Philipp Lahm
Encyclopedia
Philipp Lahm (ˈfɪlɪp ˈlaːm; born 11 November 1983 in Munich
, Bavaria
) is a German
footballer who plays for Bayern Munich
and Germany
. Lahm is also the captain for both the national team and Bayern.
Lahm is considered one of the best full backs in the world, and was included in the World Cup
team of the tournament in 2006
and 2010
, the UEFA Team of the Tournament in 2008 and in the FIFA Team of the Year 2008. He is well known for his pace, dribbling and precise tackling abilities as well as his small stature. Although Lahm is right-footed, he is able to play on both sides of the pitch. He often cuts from the flank to the inside of the pitch to either shoot or pass.
In August 2011 at age 27 he released his autobiography, Der feine Unterschied: Wie man heute Spitzenfußballer wird (roughly: The fine line - how to become a top footballer), reviewing his football career and personal experiences, the general football environment, football in the social context and the effectiveness of different coaching and training methods. The No.1 bestselling book received extensive media attention in Germany, and has been criticized for parts of the book in which he discerningly analyzed his former coaches work, among the critics were Rudi Völler
(himself criticized by Lahm in the book) and Ottmar Hitzfeld
.
announced that Lahm and Owen Hargreaves
would visit South Africa
in advance to support the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. Although Hargreaves never managed to take part in the trip due to injury, Lahm and German national teammate Piotr Trochowski
visited the country taking time not only to visit the 2010 FIFA World Cup
organizers but also to visit a local SOS Children's Village and to take part in the Kick-AIDS event.
Lahm has established a foundation, Philipp Lahm-Stiftung, to support underprivileged children and is also an official ambassador representing "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages". In addition he was an ambassador of the 2007, 2008 and 2009 World AIDS Day
. He has also taken part in a campaign against speeding and various others such as Bündnis für Kinder, a campaign against child abuse.
Lahm was awarded a Tolerantia-Preis on 20 September 2008, due to his outstanding contribution against intolerance and homophobia
in sports, particularly in football. He also stated that it's a "pity that being gay in football is still a taboo subject" and he would have no problem with a homosexual teammate and is "not afraid of homosexuals". However, Lahm doesn't advise footballers to publicly admit to being homosexual, because of the abuse they would suffer. He was evocative of the tragic death of homosexual footballer Justin Fashanu
.
Philipp Lahm married his early love and long time girlfriend Claudia Schattenberg in the Munich suburb of Aying, just four days after Germany won third place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The wedding was held as a low key affair, with none of Lahm's World Cup teammates attending the ceremony.
. He joined the team at the age of 11 after a youth coach, Jan Pienta, had scouted him several times while he was playing for the local youth team in his hometown Gern, Munich. He was already considered very talented; one of his coaches, Herman Hummels, even stated that "If Philipp Lahm will not make it in the Bundesliga, nobody will anymore." He twice won the Bundesliga youth title, the second time as captain of his team, and then was introduced into the amateur side at the age of 17. His former amateur coach Hermann Gerland
considers Lahm to be the most talented player he has ever coached and made him the captain of the amateur team during his second season. Up to this point Lahm played as a defensive midfielder, right midfielder or right full-back. Since Willy Sagnol was playing as right back, Bixente Lizarazu
was the main left back for Bayern Munich, and their midfield was also well-staffed, Lahm was loaned to VfB Stuttgart
for the 2003–04 and 2004–05 Bundesliga
seasons.
, who played as right-back, but coach Felix Magath
moved him to the left back position, on which he toppled the German international Heiko Gerber
. He made his Bundesliga
debut on the first day of the season 2003–04 against Hansa Rostock as he came in as a substitute in the 76th minute for midfielder Silvio Meissner. His first professional match as a left back he played on the fourth matchday as a 63rd minute substitute for Gerber and his first game over the full 90 minutes followed on the sixth matchday against Borussia Dortmund
. Thereafter he has established himself as a regular for Stuttgart. Lahms first Champions League
appearance in the previous season with Bayern Munich
as a late substitute against RC Lens
was now followed by his first Champions League game in the starting line-up on the 29 September 2003, against Manchester United. During the 2003–04 season Lahm eventually appeared for Stuttgart in 31 Bundesliga and seven Champions League matches and came second in the election for the German footballer of the year.
During the second season in Stuttgart (2004–2005) Lahm had substantially more difficult time. After the Euro 2004 tournament and the resulting shorter vacation and pre-season training he had difficulties getting off the ground and also in conforming with the tactics and system of the new coach Matthias Sammer
. However, he still made 16 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart before the Christmas break, 14 of them over the full 90 minutes, and six appearances in the UEFA Cup
. In January 2005 Lahm suffered a stress-fracture on his right foot and was thus sidelined for four months, making his comeback on 9 April 2005, against FC Schalke 04
. Only around five weeks later (17 May 2005) he was injured again, this time suffering a torn cruciate ligament
which ended his season and simultaneously also his career in Stuttgart.
he had suffered just before his return, forced him to start his professional time in FC Bayern on rehabilitation. He returned to the field at the end of November playing first twice for the amateur side of Bayern and thereafter making his first professional Bundesliga appearance for Bayern in November 2005 against Arminia Bielefeld
. During the season he appeared for Bayern 20 times in Bundesliga and thrice in Champions League, contending over field-time evenly with Bixente Lizarazu
.
During the season 2006–07 Lahm played in all of Bayern's 34 Bundesliga games and in nine of the ten Champions League games and was only substituted twice, mainly because he was the only left back in the team but also due to his sufficiently solid performances during a season that was one of the worst for Bayern in many years.
For the season 2007–08 Bayern bought the German international left back Marcell Jansen
and Lahm was supposed to be reverted to right, both to accommodate Jansen and to replace French right back Willy Sagnol. Due to injuries (both his and Jansen's) he still mainly ended up playing left for Bayern and has remained left for the end of the season, although he uttered his wish to play on right several times during the year 2008. During the whole season there were various rumors suggesting that Lahm would leave Bayern in the summer of 2008 to join FC Barcelona
and the transfer seemed to be almost a done deal. However, on 16 May 2008 FC Bayern signed a new contract with Lahm. His new contract will keep him in Munich
until 20 June 2012. As reasons for his decision to stay true to Bayern he stated i.e. the good discussion with the manager Uli Hoeneß and new coach Jürgen Klinsmann
and the desire not to pass the reform started in the club.
During the 2009–10 season under the new coach Louis van Gaal
, Lahm was able to play in his preferred position as a right-back. After some difficulties in the early season he played one of his best seasons ever, forming an excellent partnership on the right wing with the Dutch midfielder Arjen Robben
, scoring one goal and giving 12 assists in all of his games. Lahm was also chosen as vice-captain by Van Gaal, and played full time in all of Bayern's competitive matches apart from the first round game in the German Cup. After the departure of captain Mark van Bommel
in January 2011, Lahm was made the new captain for the remainder of the season.
On 8 November 2009 Lahm was given the highest fine in the history of Bayern Munich to date (estimated to be over €25,000) after giving an unauthorised interview in Süddeutsche Zeitung
. He criticised the transfer policy of the club and the lack of game philosophy and strategic planning. This incident drew mixed reactions from fans and the media, both local and foreign, with some saying that Lahm should have kept his opinions to himself and others praising him for his honesty. Though he was fined and heavily criticised by the club hierarchy, he kept his place in the Bayern starting line-up.
Lahm started his international career in the U19 national team. He was part of the team that won silver for Germany in the 2002 U19 European championship
playing in all games in the final tournament and scoring a crucial goal in the 90th minute (2–3) against England in a game that ended 3–3. Afterwards he played a few U20 and U21 matches for Germany before impressing Rudi Völler
enough to hand the youngster his debut on 18 February 2004, at 20 years of age. His first game was a 2–1 win over Croatia
, where he played the full 90 minutes and was chosen as the man of the match by German football magazine Kicker
. He was also part of Germany's team in the Euro 2004 in Portugal and played full 90 minutes in all three games. Although Germany did not make it past the group stage, Lahm's performance was considered very promising and many German papers saw this as the sole positive aspect in Germanys lack of accomplishment in the tournament.
), including the Confed Cup 2005
, but after his recovery he immediately made it back to the starting line-up. Even though he injured his elbow in a friendly game right before the World Cup 2006
and thus had to wear a special cast on his left arm, Jürgen Klinsmann
still chose him as first option for the left back position. He scored the first goal in the opening game of the World Cup in Germany against Costa Rica
in the sixth minute, cutting inside the area and launching a right foot shot into the top-right corner of the net. He was awarded Man of the Match for his performance in the second group game against Poland
. He was also the only German player to play the complete 690 minutes of the World Cup and was also elected to the All Star Team of the tournament.
after getting a cut needing stitches on his foot. Lahm started the tournament as a right back but replaced the under-performing Jansen as left back mid way through the second game. On 25 June 2008, he scored the winning goal of the Euro 2008 semi-final against Turkey
in the 90th minute. He described this as the most important goal of his career and although he was elected Man of the Match, he himself didn't consider this as well-deserved. On 29 June 2008 - in the Euro 2008 final against Spain
- on 33 minutes Xavi played a piercing ball through the German defence and a lack of communication between Lahm and German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann
let Fernando Torres
in behind with a sublime dink over Lehmann, and the Torres goal was the decisive factor with Spain prevailing 1–0 to win its second European Championship title in 44 years.
campaign and was the only player to play every single minute. Following the withdrawal of regular captain Michael Ballack
from the World Cup
squad due to injury, Lahm was chosen to captain the team at the upcoming tournament. On 13 June 2010, he captained the German National Team in the opening game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
against Australia, becoming the youngest player to captain a German side in a World Cup tournament. Lahms captaincy would later became permanent, when coach Joachim Löw announced Ballack would not be considered to play for Germany anymore.
matches for Euro 2012, and he also provided one assist each for Mesut Özil
and Mario Gomez
.
2006 following his outstanding performance in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and again 2007. 2006 he was in competition alongside fellow team-mates Michael Ballack
, Miroslav Klose
and Jens Lehmann
, in the end the award was won by Italian
defender Fabio Cannavaro
. However, he was chosen as the left back for the UEFA Team of the Year
2006 and came second in the same election next year, losing only by less than 1% of the given votes to the winner Éric Abidal
. 2008 Lahm was again voted as the left back for the UEFA Team of the Year
. Lahm has been a candidate for the UEFA Team of the Year in all of his professional years when he has been fit (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009) and is therefore alongside Michael Ballack
the most often nominated German player for the aforementioned team and the second German having been elected more than once. In 2008, Lahm was also chosen as the left back for the FIFA Team of the Year, winning the election ahead of Manchester United
left back Patrice Evra
by 2% of the given votes. He holds 80 international caps and has scored 4 goals.
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...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
) is a German
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...
footballer who plays for 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....
and Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. Lahm is also the captain for both the national team and Bayern.
Lahm is considered one of the best full backs in the world, and was included in the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
team of the tournament in 2006
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...
and 2010
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...
, the UEFA Team of the Tournament in 2008 and in the FIFA Team of the Year 2008. He is well known for his pace, dribbling and precise tackling abilities as well as his small stature. Although Lahm is right-footed, he is able to play on both sides of the pitch. He often cuts from the flank to the inside of the pitch to either shoot or pass.
In August 2011 at age 27 he released his autobiography, Der feine Unterschied: Wie man heute Spitzenfußballer wird (roughly: The fine line - how to become a top footballer), reviewing his football career and personal experiences, the general football environment, football in the social context and the effectiveness of different coaching and training methods. The No.1 bestselling book received extensive media attention in Germany, and has been criticized for parts of the book in which he discerningly analyzed his former coaches work, among the critics were Rudi Völler
Rudi Völler
Rudolf 'Rudi' Völler is a German former international football striker, and a former manager of the German national team...
(himself criticized by Lahm in the book) and Ottmar Hitzfeld
Ottmar Hitzfeld
Ottmar Hitzfeld is a German former football player and manager, nicknamed der General ....
.
Personal life
Lahm is involved in a lot of charity campaigns and events. In June 2007, FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
announced that Lahm and 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....
would visit South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in advance to support the 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...
. Although Hargreaves never managed to take part in the trip due to injury, Lahm and German national teammate Piotr Trochowski
Piotr Trochowski
Piotr Artur Trochowski is a Polish-born German footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for La Liga side Sevilla FC and the German national team.-Early life:Trochowski was born in Tczew in Poland...
visited the country taking time not only to visit the 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...
organizers but also to visit a local SOS Children's Village and to take part in the Kick-AIDS event.
Lahm has established a foundation, Philipp Lahm-Stiftung, to support underprivileged children and is also an official ambassador representing "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages". In addition he was an ambassador of the 2007, 2008 and 2009 World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, observed December 1 every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Government and health officials observe the day, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an...
. He has also taken part in a campaign against speeding and various others such as Bündnis für Kinder, a campaign against child abuse.
Lahm was awarded a Tolerantia-Preis on 20 September 2008, due to his outstanding contribution against intolerance and homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
in sports, particularly in football. He also stated that it's a "pity that being gay in football is still a taboo subject" and he would have no problem with a homosexual teammate and is "not afraid of homosexuals". However, Lahm doesn't advise footballers to publicly admit to being homosexual, because of the abuse they would suffer. He was evocative of the tragic death of homosexual footballer Justin Fashanu
Justin Fashanu
Justinus Soni "Justin" Fashanu was an English footballer who played for a variety of clubs between 1978 and 1997. He was known by his early clubs to be homosexual, and came out to the press later in his career, to become the first professional footballer to be openly gay...
.
Philipp Lahm married his early love and long time girlfriend Claudia Schattenberg in the Munich suburb of Aying, just four days after Germany won third place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The wedding was held as a low key affair, with none of Lahm's World Cup teammates attending the ceremony.
Early career
Lahm developed into a professional football player within the Bayern Munich Junior TeamBayern Munich Junior Team
Bayern Munich Junior Team is the youth academy for German football club Bayern Munich. The Junior Team was created in 1902and restructured in 1995 has educated many players who have become regulars in the Fußball-Bundesliga and the Germany national football team, such as Thomas Müller, Andreas...
. He joined the team at the age of 11 after a youth coach, Jan Pienta, had scouted him several times while he was playing for the local youth team in his hometown Gern, Munich. He was already considered very talented; one of his coaches, Herman Hummels, even stated that "If Philipp Lahm will not make it in the Bundesliga, nobody will anymore." He twice won the Bundesliga youth title, the second time as captain of his team, and then was introduced into the amateur side at the age of 17. His former amateur coach Hermann Gerland
Hermann Gerland
Hermann Gerland is a German former football player and manager. He is currently the manager of the reserve team of the German Bundesliga side FC Bayern Munich.- Career :...
considers Lahm to be the most talented player he has ever coached and made him the captain of the amateur team during his second season. Up to this point Lahm played as a defensive midfielder, right midfielder or right full-back. Since Willy Sagnol was playing as right back, Bixente Lizarazu
Bixente Lizarazu
Bixente Lizarazu is a former football left defender who played most notably for Girondins de Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, as well as the French national team.-Football career:...
was the main left back for Bayern Munich, and their midfield was also well-staffed, Lahm was loaned to 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...
for the 2003–04 and 2004–05 Bundesliga
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga is the name for the premier league of any sport in Germany or Austria...
seasons.
VfB Stuttgart (loan)
Lahm was originally signed as a back-up for Andreas HinkelAndreas Hinkel
Andreas Hinkel is a German footballer who currently plays for German Bundesliga club SC Freiburg.He is a right back and has 21 caps for Germany....
, who played as right-back, but coach Felix Magath
Felix Magath
Wolfgang-Felix Magath is a former German football central midfielder and current manager of VfL Wolfsburg.-Playing career:...
moved him to the left back position, on which he toppled the German international Heiko Gerber
Heiko Gerber
Heiko Gerber is a German former footballer. He represented Germany at the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup.-Honours:* Bundesliga champion: 2006–07* Bundesliga runner-up: 2002–03* DFB-Pokal finalist: 2006–07* DFB-Ligapokal finalist: 2005...
. He made his Bundesliga
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga is the name for the premier league of any sport in Germany or Austria...
debut on the first day of the season 2003–04 against Hansa Rostock as he came in as a substitute in the 76th minute for midfielder Silvio Meissner. His first professional match as a left back he played on the fourth matchday as a 63rd minute substitute for Gerber and his first game over the full 90 minutes followed on the sixth matchday against 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...
. Thereafter he has established himself as a regular for Stuttgart. Lahms first Champions League
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...
appearance in the previous season with 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....
as a late substitute against RC Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
was now followed by his first Champions League game in the starting line-up on the 29 September 2003, against Manchester United. During the 2003–04 season Lahm eventually appeared for Stuttgart in 31 Bundesliga and seven Champions League matches and came second in the election for the German footballer of the year.
During the second season in Stuttgart (2004–2005) Lahm had substantially more difficult time. After the Euro 2004 tournament and the resulting shorter vacation and pre-season training he had difficulties getting off the ground and also in conforming with the tactics and system of the new coach Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer is a retired German football player and coach who is now working as technical director of the DFB . He played as a midfielder, and later in his career as a sweeper....
. However, he still made 16 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart before the Christmas break, 14 of them over the full 90 minutes, and six appearances in 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 January 2005 Lahm suffered a stress-fracture on his right foot and was thus sidelined for four months, making his comeback on 9 April 2005, against FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
. Only around five weeks later (17 May 2005) he was injured again, this time suffering a torn cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee...
which ended his season and simultaneously also his career in Stuttgart.
Bayern Munich
In July 2005, Lahm returned to Bayern Munich. However, the torn cruciate ligamentCruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee...
he had suffered just before his return, forced him to start his professional time in FC Bayern on rehabilitation. He returned to the field at the end of November playing first twice for the amateur side of Bayern and thereafter making his first professional Bundesliga appearance for Bayern in November 2005 against Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
DSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
. During the season he appeared for Bayern 20 times in Bundesliga and thrice in Champions League, contending over field-time evenly with Bixente Lizarazu
Bixente Lizarazu
Bixente Lizarazu is a former football left defender who played most notably for Girondins de Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, as well as the French national team.-Football career:...
.
During the season 2006–07 Lahm played in all of Bayern's 34 Bundesliga games and in nine of the ten Champions League games and was only substituted twice, mainly because he was the only left back in the team but also due to his sufficiently solid performances during a season that was one of the worst for Bayern in many years.
For the season 2007–08 Bayern bought the German international left back Marcell Jansen
Marcell Jansen
Marcell Jansen is a German footballer who plays as a left winger or left wingback for Hamburger SV and the German national team. He is well known for his accurate crossing and pace, despite his tall stature. Jansen has represented his country on 35 occasions so far, scoring three times showing up...
and Lahm was supposed to be reverted to right, both to accommodate Jansen and to replace French right back Willy Sagnol. Due to injuries (both his and Jansen's) he still mainly ended up playing left for Bayern and has remained left for the end of the season, although he uttered his wish to play on right several times during the year 2008. During the whole season there were various rumors suggesting that Lahm would leave Bayern in the summer of 2008 to join FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and the transfer seemed to be almost a done deal. However, on 16 May 2008 FC Bayern signed a new contract with Lahm. His new contract will keep him 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...
until 20 June 2012. As reasons for his decision to stay true to Bayern he stated i.e. the good discussion with the manager Uli Hoeneß and new coach 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...
and the desire not to pass the reform started in the club.
During the 2009–10 season under the new coach Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON is a Dutch football manager formerly in charge of Ajax, Netherlands, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich...
, Lahm was able to play in his preferred position as a right-back. After some difficulties in the early season he played one of his best seasons ever, forming an excellent partnership on the right wing with the Dutch midfielder Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...
, scoring one goal and giving 12 assists in all of his games. Lahm was also chosen as vice-captain by Van Gaal, and played full time in all of Bayern's competitive matches apart from the first round game in the German Cup. After the departure of captain Mark van Bommel
Mark van Bommel
Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Milan and captains the Netherlands national team as a midfielder....
in January 2011, Lahm was made the new captain for the remainder of the season.
On 8 November 2009 Lahm was given the highest fine in the history of Bayern Munich to date (estimated to be over €25,000) after giving an unauthorised interview in Süddeutsche Zeitung
Süddeutsche Zeitung
The Süddeutsche Zeitung , published in Munich, is the largest German national subscription daily newspaper.-Profile:The title literally translates as "South German Newspaper". It is read throughout Germany by 1.1 million readers daily and boasts a relatively high circulation abroad...
. He criticised the transfer policy of the club and the lack of game philosophy and strategic planning. This incident drew mixed reactions from fans and the media, both local and foreign, with some saying that Lahm should have kept his opinions to himself and others praising him for his honesty. Though he was fined and heavily criticised by the club hierarchy, he kept his place in the Bayern starting line-up.
Youth Teams and Euro 2004
2002 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The 2002 UEFA Under-19 Championship was held in Norway between 21 July and 28 July 2002. The top three finishers in each group qualified for the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. Players born on or after 1 January 1983 were eligible to participate in this competition.It was the first tournament...
playing in all games in the final tournament and scoring a crucial goal in the 90th minute (2–3) against England in a game that ended 3–3. Afterwards he played a few U20 and U21 matches for Germany before impressing Rudi Völler
Rudi Völler
Rudolf 'Rudi' Völler is a German former international football striker, and a former manager of the German national team...
enough to hand the youngster his debut on 18 February 2004, at 20 years of age. His first game was a 2–1 win over Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, where he played the full 90 minutes and was chosen as the man of the match by German football magazine 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...
. He was also part of Germany's team in the Euro 2004 in Portugal and played full 90 minutes in all three games. Although Germany did not make it past the group stage, Lahm's performance was considered very promising and many German papers saw this as the sole positive aspect in Germanys lack of accomplishment in the tournament.
World Cup 2006
Lahm missed more than a year of international football between January 2005 and March 2006 due to injuries (stress-fracture on foot and a torn cruciate ligamentCruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee...
), including the Confed Cup 2005
2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack...
, but after his recovery he immediately made it back to the starting line-up. Even though he injured his elbow in a friendly game right before the World Cup 2006
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...
and thus had to wear a special cast on his left arm, 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...
still chose him as first option for the left back position. He scored the first goal in the opening game of the World Cup in Germany against Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
in the sixth minute, cutting inside the area and launching a right foot shot into the top-right corner of the net. He was awarded Man of the Match for his performance in the second group game against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
. He was also the only German player to play the complete 690 minutes of the World Cup and was also elected to the All Star Team of the tournament.
Euro 2008
During the Euro 2008 he was in Germany's starting line-up in all games and was only substituted in the finalUEFA Euro 2008 Final
The UEFA Euro 2008 Final was a football match that took place on 29 June 2008 at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, Austria, to determine the winner of the UEFA Euro 2008. Spain defeated Germany 1–0 with a goal from Fernando Torres...
after getting a cut needing stitches on his foot. Lahm started the tournament as a right back but replaced the under-performing Jansen as left back mid way through the second game. On 25 June 2008, he scored the winning goal of the Euro 2008 semi-final against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
in the 90th minute. He described this as the most important goal of his career and although he was elected Man of the Match, he himself didn't consider this as well-deserved. On 29 June 2008 - in the Euro 2008 final against 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...
- on 33 minutes Xavi played a piercing ball through the German defence and a lack of communication between Lahm and German goalkeeper 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...
let Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
in behind with a sublime dink over Lehmann, and the Torres goal was the decisive factor with Spain prevailing 1–0 to win its second European Championship title in 44 years.
World Cup 2010
Lahm was ever present during Germany's 2010 World Cup qualifying2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
campaign and was the only player to play every single minute. Following the withdrawal of regular captain 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...
from the 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...
squad due to injury, Lahm was chosen to captain the team at the upcoming tournament. On 13 June 2010, he captained the German National Team in the opening game of the 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...
against Australia, becoming the youngest player to captain a German side in a World Cup tournament. Lahms captaincy would later became permanent, when coach Joachim Löw announced Ballack would not be considered to play for Germany anymore.
Euro 2012
Captain Lahms solid defending helped Germany win all ten qualificationUEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
matches for Euro 2012, and he also provided one assist each for Mesut Özil
Mesut Özil
Mesut Özil is a footballer who plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and for the German national team. Özil has been a youth national team member since 2006, and a member of the German national team since 2009. He gained international attention during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was nominated...
and Mario Gomez
Mario Gómez
Mario Gómez García is a German footballer who plays as a striker for FC Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga. Gómez joined Bayern after six years in Stuttgart. The fee was a record for a player transferred in the Bundesliga, estimated to be 30–35 million euro...
.
Honours
Lahm was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the YearFIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
2006 following his outstanding performance in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and again 2007. 2006 he was in competition alongside fellow team-mates 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...
, Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German...
and 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...
, in the end the award was won by Italian
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
defender Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro, Ufficiale OMRI is a former Italian footballer considered one of the greatest defenders of all time and was given the name "Muro di Berlino" which means The Berlin wall by Italian supporters. He spent the majority of his career in Italy...
. However, he was chosen as the left back for the UEFA Team of the Year
UEFA Team of the Year
The UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its . This award started in 2001 to allow users and visitors of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their overall performances in European club football and international...
2006 and came second in the same election next year, losing only by less than 1% of the given votes to the winner Éric Abidal
Éric Abidal
Éric Sylvain Abidal is a French footballer who plays as a left or central defender for FC Barcelona and the France national team.-Club career:...
. 2008 Lahm was again voted as the left back for the UEFA Team of the Year
UEFA Team of the Year
The UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its . This award started in 2001 to allow users and visitors of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their overall performances in European club football and international...
. Lahm has been a candidate for the UEFA Team of the Year in all of his professional years when he has been fit (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009) and is therefore alongside 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...
the most often nominated German player for the aforementioned team and the second German having been elected more than once. In 2008, Lahm was also chosen as the left back for the FIFA Team of the Year, winning the election ahead of 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...
left back Patrice Evra
Patrice Evra
Patrice Latyr Evra is a French international footballer who currently plays for English club Manchester United in the Premier League and the France national team. Originally an attacker, he primarily plays as a left back and is described as "the classic example of a modern full-back" who is...
by 2% of the given votes. He holds 80 international caps and has scored 4 goals.
Club performance
| Club performance | |Cup | |Continental | 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... | |DFB-Pokal DFB-Pokal The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga... | |Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... | Regionalliga Süd Regionalliga Süd The Regionalliga Süd is currently the fourth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008, it was the third tier. It currently is the highest regional league for the southern part of Germany... | Bayern Munich II FC Bayern Munich II Bayern Munich II are the second team of German association football club Bayern Munich. In 2010–11 they played in the 3rd Liga, having qualified for its inaugural season in 2008, and have consistently played at the third level of German football — they played in the Regionalliga Süd from... |
2001–02 2001–02 Fußball-Regionalliga The Fußball-Regionalliga 2001–02 was contested in two divisions as in the previous season. Each division contained 18 teams that played each other twice. Three points were awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss.- Regionalliga Nord :... |
27 | 2 | - | - | - | 27 | 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Bundesliga Fußball-Bundesliga The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga... |
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.... |
2002–03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| 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... |
2003–04 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 40 | 1 | |||||||||
| 2004–05 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 31 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 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.... |
2005–06 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2006–07 | 34 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 48 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 2007–08 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 40 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 2008–09 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | 7 | 0 | 38 | 4 | |||||||||||
| 2009–10 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010... |
34 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 52 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 2010–11 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter... |
34 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 47 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga is the 49th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on 5 August 2011 with the season opening match involving defending champions Borussia Dortmund and will end with the last games on 5 May 2012... |
14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Career stats | 302 | 12 | 31 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 70 | 2 | 410 | 16 | ||||||||||
International goals
Scores and results table. Germany's goal tally first:| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 28 April 2004 | Stadionul Giulesti, Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River.... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
1–5 | 1–5 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 2. | 9 June 2006 | WM-Stadion München Allianz Arena The Allianz Arena is a football stadium in the north of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The two professional Munich football clubs FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München have played their home games at Allianz Arena since the start of the 2005–06 season... , 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... , Germany |
1–0 | 4–2 | FIFA World Cup 2006 | |
| 3. | 25 June 2008 | St. Jakob Park, Basel Basel Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany... , Switzerland |
3–2 | 3–2 | UEFA Euro 2008 | |
| 4. | 3 June 2010 | Commerzbank-Arena Commerzbank-Arena The Commerzbank-Arena is a sports stadium in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. Commonly known by its original name, Waldstadion , the stadium opened in 1925. The stadium has been upgraded several times since then; the most recent remodelling was its redevelopment as a football-only stadium in preparation... , Frankfurt Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010... , Germany |
1–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
Club
Bayern MunichFC 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....
- BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
: 2002–03, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–102009–10 Fußball-BundesligaThe 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010... - DFB-PokalDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
: 2002–03, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–102009–10 DFB-PokalThe 2009–10 DFB-Pokal is the sixty-seventh season of the annual German football cup competition. It commenced on the weekend around 1 August 2009 with the matches of Round 1 and ended on 15 May 2010 with the final which is traditionally held at Olympic Stadium in Berlin... - DFB-LigapokalDFB-LigapokalThe DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup, was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Fußball-Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany...
: 2007 - U-19 Bundesliga: 2001, 2002
National team
- UEFA European Under-19 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-19 Football ChampionshipThe European Under 19 Football Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. The competition has been held since 1948. It was originally called the FIFA junior tournament, until it was taken over by UEFA in 1955...
Runner-up: 20022002 UEFA European Under-19 Football ChampionshipThe 2002 UEFA Under-19 Championship was held in Norway between 21 July and 28 July 2002. The top three finishers in each group qualified for the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. Players born on or after 1 January 1983 were eligible to participate in this competition.It was the first tournament... - 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...
Third Place: 20062006 FIFA World CupThe 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...
, 2010 - 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...
Runner-up: 2008
Individual
- Man of the MatchMan of the matchIn sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
: for his performance in the game Germany versus Poland, FIFA World Cup 2006 - WC 2006 Mastercard All Star Team
- Man of the MatchMan of the matchIn sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
: for his performance in the Semi-final Game of Germany versus Turkey (25 June), UEFA Euro 2008 - Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2006, 2008,
- FIFA Team of the Year: 2008
- 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...
All Star Team: 20062006 FIFA World CupThe 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...
, 20102010 FIFA World CupThe 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... - Silbernes LorbeerblattSilbernes LorbeerblattThe Silberne Lorbeerblatt is the highest sports award in Germany. It had been endowed on June 23, 1950 by the German President Theodor Heuss. It is awarded to athletes and teams if they placed several times at international championships. Furthermore, the honoree also has to have an exemplary...
(2): 2006, 2010