Germany

Are they the most successful and consisent team over the last 25 years?

world cup winners: 1990, 2014
european championshio winners: 1996

Runners up world cup: 2002
3rd place world cup: 2006, 2010
quarter finals world cup: 1994, 1998

runners up european chamionships: 1992, 2008
semi final european championships: 2012

Yes, always there. Even in 94, and 98, when it was their transitional period.

It is just amazing how they have been so consistent over the last 25 years.

What is also amazing is when they lost to England 5-1 in 2001/2 and had just had a horrible euro 2000 finishing bottom of their group and were at their lowest and yet they turned everything around and came 2nd at the wc in 02, 3rd in 06 and 10 and then 1st in 14.

A real footballing titan. Always a threat in major tournaments even when going through their weakest periods (ie 2002).
To put their achievement into perspective, England have scored a total of WC 17 goals since the turn of the century. Germany have scored 62.
Their current squad is just oozing with class. Worth also noting that they won the WC without possibly their best player (Marco Reus) and two other likely first team starters (Gomez and Gundogan).

J.Benson II wrote:A real footballing titan. Always a threat in major tournaments even when going through their weakest periods (ie 2002).
To put their achievement into perspective, England have scored a total of WC 17 goals since the turn of the century. Germany have scored 62.
Their current squad is just oozing with class. Worth also noting that they won the WC without possibly their best player (Marco Reus) and two other likely first team starters (Gomez and Gundogan).

Germany's best CB/LB, Holger Hadstuber, also missed out.

Schmelzer was also injured.

Coincidently Badstuber finally made his comeback in a friendly today. Some 594 days after his first of two ACL injuries.

And Germany could've entered two sides at the World Cup and probably made the 1/2 finals with a B side.

To be fair, they had a pretty easy run in, in the 2002 world cup. Still got there though.

Badstuber pre injury was utter gash, most German fans didn't want him near the national team.

Hero wrote:Badstuber pre injury was utter gash, most German fans didn't want him near the national team.

Badstuber is the best left footed defender in Germany. Fact.

Schmelzer is a far better left back than Badstuber, his absence led to Howedes playing there not Badstuber who as Hero says is a fairly poor defender.

When he's in form he's alright, but he had so many peaks and troughs it was unreal. LVG is a big fan though...

Hero wrote:When he's in form he's alright, but he had so many peaks and troughs it was unreal. LVG is a big fan though...

Look who he was partnered with. In 2009/10 Martin Demichelis was still in the FC Bayern starting lineup and he's a calamity.

Then in 2011/12 there was Jerome Boateng and he was shocking.

Before anyone says it's, yes Boateng has since improved.