What awesome tournament record they have.

4 World cups (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) 3 European championships (1972, 1980, 1996)

14 World cup and European Championship finals

20 World cup and European Championship semi finals

England have been in ONE final, and FOUR semi finals.

How on earth do they do it? Similar population (well West Germany was) unified Germany slightly bigger. They are ridiculous statistics and absolutely crush Englands record.

But why? Germany have had very good players, but never Messi's, Ronaldo's Maradona's, Pele's etc, players who do lots of step overs etc. None of that, but still excellent nonetheless. What do England need to do to be as good as Germany? Its phenomenal anyway, I tip my hat to them.

7 world titles?

Oops. I can't edit it now though. I meant 7 world and european titles combined.

Okay...just wondering. I like to think the FA will take a long hard look at the German model and see what needs doing but I fear the PL will look after their own interests and nothing will change. And they can keep prices to an affordable level to watch domestic games. I expect this will be discussed by journalists and commentators alike in the next few days.

It is amazing really. There is no real feeling of national pride in Germany because of their recent history. But there is no doubt that they are very passionate about football and have a strong sense of togetherness. Being disciplined is part of their character as well. I think that their team manager, Oliver Bierhoff, makes a massive difference to the whole structure of their teamwork. I don't know if the England squad have the equivalent. Jogi Löw is only in charge of their football, but Bierhoff is in the bakground to organise all their other needs, pastoral, emotional, logistical. The team trains and plays as a unit but they also spend their freetime together as friends and he is there to see to it that they are happy and well looked after.
And in the end I suppose they just love their sport and are proud to do well.

The Football Café ‏@thefootballcafe
#GER in WC:

'54 Win
'58 SF
'62 QF
'66 Final
'70 SF
'74 Win
'78 QF
'82 Final
'86 Final
'90 Win
'94 QF
'98 QF
'02 Final
'06 SF
'10 SF
'14 Win

Don't really need to say anymore than that, it's an absurd record spanning 60 years.

That is a staggering performance.

The FA will do just that, sweet FA.

Time after time, England's football setup is shown to be totally out of whack compared to most of the footballing world and each time the FA do bugger all. All football is in England is the PL, and the FA has s*d all to do with that.

They always take their national team seriously, for England (fans, players and the media) it is always an afterthought.

I know I've been bashing some of the pundits recently but do you remember the pre match talk on the BBC before the Germany vs England R16 in 2010. "How many of the German team would get into the England side? None of them" Both Shearer and Hansen said. Truely and utterly embarresing stuff, most of that team that couldn't apparantly get into the England team have now won the WC.

It's difficult to see what English players would make the Germany World Cup squad. Possibly a left-back as they were playing a CB there (who looked dodgy for the entire World Cup but now has a winner's medal!) but then again, you wouldn't say Baines had a great World Cup or last 6 months although he has been good for a few seasons prior to that, and there are natural left-backs who are German, it's just that Low has decided not to use one. The biggest noticeable difference is midfield but Germany are stronger in every position. As the records suggest though, in my lifetime they always have been stronger so maybe comparing Germany with England isn't the best comparison to make. Maybe we should compare them with France or Spain instead?

I doubt English football will adopt the German model because in England the FA have less power compared to in Germany. The Premier League is king in England and that means foreign investment into foreign talent for short term results as that's the quickest way to progress if you have the cash. Ideally, you'd want one governing body which had the authority to make any changes it sees fit but if anyone tried to install that kind of system the clubs would go beserk.

The Premier League is designed to be full of foreign players, it's part of the business model. They want to be an international league with top stars from as many countries as possible because that increases the viewing figures in those countries. The PL may occasionally pretend they want to help the England team get more English players at the top level but in practice they directly oppose it.

But the FA are no better, I still cannot believe that they had a whole big report not long ago examining what to do with the England team and they went and looked at the German system. They could have seen the ownership structure with fans in control, the low ticket prices, the great grass roots coaching, the emphasis on building the national team. But no, what did they come away with... 'B' Teams! A concept that the Germans themselves think is a waste of time and are looking to get rid of. Our game is run by cretins who think that Howard Wilkinson, John Beck and Aidy Boothroyd are the right people to be coaching future generations.

I've never understood why the England set up doesn't follow the German set up. I always thought the concept of trying to get English kids to play like Spain, tiki-taka, was absolutely laughable. England doesn't have the patience to play like that, we don't have the culture for it either.

Germany however don't produce tiki-taka based players, players who engage in lots of step overs and dribbles, intricate one touch passing, none of that. But they produce players with lots of power, strength and technique. Its a model that England could transfer to. We have similar footballing cultures, Bundesliga and the Premier League are very similar in terms of footballing styles. Thats the model England should try to copy. Trying to get English kids to be like La Masia producing Xavi's and Iniesta's just isn't realistc IMO, latin culture has the patience for that sort of football. Germany have proven you don't need to have insane ball retention to win tournaments.

That's it exactly. They haven't the power to shake up the game in England in the way they need to by looking at investment and coaching and all those things. They'll cobble together some version of that whilst missing many of the important elements because they simply haven't the power to make the changes they need to. The clubs are too powerful.

Awesome indeed.


Germany definitely are the tournament team and they are certainly consistent when you look at that record. They have been within the last eight of every single World Cup since 1954. They have been in eight finals and this was the 20th World Cup.

Germany have been in the final of 5 of the last 9 World Cup's. More finals with them than without them since 1982.

The Germans are a phenomenal force in world football. Their record speaks for itself.

For me it comes down to their mentality. They play a methodical, economical and very patient game where possession is everything. They don't try and force anything and play as a team. You don't often see a German player being selfish or trying to be the hero.

England play as though every spell of possession must end in an all out attack. As a result we just try overly ambitious passes or send the ball out to a quick wide player who tries to beat one player too many and ends up giving the ball away. Where the Germans look composed and are perfectly happy to play the ball backwards and sideways repeatedly, we play the entire 90 minutes as if we are 1-0 down with only 5 minutes left on the clock.

There's too much emphasis on running with the ball in the English game. With the Germans the emphasis is on each player spending as little time on the ball as possible.

England has no coaches. Germany invested MASSIVELY in training coaches who train their youth teams. English football academies don't produce anyone. Plus, the Premier League has too many clubs and too many games, so doesn't allow players to be fit for international tournaments.

Some good points on here. On the foreign influence, there is nothing that can be done with the freedom of movement with the EU players. So possibly a quota on non EU players. Say no more than 2 per club?

On the too many games. Cut the PL to 18 teams. That cuts out 4 games per club per season. I know this will never happen! Scrap FA Cup replay's from the 4th round onwards. I'd keep the League Cup. It's a useful run out for the youth players. The thing is, the CL is here to stay. Domestic football in this country has to evolve and adapt accordingly. Domestic cup replay's were fine back in the day when clubs played less games in Europe. Something needs to give. The subject of a winter break is a moot point. I can see the pros and cons. Tournament after tournament, our players are jaded and carrying knocks. If nothing changes then expect the same outcome.

The Germans have an amazing record in the World Cup but I think it was their awful performance in Euro 2000 that prompted them to rebuild. To be fair to England I think the EPL has too much power and doesn't have an agenda that will really help the National team. Having said that England do have a fair crop of good players at the moment and will do better if they get a couple of better centre halves.

Spain and Germany have had the best National teams over the last few years and it is noticeable that both countries have built their teams around a main club team. In the case of Spain that was Barcelona and now with Germany it is Bayern Munich. It may be possible to do the same with Liverpool and England? So it may be important for Liverpool to do well in the Champions League? I just can't see many Chelsea or Man U/C supporters agreeing with that!

I just think it's a shocking stat that out of the five biggest European footballing nations (Germany, Italy, France, Spain and England) that England since 1966 have managed only 2 semi finals. Never mind the fact they haven't even managed to qualify for some of them!

In that time period, Germany have won (see above!), Italy have won the world cup twice, the Euro's once. France have won the world cup and the Euro's twice. Spain, one world cup and three Euros. Then there's England, one world cup semi final and one Euro semi final. The FA should hang their heads in shame.

In theory they've made 2 WC finals (66', 90') and 2 Euro semi finals (68', 96').

But that means since 1970, England have made only 2 semi-finals. So including the 1970 WC, thats 23 tournaments and only 2 semi finals, one of those when they were hosts in a 16 team tournament.

For nation that invented the sport (and I know that doesn't give them a divine right to win it) but it does mean they've had a long standing history with the sport, longer than anyone else and with all the money and facilities in this country geared towards the sport, its a shocking record. It should prompt national outrage.

Ironically the only English player that would get into the German squad is Ashley Cole.

Technically isn't this actually their first World Cup win as Germany?

They thoroughly deserved to win this World Cup. They are a united team who distribute goals/ defence duties evenly.

Unlike Brazil and Argentina who seem to rely on 1-2 players. Never the safest option (especially if the chosen one is injured or not completely in-form)!