Facts About German Soccer

Soccer is an extremely popular sport in Germany and is played at amateur and professional levels. The Bundesliga is the top division of the German league and is contested by 18 teams as of 2010. The national team plays around the country and has a successful history in the World Cup and the European championships. A golden era of German football was in the early 1970s, when the team was world and European champions. Club team Bayern Munich won the Champions League three times in a row.

  1. History

    • German football began when the German Football Association was founded in Leipzig on Jan. 28, 1900. Germany was banned from taking part in sporting competitions after World War II and did not participate in any international soccer matches until 1950. The country was split into three sections, West Germany, East Germany and Saarland, which was under French control until it joined West Germany in 1957. Germany's international soccer teams were reunified as one nation in 1990, after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

    Bundesliga

    • The West German Bundesliga was created on July 28, 1962 in the Gold Room at the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund. The German Football Association (DFB) general assembly decided to inaugurate a national league, to commence in the 1963-64 season. The Bundesliga kicked off with 16 teams on August 24, 1963. Timo Konietzka of Borussia Dortmund was the first player to score in the Bundesliga, after 58 seconds. The Bundesliga now attracts some of the world's best players and is one of the richest soccer leagues in the world.

    World Cup

    • West Germany qualified for the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland but was not expected to do very well. The German team managed to reach the final, in Bern and beat Hungary, which was the favorite for the trophy. The Germans were two goals down but regrouped and won the match 3-2. West Germany's next World Cup success came in 1974, when it hosted the tournament and beat Holland, 2-1, in the final in Munich. West Germany won the World Cup for the third time in Italy, in 1990, by beating Argentina 1-0 in the final in Rome. It also has been World Cup losing finalists on four occasions.

    European Championship

    • Germany has not only been successful at international level at the World Cup but has also won the European Championships on three occasions as of 2010. Its first success was in Brussels, Belgium, in 1972 where it defeated the Soviet Union 3-0, a record winning margin for the European Championship final. It won for the second time in Rome, Italy by beating Belgium 2-1 in the final, in 1980. Germany's third triumph came in 1996 in London, England when it beat the Czech Republic, 2-1 in extra time. Germany also has been losing finalists on three occasions.

    Champions League

    • German Bundesliga teams have had success in European club soccer's elite competition. Bayern Munich is the most successful German team, winning the trophy four times, in 1974, 1975, 1976 and 2001. Hamburg won in 1983 and Borussia Dortmund in 1997.