Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm (German pronunciation: [ˈfɪlɪp ˈlaːm]; born 11 November 1983) is a German former professional footballer who played as a full-back. Considered by many to be one of the greatest full-backs of all time,[3][4][5][6] Lahm was the longtime captain of Bayern Munich, having led them to numerous honours including the 2013 UEFA Champions League as part of the Treble.
Personal information
Philipp Lahm[1]
11 November 1983[1]
1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2]
FT Gern München
Team
→ VfB Stuttgart (loan)
Lahm is also a former captain of his national team, which he led to win the 2014 FIFA World Cup, before retiring from international football.[2][7] He was included in the World Cup team of the tournament in 2006, 2010, and 2014, and the UEFA Team of the Tournament in 2008 and 2012 and in the UEFA Team of the Year 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014. With 113 international appearances, Lahm is one of the 10 players with the most caps for Germany.
Club career[edit]
Early career[edit]
Lahm developed into a professional football player within the Bayern Munich Junior Team.[2] He joined the team at the age of 11 after a youth coach, Jan Pienta, had scouted him several times while he was playing for the local youth team in his hometown Gern, Munich.[8] He was already considered very talented; one of his coaches, Hermann Hummels, even stated that "If Philipp Lahm will not make it in the Bundesliga, nobody will anymore."[9] He twice won the Bundesliga youth title, the second time as captain of his team,[8] and then was introduced into the B team at the age of 17. His former amateur coach Hermann Gerland considers Lahm to be the most talented player he has ever coached[10] and made him the captain of the B team during his second season. Up to this point Lahm played as a defensive midfielder, right midfielder or right full-back.[11]
On 13 November 2002, Lahm made his debut for the Bayern Munich first team as a 92nd-minute substitute in a 3–3 draw with RC Lens in the group stage of the Champions League.[12] However, since Willy Sagnol and Bixente Lizarazu were established as Bayern's first choice full-backs, and the club's midfield was also well-staffed, Lahm made no further appearances during the 2002–03 season and was loaned to VfB Stuttgart for the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons to gain first team experience in the Bundesliga.[13]
VfB Stuttgart (loan)[edit]
Lahm was originally signed as a back-up for Andreas Hinkel, who played as right back, but coach Felix Magath moved him to the left back position, on which he toppled the German international Heiko Gerber.[14] He made his Bundesliga debut on the first day of the season 2003–04 against Hansa Rostock as he came in as a substitute left back in the 76th minute for midfielder Silvio Meissner. He made his first professional start as a left back on the fourth matchday as a 63rd-minute substitute for Gerber and his first game over the full 90 minutes followed on the sixth matchday against Borussia Dortmund. Thereafter he established himself as a regular left back for Stuttgart.[15] On 29 September 2003, Lahm made his first Champions League appearance as a starter against Manchester United. On 3 April 2004, he scored his first ever Bundesliga goal in a 5–1 away win for Stuttgart against VfL Wolfsburg. During the 2003–04 season Lahm appeared for Stuttgart in 31 Bundesliga and seven Champions League matches overall and came second in the election for the Germany Footballer of the year.
During his second season in Stuttgart, Lahm had substantially more difficult time.[14] After the Euro 2004 tournament and the resulting shorter vacation and pre-season training, he had difficulties getting off the ground and also in conforming with the tactics and system of the new coach Matthias Sammer. However, he still made 16 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart before the Christmas break, 14 of them over the full 90 minutes, and six appearances in the UEFA Cup.[16] In January 2005, Lahm suffered a stress-fracture in his right foot and was thus sidelined for four months, making his comeback on 9 April 2005, against FC Schalke 04. Only around five weeks later, he was injured again, this time suffering a torn cruciate ligament which ended his season and simultaneously his career in Stuttgart.[8]
Style of play and reception[edit]
Although Lahm is right-footed, he was able to play on both sides of the pitch due to his tactical intelligence, crossing ability, and versatility.[20][68][69][70][71] He played as a left-back for much of his early career before switching to right-back later on. He often cut from the flank to the inside of the pitch to either shoot and/or pass. In particular, he was renowned for his pace, technique, stamina, and precise tackling abilities, as well as his small stature, which earned him the nickname the "Magic Dwarf"; despite his size and playing role, he was described in 2010 by Matthew Scianitti of CBC Sports as having "deceptive strength and impressive shooting skills," which allowed him to assist his teams both offensively and defensively.[72][73][74]
During his time under manager Pep Guardiola, Lahm also occasionally played as a central or defensive midfielder, in a pivot role in a 3–4–3 formation, which has been likened to that of a metodista ("centre-half," in Italian football jargon), due to his ability to dictate play in midfield and act as a playmaker by starting attacks in addition to assisting his team defensively by winning back possession.[20][75][76][77] Owing to his positioning, tactical sense, and tackling ability despite his small stature, as well as his wide range of skills, such as ability to read the game, leadership qualities, consistency, and ability on the ball,[70][71][78][79] he is widely regarded by pundits as one of the best full-backs of all time.[3][4][5] Guardiola once described Lahm as "perhaps the most intelligent player" he had ever coached.[31]
During their time together at Bayern Munich, Lahm also formed an efficient partnership with winger Arjen Robben along the right flank. Robben's improved defensive work–rate at the club allowed him to track back and cover for Lahm's overlapping runs.[80]
Personal life[edit]
Lahm is known as a private person who maintains a low-profile outside of football; his best friend Andreas Ottl was the only footballer present at his wedding to Claudia Schattenberg.[81][82] The couple have a son, Julian,[83] and a daughter, Lenia.[84] A Munich native, Lahm is a lifelong Bayern fan and served as a ball boy at the Olympic Stadium.[85]
Lahm is involved in many 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.[86] Although Hargreaves never managed to take part in the trip due to injury, Lahm and Germany 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.[87]
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".[88] In addition he was an ambassador of the 2007, 2008 and 2009 World AIDS Day. He has also taken part in a campaign against speeding and various others such as Bündnis für Kinder, a campaign against child abuse.[18][89]
Lahm was awarded a Tolerantia-Preis on 20 September 2008, due to his outstanding contribution against intolerance and homophobia in sports, particularly in football. He also stated that it's a "pity that being gay in football is still a taboo subject" and he would have no problem with a homosexual teammate and is "not afraid of homosexuals".[90] However, Lahm does not advise footballers to publicly admit to being homosexual, because of the abuse they would suffer.[91][92]
Autobiography[edit]
In August 2011 at age 27 Lahm released his autobiography, Der feine Unterschied: Wie man heute Spitzenfußballer wird (The Subtle Difference – How to Become a Top Footballer), reviewing his football career and personal experiences, the general football environment, football in the social context and the effectiveness of different coaching and training methods. The number-one bestselling book received extensive media attention in Germany, and has been criticized for parts in which Lahm discerningly analyzed his former coaches' work; among the critics were Rudi Völler (himself criticized by Lahm in the book) and Ottmar Hitzfeld.[93]
Bayern Munich[115]
Germany U19
Germany
Individual
