side were low, but they surprisingly won the game 5–1 with a hat-trick from striker Michael Owen
, and eventually qualified for the World Cup as the winners of their group. During the game the father of German Coach Rudi Völler
suffered from a heart attack inside the stadium, but was successfully resuscitated.
Some Germans were shocked by the size of the defeat, with former striker Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
stating that "I have never seen such a terrible defeat ... This is a new Waterloo
for us."
At the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea, it was Germany who enjoyed more success, finishing second after having a much easier run to the final. England were only able to reach the quarter-finals. Both teams were defeated by the competition winners, Brazil
.
The two teams did not meet in the next major contests, UEFA Euro 2004 and 2006 FIFA World Cup
(England managed to avoid a showdown with Germany in the Round of 16 by holding Sweden to a draw and finishing at the top of their group), and England did not qualify for Euro 2008.
England and Germany next played on 22 August 2007, in a friendly at the newly-rebuilt Wembley Stadium
. England lost the match 2–1, their first defeat at the new Wembley. Then in an international friendly held on 19 November 2008, England inflicted Germany's first defeat in Berlin for 35 years with a 2–1 victory.
both teams met in the Second Round on Sunday, June 27, at 15:00 BST
/16:00 CEST
and SAST, as Germany won Group D
and England finished second in Group C
.
Germany won the match 4–1, knocking England out and advancing into the quarter-finals. This would be the greatest defeat England ever suffered in their World Cup history. The match was not without controversy, however. In the 38th minute, a shot by Frank Lampard
bounced off the crossbar into the goal and back out again with Germany leading only 2–1. However, neither the referee Jorge Larrionda
nor the linesman saw it pass over the line. The controversial decision drew comparisons with Geoff Hurst's goal during the 1966 World Cup Final.
is considered the strongest in the world, until now (Oct. 2011) out of a possible ten Champions League titles, German clubs have won six. Englands Arsenal
has won the title in 2007 and is so far the only club winning a European club title with the men's and the women's team.
is more popular in Germany, than the English women's team
is in England, Germany matches are televised on national television and attract millions of viewers. The World Cup 2011 quarterfinal between Germany and Japan
has had more than 17 Mio. viewers in German television alone, at the same time England women's matches struggle to even make it into the TV program. England's group games in the World Cup 2011 were watched by up to 4 Mio. viewers in German television, but less than a million on BBC
, which means even with no German involvement England games are at this point more popular in Germany than in the country the England team actually represents. Observers do not lead this gap in popularity back to a lack of gender equality
in England, but to the simple fact, that the German women's team is far more successful, and therefore women's football is in the focus of media coverage in Germany.
, in 19 matches between the two teams, they have drawn twice, Germany has won 17 times, Englands side has yet to win. Consequential England has not won a major title, the best result is a Euro runners up in women's Euro 1984
and in Euro 2009. Meanwhile Germanys women won two World Cups in 2003 and 2007, and a total of seven European Championships
in the years of 1989
, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2009. Germany is the only nation to win the FIFA World Cup with their male and their female athletes, the same holds true for the European Championship. Adding to the three Euro wins and the three World Cup wins of the men's team, Germany counts 15 major tournament titles, while England has one major tournament title. But recently there is a glimmer of hope for the England fans, since Englands women will compete in London 2012
, and Germany failed to qualify.
, Britain has considered itself a rival to Germany in many areas, such as automobile production
, naval forces, trade and economy—this rivalry has also permeated into football. English football fans often deem Germany to be their traditional footballing rivalry and care more about this rivalry than those with other countries, such as Scotland
or Argentina
. In the run-up to any football match against Germany, many English tabloids publish articles that contain references to the Second World War, such as calling their opposition derogatory terms such as "krauts" or "hun". Two days before the UEFA Euro 1996 semi-final, The Daily Mirror
published an article on its front page that ran with the headline "Achtung! Surrender!", another reference to the war. After the 5–1 victory over Germany in 2001, the English news media was ecstatic. The Sunday Mirror drew more comparisons to WWII, by running an article about the game on the front page under the headline "BLITZED". Similarly, News of the World
also referenced World War II in their front page's headline, which read "Don't mention the score!
" In January 2010, the British newspaper The Daily Star compared Germany's new away kit to "Nazi-style black shirts", warning that they would "conjure up memories of the notorious SS
".
England's defeat of Germany in the 1966 World Cup has been often voted by English as their greatest ever sporting moment, and the 5–1 victory in 2001 has also regularly placed highly. England's Manchester United defeating Germany's Bayern Munich at the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final
is also highly regarded by English football fans as a highpoint in their perceived rivalry. The rivalry has also made its way into various aspects of English popular culture. For example, in the BBC television series Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
, the character Terry remarks that 14 June 1970, the day that England lost 3–2 to West Germany, should be "indelibly printed on every true Englishman's mind".
stated on the BBC show QI
that, unlike the English, German football fans do not care about their team's loss at the 1966 World Cup final and may not even remember that they had made it that far. Instead, German fans consider their rivalry against the Netherlands
to be their traditional footballing rivalry and care more about the matches against them, such as the 1974 FIFA World Cup
final.
Following their 5–1 loss in 2001, many German fans were not particularly concerned, instead reveling in the Netherlands
' defeat by the Republic of Ireland
the same day. Some sang directly after the loss to England: "We're going to the World Cup without Holland!"
In 2010, during the lead-up to 2010 World Cup match, journalist Marina Hyde
remarked in The Guardian
that the rivalry between the England and Germany football teams was "quite obviously an illusion, existing only in the minds of those wishful to the point of insanity – which is to say, the English". She added: "In a world that has changed bewilderingly in recent decades, England losing to Germany in major tournaments is one of the few certainties." Similarly, professor Peter J. Beck described Germany's ambivalence to the rivalry, saying that "as far as the Germans are concerned, Sunday’s game is nothing more than another sporting contest".
Perhaps the most damning statistic is that Germany has got to the World Cup Final seven times, in 1954
, 1966
, 1974
, 1982
, 1986
, 1990
and 2002
; England has reached only one final, in 1966.
Key
Note: Since 1908, Germany is represented by the German Football Association
(DFB) which fields the Germany national football team
. During German division (1949–1990), the team of the German Football Association
based in Frankfurt, Federal Republic of Germany
was colloquially called West Germany. Also, different flags were applied: Germany (Kaiserreich) (until 1919) Germany (Weimar Republic) (1919–1933) Germany (Third Reich) (1933–1945) Germany (since 1949, called until 1990 by some
West Germany West Germany )
which was fielded by the DFV in the German Democratic Republic
which existed from 1949 to 1990:
Perhaps the most noteworthy encounter was the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final
between Manchester United
and Bayern Munich, during which the English club were trailing 1–0 until injury time, then scoring two goals to win 2–1. This result was celebrated by many in England who were not United fans as being another English victory over Germany. Other memorable matches were the controversial 1975 European Cup Final
in which Bayern beat Leeds United
after the latter had penalty claims turned down by a French referee who also disallowed a goal scored by Peter Lorimer
with a shot from outside the area. Leeds would eventually eliminate a German team (VfB Stuttgart
) in unexpected and bizarre cirumstances. After the Germans had qualified, in the first round of the 1992–93 competition, on the away goals rule, the return leg was awarded by UEFA 3–0 to Leeds United
because Stuttgart fielded an extra foreigner, thus infringing the European competition rules that were in place at the time. A replay was ordered as the aggregate stood at 3–3. Leeds won the replay at Barcelona
's Camp Nou
2–1.
In 2000, a young and depleted Leeds United side, managed by David O'Leary
, eliminated 1860 Munich from the Champions League beating them home and away in the preliminary round before reaching the semi-final. There were also famous wins by Liverpool
, Nottingham Forest
and Aston Villa
in European Cup semifinals or finals. These were against the likes of Borussia Mönchengladbach
, 1. FC Köln
, Hamburg
and FC Bayern Munich
. Liverpool's win against Borussia Mönchengladbach in Rome stands out for one special reason. It started a sequence of six consecutive English European Cup victories each time involving the elimination of a German club in the latter stages.
The English hold the upperhand in club football encounters, although there were notable German wins such as Bayern's revenge over Manchester United
in 2001, winning home and away, and Bayer 04 Leverkusen's elimination of Liverpool (a rarity for German club sides) and Manchester United in 2002, after they had received a 4–1 drubbing at Arsenal
(the Gunners – who boast the best English record against Italian sides in the three European competitions – have an unimpressive record against German opposition) in the second group phase. Both English sides exacted revenge over Leverkusen in subsequent Champions League encounters. Borussia Dortmund
beat Manchester United 1–0 both home and away in the semifinal of the 1996-97 UEFA Champions League which they won, United having been guilty of squandering numerous chances in both legs, especially the return leg at Old Trafford
.
English club victories were often celebrated in a manner which evoked memories of the War. The outspoken Brian Clough
is on record boasting that he never lost to a German side and that he took satisfaction from this for what the Germans had done to his father during the war. Clough memorably led Nottingham Forest
to a 1–0 win in Cologne following a spectacular 3–3 draw at the City Ground
in the 1979 semifinal en route to Forest winning their first European Cup. The following year, a Forest side minus star player, Trevor Francis
, defeated Hamburg
in the final by employing an Italian style catenaccio based on dogged defence and brilliant goalkeeping by Peter Shilton
. One other famous manager who never tasted defeat against the Germans was Bob Paisley
who led Liverpool
to three of their five European Cup wins and one of their two UEFA Cup wins. Liverpool have a tremendous record against German opposition, from both sides of the East-West divide, and once famously hit 1860 Munich 8–0 in an old Fairs Cup game, a treatment meted out to Hamburg
(6–0) when winning the first of their three European Super Cups, the second also against German opposition in the form of FC Bayern Munich
. Liverpool's encounters with Bayern and Borussia Mönchengladbach
(known in Germany as the Gladbacher), the latter a force to be reckoned with in the 70s, are memorable. Bayern and Liverpool first met in the Fairs Cup (the forerunner to the UEFA Cup
) in 1970–71. Bayern had hit Coventry City
for six in a previous round. Liverpool won the first leg 3–0 with an Alun Evans
hat-trick and drew 1–1 in Munich. This was the Bayern team of Franz Beckenbauer
, Maier
, Gerd Müller
, Schwarzenbeck and Breitner
who turned the tables on Liverpool the following year in a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
second round tie, drawing at Anfield and winning 3–1 at home. The most important encounter between the two sides was in the European Cup semi-final of 1981 when a depleted Liverpool were held to a goalless draw at Anfield and then drew 1–1 in Munich. They scored in the last minutes of extra time at the Olympia Stadion in Munich before Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
equalised in added time to preserve Bayern's then unbeaten home record against English opposition, even though Liverpool went through to win their third European Cup final. The two sides met again in the 2001 UEFA Super Cup
when Liverpool, managed by Gerard Houllier
, stormed to a three goal lead before Bayern scored twice towards the end to make the score more respectable. Apart from the 1977 European Cup final, Liverpool beat Mönchengladbach, who had been eliminated on penalties by the other Mersey side, Everton
, in the 1970-1971 European Cup competition, in the 1973 UEFA Cup Final
and the 1978 European Cup semi-final. The great Günter Netzer
, now a pundit on German television, and midfield forager, Herbert Wimmer
, played for Mönchengladbach in the encounters with Everton and the 1973 Cup final against Liverpool, then managed by Bill Shankly
. That year Liverpool won the cup beating four German teams along the way, two from West Germany (Eintracht Frankfurt
and the Gladbacher) and two from the DDR (Dynamo Dresden
, who they also beat twice in later years, and SC Dynamo Berlin
). Borussia Mönchengladbach's two Champions League encounters with Liverpool involved Allan Simonsen
, Berti Vogts
, Herbert Wimmer
, Rainer Bonhof
and Jupp Heynckes
. Borussia would eliminate an English club in 1979 en route to winning the UEFA Cup
for the second time in their history. The English club was Manchester City
whose manager, Malcolm Allison
, had taken over a few months earlier from Tony Book and dismantled what seemed, in the earlier rounds, to be a star studded side, to blood young wannabes.
There were memorable encounters in the other European competitions. Borussia Dortmund
's wins over holders West Ham United
and Liverpool
(final in Glasgow) in the 1965-66 European Cup Winners' Cup were memorable as were West Ham's win over TSV 1860 Munich at Wembley Stadium
in the final of the same competition a year earlier, Everton
's semifinal elimination of Bayern
in 1985 (they went on to win the Cup Winners Cup and the league) and Gianluca Vialli's Chelsea
's win over VfB Stuttgart
in the final of 1998. The UEFA Cup
, which became a strong competition in the late seventies, eighties and 90s, before being devalued in recent years, threw up some wonderful Anglo-German encounters, among the most memorable of which would be Ipswich Town
's victories both home and away over 1. FC Köln
in the semifinal of the 1981 competition which they won, Tottenham Hotspur
's 5–1 aggregate mauling of Cologne in the 1974 competition and defeat of Bayern ten years later when winning the competition for the second time, debutant Watford
's comeback against Kaiserslautern
in the first round of the 1983–84 competition, Bayern's thrashing of Nottingham Forest
7–2 on aggregate – after Forest had held Bayern to a 1–1 draw in the first leg in Munich – in 1996 en route to winning the cup, debutant Norwich City
's win at the Olympia Stadion in Munich before ousting Bayern at Carrow Road
in 1993 and Kaiserlautern's final minutes turn around against Tottenham Hotspur, managed by George Graham
, in 1999. More recently, in 2009 Hamburg eliminated Manchester City
who had earlier in the campaign beaten Schalke in Germany, a team they also beat 5–1 in the quarter finals of the 1969-70 European Cup Winners' Cup which City went on to win. Reinhard Libuda
played for Schalke at that time (1969–70) while City had the famous trio of Francis Lee
, Colin Bell
and Mike Summerbee
. The English hold the upperhand even in these competitions. There were however some narrow escapes. Liverpool won their 1973 UEFA Cup Final
first leg at Anfield
3–0 only for Borussia Mönchengladbach to pull back to 3–2 on aggregate by half-time. The Reds hung on in the second half. In 1976, Queens Park Rangers
, also making their debut, with Stan Bowles
, Dave Thomas
and Don Givens
in their ranks, took a 3–0 lead to the Mungersdorfer Stadion in Cologne and increased their lead there only for the Germans to storm back with four goals and miss out on qualification on the away goals rule.
There were also many encounters between English league sides and clubs from the DDR which mostly ended in favour of the English sides, although these confrontations were less spectacular than those involving clubs from West Germany. Newport County, then from the English third division
but representing Wales
in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1981, went tantalisingly close to eliminating Carl Zeiss Jena after a 2–2 draw in East Germany but lost 0–1 in the home leg after a blinding display by the East German keeper Hans-Ulrich Grapenthin
. Jena made it to the final where they lost to Dynamo Tbilisi of Georgia
, then part of the Soviet Union
. Liverpool
had three confrontations with Dynamo Dresden
which they all won, including a splendid 5–1 performance at Anfield
in the second round of the 1977-78 European Cup competition. Nottingham Forest
played SC Dynamo Berlin
in the quarter finals of the 1979-80 European Cup. Forest, the 1979 European Cup holders, had a mountain to climb to hold on to the trophy, having lost the first leg at the City Ground
0–1 to a goal by Hans-Jürgen Riediger
. A Trevor Francis
and John Robertson inspired Forest ran riot in Berlin in the second leg as Forest triumphed 3–1. Brian Clough
's Forest then went on to beat Ajax and Hamburg
to retain the trophy and a different Forest side, still managed by Clough, would eventually see off another East German side, Vorwärts Frankfurt/Oder in the first round of the 1983-84 UEFA Cup. As for Dynamo Berlin, they suffered another home defeat (1–2) in the 1981-82 European Cup to another English side, Aston Villa
. They managed to register another victory (1–0) on English soil in the return leg only to be ousted on the away goal rule by Villa who went on to keep the European Cup in England for a sixth consecutive year, beating FC Bayern Munich
in the Rotterdam final
. Forest cast-away, Peter Withe
, scored the only goal of the game against the run of play. For most of the second half, Bayern were camped inside the Villa half, hit the woodwork, went tantaisingly close on a number of occasions but found substitute rookie goalkeeper, Nigel Spink (who replaced veteran Jimmy Rimmer after only a few minutes), in inspiring form.
(who played for Chelsea
, Tottenham Hotspur
, Burnley
, Grimsby Town
and Reading
), Bert Trautmann
(Manchester City
), Jürgen Klinsmann
(Tottenham Hotspur
), Christian Ziege
(Liverpool
, Middlesbrough
and Tottenham Hotspur
), Karlheinz Riedle
(Liverpool
and Fulham
), Fredi Bobic (Bolton Wanderers
), Dietmar Hamann
(Newcastle United
, Liverpool
and Manchester City
), Uwe Roesler, Eike Immel
and Maurizio Gaudino
(Manchester City
), Markus Babbel
(Liverpool
), Juergen Roeber (Nottingham Forest
) Robert Huth
(Chelsea
and Middlesbrough
), Thomas Hitzlsperger
and Stefan Beinlich
(Aston Villa), Jens Lehmann
(Arsenal
), Moritz Volz
(Arsenal
, Fulham
and Ipswich Town
), Michael Ballack
(Chelsea
) and Per Mertesacker
(Arsenal
).
Trautmann was voted Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year
in 1956 for continuing to play in goal for Manchester City in the 1956 FA Cup Final despite a neck injury. Klinsmann was voted the same accolade in 1995 while playing for Tottenham, where he pioneered the 'diving
' goal celebration
.
Far fewer Englishmen have played in Germany, the most famous being Kevin Keegan
(Hamburger SV
), David Watson (Werder Bremen) and Tony Woodcock
(1. FC Köln
and Fortuna Köln). Owen Hargreaves
played for Bayern Munich for seven seasons before transferring to Manchester United
in 2007. Keegan was twice European Footballer of the Year
and a European Cup
finalist during his time at Hamburg, where the German public nicknamed him "Mighty Mouse", after a cartoon hero, because of his prolific scoring, his height (or lack thereof), his high level of mobility, and his ability to turn sharply and often while running at high speed. Woodcock was also a popular figure at Cologne.
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and German
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....
national football teams have been sporting rivals since the end of the 19th century. The teams officially met for the first time in November 1899, when England beat Germany in four straight matches. Notable matches between England and Germany include the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final
1966 FIFA World Cup Final
The 1966 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth football World Cup. The match was contested by England and West Germany on 30 July 1966 at Wembley Stadium in London, and had an attendance of 98,000. England won 4–2 after extra time to win the Jules Rimet...
, and the semi-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 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...
and UEFA Euro 1996.
The rivalry is considered to be solely an English phenomenon—in the run-up to any competition match between the two teams, many English newspapers will print articles detailing results of previous encounters, such as those in 1966 and 1990. Football fans in England often consider Germany to be their main sporting rivals and care more about this rivalry than those with other nations, such as Argentina or Scotland. Most German football fans, however, take little interest in their rivalry with England, and instead consider the Netherlands to be their traditional footballing rivals. , England holds a narrow lead in victories according to FIFA, with twelve wins to Germany's eleven.
Early encounters
Germany has won all but two meetings in the last 44 years. The Football AssociationThe Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
instigated a four-game tour of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
by a representative England team in November 1899. The England team played a representative German team in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on 23 November 1899. The German side lost 13–2. Two days later a slightly altered German side lost 10–2. The third and fourth matches were played in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
against a combined Austrian and German side and were won by England 8–0 and 7–0.
The first ever full international between the two teams was a friendly match played on Saturday 10 May 1930, in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. England were 1–0 and 2–1 up in the game, but after losing a player to injury went behind 3–2 before a late goal from David Jack
David Jack
David Bone Nightingale Jack was an English footballer, the first player ever to score at Wembley, and the first footballer in the world to be transferred for more than £10,000...
brought the scores to 3–3, which was how the game finished.
The next match between the two teams was played on 4 December 1935, at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the first full international to take place between the teams in England and the first since the rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis in 1933. It was also the first match to stir up particular controversy, as The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
newspaper reported protests by the British Trades Union Congress
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
that the game could be used as a propaganda event by the Nazi regime. "No recent sporting event has been treated with such high seriousness in Germany as this match ... Between 7,500 and 8,000 Germans will travel via Dover, and special trains will bring them to London. A description broadcast throughout Germany ... Sir Walter Citrine
Walter Citrine, 1st Baron Citrine
Walter McLennan Citrine, 1st Baron Citrine, GBE, PC was a British trade unionist and politician....
, General Secretary of the TUC, in a further letter to Sir John Simon
John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon
John Allsebrook Simon, 1st Viscount Simon GCSI GCVO OBE PC was a British politician who held senior Cabinet posts from the beginning of the First World War to the end of the Second. He is one of only three people to have served as Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer,...
, the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, said that 'such a large and carefully organised Nazi contingent coming to London might confirm the impression among people in this country that the event is being regarded as of some political importance by the visitors'."
Of the match itself, however, which England won 3–0, the same newspaper reported the following week that: "So chivalrous in heart and so fair in tackling were the English and German teams who played at Tottenham in mid-week that even the oldest of veterans failed to recall an international engagement played with such good manners by everybody."
The next game between the two teams, and the last to be played before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, was again in Germany, a friendly at the Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Berlin)
The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March...
in Berlin on 14 May 1938, played in front of a crowd of 110,000 people. It was the last occasion on which England played against a unified German team until the 1990s. This was the most controversial of all the early encounters between the two teams, as before kick-off the English players were ordered by the Foreign Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
to line up and perform a Nazi salute
Nazi salute
The Nazi salute, or Hitler salute , was a gesture of greeting in Nazi Germany usually accompanied by saying, Heil Hitler! ["Hail Hitler!"], Heil, mein Führer ["Hail, my leader!"], or Sieg Heil! ["Hail victory!"]...
in respect to their hosts. How compliant the players were with this situation has been a matter of debate, with a feature in The Observer in 2001 speculating that they were "perhaps merely indifferent players (who had undoubtedly become more reluctant, to the point of mutiny, by the time the post-war memoirs were published)."
A BBC News Online
BBC News Online
BBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
report published in 2003 reported that the salute was calculated to show: "that Germany, which two months earlier had annexed Austria, was not a pariah state. The friendly game effectively helped clear the way for Chamberlain
Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...
's "Peace for our time" deal with Hitler, which, in turn, led to Germany's invasion of Czechoslovakia." England won the match 6–3, but according to German writer Ulrich Linder, author of the book Strikers for Hitler: "To lose to England at the time was nothing unusual because basically everybody lost to [them] at the time. For Hitler the propaganda effect of that game was more important than anything else."
The two countries did not meet again on a football pitch for sixteen years. Two German states had been founded in 1949, with the Germany national football 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....
continuing its tradition, based in the Federal Republic of Germany (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....
) from 1949 to 1990. The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) fielded a separate national football team
East Germany national football team
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....
; although the English did play some matches against them, the rivalry never developed the same edge or high profile.
In a friendly at Wembley Stadium on 1 December 1954, England won 3–1 against an under-strength (West) German side, who were at the time the champions of the world, having won the 1954 FIFA World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 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...
. England won further friendlies against (West) Germany in 1956 (3–1 at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin) and 1965 (1–0 in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
).
1960–1969: 1966 FIFA World Cup
England and Germany met at Wembley again on 23 February 1966, as part of their preparations for the 1966 FIFA World Cup1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
, which was to be held in England. England again won 1–0, with a goal from Nobby Stiles
Nobby Stiles
Norbert "Nobby" Peter Stiles MBE is a retired English footballer. He was born in Collyhurst, Manchester.Stiles played for England for five years, winning 28 caps and scoring 1 goal. He played every minute of England's victorious 1966 FIFA World Cup campaign...
, and the match also saw the first appearance for England of West Ham United striker Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
.
Both countries had a successful World Cup in 1966, and met in the final played at Wembley on Saturday 30 July 1966. This was and still is the most important match ever played between the two teams, and it was also the first time they had ever met in a competitive game as opposed to the friendly matches they had played before. It was also a highly eventful and in some respects controversial game, which created the modern rivalry between the teams.
England led 2–1 until the very end of the game, when a German goal levelled the scores and took the match into extra time. In the first period of extra time, England striker Geoff Hurst had a shot on goal which bounced down from the crossbar
Goal (sport)
Goal refers to a method of scoring in many sports. It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface where scoring occurs....
and then out of the goal, before being cleared away by the German defenders. The England players celebrated a goal, but the referee was unsure as to whether or not the ball had crossed the line when it hit the ground. After consulting with his linesman
Assistant referee (association football)
In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
, Tofik Bakhramov
Tofik Bakhramov
Tofik Bahram oglu Bahramov , commonly known as the Russian linesman in England, was an Azerbaijani football referee notable for being the linesman who helped to award a goal for England in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final against West Germany...
, the referee awarded a goal to England. Bakhramov, from the USSR, became famous and celebrated in English popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
as "the Russian linesman", although he was actually from Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. When England played the Azerbaijan national team
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...
in a World Cup qualifier in October 2004—in a stadium named after Bakhramov—many England fans travelling to the game asked to be shown the grave of the official, who had died in 1996, so that they could place flowers on it, and before the game a ceremony honouring him was attended by Hurst and other footballing celebrities.
Germany, however, did not believe that the ball had crossed the line, with commentators such as Robert Becker of Kicker
Kicker (sports magazine)
kicker Sportmagazin is Germany's leading sports magazine and is focused primarily on football. The magazine was founded in 1920 by German football pioneer Walther Bensemann and is published twice a week, usually Monday and Thursday, in Nuremberg...
magazine accusing the linesman of bias because the German team eliminated the USSR in the semi-final. Modern studies using film analysis and computer simulation have conclusively shown the ball never crossed the line. (Goal-directed Video Metrology). In Germany it led to the creation of the expression "Wembley-Tor", or "Wembley-Goal", a phrase used to describe any goal scored in a similar fashion to Hurst's.
England, however, scored another controversial goal at the end of extra time, winning 4–2. This goal came after fans began to spill onto the field, thinking the game was over, which should have stopped play. The goal, a third for Hurst making him the only man ever to score a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in a World Cup final, was described by BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme
Kenneth Wolstenholme
Kenneth Wolstenholme DFC & Bar was the football commentator for BBC television in the 1950s and 1960s, most notable for his commentary during the 1966 FIFA World Cup which included the famous phrase "some people are on the pitch...they think it's all over....it is now!", as Geoff Hurst scored...
in a now-famous piece of commentary, "They think it's all over... it is now!
They think it's all over
They think it's all over is a well known quotation and football chant popular in England. It is taken from Kenneth Wolstenholme's BBC TV commentary in the closing moments of the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, where England beat West Germany 4–2 after extra time to win the FIFA World Cup.Soon after the...
", referring to the English fans who had spilled onto the field. The expression has become a famous and celebrated part of English popular culture, indelibly linked with the game in the minds of the English public.
The 1966 final's influence on the culture surrounding the England team would not end there, however. Despite playing on their home soil, England wore their away kit of red shirts, white shorts and red socks, and since then England fans have had a special affinity for their team's away kit, with retro
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...
1966 shirts selling well in recent years.
The game is often held as having been the height of English sporting achievement, but it also created some less favourable legacies; a common chant among England supporters at Germany games is "Two World Wars and One World Cup" to the tune of "Camptown Races
Camptown Races
Gwine to Run All Night, or De Camptown Races is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster . It was probably composed in Cincinnati in 1849, according to Richard Jackson, and published by F. D. Benteen of Baltimore, Maryland, in February 1850...
".
Two years after the World Cup, on 1 June 1968, the two teams met again in another friendly match, this time in West Germany, in which the Germans won their first victory over an English team, thirty-eight years after they had first played. The scoreline was 1–0, Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
scoring for West Germany, but as Hugh McIlvanney
Hugh McIlvanney
Hugh McIlvanney is an award-winning, Scottish sports writer. He currently holds a long-running column on the back page of The Sunday Times sports section.- Life and career :...
wrote in his match report for The Observer: "Comparing this miserable hour and a half (in which fouls far outnumbered examples of creative football) with the last great meeting between the countries is entirely fatuous. But that will not prevent the Germans from doing it. Their celebrations will not be inhibited by the knowledge that today's losers were almost a reserve team, and even the agonies of boredom they shared with us will now seem worthwhile. They have beaten England, and that is enough."
1970–1989: 1970 FIFA World Cup
Far more noted and remembered, however, was the next competitive meeting between the two teams, in the quarter-finals of the 1970 FIFA World Cup1970 FIFA World Cup
The 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...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. England were 2–0 up in the game, but Beckenbauer and Uwe Seeler managed to draw the scores level at 2–2 in the second half. In extra-time, Geoff Hurst had a goal mysteriously ruled out and then Gerd Müller scored another goal in extra time to win 3–2. England had been weakened by losing their goalkeeper Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks, OBE is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin and ahead of Dino Zoff ....
to illness, and also substituted Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
, one of their leading players, while the Germans were in the midst of their comeback. As McIlvanney put it when reflecting on the loss five days later, "Sir Alf Ramsey's team are out because the best goalkeeper most people have ever seen turned sick, and one who is only slightly less gifted was overwhelmed by the suddenness of his promotion. In sport disaster often feeds upon itself but this was a sickeningly gluttonous example."
The result was psychologically damaging for English morale—as The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper described in a 2006 feature: "Four days later Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
blamed Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
's loss in the general election on the defeat. This marked the start of two decades of German footballing dominance and England's decline."
Two years later the teams met once more, this time in the quarter-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...
, which were at the time held on a home-and-away basis. England lost 3–1 at Wembley on 29 April 1972 in the home leg, and on 13 May could only draw 0–0 in West Germany, being knocked out of the competition. Said The Observer in 2001: "England may have been robbed of the chance in Mexico ... but there were no shortage of excuses – the heat, the hostile crowd, the food which had felled Banks, the errors of Bonnetti ... It was a conspiracy of fate more than a footballing defeat. In 1972, there were no excuses at all. West Germany did not just knock England out of the European Championships, they came to Wembley and comprehensively outclassed England." McIlvanney wrote in his match report for The Observer: "No Englishman can ever again warm himself with the old assumption that, on the football field if nowhere else, the Germans are an inferior race."
1990–1999: 1990 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1996
There were several friendly games played, with wins for both nations, in the 1970s and 1980s, but the next competitive match—a second round group game at the 1982 FIFA World Cup1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
—ended in a disappointing 0–0 draw. However, when the teams next met competitively, at the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 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...
, it was a rather more dramatic and eventful clash in the semi-finals, the first time England had reached that far in the competition since their win in 1966.
In summer of 1990, the process of 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...
had advanced far, with the Deutsche Mark being introduced in the East two days before the semifinals on 3 July. Unlike in previous decades, East German fans could openly support the German team of the DFB which by then had a 80+ year tradition.
The England team had started the event poorly and had not been expected to reach that stage of the competition, but in the game were able to match the stronger German team, managed by Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
. The Germans took the lead in the 59th minute when a free-kick from Andreas Brehme
Andreas Brehme
Andreas "Andy" Brehme is a German football coach and former football defender. He is best known for scoring the winning goal for Germany in the 1990 FIFA World Cup Final against Argentina on a 85th minute penalty kick....
deflected off Paul Parker and over goalkeeper Peter Shilton
Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton OBE is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently holds the record for playing more games for England than anyone else, earning 125 caps....
. West Germany's lead was equalised by Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
in the 80th minute, while David Platt had a goal ruled out in extra time. The result was thus decided by a penalty shoot-out—the England team's first—which West Germany won 4–3 after misses from Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
and Chris Waddle
Chris Waddle
Christopher Roland "Chris" Waddle is a former footballer from England. He played for a number of clubs in the 1980s and 90s, including Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday in England, and Olympique de Marseille in France...
. West Germany went on to beat Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
in the final.
The match stayed heavily in the English popular consciousness not simply for the football and the dramatic manner of the defeat, but also for the reaction of star player Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
to receiving a yellow card. His second of the tournament, his realisation that this would see him suspended for the final should England make it prompted him to burst into tears on the pitch. Said The Observer in 2004, "There are half a dozen images that define this decade of change, which help to show why football widened its appeal. First, and most important, is the sight of Paul Gascoigne crying into his England shirt after being booked in the 1990 World Cup semi-final against West Germany. Unaggressive and emotional, a billboard image that helped to start an apparently unstoppable surge in popularity for the national team."
Despite this rehabilitation of the image of football aided by the English national team's success in the 1990 tournament, the close nature of the defeat to Germany helped to increase the antipathy felt towards the German team and the German nation in general. Mark Perryman wrote in 2006: "How could we expect to beat mighty (West) Germany, who had only narrowly lost the final four years previously? To my mind it is the fact that we so nearly did, then lost in the penalty shoot-out that explains the past 16 years of an increasingly bitter rivalry."
Germany reunited in October 1990. For the DFB team, few things changed apart from players previously capped for East Germany becoming eligible for the German team which was not dubbed "West" by the English anymore. This made little difference to the tone and emotion of the rivalry.
England's first match against the unified Germany since 1938 was a friendly in 1991 at Wembley, which the Germans won 1–0. Five years later, at the 1996 European Championships, England played a unified German team for the very first time in a competitive fixture, when they met in the semi-finals. As with the 1966 World Cup, the tournament was being held in England, and the semi-final was played at Wembley Stadium. England's fans and the team were confident, particularly after wins in the group stage over Scotland (2–0) and the Netherlands (4–1) and their first ever penalty shoot-out victory, over Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, in the quarter-finals. So vivid were the memories of 1966 for England fans that a media clamour ensued for England to wear red jerseys, instead of the unfamiliar-looking grey away kit that had been launched earlier that year (as England had not submitted details of any red kit to UEFA before the tournament, this was never going to be permitted, and England did wear grey).
The build-up to the game was soured, however, by headlines in English tabloid newspapers which were regarded by many as overly nationalistic, and even racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
in tone, as they had been as well against Spain before the previous match. Particularly controversial was the Daily Mirrors headline "Achtung! Surrender! For You Fritz, ze Euro 96 Championship is over", accompanied by a mock article aping a report of the declaration of war between the two nations in 1939. The editor of the paper, Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
, subsequently apologised for the headline, particularly as it was at least partially blamed for violence following England's defeat, including a riot in Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
.
England had taken the lead in the game in only the third minute, through tournament top scorer Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
, but in the sixteenth minute Stefan Kuntz
Stefan Kuntz
Stefan Kuntz is a former German professional footballer and since April 2008 chairman of the German football team 1. FC Kaiserslautern....
equalised, and despite many close shots and a disallowed goal from the Germans, the score remained level at 1–1 until the end of extra time. The match was settled by another penalty shoot-out, as in 1990, and although this time all five England penalty-takers were successful, so were all five German players. The shoot-out carried on to "sudden death" kicks, with Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate in Crawley, West Sussex is a retired English footballer and ex-manager. He is known as the "Penalty Misser of '96." He served as manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006, until he was dismissed in October 2009...
missing for England and Andreas Möller
Andreas Möller
Andreas Möller is a retired German footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He was a playmaker known for his range of passing and goalscoring ability...
scoring for Germany to put the hosts out. Germany, as in 1990, went on to win the tournament.
2000–2009: 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
England and Germany were drawn to meet each other in the first round group stage of the 2000 European Championship, held jointly by BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, with the England–Germany game taking place in Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
in Belgium. Before the game, held on 17 June 2000, there was trouble with incidents of violence with England fans in the town centre, although these were mostly brief and did not involve confrontations with German fans. Nonetheless, reporting of the violence did to a degree overshadow the match result in some media coverage.
The match itself was a scrappy affair that lacked the drama of many of the previous encounters, with England sneaking a 1–0 win thanks to a second-half header by striker Alan Shearer. There was enthusiastic celebration of this result in England, particularly as this it was the first time that England had won a competitive match against Germany since the 1966 World Cup final. The German reaction was more pessimistic. Rounding up the German media coverage, The Guardian reported: "'0–1! Germany weeps. Is it all over?' asked the mass circulation Bild newspaper in a front-page banner headline. 'Shearer tells us to pack our bags,' wrote Berlin's Der Tagesspiegel."
In the event, both England and Germany lost their final group matches and both were knocked out in the first round, finishing third and fourth respectively in their group.
Before the 2000 European Championship, England and Germany had already been drawn together in the same qualifying group for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
. England's home match against Germany was played on Saturday 7 October 2000, and was particularly significant as it was to be the last international fixture ever to be played at the old Wembley Stadium, before it was demolished and rebuilt. However, England did not get the result they would have wanted, and lost 1–0 to a German free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
scored by Dietmar Hamann
Dietmar Hamann
Dietmar "Didi" Hamann is a German footballer who was most recently manager at Stockport County. Throughout his career, he has played for Bayern Munich, Newcastle United, Liverpool, and Manchester City primarily in a defensive midfield position. He also spent time at Milton Keynes Dons as a...
. "It was the last refuge of the inadequate. Half-time neared, England were a goal down and a sizeable section of the crowd sullied the ever-dampening occasion. 'Stand up if you won the War,' they sang", wrote journalist Ian Ridley
Ian Ridley
Ian Ridley was an Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the VFL.Ridley was a rover who was handy around goals and a 5 time premiership player with Melbourne. He topped Melbourne's goalkicking in 1960 with 38 goals and went on to coach the club during the 1970s...
in his match report for The Observer.
The result prompted the immediate resignation of England manager Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
, and by the time the return match was played at the Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Munich)
Olympiastadion is a stadium located in Munich, Germany. Situated at the heart of the Olympiapark München in northern Munich, the stadium was built as the main venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
on 1 September 2001, England were now managed by their first ever foreign coach, Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
. Expectations on the English side were low, but they surprisingly won the game 5–1 with a hat-trick from striker Michael Owen
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
, and eventually qualified for the World Cup as the winners of their group. During the game the father of German Coach Rudi Völler
Rudi Völler
Rudolf 'Rudi' Völler is a German former international football striker, and a former manager of the German national team...
suffered from a heart attack inside the stadium, but was successfully resuscitated.
Some Germans were shocked by the size of the defeat, with former striker Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge is a German former football player.He had his greatest career success with German club Bayern Munich, where he won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Cup, as well as two league titles and two domestic cups.A member of the German national team, Rummenigge won the...
stating that "I have never seen such a terrible defeat ... This is a new Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
for us."
At the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea, it was Germany who enjoyed more success, finishing second after having a much easier run to the final. England were only able to reach the quarter-finals. Both teams were defeated by the competition winners, Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
.
The two teams did not meet in the next major contests, UEFA Euro 2004 and 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
(England managed to avoid a showdown with Germany in the Round of 16 by holding Sweden to a draw and finishing at the top of their group), and England did not qualify for Euro 2008.
England and Germany next played on 22 August 2007, in a friendly at the newly-rebuilt Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. England lost the match 2–1, their first defeat at the new Wembley. Then in an international friendly held on 19 November 2008, England inflicted Germany's first defeat in Berlin for 35 years with a 2–1 victory.
2010–present: 2010 FIFA World Cup
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
both teams met in the Second Round on Sunday, June 27, at 15:00 BST
British Summer Time
Western European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...
/16:00 CEST
Central European Summer Time
Central European Summer Time is one of the names of the Daylight saving time offset using the UTC offset of UTC+02:00, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used as a summer daylight saving time in most European countries. During the winter, Central European Time is used...
and SAST, as Germany won Group D
2010 FIFA World Cup Group D
Group D of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 13 June and ended on 23 June 2010. The group consisted of Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana. Along with Group G, it was considered to be a group of death....
and England finished second in Group C
2010 FIFA World Cup Group C
Group C of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 12 June and ended on 23 June 2010. The group consisted of England, the United States, Algeria, and Slovenia...
.
Germany won the match 4–1, knocking England out and advancing into the quarter-finals. This would be the greatest defeat England ever suffered in their World Cup history. The match was not without controversy, however. In the 38th minute, a shot by Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
bounced off the crossbar into the goal and back out again with Germany leading only 2–1. However, neither the referee Jorge Larrionda
Jorge Larrionda
Jorge Luis Larrionda Pietrafesa is a FIFA football referee from Uruguay who has officiated at international matches since 1998. He is currently one of the world's top referees, having had the highest moment of his career during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in which he officiated four matches,...
nor the linesman saw it pass over the line. The controversial decision drew comparisons with Geoff Hurst's goal during the 1966 World Cup Final.
Club football
The German women's leagueFußball-Bundesliga (women)
The Women's Football Bundesliga is the main league competition for women's football in Germany. In 1990 the German Football Association created the German Women's Bundesliga, based on the model of the men's Bundesliga. It was first played with north and south divisions, but in 1997 the groups...
is considered the strongest in the world, until now (Oct. 2011) out of a possible ten Champions League titles, German clubs have won six. Englands Arsenal
Arsenal L.F.C.
Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English women's association football club affiliated with Arsenal F.C.. Founded in 1987, they are the most successful club in English women's football having won 34 major trophies to date; which are 12 FA Women's Premier League titles, 11 FA Women's Cups, ten...
has won the title in 2007 and is so far the only club winning a European club title with the men's and the women's team.
National teams
The German women's teamGermany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
is more popular in Germany, than the English women's team
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
is in England, Germany matches are televised on national television and attract millions of viewers. The World Cup 2011 quarterfinal between Germany and Japan
Japan women's national football team
The Japan women's national football team, or Nadeshiko Japan , is a selection of the best female players in Japan and is run by the Japan Football Association . Japan defeated the U.S...
has had more than 17 Mio. viewers in German television alone, at the same time England women's matches struggle to even make it into the TV program. England's group games in the World Cup 2011 were watched by up to 4 Mio. viewers in German television, but less than a million on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, which means even with no German involvement England games are at this point more popular in Germany than in the country the England team actually represents. Observers do not lead this gap in popularity back to a lack of gender equality
Gender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
in England, but to the simple fact, that the German women's team is far more successful, and therefore women's football is in the focus of media coverage in Germany.
, in 19 matches between the two teams, they have drawn twice, Germany has won 17 times, Englands side has yet to win. Consequential England has not won a major title, the best result is a Euro runners up in women's Euro 1984
1984 European Competition for Women's Football
The 1984 European Competition for Women's Football was won by Sweden on penalties against England. It comprised four qualifying groups, and the winner of each went through to the semi-finals which were played over two legs, home and away...
and in Euro 2009. Meanwhile Germanys women won two World Cups in 2003 and 2007, and a total of seven European Championships
UEFA Women's Championship
The UEFA European Women's Championship, also called the UEFA Women's Euro and unofficially the "European Cup", held every fourth year, is the main competition in women's association football between national teams of the UEFA Confederation...
in the years of 1989
1989 European Competition for Women's Football
The 1989 European Competition for Women's Football took place in West Germany. It was won by the hosts in a final against defending champions Norway...
, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2009. Germany is the only nation to win the FIFA World Cup with their male and their female athletes, the same holds true for the European Championship. Adding to the three Euro wins and the three World Cup wins of the men's team, Germany counts 15 major tournament titles, while England has one major tournament title. But recently there is a glimmer of hope for the England fans, since Englands women will compete in London 2012
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
, and Germany failed to qualify.
English
Since World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Britain has considered itself a rival to Germany in many areas, such as automobile production
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
, naval forces, trade and economy—this rivalry has also permeated into football. English football fans often deem Germany to be their traditional footballing rivalry and care more about this rivalry than those with other countries, such as Scotland
England and Scotland football rivalry
The England–Scotland football rivalry is a highly competitive sports rivalry that exists between their respective national football teams. It is the oldest international fixture in the world, first played in 1872 at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow...
or Argentina
Argentina and England football rivalry
The Argentina–England football rivalry is a highly competitive sports rivalry that exists between the national football teams of the two countries, as well as their respective sets of fans...
. In the run-up to any football match against Germany, many English tabloids publish articles that contain references to the Second World War, such as calling their opposition derogatory terms such as "krauts" or "hun". Two days before the UEFA Euro 1996 semi-final, The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror is a British national daily tabloid newspaper which was founded in 1903. Twice in its history, from 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was changed to read simply The Mirror, which is how the paper is often referred to in popular parlance. It had an...
published an article on its front page that ran with the headline "Achtung! Surrender!", another reference to the war. After the 5–1 victory over Germany in 2001, the English news media was ecstatic. The Sunday Mirror drew more comparisons to WWII, by running an article about the game on the front page under the headline "BLITZED". Similarly, News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
also referenced World War II in their front page's headline, which read "Don't mention the score!
The Germans
"The Germans" is the sixth episode of the BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers. It is remembered for its line "Don't mention the war" and Cleese's silly walk when he is impersonating Adolf Hitler.-Plot:...
" In January 2010, the British newspaper The Daily Star compared Germany's new away kit to "Nazi-style black shirts", warning that they would "conjure up memories of the notorious SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
".
England's defeat of Germany in the 1966 World Cup has been often voted by English as their greatest ever sporting moment, and the 5–1 victory in 2001 has also regularly placed highly. England's Manchester United defeating Germany's Bayern Munich at the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final
1999 UEFA Champions League Final
The 1999 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 26 May 1999. The match was played at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, to determine the winner of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League. The final was contested by Manchester United and Bayern Munich...
is also highly regarded by English football fans as a highpoint in their perceived rivalry. The rivalry has also made its way into various aspects of English popular culture. For example, in the BBC television series Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? is a 1970s British sitcom broadcast between 9 January 1973 and 9 April 1974 on BBC1. It is the colour sequel to the mid-1960s hit The Likely Lads. It was created and written, as was its predecessor, by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais...
, the character Terry remarks that 14 June 1970, the day that England lost 3–2 to West Germany, should be "indelibly printed on every true Englishman's mind".
German
As far back as the 1960s, the footballing rivalry between England and Germany has been considered solely an English phenomenon, which has been observed by several commentators of both English and German origin. In June 2009, British comedian Stephen FryStephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
stated on the BBC show QI
QI
QI is a British comedy panel game television quiz show created and co-produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring permanent panellist Alan Davies. Most of the questions are extremely obscure, making it unlikely that the correct answer will be given...
that, unlike the English, German football fans do not care about their team's loss at the 1966 World Cup final and may not even remember that they had made it that far. Instead, German fans consider their rivalry against the Netherlands
Germany and Netherlands football rivalry
The football rivalry between Germany and the Netherlands is one of the few longstanding football rivalries at a national level. Beginning in 1974 when the Dutch lost the 1974 FIFA World Cup to West Germany in the final the rivalry between the two nations...
to be their traditional footballing rivalry and care more about the matches against them, such as the 1974 FIFA World Cup
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...
final.
Following their 5–1 loss in 2001, many German fans were not particularly concerned, instead reveling in the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
' defeat by the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
the same day. Some sang directly after the loss to England: "We're going to the World Cup without Holland!"
In 2010, during the lead-up to 2010 World Cup match, journalist Marina Hyde
Marina Hyde
Marina Hyde is an English columnist who writes articles on topics such as current affairs, politics, celebrity and sport for The Guardian newspaper...
remarked in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
that the rivalry between the England and Germany football teams was "quite obviously an illusion, existing only in the minds of those wishful to the point of insanity – which is to say, the English". She added: "In a world that has changed bewilderingly in recent decades, England losing to Germany in major tournaments is one of the few certainties." Similarly, professor Peter J. Beck described Germany's ambivalence to the rivalry, saying that "as far as the Germans are concerned, Sunday’s game is nothing more than another sporting contest".
Perhaps the most damning statistic is that Germany has got to the World Cup Final seven times, in 1954
1954 FIFA World Cup Final
- External links :* - fifa.com, FIFA, 2002.*...
, 1966
1966 FIFA World Cup Final
The 1966 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth football World Cup. The match was contested by England and West Germany on 30 July 1966 at Wembley Stadium in London, and had an attendance of 98,000. England won 4–2 after extra time to win the Jules Rimet...
, 1974
1974 FIFA World Cup Final
-References:...
, 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup Final
- External links :**...
, 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup Final
- External links :**...
, 1990
1990 FIFA World Cup Final
The 1990 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match played between West Germany and Argentina that took place on 8 July 1990 at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome to determine the winner of the 1990 FIFA World Cup...
and 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2002 FIFA World Cup Final the final match of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, played between Germany and Brazil at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan. It was the first World Cup meeting between the two sides. Brazil won the match 2–0, winning a record fifth title...
; England has reached only one final, in 1966.
List of matches
England's goal tally is listed first.Key
- – FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe 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...
competition match - – FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe 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...
qualifier - – UEFA European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe 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...
competition match - – UEFA European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe 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...
qualifier
| Date | Venue | Result | Competition | Location | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-05-1930 | Deutsches Stadion Deutsches Stadion (Berlin) Deutsches Stadion was a multi-use stadium in Berlin, Germany. It was initially used as the stadium of German football championship matches. It was replaced by the current Olympic Stadium in 1936. The capacity of the stadium was 64,000 spectators. Located in the Grunewald Race Course was due to... , Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
|
Friendly match |  Germany |
Draw |
| 04-12-1935 | White Hart Lane White Hart Lane White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230.... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
|
Friendly match |  England |
England |
| 14-05-1938 | Olympic Stadium Olympic Stadium (Berlin) The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March... , Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
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Friendly match |  |
England |
| 01-12-1954 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
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Friendly match | England |
England |
| 26-05-1956 | Olympic Stadium Olympic Stadium (Berlin) The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March... , Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
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Friendly match | West Germany |
England |
| 12-05-1965 | Frankenstadion, Nuremberg Nuremberg Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664... |
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Friendly match | West Germany |
England |
| 23-02-1966 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
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Friendly match | England |
England |
| 30-07-1966 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... ^ |
1966 FIFA World Cup Final The 1966 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth football World Cup. The match was contested by England and West Germany on 30 July 1966 at Wembley Stadium in London, and had an attendance of 98,000. England won 4–2 after extra time to win the Jules Rimet... |
1966 FIFA World Cup 1966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as... |
England |
England |
| 01-06-1968 | Niedersachsen AWD-Arena The AWD-Arena is a football stadium in the district Calenberger Neustadt in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, and competition venue of the German Bundesliga football club Hannover 96.... , Hanover Hanover Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg... |
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Friendly match | West Germany |
West Germany |
| 14-06-1970 | Estadio Nou Camp Estadio Nou Camp The Estadio León, unofficially known as Nou Camp, is a mid-sized football stadium with a seating capacity of 33,943 built in 1967, and located in the city of León, Guanajuato, in the Bajío region of central Mexico. This sport facility is used mostly for football matches and is the home of the Club... , León León, Guanajuato The city of León, formally León de los Aldama is the sixth most populous city in Mexico and the first in the state of Guanajuato. It is also the seat of the municipality of León... ^ |
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1970 FIFA World Cup 1970 FIFA World Cup The 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... |
 Mexico |
West Germany |
| 29-04-1972 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... * |
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Euro 1972 qualifier | England |
West Germany |
| 13-05-1972 | Olympic Stadium Olympic Stadium (Berlin) The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March... , Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... * |
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Euro 1972 qualifier | West Germany |
Draw |
| 12-03-1975 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
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Friendly match | England |
England |
| 22-02-1978 | Olympic Stadium Olympic Stadium (Munich) Olympiastadion is a stadium located in Munich, Germany. Situated at the heart of the Olympiapark München in northern Munich, the stadium was built as the main venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics.... , Munich Munich Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat... |
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Friendly match | West Germany |
West Germany |
| 29-06-1982 | Estadio Santiago Bernabéu Santiago Bernabéu Stadium The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators.... , Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... ^ |
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1982 FIFA World Cup 1982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:... |
 Spain |
Draw |
| 13-10-1982 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
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Friendly match | England |
West Germany |
| 12-06-1985 | Estadio Azteca Estadio Azteca Estadio Azteca is a stadium in Santa Ursula, Mexico City, Mexico. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican team Club América.The stadium was the venue for football soccer in the 1968 Summer Olympics.... , Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... |
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Azteca 2000 Tournament 1985 Azteca 2000 Tournament The Azteca 2000 Tournament was a minor international football competition, which took place in the summer of 1985 in Mexico.Host nation Mexico, England and West Germany participated in the tournament, and matches took place at the Estadio Azteca... |
Mexico |
England |
| 09-09-1987 | Rheinstadion Rheinstadion The Rheinstadion was a multi-purpose stadium, in Düsseldorf, Germany. The stadium was built, near the Rhine, in 1926 and held 55,900 people, at the end of its life.... , Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the... |
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Friendly match | West Germany |
West Germany |
| 04-07-1990 | Stadio delle Alpi Stadio delle Alpi The Stadio delle Alpi was a football and athletics stadium in Turin, Italy and was the home of both Juventus Football Club and Torino Football Club between 1990 and 2006. In English, the name meant "Stadium of the Alps," a reference to the nearby Alps mountain range... , Turin Turin Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat... ^ |
(Pens 3–4) |
1990 FIFA World Cup 1990 FIFA World Cup The 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... |
 Italy |
 Germany |
| 11-09-1991 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
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Friendly match | England |
Germany |
| 19-06-1993 | Pontiac Silverdome Pontiac Silverdome The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C... , Detroit |
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U.S. Cup 1993 U.S. Cup The 1993 U.S. Cup was a United States Soccer Federation organized round robin tournament held in June 1993. The U.S. hosted Brazil, England and Germany. All three of those countries were playing in their only U.S. Cup. The U.S. Cup began as a four-team invitational tournament in 1992 and would... |
 United States |
Germany |
| 26-06-1996 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
(Pens 5–6) |
Euro 1996 | England |
Germany |
| 17-06-2000 | Stade du Pays de Charleroi Stade du Pays de Charleroi Stade du Pays de Charleroi is a football stadium in the city of Charleroi, Belgium. It was built for the 2000 UEFA European Championship in Belgium and the Netherlands in replacement of the old stadium known as Mambourg. It is the home of Sporting Charleroi... , Charleroi Charleroi Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as... |
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Euro 2000 |  Belgium |
England |
| 07-10-2000 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
England v Germany (2000) England v Germany was the final match to be played at the old Wembley Stadium. The match was a 2002 World Cup qualifying game between England and Germany. Germany won the game 1-0, with the goal scored by Dietmar Hamann. England manager Kevin Keegan resigned from his position after this... |
2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
England |
Germany |
| 01-09-2001 | Olympic Stadium Olympic Stadium (Munich) Olympiastadion is a stadium located in Munich, Germany. Situated at the heart of the Olympiapark München in northern Munich, the stadium was built as the main venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics.... , Munich Munich Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat... |
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2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
Germany |
England |
| 22-08-2007 | Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
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Friendly match | England |
Germany |
| 19-11-2008 | Olympic Stadium Olympic Stadium (Berlin) The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March... , Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
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Friendly match | Germany |
England |
| 27-06-2010 | Free State Stadium Free State Stadium The Free State Stadium , also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and association football... , Bloemfontein Bloemfontein Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and... ^ |
|
2010 FIFA World Cup 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
 South Africa |
Germany |
Note: Since 1908, Germany is represented 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...
(DFB) which fields the Germany national football 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....
. During German division (1949–1990), the team of 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...
based in Frankfurt, Federal Republic of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
was colloquially called West Germany. Also, different flags were applied: Germany (Kaiserreich) (until 1919) Germany (Weimar Republic) (1919–1933) Germany (Third Reich) (1933–1945) Germany (since 1949, called until 1990 by some
West Germany West Germany )East Germany's team
England played four Friendly matches against the East Germany national football teamEast Germany national football team
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....
which was fielded by the DFV in the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
which existed from 1949 to 1990:
| Date | Venue | Result | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-07-02 | Zentralstadion, 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... |
 German Democratic Republic |
2–1 | England |
| 1970-11-25 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
England |
3–1 | England |
| 1974-05-29 | Zentralstadion, 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... |
German Democratic Republic |
1–1 | Draw |
| 1984-09-12 | Wembley Stadium, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
England |
1–0 | England |
Club level
As well as the rivalry between the national sides, English and German club teams have also met on numerous occasions in the various European club competitions.Perhaps the most noteworthy encounter was the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final
1999 UEFA Champions League Final
The 1999 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 26 May 1999. The match was played at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain, to determine the winner of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League. The final was contested by Manchester United and Bayern Munich...
between Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Bayern Munich, during which the English club were trailing 1–0 until injury time, then scoring two goals to win 2–1. This result was celebrated by many in England who were not United fans as being another English victory over Germany. Other memorable matches were the controversial 1975 European Cup Final
1975 European Cup Final
The 1975 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Parc des Princes, Paris, on 28 May 1975 between Leeds United and Bayern Munich.-Background:...
in which Bayern beat Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
after the latter had penalty claims turned down by a French referee who also disallowed a goal scored by Peter Lorimer
Peter Lorimer
Peter Patrick Lorimer is a former footballer who formed part of the much-admired and feared Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s....
with a shot from outside the area. Leeds would eventually eliminate a German team (VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
) in unexpected and bizarre cirumstances. After the Germans had qualified, in the first round of the 1992–93 competition, on the away goals rule, the return leg was awarded by UEFA 3–0 to Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
because Stuttgart fielded an extra foreigner, thus infringing the European competition rules that were in place at the time. A replay was ordered as the aggregate stood at 3–3. Leeds won the replay at Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
's Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
2–1.
In 2000, a young and depleted Leeds United side, managed by David O'Leary
David O'Leary
David Anthony O'Leary is an Irish football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United and later he managed Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai...
, eliminated 1860 Munich from the Champions League beating them home and away in the preliminary round before reaching the semi-final. There were also famous wins by Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in European Cup semifinals or finals. These were against the likes of Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
, 1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
, Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
and FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. Liverpool's win against Borussia Mönchengladbach in Rome stands out for one special reason. It started a sequence of six consecutive English European Cup victories each time involving the elimination of a German club in the latter stages.
The English hold the upperhand in club football encounters, although there were notable German wins such as Bayern's revenge over Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in 2001, winning home and away, and Bayer 04 Leverkusen's elimination of Liverpool (a rarity for German club sides) and Manchester United in 2002, after they had received a 4–1 drubbing at Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
(the Gunners – who boast the best English record against Italian sides in the three European competitions – have an unimpressive record against German opposition) in the second group phase. Both English sides exacted revenge over Leverkusen in subsequent Champions League encounters. Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
beat Manchester United 1–0 both home and away in the semifinal of the 1996-97 UEFA Champions League which they won, United having been guilty of squandering numerous chances in both legs, especially the return leg at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
.
English club victories were often celebrated in a manner which evoked memories of the War. The outspoken Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
is on record boasting that he never lost to a German side and that he took satisfaction from this for what the Germans had done to his father during the war. Clough memorably led Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
to a 1–0 win in Cologne following a spectacular 3–3 draw at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
in the 1979 semifinal en route to Forest winning their first European Cup. The following year, a Forest side minus star player, Trevor Francis
Trevor Francis
Trevor John Francis , is a former footballer who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and played for England 52 times. He was England's first £1 million player...
, defeated Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
in the final by employing an Italian style catenaccio based on dogged defence and brilliant goalkeeping by Peter Shilton
Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton OBE is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently holds the record for playing more games for England than anyone else, earning 125 caps....
. One other famous manager who never tasted defeat against the Germans was Bob Paisley
Bob Paisley
Robert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...
who led Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
to three of their five European Cup wins and one of their two UEFA Cup wins. Liverpool have a tremendous record against German opposition, from both sides of the East-West divide, and once famously hit 1860 Munich 8–0 in an old Fairs Cup game, a treatment meted out to Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
(6–0) when winning the first of their three European Super Cups, the second also against German opposition in the form of FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. Liverpool's encounters with Bayern and Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
(known in Germany as the Gladbacher), the latter a force to be reckoned with in the 70s, are memorable. Bayern and Liverpool first met in the Fairs Cup (the forerunner to the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
) in 1970–71. Bayern had hit Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
for six in a previous round. Liverpool won the first leg 3–0 with an Alun Evans
Alun Evans
Alun William Evans is an English former footballer who made his name as a centre forward in the Liverpool side rebuilt by Bill Shankly at the start of the 1970s. He was born in Kidderminster, Worcestershire.-Career:...
hat-trick and drew 1–1 in Munich. This was the Bayern team of Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...
, Maier
Maier
Maier is a surname, and may refer to:* Bernhard Maier* Jacob Maier, American radio announcer and the host of Jake in the Morning on KSKK 94.7 FM.* Jeanette Maier, associate to David Vitter.* Jeffrey Maier* Johann Maier von Eck* Henry W...
, Gerd Müller
Gerd Müller
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller is a former German football player and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time.With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the...
, Schwarzenbeck and Breitner
Breitner
Breitner may refer to:* George Hendrik Breitner , Dutch painter and photographer , Austrian writer, archaeologist , Austrian politician...
who turned the tables on Liverpool the following year in a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
second round tie, drawing at Anfield and winning 3–1 at home. The most important encounter between the two sides was in the European Cup semi-final of 1981 when a depleted Liverpool were held to a goalless draw at Anfield and then drew 1–1 in Munich. They scored in the last minutes of extra time at the Olympia Stadion in Munich before Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge is a German former football player.He had his greatest career success with German club Bayern Munich, where he won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Cup, as well as two league titles and two domestic cups.A member of the German national team, Rummenigge won the...
equalised in added time to preserve Bayern's then unbeaten home record against English opposition, even though Liverpool went through to win their third European Cup final. The two sides met again in the 2001 UEFA Super Cup
2001 UEFA Super Cup
The 2001 UEFA Super Cup was a football match between German team Bayern Munich and English team Liverpool on 24 August 2001 at Stade Louis II, the annual UEFA Super Cup contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. Bayern were appearing in the Super Cup for the third...
when Liverpool, managed by Gerard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
, stormed to a three goal lead before Bayern scored twice towards the end to make the score more respectable. Apart from the 1977 European Cup final, Liverpool beat Mönchengladbach, who had been eliminated on penalties by the other Mersey side, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, in the 1970-1971 European Cup competition, in the 1973 UEFA Cup Final
1973 UEFA Cup Final
The 1973 UEFA Cup Final was an association football match played over two-legs between Liverpool F.C. of England and Borussia Mönchengladbach of West Germany on 10 May, 1973 and 23 May, 1973 at Anfield, Liverpool and the Bökelbergstadion, Mönchengladbach. It was the final two matches of the 1972–73...
and the 1978 European Cup semi-final. The great Günter Netzer
Günter Netzer
Günter Theodor Netzer is a former German football player and team general manager currently working in the media business. As a player, he was considered to be one of the greatest passers in the game's history...
, now a pundit on German television, and midfield forager, Herbert Wimmer
Herbert Wimmer
Herbert "Hacki" Wimmer is a former footballer. Besides winning five national championships and two UEFA Cups with his club side Borussia Mönchengladbach he won the 1974 World Cup and the 1972 European Football Championship with Germany.Herbert Wimmer started his playing career with lowly Borussia...
, played for Mönchengladbach in the encounters with Everton and the 1973 Cup final against Liverpool, then managed by Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly
William "Bill" Shankly, OBE was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Liverpool between 1959 and 1974. One of Britain's most successful and respected football managers, Shankly was also a fine player whose career was interrupted by the Second World War...
. That year Liverpool won the cup beating four German teams along the way, two from West Germany (Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
and the Gladbacher) and two from the DDR (Dynamo Dresden
Dynamo Dresden
SG Dynamo Dresden are a German association football club, based in Dresden, Saxony. They were founded in 1950, as a club affiliated with the East German police, and became one of the most popular and successful clubs in East German football, winning eight league titles...
, who they also beat twice in later years, and SC Dynamo Berlin
SC Dynamo Berlin
The Sports Club Dynamo Berlin was an East German sports club that existed from 1954 to 1991. It was a training center for the Sports Club Dynamo .-Sporting spectrum:...
). Borussia Mönchengladbach's two Champions League encounters with Liverpool involved Allan Simonsen
Allan Simonsen
Allan Rodenkam Simonsen is a former Danish footballer and manager. He most prominently played for German team Borussia Mönchengladbach, winning the 1975 and 1979 UEFA Cups, as well as for Barcelona from Spain, winning the 1982 Cup WInners' Cup...
, Berti Vogts
Berti Vogts
Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts is a German former footballer. He played for Borussia Mönchengladbach and won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974. He later managed Germany , Scotland and Nigeria...
, Herbert Wimmer
Herbert Wimmer
Herbert "Hacki" Wimmer is a former footballer. Besides winning five national championships and two UEFA Cups with his club side Borussia Mönchengladbach he won the 1974 World Cup and the 1972 European Football Championship with Germany.Herbert Wimmer started his playing career with lowly Borussia...
, Rainer Bonhof
Rainer Bonhof
Rainer Bonhof is a former German footballer. He was a defensive midfielder or wing-back.-Playing career:...
and Jupp Heynckes
Jupp Heynckes
Josef "Jupp" Heynckes is a German football coach and former player. As player he belonged to the core of the team of Borussia Mönchengladbach in its golden era of the 1960s and 1970s where he won many national championships and the Cup as well as the UEFA Cup...
. Borussia would eliminate an English club in 1979 en route to winning the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
for the second time in their history. The English club was Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
whose manager, Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Alexander Allison was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.Allison's managerial potential become...
, had taken over a few months earlier from Tony Book and dismantled what seemed, in the earlier rounds, to be a star studded side, to blood young wannabes.
There were memorable encounters in the other European competitions. Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
's wins over holders West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
(final in Glasgow) in the 1965-66 European Cup Winners' Cup were memorable as were West Ham's win over TSV 1860 Munich at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in the final of the same competition a year earlier, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
's semifinal elimination of Bayern
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
in 1985 (they went on to win the Cup Winners Cup and the league) and Gianluca Vialli's Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
's win over VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
in the final of 1998. The UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, which became a strong competition in the late seventies, eighties and 90s, before being devalued in recent years, threw up some wonderful Anglo-German encounters, among the most memorable of which would be Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
's victories both home and away over 1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
in the semifinal of the 1981 competition which they won, Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
's 5–1 aggregate mauling of Cologne in the 1974 competition and defeat of Bayern ten years later when winning the competition for the second time, debutant Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
's comeback against Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate forest . The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, and from Luxembourg.Kaiserslautern is home to 99,469 people...
in the first round of the 1983–84 competition, Bayern's thrashing of Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
7–2 on aggregate – after Forest had held Bayern to a 1–1 draw in the first leg in Munich – in 1996 en route to winning the cup, debutant Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
's win at the Olympia Stadion in Munich before ousting Bayern at Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
in 1993 and Kaiserlautern's final minutes turn around against Tottenham Hotspur, managed by George Graham
George Graham (footballer)
George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
, in 1999. More recently, in 2009 Hamburg eliminated Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
who had earlier in the campaign beaten Schalke in Germany, a team they also beat 5–1 in the quarter finals of the 1969-70 European Cup Winners' Cup which City went on to win. Reinhard Libuda
Reinhard Libuda
Reinhard "Stan" Libuda was a German footballer playing on the right wing....
played for Schalke at that time (1969–70) while City had the famous trio of Francis Lee
Francis Lee
Francis Henry Lee is a former professional footballer, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, and Derby County...
, Colin Bell
Colin Bell
Colin Bell MBE , is a former English football player who was born in Hesleden, County Durham, England. Nicknamed "The King of the Kippax" , and Nijinsky after the famous racehorse , Bell is widely regarded as Manchester City's greatest ever player...
and Mike Summerbee
Mike Summerbee
Mike Summerbee is an English former footballer, who played in the successful Manchester City side of the late 1960s and early 1970s....
. The English hold the upperhand even in these competitions. There were however some narrow escapes. Liverpool won their 1973 UEFA Cup Final
1973 UEFA Cup Final
The 1973 UEFA Cup Final was an association football match played over two-legs between Liverpool F.C. of England and Borussia Mönchengladbach of West Germany on 10 May, 1973 and 23 May, 1973 at Anfield, Liverpool and the Bökelbergstadion, Mönchengladbach. It was the final two matches of the 1972–73...
first leg at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
3–0 only for Borussia Mönchengladbach to pull back to 3–2 on aggregate by half-time. The Reds hung on in the second half. In 1976, Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, also making their debut, with Stan Bowles
Stan Bowles
Stanley Bowles was a leading English footballer who gained a reputation as one of the game's greatest mavericks. He was a cousin of Paul Bowles.-Career:...
, Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas (footballer born 1950)
Dave Thomas, born October 5, 1950 in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, England is a former professional footballer and England international who played as a midfielder...
and Don Givens
Don Givens
Daniel Joseph "Don" Givens is a football player and coach, and former Republic of Ireland U21 team manager...
in their ranks, took a 3–0 lead to the Mungersdorfer Stadion in Cologne and increased their lead there only for the Germans to storm back with four goals and miss out on qualification on the away goals rule.
There were also many encounters between English league sides and clubs from the DDR which mostly ended in favour of the English sides, although these confrontations were less spectacular than those involving clubs from West Germany. Newport County, then from the English third division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
but representing Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1981, went tantalisingly close to eliminating Carl Zeiss Jena after a 2–2 draw in East Germany but lost 0–1 in the home leg after a blinding display by the East German keeper Hans-Ulrich Grapenthin
Hans-Ulrich Grapenthin
Hans-Ulrich Grapenthin is a German former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for FC Carl Zeiss Jena. He was an East Germany international, winning 21 caps, and was part of the gold-medal winning squad at the 1976 Olympics. He was East German Footballer of the Year in 1980 and 1981.-External...
. Jena made it to the final where they lost to Dynamo Tbilisi of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, then part of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
had three confrontations with Dynamo Dresden
Dynamo Dresden
SG Dynamo Dresden are a German association football club, based in Dresden, Saxony. They were founded in 1950, as a club affiliated with the East German police, and became one of the most popular and successful clubs in East German football, winning eight league titles...
which they all won, including a splendid 5–1 performance at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
in the second round of the 1977-78 European Cup competition. Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
played SC Dynamo Berlin
SC Dynamo Berlin
The Sports Club Dynamo Berlin was an East German sports club that existed from 1954 to 1991. It was a training center for the Sports Club Dynamo .-Sporting spectrum:...
in the quarter finals of the 1979-80 European Cup. Forest, the 1979 European Cup holders, had a mountain to climb to hold on to the trophy, having lost the first leg at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
0–1 to a goal by Hans-Jürgen Riediger
Hans-Jürgen Riediger
Hans Jürgen Riediger , is a former German soccer player. Hans Jürgen Riediger played for youth team Motor Finsterwalde Süd and represented Berlin club BFC Dynamo for 14 years. The striker came to prominence with 34 youth international matches and made his league debut with Dynamo Berlin...
. A Trevor Francis
Trevor Francis
Trevor John Francis , is a former footballer who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and played for England 52 times. He was England's first £1 million player...
and John Robertson inspired Forest ran riot in Berlin in the second leg as Forest triumphed 3–1. Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
's Forest then went on to beat Ajax and Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
to retain the trophy and a different Forest side, still managed by Clough, would eventually see off another East German side, Vorwärts Frankfurt/Oder in the first round of the 1983-84 UEFA Cup. As for Dynamo Berlin, they suffered another home defeat (1–2) in the 1981-82 European Cup to another English side, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. They managed to register another victory (1–0) on English soil in the return leg only to be ousted on the away goal rule by Villa who went on to keep the European Cup in England for a sixth consecutive year, beating FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
in the Rotterdam final
1982 European Cup Final
The 1982 European Cup Final was played on 26 May 1982. English champions Aston Villa defeated West German league winners Bayern Munich 1–0 at De Kuip in Rotterdam, Netherlands to win the European Cup for the first time, and continue the streak of English teams winning the competition, being the...
. Forest cast-away, Peter Withe
Peter Withe
Peter Withe is a much-travelled English footballer who played as a striker, between 1971 and 1990...
, scored the only goal of the game against the run of play. For most of the second half, Bayern were camped inside the Villa half, hit the woodwork, went tantaisingly close on a number of occasions but found substitute rookie goalkeeper, Nigel Spink (who replaced veteran Jimmy Rimmer after only a few minutes), in inspiring form.
Players
The rivalry between the two nations has not prevented their respective nationals from playing in each other's domestic leagues, in certain cases to high renown. Many German players have played in England, including Max SeeburgMax Seeburg
Max Seeburg was a German footballer who played in England for Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Burnley, Grimsby Town and Reading between 1907 and 1914. Seeburg became the first European-born foreigner to play in England.-Biography:...
(who played for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
and Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
), Bert Trautmann
Bert Trautmann
Bernhard Carl "Bert" Trautmann, OBE is a German former professional footballer who played for Manchester City from 1949 to 1964. Brought up during times of inter-war strife in Germany, Trautmann joined the Luftwaffe early in the Second World War, serving as a paratrooper...
(Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
), Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States Men's National Team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that...
(Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
), Christian Ziege
Christian Ziege
Christian Ziege is a former German football defender and midfielder. With the German national team, Ziege won Euro 96. An attacking left wingback, Ziege was considered a dead-ball specialist.-Club career:...
(Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
and Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
), Karlheinz Riedle
Karlheinz Riedle
Karl-Heinz "Air" Riedle is a former German professional footballer, who won the FIFA World Cup with West Germany in 1990 and the UEFA Champions League in 1997 with Borussia Dortmund. Riedle ended his international career with 42 caps and 16 goals.Riedle's youth clubs are TSV Ellhofen and SV Weiler...
(Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
), Fredi Bobic (Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
), Dietmar Hamann
Dietmar Hamann
Dietmar "Didi" Hamann is a German footballer who was most recently manager at Stockport County. Throughout his career, he has played for Bayern Munich, Newcastle United, Liverpool, and Manchester City primarily in a defensive midfield position. He also spent time at Milton Keynes Dons as a...
(Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
), Uwe Roesler, Eike Immel
Eike Immel
Eike Immel is a former German football goalkeeper and manager.A leading youth international goalkeeper for West Germany in 1978, Eike Immel was still seventeen years of age when he succeeded Horst Bertram as Borussia Dortmund's first-choice...
and Maurizio Gaudino
Maurizio Gaudino
Maurizio Gaudino is a retired German football midfielder.He was capped five times for Germany in 1993 and 1994, and was in their squad for the 1994 World Cup....
(Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
), Markus Babbel
Markus Babbel
Markus Babbel is a former international German football player, who is currently manager of German Bundesliga club Hertha BSC. He played as a defender for clubs in Germany and England.-Career:...
(Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
), Juergen Roeber (Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
) Robert Huth
Robert Huth
Robert Huth is a German footballer who plays as a centre back for Premier League club Stoke City.Huth was signed for Chelsea from the youth system of German club Union Berlin in 2001 by then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri. He joined Middlesbrough in 2006 and spent three years at the Riverside...
(Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
), Thomas Hitzlsperger
Thomas Hitzlsperger
Thomas Hitzlsperger is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder. He plays for Bundesliga club Wolfsburg after signing a three-year deal on 17 August 2011. Hitzlsperger spent the early part of his career playing for Aston Villa in England , before returning to Germany to play for Stuttgart...
and Stefan Beinlich
Stefan Beinlich
Stefan "Paule" Beinlich is a retired German footballer, who played as a central midfielder.His main asset was a powerful long-range shot, and he often scored from free kicks; he was one of the first players from the country to play in the Premier League, although he would have little impact at...
(Aston Villa), Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...
(Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
), Moritz Volz
Moritz Volz
Moritz Volz is a German footballer currently playing for German Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli.Volz generally prefers to play at right-back, although he is comfortable at any defensive position and has played in midfield as well.-Early career:Volz started his career in his native Germany at FC...
(Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
), Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
(Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
) and Per Mertesacker
Per Mertesacker
Per Mertesacker is a German footballer who plays as a defender for Arsenal and Germany. Mertesacker is a youth product of Hannover 96 and he made his senior league debut in November 2003. Mertesacker was soon dubbed "the Defence Pole" by German tabloids and gained a reputation for his good...
(Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
).
Trautmann was voted Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year
Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year
The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
in 1956 for continuing to play in goal for Manchester City in the 1956 FA Cup Final despite a neck injury. Klinsmann was voted the same accolade in 1995 while playing for Tottenham, where he pioneered the 'diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
' goal celebration
Goal celebration
In football, a goal celebration is the practice of celebrating the scoring of a goal. The celebration may be performed by the goalscorer , his or her teammates, the manager or coaching staff and/or the supporters of the team...
.
Far fewer Englishmen have played in Germany, the most famous being Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
(Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
), David Watson (Werder Bremen) and Tony Woodcock
Tony Woodcock
Anthony Stewart "Tony" Woodcock is a retired English international footballer who played professionally in both England and Germany as a striker. He won the European Cup in 1979 with Nottingham Forest.-Early career:...
(1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
and Fortuna Köln). Owen Hargreaves
Owen Hargreaves
Owen Lee Hargreaves is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English Premier League club Manchester City and the English national football team....
played for Bayern Munich for seven seasons before transferring to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in 2007. Keegan was twice European Footballer of the Year
European Footballer of the Year
The "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
and a European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
finalist during his time at Hamburg, where the German public nicknamed him "Mighty Mouse", after a cartoon hero, because of his prolific scoring, his height (or lack thereof), his high level of mobility, and his ability to turn sharply and often while running at high speed. Woodcock was also a popular figure at Cologne.
See also
- Argentina–England football rivalry
- England–Scotland football rivalry
- Germany–Netherlands football rivalry