THE BEST GERMAN TEAM OF ALL TIME
Let's agree on this from the outset: the concept of "German team" here includes the Federal Republic of Germany team founded in 1948 and the German national team after German reunification in 1991. This means it excludes the German team from the pre-World War II era. Germany is the only team in the 20th century to win the World Cup (1974) while also holding the European Championship (1972) title. Between these two historic victories, Germany's win at EURO 1972 was more convincing than their victory at the 1974 World Cup.
The German team won EURO 1972 with incredibly beautiful football.
At EURO 1972, Germany defeated England 3-1 at Wembley Stadium, generating significant media attention in the football-producing country (this was the first time in history that a German team at any level had beaten the English on their home ground). Historians of the EURO tournament have written that the most impactful performance by the German team on their way to conquering EURO 1972 occurred even before the tournament began (i.e., their victory against England in the qualifying round).
Gunter Netzer (right) - Germany's talented player at EURO 1972 - receives guidance from coach Helmut Schon.
AFP
In the finals, Germany beat host nation Belgium in the semi-finals, then defeated the Soviet Union 3-0 in the final. Prior to that, EURO finals were always draws after 90 minutes or by only one goal. On the other hand, the Soviet Union was the most successful team in the early stages of the EURO tournament, reaching the final three times in the first four editions. Never before had we seen a EURO champion play such convincing and committed football as Germany at EURO 1972, especially when compared to the highly defensive football of the 1960s. The French newspaper L'Equipe commented at the time: "That was the dream football of 2000."
The German team consistently demonstrated their prowess in the matches of EURO 1976.
AFP
Guenter Netzer, arguably the most talented German footballer of his time, played a crucial role in Germany's EURO 1972 victory. However, for various reasons, he didn't play for the national team very often (similar to Bernd Schuster later on: brilliant at EURO 1980 but rarely for Germany). Paul Van Himst – Belgium's best player of the 20th century and captain of the Belgian team that lost to Germany in the EURO 1972 semi-final – later commented: "Around Netzer were Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Mueller, Sepp Maier, Paul Breitner, Jupp Heynckes… In my opinion, that was the best German team in history."
WHICH CLUB HAS THE MOST EURO CHAMPIONS?
Germany and Spain are the two teams with the most EURO titles (3 times each). And everyone knows about German football: the national team is made up entirely of players from the "unbeatable" domestic club, Bayern Munich. Similarly, Spain's team is comprised of players from Real Madrid and Barcelona. Therefore, it's no surprise that Bayern is the club with the most EURO champions ever (in the sense that those players won the EURO while playing for Bayern at the club level).
Bayern has had 19 players who have won the EURO. Right after them on the list are Real (16) and Barcelona (15). In total, there are 104 clubs that have had players who have won the EURO. Near the bottom of the list is the famous club MU: historically, only 2 players have ever won the EURO, both goalkeepers: Peter Schmeichel (Denmark) and Fabien Barthez (France, who just signed with MU right before participating in EURO 2000). But that is still double the number of EURO-winning players of… Manchester City (only David Silva).
WHY DO THEY ALWAYS GO FAR?
EURO 1972 marked Germany's first appearance in the European Championship. Germany voted against UEFA's decision to host the first EURO. They boycotted the next tournament and were eliminated from EURO 1968 after losing to Yugoslavia in the qualifying round. However, once they participated, Germany was always a strong contender for the title in any major tournament. Since their first appearance, Germany reached the semi-finals in six of seven consecutive EUROs (1972 to 1996), winning three times and finishing as runners-up twice. In their first three appearances, Germany reached the final, only losing in 1976 to Czechoslovakia on penalties. If that "lottery" had reversed the outcome, Germany would have become the greatest footballing nation in the world . No other team has won three consecutive major tournaments like the EURO or World Cup.
It's also worth mentioning that the 1976 EURO final between Germany and Czechoslovakia was the first match in a major tournament to be decided by a penalty shootout when the teams were tied after 120 minutes. Germany lost. Since then, Germany has consistently won on penalties in EURO and World Cup tournaments. They have become the most famous team in the world for their penalty shootout prowess. This is also a key reason why the German team always goes so far in major tournaments.
In recent years, the Mannschaft has visibly weakened in major tournaments, but it remains the number one team in Europe in terms of historical achievements at the EUROs. And despite being considered to have declined, Germany has reached the semi-finals or finals in 3 of the last 4 EUROs. That's why no one dares to underestimate Germany, especially with this year's EURO finals taking place on their home soil. ( to be continued )
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/euro-va-nhung-dieu-thu-vi-khi-nguoi-duc-xuat-hien-185240530224321091.htm
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