#21 Philipp Lahm

[Oliver_Kahn]

Reaction to Bayern v Energie Cottbus

Philipp Lahm: "It was sleeves rolled up stuff today. We knew it would again be tough against a defensive team. Cottbus even stayed back after we'd gone 2-1 up. That's something we'll work on during the winter break, so it's not as hard work in similar matches for the rest of the campaign."

[Oliver_Kahn]

He is having a great season as expected.

One of the best full-backs in the world

[Oliver_Kahn]

Reaction to Alemannia Aachen v Bayern

Philipp Lahm: "We failed to take our chances. We had three superb chances in the opening minutes, and one of those has to go in. We proved we're a real team in the second half. Our target was the final, but sadly it's not to be."

[Oliver_Kahn]

Philipp Lahm went to the cinema with Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski recently, although this was not just any old night out at the movies. The trio were star guests at a special showing of Sönke Wortmann's 2006 World Cup retrospective, "Germany: a summer fairy tale", laid on for a group of thrilled Munich school kids. Lahm clearly cannot get enough of the film in which he is also one of the leading lights. "I've already seen it four times," the Bayern starlet revealed.

The World Cup was unquestionably a rip-roaring success for Germany's youthful stars, but Lahm's fairy tale fundamentally extended to cover the whole of 2006. The player, who is spending the festive season in the company of his closest family and friends, will inevitably see the turn of the year as a time to reflect on a momentous 12 months in his stellar footballing career. "Overall, it's just been a tremendous year. I'll always look back on it with real fondness," he told fcbayern.de.

Outstanding World Cup

The Munich-born defender helped Bayern seal a second successive domestic double in April and May. "Those were my first winners' medals as a senior player," he recalled. August saw him open his Bundesliga scoring account for Germany's most successful club, "and that was a fabulous feeling, coming just after a sensational World Cup on home soil." Lahm curled home the first goal of the tournament in the Opening Match, sparking a month of unbounded emotion and passion for the game in the host country.

"I have so many fantastic memories," the player declared with almost childlike wonder. "And it's not just connected to the football, it was everything else going on at the time too. The atmosphere in Germany was just astonishing, it was unique." In a series of displays ranging from good to exceptional – "he was one of Germany's outstanding players," according to Uli Hoeneß – Lahm made a massive contribution to Jurgen Klinsmann's side claiming third place at the event.

Hard to adjust

Lahm had just three weeks to recover from his summer exertions. "I only had a short holiday, and almost no pre-season. The Bundesliga restarted ten days after I reported back for training. It was incredibly tough," Lahm acknowledged after a tricky start to the new term.

The World Cup had taken its toll, both physically and mentally. "Everything was quite hard after that. We were so totally focused on the tournament and our goal of winning the World Cup," the 22-year-old remarked. Lahm had even undergone surgery on an elbow injury just days before the Opening Match, and contested the first few games wearing a cast.

Sixty matches in a year

"Those were seven brutal weeks, largely due to the pressure and expectations from having the World Cup here at home," he reported. No fewer than eleven of the Bayern first team were battling similar post-World Cup symptoms, and the champions consequently rarely hit peak form in the autumn. "We always knew the first half of the season would be tough, because of the World Cup and a very brief pre-season," the left-back mused.

The player remains satisfied with his club's performance so far, the unlucky Cup exit to Aachen aside. "It went very well in the Champions League, and we're only three points off the lead in the Bundesliga," commented Lahm, after a calendar year in which he made no fewer than 60 competitive appearances (33 in the Bundesliga, 6 in the DFB Cup, 6 in the Champions League and 15 full internationals).

All the way to Athens?

Lahm will spend the time until training resumes on 4 January recharging his batteries in preparation for the second half of the campaign. "It'll be different compared to last summer. We'll use a full mid-season training period to get ready for the challenges ahead. Our target remains winning the German championship, and we have our ambitions in the Champions League too." Philipp Lahm is far from tired of fairy tales just yet.

[Oliver_Kahn]

In my opinion, Lahm is one of the best full-backs in the world

[simaozinho200]

one of the best young fullbacks indeed

[Oliver_Kahn]

He has the potencial to be better than Zambrotta.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Phillip Lahm is one of the 11 players that made the UEFA team of the Year 2006.


Certainly deserved, what a great player he is.

[JD]

he's top class

[Oliver_Kahn]

I'm glad he's a Bayern fan as well. If not, he would be crying around for a move like Hargreaves.

[JD]

tbf 2hargreaves his family are english - u can see y the move seems attractive

[Oliver_Kahn]

Hargreaves moved to Germany since he was 3 and he spent his whole career at Bayern. He should have more respect.

One of his parents is English and the other is Canadian.

[JD]

he wants to go
they want him to stay
difficult to be respectfl and get what you want but I'm sure hargreaves is trying
I thought he moved to germany because of his football ability
that would b a lot later than 3
(he does have a canadian accent as well)

[Trim]

Germany left-back Philipp Lahm believes Saturday's UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifier in the Czech Republic "might already decide who is going to top the group".

Potential decider
The leading two sides in Group D meet at the Sparta Stadium separated only by goal difference after four matches, with ten points apiece. With each having a game in hand on third-placed the Republic of Ireland, the fixture is being billed as a section decider. Given that Germany were held to a 1-1 draw in Cyprus in their last outing in November, Lahm acknowledges they now face a stern test in Prague. "It looks like it," he told uefa.com. "They have the same amount of points and a good team, so this match might already decide who is going to top the group."

Defeats avenged
The countries have met three times since the former Czechoslovakia split. Germany beat the Czechs 2-0 in the group stage at EURO '96™ then defeated them 2-1 in the final - a result that was partly avenged when the Czechs won 2-1 to end Germany's campaign at the group stage at UEFA EURO 2004™. This time around, Germany coach Joachim Löw has his share of selection headaches. Miroslav Klose and Clemens Fritz are suspended, while there are fitness concerns over Bastian Schweinsteiger (foot), Torsten Frings (thigh) and Christoph Metzelder (eye).

Confident outlook
And with the Czechs naming a full-strength squad, Lahm accepts the threat that they pose but insists Germany will not wilt under the spotlight: "They have great players like Tomáš Rosický and an away game is always a tough task, but we are not a bad team either, and if we play our game we can overcome the Czechs." The Cyprus result has taken some gloss off Löw's bright new era, yet for Lahm, there is no shaking the team's self-belief. "I am not sure if we are the best, but we are a good team with real unity - not just the players but the staff as well. It's great every time we get together."

Lasting enthusiasm
The 23-year-old - who has reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals with FC Bayern München - says the excitement engendered by hosting the 2006 FIFA World Cup is still being felt by his team-mates. "Absolutely," he said. "Look at our home games - every match is sold out, like the one against Switzerland. It's just wonderful." So even if the Czechs ask some questions of his side, Lahm does not doubt for a second that Germany will take their place in Austria and Switzerland next summer. "It's not going to be easy, even though people say it will. You cannot underestimate the other teams - we only drew in Cyprus. You have to be focused for every match, but of course I am confident we are going to qualify."

uefa.com*-*UEFA EURO 2008â„¢*-*News*-*News Specific

[Oliver_Kahn]

It's possilbe, Czech Rep, is Germany's main rival. The rest are way behind in terms of quality