If one is searching for a match to define the phrase “total dominance”, check Bayern Munich’s clash against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League campaign of 2013-14. With both clubs under new management, City with Manuel Pellegrini and Bayern with Pep Guardiola, the stage was set for one of the two to stamp their authority in a game of such magnitude.
The Bavarians won that night by three goals to one with Franck Ribéry, Thomas Müller and Arjen Robben making Álvaro Negredo’s strike just a mere consolation. However, despite not getting anywhere near the net, one man stood out and made things tick – Philipp Lahm.
Philipp Lahm: A Tribute to a German Icon
The Bayern Munich captain was the standout performer and received praise from all over for his excellence that night. Playing in his unconventional midfield role, which he was getting more time in under Guardiola, Lahm controlled every minute of the game and was a key contributor to his side’s success. Guardiola coached some of the world’s elite in his time as Barcelona boss, and his words spoke volumes when he described the player towards the end of his Bayern tenure:
“One of the reasons for my success at Bayern is the relationship with Philipp Lahm; he helped me a lot from the beginning. He always performs. I have never seen Philipp have a poor match. He will always be a special person in my life, and he is an absolute legend. Philipp Lahm is the most intelligent footballer I have ever coached.”
Legend
The German World Cup-winning captain surprised the footballing fraternity when he announced his decision to retire from football earlier this week, and that game against Manchester City was just a small piece in an impressive repertoire of classy performances.
He has spent all his career donning the red of Bayern Munich, except for a two-season spell on loan at VfB Stuttgart which saw the birth and early signs of his quality and versatility. 15 years, seven league titles, six DFB-Pokals, one UEFA Champions League, Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and FIFA World Cup later, he ends his career as a professional footballer rightfully in the category of a legend.
Thank you very much for all your messages. A day later, I’d like to explain my decision to you in detail: pic.twitter.com/Xz213rxM73
— Philipp Lahm (@philipplahm) February 8, 2017
His early years at Stuttgart showed exactly what he was made of, and once again, Manchester is the place he displayed his talents. In a Champions League game, this time at Old Trafford against Manchester United, Lahm was deployed at left-back and put in a confident shift in a shock 2-1 success against the English giants.
He left Sir Alex Ferguson so impressed that his former youth team coach Hermann Gerland claimed that he was being touted by the United boss for a long time following that match.
But his greatest success lies with the national team, and the World Cup in 2014, where Lahm was a driving force behind his team’s performance in Brazil. He started the campaign off in midfield and only went back to his traditional full-back role for the final three games of the tournament.
His leadership only resulted in Die Mannschaft conceding one goal in that phase, Oscar’s consolation in the host nation’s 7-1 embarrasment in Belo Horizonte, as Germany would go all the way and defeat Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the final. But Lahm, humble as ever, played down the thrashing laid out on Brazil, simply stating:
“It was oppressive, nobody wants opponents to make mistakes of that magnitude, as they usually don’t happen at this level.”
It is worth noting Germany’s relative decline in quality since their World Cup success and Lahm’s subsequent retirement following the tournament. The then-30-year-old ended his international career after 113 appearances and five goals, keeping the captain’s armband for four years and two World Cups.
Germany have struggled to replace him, and his qualities resulted in bumpy European matches as well as a semi-final exit at Euro 2016 in France.
German journalist Uli Hesse once rightly pointed out, “From one day to the next, he [manager Joachim Low] had to make do without one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, one of the best left-backs in the world, the best right-back in the world and his right-hand man on the pitch, a player whose understanding of the game is so faultless that the most famous coach in the world has called him the most intelligent footballer he’s ever worked with. These four key figures are called Philipp Lahm.”
Bavarian Icon
No matter what happens, Lahm will always have a special place in the hearts of all Bayern Munich supporters. A player as respectful, talented and demure as him certainly deserves that.
He has been the cornerstone of many Bayern successes over the last decade and will continue to have a role at the club even after he retires. His love for the club is undeniable and staying there for the course of his career was never in doubt.
Whether it was the Bundesliga games where he was a step above the rest against the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04, or the Champions League nights like the horror of losing to Chelsea at home in 2012, or beating their German rivals at Wembley Stadium just 12 months later, both in the final, Lahm has been strong in his leadership and can definitely be regarded as one of the greatest players of this generation.
A man who revolutionised defending, being equally as good at left-back as he is in his traditional right-back slot. He also has quite an aptitude for excelling in midfield, and after more than 500 appearances and 16 goals for the German giants, he deserves every bit of respect that he gets.
It is quite surprising that Lahm has never been Germany’s “Footballer of the Year”, a distinction which several German greats have received over the years, but that shouldn’t deny the greatness that he has achieved in his career.
Philipp Lahm retires this summer as the modern era’s greatest-ever full-back, miles away from his nearest competition. A player who groups flawlessness with brilliance, and gives it his best every time.
Here’s a man who deserves a well-earned retirement, and he knows he’s earned every inch of success in his career.
“Philipp is the perfect professional who will give everything to be successful. He was always a key person for me to discuss ideas with. For almost ten years, Philipp Lahm provided consistency, reliability and the highest standard in the national side. He has a natural authority, takes on responsibility, is communicative and is a natural leader.” – Joachim Löw
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