Philipp Lahm

Philipp Lahm (born 11 November 1983 in Munich, Bavaria) is a German association football who plays as a defender (association football) for FC Bayern Munich and Germany national football team.

General information

Philipp Lahm has played for VfB Stuttgart and FC Bayern Munich in Bundesliga and for Germany at UEFA Euro 2004, the 2006 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2008, and scored the opening goal of aforementioned world cup. Philipp Lahm is considered one of the best fullbacks in the world, as is shown by Philipp Lahm inclusion in the Mastercard All Star Team in 2006 and the Euro_2008 Awards in 2008. Philipp Lahm is well known for Philipp Lahm pace, dribbling and crossing abilities as well as Philipp Lahm small stature. Although Lahm is right-footed, and while Philipp Lahm played as a right back as a youth, Philipp Lahm has also been played effectively at left back, where Philipp Lahm runs with the ball from the left flank and swift cut-ins towards the centre, where Philipp Lahm could then shoot with Philipp Lahm strong right foot, has been a potent weapon for both Bayern and Germany.

Club career

Early career

Lahm developed into a professional football player within the Bayern Munich Junior Team. Philipp Lahm came to the team at the age of 11 after a junior coach, Jan Pienta, had scouted Philipp Lahm several times during Philipp Lahm games in Gern. Philipp Lahm was considered very talented already as a junior by Philipp Lahm coaches, one of them, Herman Hummels even once saying "If Philipp Lahm will not make it in the Bundesliga, nobody will anymore." Philipp Lahm won twice the A-junior Bundesliga, second time as a captain of the team and made Philipp Lahm the captain of the amateur team during Philipp Lahm second season. During Philipp Lahm junior and amateur years Lahm mostly played as a defensive midfielder, right midfielder or right full-back. As Willy Sagnol was playing as a right back, Bixente Lizarazu was the main left back for Bayern Munich and their midfield was also well covered, Lahm was loaned to Stuttgart for the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons.

VfB Stuttgart

Lahm was originally signed as a back-up for Andreas Hinkel to the right defensive position, but coach Felix Magath tried Philipp Lahm out on different positions and Philipp Lahm finally ended up playing as a left back, a position on which Philipp Lahm toppled the German international Heiko Gerber. Philipp Lahm made Philipp Lahm Bundesliga debut on the first day of the season 2003–04 against Hansa Rostock as Philipp Lahm came in as a substitute in the 76th minute for the midfielder Silvio Meissner. Philipp Lahm first professional game as a left back Philipp Lahm played on the fourth round as a 63rd minute substitute for Gerber and Philipp Lahm first game over full 90 minutes followed on the sixth round against Borussia Dortmund. Thereafter Philipp Lahm established Philipp Lahm role as a regular for Stuttgart. Philipp Lahm first UEFA Champions League appearance Lahm had already made the previous season with FC Bayern Munich as a late substitute against RC Lens, but Philipp Lahm first Champions League game in the starting line-up came on the 29 September, 2003, against Manchester United. During the 2003–04 season Lahm eventually appeared for Stuttgart in 31 Bundesliga and seven Champions League matches and came second in the election for the German footballer of the year.

During the second season in Stuttgart (2004–2005) Lahm was having substantially more difficult time. In January 2005 Lahm suffered a stress-fracture on Philipp Lahm right foot and was thus sidelined for four months, making Philipp Lahm comeback on 9 April 2005, against FC Schalke 04. Only around five weeks later (17 May 2005) Philipp Lahm however injured himself again, this time suffering a torn cruciate ligament which ended Philipp Lahm season and simultaneously also Philipp Lahm career in Stuttgart. During the season Philipp Lahm appeared for Bayern 20 times in Bundesliga and thrice in Champions League, contending over field-time evenly with Bixente Lizarazu.

During the season 2006–07 Lahm played in all of Bayern's 34 Bundesliga games and in nine of the ten Champions League games and was only substituted twice, mainly because Philipp Lahm was the only left back in the team but also due to Philipp Lahm sufficiently solid performances during a season that was one of the worst for Bayern in many years.

For the season 2007–08 Bayern bought the German international left back Marcell Jansen and Lahm was supposed to be reverted to right, both to accommodate Jansen and to replace French right back Willy Sagnol. Due to injuries (both Philipp Lahm and Jansen's) Philipp Lahm still mainly ended up playing left for Bayern and has since also remained left, although Philipp Lahm uttered Philipp Lahm wish to play on right several times during the year 2008. During the whole season there were various rumors suggesting that Lahm would leave Bayern in the summer of 2008 to join FC Barcelona and the transfer seemed to be almost a done deal. However, on 16 May 2008 FC Bayern signed a new contract with Lahm. Philipp Lahm new contract will keep Philipp Lahm in Munich until 20 June 2012. As reasons for Philipp Lahm decision to stay true to Bayern Philipp Lahm stated i.e. the good discussion with the manager Uli Hoeneß and new coach Jürgen Klinsmann and the desire not to pass the reform started in the club.

International career

Lahm started Philipp Lahm international career in the U19 national team. Philipp Lahm was part of the team that won silver for Germany in the 2002 U19 European championship playing in all games in the final tournament and scoring a crucial goal in the 90th minute (2–3) against England in a game that ended 3–3. After that Philipp Lahm played a few U20 and U21 games for Germany, before Rudi Völler took Philipp Lahm to the A-Nationalteam (18 February 2004) just under six month after Philipp Lahm debut in Bundesliga. Philipp Lahm first game was a 2–1 win over Croatia, where Philipp Lahm played the full 90 minutes and was chosen as the man of the match by German football magazine Kicker. Philipp Lahm was also part of Germany's team in the Euro 2004 in Portugal and played full 90 minutes in all three games. Although Germany didn't make it past the group stage, Lahm's performance was considered very promising and many German papers saw it as the only positive thing about the tournament.

Lahm missed over a year in the international football between January 2005 and March 2006 due to injuries (stress-fracture on foot and a torn cruciate ligament), therefore also missing the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, but after Philipp Lahm recovery Philipp Lahm immediately made it back to the starting line-up. Even though Philipp Lahm injured Philipp Lahm elbow in a friendly game right before the World Cup 2006 and thus had to wear a special cast on Philipp Lahm left arm, Jürgen Klinsmann still saw Philipp Lahm as the first option for the left defensive position. Philipp Lahm scored the opening goal of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany against Costa Rica national football team in the sixth minute, cutting inside the area and launching a right foot shot into the top-right corner of the net and was nominated Man of the Match for Philipp Lahm performance in the game Germany versus Poland. Philipp Lahm was also the only German player to play all 690 minutes of the 2006 World Cup and was also elected to the 2006 Mastercard All Star Team.

During the UEFA Euro 2008 Philipp Lahm was in the starting line-up of Germany in all the games and was only substituted in the final after getting a cut needing stiches on Philipp Lahm foot. Lahm started the tournament as a right back but replaced the under-performing Jansen as left back after 1.5 games. On 25 June 2008, Philipp Lahm scored the winning goal of the UEFA Euro 2008 semi-final against Turkey national football team in the 90th minute. Philipp Lahm described this as the most important goal of Philipp Lahm career and although Philipp Lahm was elected the Man of the Match, Philipp Lahm himself considered that not as well-deserved. On 29 June 2008 Lahm played part in the Euro 2008 final against Spain. On 33 minutes Xavi Hernandez played a piercing ball through the German defence and a lack of communication between Lahm and German Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann let Fernando Torres in behind with a sublime dink over Lehmann and the Torres goal was the decisive factor with Spain prevailing 1-0 to win its first European Championship in 44 years.

Lahm was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year 2006 following Philipp Lahm outstanding performance in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and again 2007. 2006 Philipp Lahm was in contention alongside fellow Germans Michael Ballack, Miroslav Klose and Jens Lehmann, but the award was won on 18 December 2006 by the Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro. However, Philipp Lahm was chosen as the left back for the UEFA Team of the Year 2006 and came second in the same election next year, losing only by less than 1% of the given votes to the winner Eric Abidal. 2008 Lahm was again voted as the left back for the UEFA Team of the Year. Lahm has been a candidate for the UEFA Team of the Year in all of Philipp Lahm professional years when Philipp Lahm has been fit (2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008) and is therefore alongside Michael Ballack most often nomineted German player for the aforementioned team and the second German having been elected more than once. In 2008, Lahm was also chosen as the left back for the FIFA Team of the Year, winning the election before Manchester United left back Patrice Evra by 2% of the given votes .

Personal Information

Lahm does a lot of charity work and has taken part on several charity campaigns and events. In June 2007, FIFA announced that Lahm and Owen Hargreaves would visit South Africa in advance to support the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Although Hargreaves never managed to take part in the trip due to injury, Lahm and a fellow German national teammate, Piotr Trochowski, visited the country taking time not only to visit the 2010 FIFA World Cup organizers but, also to visit a local SOS Children's Village and to take part in the Kick-AIDS event.

Philipp Lahm has established a foundation, Philipp-Lahm-Stiftung, to support underprivileged children and is also an official ambassador representing "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages". In addition Philipp Lahm was an ambassador of the 2007 World AIDS Day and again 2008. Philipp Lahm has also taken part on a campaign against speeding and various others such as Bündnis für Kinder against child abuse.

Lahm was awarded a Tolerantia-Preis on 20 September 2008, due to Philipp Lahm especial and outstanding contribution against intolerance and homophobia in sports, particularly in football.