Germany Euro 2008 Squad

After their surprise third place in the 2006 World Cup, expectations are high, especially as Germany enjoyed the luck of the draw with all the other big names in the opposite half of the draw. Germany have won at least one major tournament a decade since the 1970s.

Germany were the first side to secure qualification for the finals with a 0-0 draw in the Republic of Ireland in October 2007, although a couple of poor results after that took some of the gloss off a generally impressive campaign and they ended up second behind the Czech Republic. On their way to qualification, they broke the record for the biggest European Championship win, beating San Marino 13-0 away in September 2006, with Lukas Podolski scoring four goals — only the second German player to achieve that feat after Gerd Müller put four past Albania in 1967. They met the Czechs after they had secured qualification, but left the pitch to catcalls after losing 3-0 in Munich.

For this tournament, Joachim Löw is expected to play his favoured 4-4-2 formation, and Miroslav Klose’s impressive international record is sure to earn him a place in the front line. The battle to partner Klose is between Kevin Kuranyi, 2007 German Player of the Year Mario Gómez and Lukas Podolski. Podolski gave Löw, and Bastian Schweinsteiger, plenty to think about by performing well when deployed on the left side of midfield.

Germany lead the way with three tournament victories to date. In 1972 and 1980 they won the competition as West Germany, but their 1996 success came after reunification. France are the only other country to have won the competition more than once following successes in 1984 and 2000. One surprising fact is that Germany have not won a match in the final tournament of a European Championship since winning the competition in 1996. Since then, Germany have played six matches, drawing three and losing three, with three goals scored and eight conceded.

Germany Euro 2008 Squad

Head coach: Joachim Löw

No. Pos. Player DoB (Age) Caps Goals Club 1 GK Jens Lehmann 10 November 1969 (38) 54 0 Arsenal 2 DF Marcell Jansen 4 November 1985 (22) 21 1 Bayern Munich 3 DF Arne Friedrich 29 May 1979 (29) 56 0 Hertha BSC 4 DF Clemens Fritz 7 December 1980 (27) 13 2 Werder Bremen 5 DF Heiko Westermann 14 August 1983 (24) 2 0 Schalke 04 6 MF Simon Rolfes 21 January 1982 (26) 9 0 Bayer Leverkusen 7 MF Bastian Schweinsteiger 1 August 1984 (23) 50 13 Bayern Munich 8 MF Torsten Frings 22 November 1976 (31) 71 10 Werder Bremen 9 FW Mario Gómez 10 July 1985 (22) 9 6 Stuttgart 10 FW Oliver Neuville 1 May 1973 (35) 67 9 Borussia Mönchengladbach 11 FW Miroslav Klose 9 June 1978 (30) 75 39 Bayern Munich 12 GK Robert Enke 24 August 1977 (30) 1 0 Hannover 96 13 MF Michael Ballack 26 September 1976 (31) 80 35 Chelsea 14 MF Piotr Trochowski 22 March 1984 (24) 12 0 Hamburg 15 MF Thomas Hitzlsperger 5 April 1982 (26) 33 5 Stuttgart 16 DF Philipp Lahm 11 November 1983 (24) 40 1 Bayern Munich 17 DF Per Mertesacker 29 September 1984 (23) 41 1 Werder Bremen 18 MF Tim Borowski 2 May 1980 (28) 31 2 Werder Bremen 19 MF David Odonkor 21 February 1984 (24) 13 1 Real Betis 20 FW Lukas Podolski 4 June 1985 (23) 47 25 Bayern Munich 21 DF Christoph Metzelder 5 November 1980 (27) 40 0 Real Madrid 22 FW Kevin Kurányi 2 March 1982 (26) 46 19 Schalke 04 23 GK René Adler 15 January 1985 (23) 0 0 Bayer Leverkusen

Back to Euro 2008 Squads.

More Euro 2008 Information.